Healthy posture: Release, stretch & strengthen your fascia

MYOFASCIAL RELEASE BETWEEN THE SHOULDER JUNCTIONS

EFFECTS: Melting shoulder tensions and blockages, re-discovering shoulder mobility

BENEFITS: This exercise opens the myofascial connection between the shoulder junctions in connection with the shoulder blade. By reaching your fingertips you are rekindling your fascia connections, teaching them how to let go of unnecessary holdings. You therefore will create more shoulder mobility and have better access to your hands for everyday activities.

What you need: comfortable clothes, mat or warm surface

Duration: 10 minutes

Level: all levels

THE EXERCISE:

You can immediately participate with the video and delve into the exercise. I show you the tecnicalities of it, so that you can do the exercise in your own timing once you've understood the format. You can sometimes check the video for your reference.

You will feel benefits after a few times of doing the exercise. I warmly encourage you to take your time, don't focus on quick results, but allow yourself to explore your shoulder girdle in depth. Any discovery will bring you closer to wellbeing!

You can find the description of the exercise in written form below. You can use it as reference and as a personal worksheet when working through the exercise. Write down daily how you feel before and after it. It is great to jot your experiences and feelings down. You'll be surprised as sometimes we quickly forget how we felt before and after, especially also through the course of a few days!

Enjoy!

MYOFASCIAL RELEASE WITHIN THE HIP SOCKET JOINT

EFFECTS: Melting hip blockages to lengthen the lower back and re-connecting the legs to the trunk, releasing lower back pain

BENEFITS: Focusing on small micro movements, this exercise opens the myofascial connection within the hip socket. You re-educate your body to stand in a better way by allowing time and your own body weight to melt the holding fascia connections. Especially the hip area is crucial for bearing our weight all the time, therefore it is wonderful to re-discover some space and fluidity there.

What you need: comfortable clothes, mat or warm surface

Duration: 10 minutes

Level: all levels

THE EXERCISE:

By following my voice, you can immediately participate with the video and delve into the exercise. You can sometimes check the video for your reference. Make sure, that when you are repeating the exercise, you really focus on yourself and the timing, that serves you most!

Use the written form below as reference and as a personal worksheet when working through the exercise. Write down daily how you feel before and after it. It is great to jot your experiences and feelings down. You'll be surprised as sometimes we quickly forget how we felt before and after, especially also through the course of a few days!

Enjoy!

MYOFASCIAL RELEASE BETWEEN THE VERTEBRAE

EFFECTS: Mobilising your spine, balancing the hip and the head

BENEFITS: This exercise opens the myofascial connection between each vertebra. By dropping your weight you are opening up dormant fascia connections. You therefore mobilise your spine, make space between the vertebrae to feed your extremities with better blood / nerve flow and therefore activating the body. The exercise brings hips and the head in connection and balances their position. After, you might find yourself standing better and moving in a more connected and efficient way.

What you need: comfortable clothes, mat or warm surface

Duration: 10 minutes

Level: all levels

THE EXERCISE:

Below is the description in written form. You can use it as reference and as a personal worksheet when working through the exercise.

You can immediately participate with the video and try yourself in the exercise. Don't worry if you don't see me, just follow the voice and my instructions. You can sometimes check the video for your reference.
I mention the effects some of my clients had after the exercise, do not worry if you don't feel the same or an effect immediately. Make sure you never push your body: less is more!!! The exercise goes into the depth of the functionality of movement. You might feel benefits only after a few times of doing the exercise.

Enjoy!

FEELING THE CONNECTIONS OF THE BACK FASCIA LAYER

EFFECTS: entering into the fascia structures of the foot, you are opening the superficial back fascia line, which reaches up your spine, through the neck, over your head, until the eyebrows.

BENEFITS: Since you heard that fascia is connecting body parts, here comes the exercise that shows, how far the effects can reach, if you manipulate one fascia structure. We are working in the fascia of the foot and tackling pathways that resonate up through the spine and can influence people's headaches or shoulder tensions.

What you need: comfortable clothes, little ball of a bouncy quality (ideally not too soft, but also not stone-hard)

Duration: 10 minutes

Level: all levels

THE EXERCISE:

Take time to sink into the ball. The more time you give yourself, the bigger the effect will be. Make sure that you are breathing and that you are relaxing over the ball. You don't want to create other unnecessary tensions. If it is painful, really take it step by step, and give yourself time!!!

I'm only doing one side in the video. If you want my company, just play it twice for the other side. Take also the time to feel the before and after, note down what you observed in the pdf-sheet.

Enjoy!

MYOFASCIAL MANIPULATION ON THE MULTIFIDI OF THE SPINE

EFFECTS: Loosening the little muscles around your spine, reestablishing balance between each vertebra and opening the tissues around the shoulder blade and pelvic bawl.

