Author: Mandy Ryle
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Blanket Core
Oh this is just my favorite way to train the core. More than anything, your core is designed to monitor and adapt to your movement. In other words, to respond to perterbation by returning you to center. When we challenge to core this way it is highly educational for your neuromotor system.
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Activate the Core and Hips
Guess what? Your core is super smart. I mean, it holds you up, keeps you steady and balanced, allows for breathing and all sorts of positions. It’s brilliant! I truly believe that core “strength” is overrated.
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Lateral Hip Release
Contrary to popular belief, stretching tight hips will not relieve stiffness and discomfort. Sure, there may be a brief reprieve after a big stretch, but the stiffness situation always resumes.
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Metabolic Blast
Petey and I want you to know that your lower body, especially your calf muscles are highly related to metabolism. The soleus muscle especially, when toned and strong is thought to increase metabolism by returning blood from the periphery more quickly to the heart.
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Organ Breathing
This is just a super cool pranayama that I learned from Perry Nickelston of Stop Chasing Pain. It is thought to stimulate each of the organs by special phonation.
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Pelvic Floor Breathing
If you suffer from hip pain, pelvic pain, low back pain, anxiety, chronic stress or all of the above, this needs to be a go to practice for you. Our pelvic floor is intricately tied to our sympatheic nervous system, otherwise known as fight or flight. If your nervous system detects threat, your pelvic floor…
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Sitting in a Chair
This is a lesson from the Feldenkrais Method®. Sitting is a challenge for many of us, especially those with back or neck pain. Somatic Education techniques are refreshing because they don’t preach about the right way to do something. Rather the body’s innate capacity to self organize is respected.
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Wild Thing
This is a quick and challenging practice to fit into your busy day. All you need is a chair and 18 minutes for an awesome little asana practice.
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Deer Core
This is a quick strength and mobility practice that you will really feel in your core and hips. Strong hips are not stiff or tight! Research shows that strength training is actually BETTER at improving stiffness than stretching alone.
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Mobility Drill: Genie in a Nest
This is a mobility drill with a somatic twist (no pun intended). This is a really popular assignment with my clients as it just feels great to wring everything out. It’s a nice stretch for the lateral hip as well.
