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Stress Reduction

What do Diane Lane, Kelly Osbourne, and I have in common?

October 24, 2017 By Kate

We may seem like a very odd collection of people. Diane Lane is an award winning actress. Kelly Osbourne is a reality tv star. And I am a wellness and fitness expert. But all three of us have something in common. Yes, I used to live in LA, but that isn't it. The three of us all love our Yoga Tune Up® therapy balls. That isn't what you were expecting at all is it.

Self-care is important for everyone and you don't have to be a celebrity to enjoy the same benefits.

What is Yoga Tune Up®?

Yoga Tune Up® is a fitness therapy format built around the three P's – Pain, Posture and Performance. It helps eradicate pain, improve posture and enhance performance through a unique blend of yoga, Corrective Exercise, Self-Massage, and Breath Strategies.

The therapy balls are part of the self-care equation using self-massage to affect the myofascial layers. Helping you to identify and target your "body blind spots"; areas that are most overused, underused, or misused, YTU heals damaged muscle, increases strength and establishes healthy movement patterns.

The combination of releasing and strengthening muscles leads to greater success. If we just look at part of the equation without the other, our bodies will never truly change.

Results are enhanced by the natural down-regulating tendencies in the self-massage and breath work. Taking you from a stressed-out fight and flight response, to a more receptive relaxed state that will carry over into your daily life. Your sleep can even improve dramatically.

But do Diane Lane and Kelly Osbourne really use the Yoga Tune Up® therapy balls?

They do!

In a clip for Vogue Magazine, Diane Lane had a pair of therapy balls stashed in her purse. Sorry for the spoiler! (Skip to the 1:35 mark if you are impatient.)

Kelly Osbourne has been talking about how Yoga Tune Up® has improved her posture, helped her release stress, and assisted in a dramatic weight loss for years. She has been quoted in Redbook and was mentioned in a People Magazine article.

Need some more celebrity proof?

How about Katy Perry? Her dog enjoys them as much as she does.

 

I got heart PAWpitations seeing @katyperry doggie playing with #yogatuneupballs this morning in INSTA story. That's one adorable doggie. FYI, the more YOU roll on your #ytuball the more your pets will love them, as they absorb all your good energy. ❤️???????????????? #katyperry #roar #katyperryfans #therollremodel #therollmodel #fascia #selfmyofascialrelease #yogatuneup @tuneupfitness

A post shared by Jill Miller (@yogatuneup) on Nov 4, 2017 at 9:29am PDT

 

What about a Pro-NFL Football player? Kayvon Webster uses them to help with recovery.

 

LA Rams Kayvon Webster knows that when your body is your business, your recovery game needs to be on point. #yogatuneup therapy balls/ Coregeous ball sessions help ya stay healthy alllllll season long. Hey @andrewwhitworth77 all the cool kids are doin it. Where you been? #trainhardrecoverharder #Rams @kayvon

A post shared by Sarah Howard (@lamobilitycoach) on Oct 31, 2017 at 6:05pm PDT


Former NFL Player Terrll Owens has been known to utilize Yoga Tune Up® Therapy Balls.

 

Had a great time today rolling out with @terrellowens . Happy to show him how the Roll Model Method can help with mobility and releasing tension in those over worked athlete's muscles! ???????? . If you or someone you know is interested in giving it a try contact me???????? . . . #fit #fitness #fitspo #fitstagram #fitspiration #athletes #nfl #football #yogatuneup #mobility #joblove

A post shared by ????Laura Laura ???? (@firstnamelaura) on Jul 25, 2017 at 5:44pm PDT

Experience Yoga Tune Up® for Yourself!

Experiencing Yoga Tune Up® is really best. You don't always realize how tight your body is until it's released. Then the therapy balls become these little rubber drugs that you are addicted to.

Fortunately, Kate teaches several classes and workshops in Massachusetts that you can attend. Not local? No problem. You can purchase Yoga Tune Up® balls and videos here.

Not sure if Yoga Tune Up® is right for you?

We created a quiz to help you decide whether it is worth trying for yourself.

Kate Hamm combines her 15+ years of experience in the fitness industry and high-end resort program development into sought after wellness adventures at AnamBliss. She is a licensed Yoga Tune Up® instructor and a Roll Model® Method Practitioner. Visit www.anambliss.com for future retreat dates and locations.

