Why it’s important to keep your head on your shoulders!

By Hilloah Rohr | Published: February 28, 2011

Think of your head as a 12 pound bowling ball.  Hold that ball forward and tissues become stretched and irritated as the weight of the head increases exponentially.  If the head is three inches forward, now it’s become a 42 pound bowling ball!  That’s what happens every time we sit, stand, ride a bike, ski with our head projected forward.

Ideally we should be able to draw a line from our mid-ear to the mid-shoulder.  If the head is in front of that line several things happen.  First of all the naturally convex cervical curve disappears and the relatively small cervical vertebrae become jammed.  This can often cause nerve pressure or impingement which then can result in headaches, pain down the arm, numbness or tingling in the hand and loss of grip strength.

Unfortunately the more head-leading becomes a habit, the more the tissues are stretched and lose their ability to keep the head aligned properly.  The thoracic curve that connects to the ribs can become over-accentuated, eventually developing into kyphosis.  Degeneration takes place in the cervical spine which can result in balance problems in addition to affecting the stimulation and nutrition to the brain often resulting in diminished thinking, metabolism and even immune function.

Here’s a few tricks to keep the alignment in place:

  • Lift the sternum, allowing the scapula to glide towards the vertebral column
  • Check the level of your work station and computer screen and adjust for correct alignment
  • Avoid reading with the head propped forward as in bed.
  • Raise the handlebars on your bike so the head is in alignment.
  • Lay with a small towel rolled up under the cervical curve.  Chin and forehead should be even.
  • Use a down pillow and bunch it up under the neck area to support correct alignment.
  • Place a pillow behind the lumbar spine to aid in bringing the head and shoulders over the hips.  When the lumbar spine is rounded out, the head pops forward.

© 2011 Body Tuning Balance Therapy, LLC

Posted in Exercise, Health | Comments closed

LOVE

By Hilloah Rohr | Published: February 13, 2011


LOVE

“In real love you want the other person’s good. In romantic love you want the other person.”
–Margaret Anderson

Ah, LOVE!  What is it really?  Is it LOVE or is it ATTACHMENT?  “I will love you if you will love me back.”  We feel we need this other person in order to be happy.

“Your words are my food, your breath my wine. You are everything to me.”
–Sarah Bernhardt

Is it inclusive or exclusive?  True love has been said to be “universal, non-discriminating, inclusive”.

“All we need is LOVE”  –John Lennon

“Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essense.”
–Vincent van Gogh

“True love is unconquerable and irresistible.”  –Meher Baba

Is it for this week, this year or eternal?

“There is no remedy for love but to love more.”
–Henry David Thoreau

Even Harry Potter knew the power of LOVE when “He who cannot be named” couldn’t touch him due to his Mother’s LOVE!

“One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is Love.”
–Sophocles

LOVE is that which conquers and transforms.

“Hatred never ceases through hatred.  Hatred only ceases through love.”  –The Buddha

Is LOVE chocolates and flowers or a diamond ring?  Ah St. Valentine, did you have any idea what you were starting!

“….A simple I love you means more than money….”
–Frank Sinatra

Wishing LOVE to everyone, everywhere.

Posted in culture | Comments closed

INTENTIONS: ENERGY FOCUS/MANIFESTATION

By Hilloah Rohr | Published: January 5, 2011

Perhaps you’ve skied through trees or mountain biked.   Both require being in the “zone”, focused in the moment.  Once it’s broken and you worry about hitting the rock in the trail or the big tree, naturally that’s where you go.

Lesson 1:  focus on where you want to go.  

The nature of intention is to take one’s mindset and place one’s attention upon the manifestation of the intention.  Sounds simple.  I’m always amazed when I ask people what their intention is and they truly don’t know/haven’t taken the time to think about it or care.

Intentions are what drive our life.  Without the focus of intention we are spinning, broken compasses.  Intention gives form and volition to our life.  It brings movement, manifestation, joie du vivre.

Is intention about the intender?   Not necessarily.  It can be more about being moved by a larger energy/force.  Something that feels natural and right.