BENEFITS: Especially if you have aches in the shoulders and hips that reoccur or you have tensions in those areas, the swim noodle (or pool noodle) is an excellent tool to work into very deep and hidden tensions. You will feel different when standing up again and walk more upright. Also, if you have a back hump, you will find that this exercise is straightening the hump out over time.

What you need: comfortable clothes, swim noodle (pool noodle), mat

Duration: 10 minutes

Level: all levels

THE EXERCISE:

You might feel activated after this exercise, or you might feel really tired. Take time to integrate this exercise, so drink enough and take a little walk, so that you can enjoy and cherish the change in your tissues.

Also, if you feel loads of discomfort, then do only little. Take this exercise step by step and never over-push yourself.

I hope you enjoy!

HOW TO SIT IN A HEALTHY WAY

EFFECTS: This exercise re-establishes balance in the tissues of the pelvic floor, so that when you are sitting, you will easily sit in the healthiest place for your upper body.

BENEFITS: Physical therapists say that 'sitting is the new smoking' (Dr Levine), stating that sitting longer than 30 minutes has a bad effect on your spine. Often though, we sit in the wrong way and therefore harm our body (posture) through maladaptions during our seated activity. This exercise wants to show you where to sit, so that you are not harming your body. By stretching you are re-balancing the little muscles in the pelvic floor and strengthening their readiness to carry your weight. I hope you take this very valuable lesson with you for your life!!!

What you need: comfortable clothes, chair

Duration: 10 minutes

Level: all levels

THE EXERCISE:

Be patient in this exercise and take it with humor, if you find it initially hard. It will get easier over time! And remember: never force yourself into a motion, just go as far as it feels good.

I am curious about your progress! And don't forget to rely on the worksheet to see how immensely you improved within days!

Enjoy!

Creating core stability from the spine until the extremities!

BENEFITS: This exercise challenges the core and how you are supporting yourself grounding into the floor. You are challenging loads of muscles and connecting the legs and arms through the spine. It is a great workout and will strengthen you!

What you need: comfortable clothes, chair

Duration: 10 minutes

Level: all levels

THE EXERCISE:

NEVER force yourself into a motion, just go as far as FEELS GOOD! Less is more ;)

You can immediately participate with the video and try yourself in the exercise. Don't worry if you don't see me, just follow the voice and my instructions. You can sometimes check the video for your reference.

Below is the description in written form. You can use it as reference and as a personal worksheet when working through the exercise.

Enjoy!

Increasing lung capacity by stretching and strengthening the chest

BENEFITS: This exercise opens the respiratory system. By mobilising the ribcage, diaphragm and shoulder blades, we make space for the lungs to open and move in an efficient way. We are freeing holding patterns in the upper chest and oiling the joint junctions there. After, you might feel more volume in your breath, a greater sense of self, and feel more connected, centred and calm.

What you need: comfortable clothes, mat or warm surface

Duration: 10 minutes

Level: all levels

THE EXERCISE:

The movement is connected to the breath, see if you can follow your own breath while going into the motions. NEVER force yourself into a motion, just go as far as FEELS GOOD! Less is more ;)

You can immediately participate with the video and try yourself in the exercise. Don't worry if you don't see me, just follow the voice and my instructions. You can sometimes check the video for your reference. I mention the effects some of my clients had after the exercise, do not worry if you don't feel the same or an effect immediately. You might feel benefits after a few times of doing the exercise.

Below is the description in written form. You can use it as reference and as a personal worksheet when working through the exercise.

Enjoy!

Stretching and strengthening the whole back line

EFFECTS: By stretching the whole back line you strengthen your back muscles to engage your core muscles again when standing and when doing every day activities.

BENEFITS: Most of us are working within a sedentary lifestyle, which is said to be 'the new smoking' of our culture. With this exercise you work against the 'sitting' energy. You lift the body away from gravity falling towards your pelvis and help the back to 'suspend' between the pelvis and the head and therefore lengthen again. You will feel a huge relief in the whole back and you will learn, that when standing again, you will engage your muscles in a different way. Most of my clients find that their belly is more flat than before!

What you need: comfortable clothes, table or flat surface

Duration: 5-10 minutes

Level: all levels

THE EXERCISE:

Do this exercise whenever your back feels tired and crunched. Follow the voice and my instructions and never push yourself too hard! You can sometimes check the video for your reference. It is important that you position your feet correctly so that you have a good 'base' to move from. Never let your spine 'hang', but you can imagine that you are letting your organs 'swim' parallel to your spine!!! :D

Below is the description in written form. You can use it as reference and as a personal worksheet when working through the exercise.

Enjoy!