More by Kate
Filed Under: Movement, Stress Reduction, Well-being

Deepen Your Restoration with Constructive Rest

September 7, 2017 By Kate

Constructive Rest is a position that comes from the Alexander Technique. With the amount of time that we spend sitting at a computer, it is perfect to undo our current lifestyles. The passive position allows gravity to undo the forward head posture and rounded shoulders. While the bent knees help reduce pressure on the lower back by placing the psoas in a shorten state.

Personally, I think Constructive Rest is a great position to be for a meditation. When I'm in a lotus pose, I end up focusing my attention on my tight hips or staying upright. By being supported by the ground, it becomes easier to tap into a meditative state. Plus, I am working on my posture getting more benefits for my time. Win!

Constructive Rest is very similar to a supported Savasana that you can find in yoga, particularly in Restorative Yoga. Jillian Pransky is one of the most well known Restorative Yoga instructors who has has long touted the benefits holding supported poses for 20 minutes or more. Holding a pose for a long time can be a challenge, as we struggle with stillness. Ideally, it shouldn't be physically uncomfortable, by using props to reinforce the shape of the body. Then there is the mental portion of being stationary. Breathing techniques and meditation can help. Ultimately, the rewards are massive for our mental and physical self.

Usually when we think of stretching and lengthening muscles, we think of an active stretch where you can feel your muscle. This actives the mechanoreceptors in the tendons and muscle belly to resist the stretch. With a passive stretch that is found in Constructive Rest, the muscles shouldn't feel a stretch. This teaches the muscles that they don't always have to be contracted. They learn that they don't always have to contract, which can create a great change in the body.

Learn how to do get into Constructive Rest in just a few minutes. You'll notice that my voice changes as I get into the position.

Read about other ways to reduce stress.

Kate Hamm combines her 15+ years of experience in the fitness industry and high-end resort program development into sought after wellness adventures at AnamBliss. Visit www.anambliss.com for future retreat dates and locations.

More by Kate
Filed Under: Movement, Stress Reduction

7 Ways to Reduce Stress

March 26, 2017 By Kate

Despite being someone who guides others in wellness and aids in their relaxation, I get stressed out too. Talking to someone about reducing their stress after a night of insomnia from the overwhelming list of tasks that I didn't have time to do, makes me feel like a fraud. But I'm not. I'm someone who is capable of being just as caught up into the trap as everyone else. Chances are you've read 100 lists before on how to reduce stress and you already have a go to calm down activity. You just don't do it. It's easy to say to relax, but harder to actually let go of the stress. My list of 7 ways to reduce stress are easy enough to fit them into a few moments.

1) Give yourself permission to take time to do something to make a difference.

Recognize that stress is a normal part of life and it is okay to feel stressed. However, it is not a state you have to stay in. We have to actively make a choice and make the time. For women, this can be the hardest step. It's okay to put yourself first for a few minutes. It'll only help you and ultimately everyone around you too.

Bathtub

2) Do the activity you never get to do.

We all have that thing that we love to do, but never make time to do. It could be a visit to a museum, a visit with a friend we rarely see even though you live 2 blocks away, to sit and read, to run, to play hooky from all activities and go on an adventure with your kids, or a simple bath. Make a list of at least 5 of these things and put them down in the calendar, one for every week. Make that commitment to do something for you. It'll also give you something to look forward to that week. In Julie Cameron's The Artist's Way, she calls this The Artist Date.

3) Take 5 breaths.

When you are angry, it's suggested to count to 10 before you say anything. Taking five breaths through your nose will help to calm your nervous system. The best way to do this is to count the length of your inhale and have your exhale be longer. For example, the inhale is 5 and exhale is 8. Try doing this a few times a day.

4) Go outside.

I just spent the last three days outside hiking for about 6 hours a day and it feels like such a luxury to be in nature. I could feel my cells physically rejoice in the fresh air and sun. Even if you have two minutes, leave your office or house and go outside. Any area will do, but a place with a tree is best. Feel free to hug it.

5) Move your body (or have someone else do it).

Go for a walk, a workout, or a massage. (Preferably outside.) If you're in your office, just stand up and shake your body. Maybe jump up and down, swing your arms. Instead of sending an email to a colleague, stop by their office. Get your assistant coffee. Don't have time for a full massage, use the Coregeous® and Yoga Tune Up® balls for self-massage, especially the abdomen, chest, upper back and shoulders. I use mine in the car to help me sit up straighter and massage out my upper back, but be careful to pay attention to the road!