To intend is to be present enough to bring one’s focus into awareness of creating.  It means slowing down enough to know one’s own mind.  It means getting rid of the external busy-ness.  It means letting go and listening whole-heartedly.

With the new year and the beautiful new moon eclipse, this is a perfect time to focus on intention.  What are your intentions for 2011?   Write them down.  Read them.

Once you’ve written out your intentions, then make smaller steps by looking at how you can focus your attention into manifesting these intentions.  These smaller steps of attention can be re-done regularly as changes come about.  The important part is taking that first step on the path.  Honing one’s course is about paying attention to the big picture and keeping that intention in focus and not losing site of it.

If you never take the first step, the intention has no power of manifestation.  Steps can be small and always check your course along the way.  Setbacks are normal as are adjustments.  They can serve to strengthen the intention and add to one’s true understanding.

Intention = Manifestation = Life

Lastly don’t be too expectant of how things will manifest.  That’s not for us to decide.  Keep an open mind.  Stay tuned in.  Listen.  Be open.  You might just be delighted in what conspires!

Posted in Exercise, Health, Travel, Yoga | Comments closed

Brain Power

By Hilloah Rohr | Published: December 26, 2010

So here you’ve been preoccupied with how toned your thighs, butt or stomach look, when it might just be your brain that’s getting flabby!  Like much of the aging process, it can sneak up before one is aware.

We already know that any muscle requires specific stimulus to keep it healthy and toned.  What creates brain atrophy or worse, damage?  It turns out that attitudes and habits hard wire our brains over a period of time.  “All our emotional attitudes, ones we may believe are caused by something outside of us, are not only the result of how we perceive reality based on how we are wired, but also of how much we are addicted to how we want to feel.”  

In other words, emotional addictions such as cultural attitudes, learned responses,  TV watching, any kind of repetitive simulus, cause the brain to fire in the same old repetitive patterns and actually limit our ability to think and reason as well as our physical health!  This has been traced right down to our physical chemistry, cell receptors, DNA.  It’s all interconnected!

Cutting to the chase, how do we keep our brains healthy and alive?

  • Realize that every time a thought is fired in the brain it sets off chemical responses that produce feelings and other reactions in the body.
  • Become more aware of what you are thinking:  Reflection.
  • Fire the brain in new patterns regularly.

What are some practical applications?

  • Learn a new language
  • Play games that make the mind “stretch”
  • Join a group that explores an entirely new interest with new people
  • Travel to a foreign country
  • Avoid “mindless” activities that keep the mental frequencies “dumbed down”
  • Do something out of your comfort zone
  • Take time to quiet down the mind daily
  • Manage stress effectively through diet, exercise, sleep
  • Moderate use of alcohol and medications
  • Watch negative opinions, expressions
  • Mindful practice such as yoga, tai chi, meditation
  • Utilize specific “brain sync” programs

The bottom line is keeping your brain alive by not allowing it to fall into patterns.  Continue to ask yourself questions such as:  “Am I sure?”  “What am I doing?” “Am I acting out of habit?”  “Is this what I truly feel and believe?”

Exercising your brain may not only keep your brain young but also create a much more positive and exciting life!

Posted in Exercise, Health, Travel, Yoga | Comments closed

THE DAY THE SUN STANDS STILL

By Hilloah Rohr | Published: December 15, 2010

The good news is after next Tuesday, there’s going to be more light every day for the next six months.  It’s easy to see why so many cultures over the ages have celebrated the Winter Solistice!

“Sun stoppage” is the most direct latin definition for Winter Solistice which also happens to be the shortest day & longest night of the year due to the earth’s tilt.

WINTER SOLISTICE, December 21 takes place at 3:39 pm PST.  It also happens to coincide with a full moon lunar eclipse at 0:13 am at 29 degrees Gemini for you astrology buffs.  With both the earth and our bodies consisting of approximately 75% water, these celestial pulls and apexs have been observed throughout the ages.

People from all over the world have observed the Winter Solistice.  Festivals of renewal and beginnings honoring the sun echo around the world.  The Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun was a religious ceremony of the Inca Empire in honor of the sun god Inti. In Machu Picchu there is still a large column of stone called an Intihuatana, meaning “hitching post of the sun” or literally for tying the sun. The ceremony to tie the sun to the stone was to prevent the sun from escaping.

Here’s a few of my favorite images celebrating the Winter Solistice.  I hope yours is warm and sun-filled!  

Posted in culture, Photography/Art | Comments closed

BALANCE YOGA IN BALI!

By Hilloah Rohr | Published: December 5, 2010

Tour Dates: March 12-19, 2011
Location: private villa in Ubud, Bali
Cost:  $1,775 single occupancy

EAT,PRAY,LOVE!

take time for yourself

We are incredibly fortunate to be able to hold this year’s yoga retreat at a fabulous personal villa just outside of Ubud, Bali.  You will not only have the experience of daily outside practice in an incredibly gorgeous setting, beautifullyprepared local cuisine, but also the experience of many of the areas spiritual sites and cultural experiences.  Deepen your practice & change your life!  The retreat is limited to the first 10 registrants.

Includes:

  • ground transportation
  • beautiful private room
  • morning yoga session
  • workbook & guided discussion
  • daily workshop with asana review
  • late afternoon session
  • morning pre-yoga fruit/coffee
  • brunch
  • dinner
  • spa day
  • daily cultural tours

This unique retreat is designed for the healthy practitioner who has a solid yoga practice and wishes to deepen their practice through focused application of pranayama (breathing), meditation in the Vipassana style and Balance Yoga. Although applicable to all ages, Balance Yoga is specifically designed for bodies over 50. Learn to open restricted areas and strengthen weak areas in a safe efficient manner. Enjoy the flow of movement & kinesthetic awareness to soothing, joyful music!

Open your being to the increased energy and clarity that balance can bring. Come join us and enjoy a deepened practice that can create a lasting change in your life!  Now is the perfect time!  You deserve it.

How to Register

  1. Download and fill out the Registration Form and Release Form (click to open PDF).
  2. Send both forms with a non-refundable deposit check for $500. Balance is due November 1, 2010.
  3. Designate single or double occupancy.
  4. Call (541) 678 7088 for more information.

Posted in Exercise, Health, Travel, Yoga | Comments closed

THE LIGHT IN YOUR EYE….. Or where did my energy go?

By Hilloah Rohr | Published: November 16, 2010

SAD syndrome, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, is linked directly to the amount of light reaching our eyes.  Our biological, or circadian, rhythms are partially regulated by daily light and dark cycles.  When it gets dark, the pineal gland secretes melatonin which initiates the sleep cycle.  Morning light stops the secretion of melatonin and increases the serotonin levels and a feeling of alertness and aliveness.

The catch comes with the short, dark days of winter.  This is especially evident in more northern (or very southern) climates where the sun angle lessens the intensity of the light.  This in turn, inhibits the production of serotonin and we end up with the winter blues.

So what can be done?  The short answer is:

  • Full spectrum light therapy – I put one on each side of my computer or the lights that simulate morning light levels
  • Diet – foods rich in Omega 3 (fish, avocados, beans, bananas, wheat germ, brown rice which increase serotonin
  • Stay hydrated with water and herb teas – avoid stimulating caffeinated and high sugar drinks
  • Vitamin D supplementation
  • Exercise to keep the endorphin levels high
  • Get outside even if it’s cloudy or stormy
  • St. John’s Wort and Passiflora both offer good herbal options

Now’s the time to get a jump on your winter circadian rhythms and keep them in check before they’ve got you down with the blues and wishing you were heading to hibernation with the bears.

Posted in Exercise, Health | Comments closed

GET OUTTA THE GYM!

By Hilloah Rohr | Published: October 18, 2010

Sure the gym/indoor exercise classes have their place.  But let’s face it, the gym is like a fast food fitness diet…..it’s missing some important components of exercise!

Like the rest of our culture, everyone wants the quick fix.  Part of the beauty of exercise in it’s more natural form is that it slows us down and gets us closer to nature.  For example, hiking, nordic skiing, running or mt. biking outdoors gets us out in the fresh air, natural sunlight, and allows our bodies to move and respond to the terrain.  These types of activities can allow our minds to unclutter and take in the natural beauty and peace around us.