6) Give and receive a hug.

Remember how as a child, being held made everything better? It still rings true. Hugging releases oxycontin and seratonin to reduce your blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels. Find someone near and dear to you and hold them. Allow them to hold you, after all a hug is a two way street.

7) Recognize what gives you the most stress.

The number two factor to reduce your stress is to try to catch it before it begins. Try to notice when you are feeling wound up and figure out what happened just before. Maybe you can delegate the task to someone else, or find a way to minimize how much you have to do that task.

Sometimes we have to let go of whatever it is by leaving the job, making a choice to have have a person in your life anymore, or whatever it may be. I've left jobs when they got to a point were longer serving me. I've left negative people in my past.

At the same time, we can't cut out the activity or person. Your Mom is still your Mother no matter how high she sends your blood pressure. But you can make sure to give yourself 5-10 minutes after you talk to her to let yourself recover or make the call before you go on your favorite activity. Even just taking a moment before calling her and say to yourself, "I love her, no matter how she makes me feel," can change your mindset before. Then repeat it afterwards as well. This can be true of any person or activity. The focus of the why or positive aspect helps to make a switch in how your perceive the person or activity.

Stress will always be there and how we respond is really key. Overall, we get to make choices every day that affect how we live our lives. The more we can feel happy and free, the more we can truly find bliss.

You can learn how stress affects your organs and body in our article How Does Stress Affect Us?

Kate Hamm combines her 15+ years of experience in the fitness industry and high-end resort program development into sought after wellness adventures at AnamBliss. Visit www.anambliss.com for future retreat dates and locations.

More by Kate
Filed Under: Stress Reduction, Well-being

How Does Stress Affect Us?

July 21, 2016 By Kate

I was driving down the street one day on my way to yoga class. I was having a pleasant drive and enjoying myself as much as you can driving in Los Angeles. I noticed a car coming up quickly behind me in my rear view mirror and he moved into the lane next to me to pass me. We both were stopped next to each other at the light 20 seconds later. He was then behind me again, because the car ahead of hi was turning and had to wait. He passed me soon enough and then was in front of me at another light. The car in front of him wasn't going fast enough, so he switched lanes again to basically be next to me at the following stop.

It hit me that this guy was in a rush to get wherever he wanted to go and was getting frustrated and stressed, while I was moving at the same pace without any worries. These two scenarios sum up the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS) and Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS). I was in PSNS and he was SNS.

First, let's talk about the ANS, which controls all aspects of our function that doesn't require thought. This includes breathing, digestion, circulation, sweating, and pupil size. If we had to think about every heart beat, we'd forget when focused on finding the next Pokemon Go character and may not make it through to show off our conquests.

We have some control over certain aspects of our ANS. Holding your breath is one example, but with training we can manipulate our heart rate. There are even monks who can control their body temperature. No matter what, not having to think about anything that affects our survival allows us to be unique creative thinkers and movers.

We naturally switch back and forth between our nervous systems throughout the day, but we should spend most of our time in the PSNS. This is when we can go about our business with no worries.

Had the driver who was land hopping stopped short in front of me, the SNS system would kick in to help me respond. You may have heard of the Fight/Flight/Freeze response. It's prepping our body to respond to danger by diverting blood flow to the muscles, freeing up glucose for energy to respond, and improving our eyesight.

You can see how the two systems affect the function of our organs.

Parsympathetic Organ Sympathetic
Relaxed State Excited
Constricts Pupil Eye Dilates Pupil
Stimulates Salvation Tongue Inhibits Salvation
Constricts Bronchi Lungs Relaxes Bronchi
Inhibits Heart Heart Accelerates Heart Rate
Stimulates Digestive Activity Stomach Inhibits Digestion
Stimulates Gallbladder Liver Stimulates Glucose Release
None Kidney Secreation of Epinephrine and Noreepinephrine
Contracts Bladder Bladder Relaxes Bladder
Relaxes Rectum Rectum Contracts Rectum

Yet, the ANS has not caught up to our current life practices. We can be triggered by more and more external stimuli in our lives. Check your heart rate after the ding of an incoming text message. Did it increase? How do you feel standing outside versus under fluorescent lights? Driving in traffic? Waiting for test results? These are some of the many ways you can be in the SNS versus the PSNS.

So what can we do about reducing stress? More information is in our article How to Reduce Stress.

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More by Kate
Filed Under: Stress Reduction



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