With the shortening days of winter upon us and busy life schedules, here’s my challenge to you – include more natural activities in your exercise schedule that are comprised of the following elements:

  • outdoors
  • fresh air
  • natural light (even non-sunny days provide the eye with stimulus to prevent SAD syndrome)
  • quiet (leave the IPod home)
  • varied terrain (allows the proprioceptors & soft tissues to be stimulated)
  • cross train – pick activities that use different muscle groups in varied ways

I hope to see you outside!

Happy Trails!

Posted in Exercise, Health | Comments closed

Body Tuning: Pt 2 Ankle Sprains

By Hilloah Rohr | Published: October 2, 2010

This is part of a year-long series on injury prevention.  Part I was on Metatarsal Spread.  Please click on the title to view the entire article if you’re viewing this on Facebook.

Many of us can relate to this one and quite a few of us live with weakened ankles on a daily basis.  Once a ligament, which connects bone to bone, is stretched, it is permanent.  If it is torn in a severe trauma injury and re-attached, then the integrity of the joint may be regained.  Otherwise, the ankle becomes much more subject to re-injury and consistent instability.

To treat a sprained or re-sprained ankle the RICE recipe works very well:

1) Get off of it. If you are out hiking this usually means sitting by the trail and taking off your boot.  I find that after the initial pain subsides, it is helpful to slowly circle the ankle and flex and point it.  When it feels ready to bear weight, proceed to #2 and/or #3.

2) Ice. If you’re hiking and can find a stream or lake, cool the ankle by submersion.  Carrying a portable ice pack that becomes cold upon opening is very handy also.  If no water, snow or ice pack is available, proceed to #3.  Cool for 5-10 minutes at a time.  If you’re back home, ice massage is especially effective for an ankle sprain.

3) Wrap. If you already know that you have a bad ankle, an ace wrap or a specifically made ankle brace is helpful along with a boot that provides good ankle support.  Apply adhesive tape or an ace wrapped in a figure 8 around the ankle area.  Be sure to apply loose enough to allow for good circulation.

4) Elevation. All four steps aid in turning over of the fluids and keeping the swelling to a minimum.  Whenever possible, elevate the ankle.

Prevention is equally important especially once you’re ankle stability is compromised.

Here’s a few tips to keep you on the trail:

1)  Strengthen surrounding ligaments. This includes the peroneus muscles on the outside of the leg, and anterior tibialis on the front of the leg.  Use high repetitions with tubing.

2) Balancing exercises for re-establishing the proprioreceptors. Half domes, one footed bends, balance boards are all favorites.  This nerve-muscle communication must be re-established after a sprain or strain for joint stability.

3) Wear boots that support your ankles & use poles.

4)  Tape the ankle for extra support and always carry an ace or ankle wrap with you.

Happy Trails!

Posted in Exercise, Health, Travel | Comments closed

FALL BALANCE YOGA CLASSES

By Hilloah Rohr | Published: September 8, 2010

FALL SESSION BEGINS SEPT 14th

sign up now!

  • Tuesday & Thursdays, 9am-10:15 am                    Mixed level flow style class
  • Tuesday & Thursdays, 10:30-11:45 am                 Beginner Balance class

Location- Westside Bend, please call for directions 541 330 6621

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

2x week for 8 weeks = $ 128

2x week for 4 weeks = $64

1x week for 4 weeks = $36

drop in $10 (call first for space availability)

Limited to 6 students

How are we different?

  • small groups
  • great for bodies over 50
  • safe & efficient
  • designed to re-balance
  • personalized instruction
  • joyful flow to music
  • strengthen & open
  • breathe, calm, reflect
  • open your potential

Enjoy the meditative practice of a small group of supportive practitioners in a beautiful, quiet surrounding.  Be present in your own practice with careful, individualized guidance.

Private yoga instruction offers specific, guided awareness to creating your own personalized practice as well as creating a safe practice in group settings.

Posted in Exercise, Health, Yoga | Comments closed