Post ID: 1595

What body parts are involved in taking a breath?

The lungs which provide oxygen to all parts of the body also can stretch and relieve fascial and muscle pain from within. There are a variety of breathing techniques to increase our lung capacity, strengthen the diaphragm and stretch the muscles that associate with the rib cage. (?Question – which muscles in the body don’t associate with the lungs?… – yep none.)

Looking at this from a purely technical point of view – expanding the lungs’ capacity both improves oxygen exchange and helps to stretch (and tone) the muscles in between each rib, improving the movement, support and flexibility. In turn this also can help the neck, since some of its deeper muscles attach to the first rib. Strengthening and gaining more control of the diaphragm can improve our ability to breathe deeply. That when coupled with some level of core control also allows for fluid exchange within the cavities where the organs reside, which improves digestion, stimulates the heart and calms the system.

What is Mindful Movement?

But this only scratches the surface; Taking the time to focus on our breathing, ‘Mindful Movement’ has been known to change brain patterns. Check out the Well Blog on the NYTimes (Feb 2016) for an article on “How Meditation Changes the Mind”; for the more scientifically minded there is the Biological Psychiatry article (Jan 2016) which explains how these brain changes help reduce inflamation in the body.

What is one key to Body Sustainability?

Opening the body through breath and improving circulation is one of the keys to Body Sustainability. Are you interested developing your body’s sustainability? Mindful Movement and Body Sustainability have you curious? You are welcome to improve your sustainability through the classes or a private YBR/Pilates appointment here at the studio.

Here give it a try —

Take pause, breathe deeply, let it out with an audible sigh. Notice the change, in your back, your chest, your being. Take that same deep breath, inhale some more, then inhale a bit more, hold it, notice where you feel tight, let that breath move to those areas, hold the breath one moment longer, then exhale. Experience the change. Congratulate yourself – you have spent a mindful moment. Your body is better for it.

Post ID: 1702

barre1
The barres have arrived! Our new barres are unpacked, ready for installation and for your lovely hands. No dog paws for these babies – they are great for us people to improve balance with our four paws, eh hem… feet, hands, hips and shoulders…

Total Barre at Howling Dog Studio coming soon for a limited time! We are getting excited for the upcoming Total Barre Mini Series over St Patrick’s Day weekend, including a workshop and two classes.  Come enjoy our guest instructor Kathryn Brose as she takes us through the steps of basic Total Barre.  Learn how to do Barre safely and find out what may challenge you.Barre

Do you know the difference between a squat and a plié?  Ever wonder about hip mobility and flexibility? Do you want better balance or more strength?  Come experience Barre and take what you learn with confidence to any other Barre class going forward.

If you want to step forward with your best foot, dance a jig, stretch and wake your feet – — we’ve paired this with our Foot Fitness workshop on the early eve of St Patrick’s Day. Where you may even learn a traditional Irish jig! Find your inner strength and inner dancer all while wearing green.

See you at the Barre!

Post ID: 1664

We all deserve a treat, let alone a guilt free one! These are hands down the best Sweet Potato Paleo Cinnamon Rolls I’ve ever eaten and are definitely worth the work. Still significantly easier than the traditional cinnamon rolls, without the kneading and rising and kneading.

Naturally, I wanted to expand my recipe and use up the sweet potatoes I had. Deciding to bake those up at 350, puree them (using my immersion blender, but mashing works great too) and mix them in with all the wet ingredients. They turned out so tasty!

Image provided by Paleo Grubs

Image provided by Paleo Grubs

Below is my altered recipe, but for those who want a more traditional take, you can find the original recipe at Paleo Grubs. These are the perfect recipes for those who worry about allergies or sensitivities. I hope you all enjoy!

For the dough
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 egg
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 sweet potatoes  (baked)
4 1/2 cups almond flour
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp arrowroot powder (optional, used as a thickener)
1 pinch of salt

For the filling
1 tbsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg and cloves (optional)
3/4 cup brown sugar or honey
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

For the glaze
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp coconut cream
Pinch of cinnamon

1. Whisk together the coconut oil, egg, honey, sweet potato and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, arrowroot powder and salt. Stir well to combine.
2. Transfer the dough onto a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of wax/parchment paper and roll out into a long rectangle. Remove the top sheet of wax paper. Drizzle the dough with honey/brown sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon. Top with the chopped walnuts if wanted.
3. Use the wax paper to roll the dough into a log. Holding down one side of the paper as you roll the dough forming a log. Place the log in the freezer to harden for 15 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Slice the log into individual pieces, about 2 or 3 inches thick. Place onto a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. If you used bigger sweet potatoes, they will take longer to cook.
5. Meanwhile, make the glaze by stirring together the honey, coconut cream, and cinnamon. Once the rolls are golden, remove from the oven and drizzle with glaze.

Post ID: 1644

In October I attended a Melt Hand and Foot Instructor certification course in Portland.  I was looking for another piece of body care that would help to relieve pain, increase healing and compliment both Pilates and the Yamuna Foot Fitness and Aston training that I have.  This definitely is an way to enhance body care.

The MELT hand and foot method takes only a few minutes to do but improves the body’s sense in space.  It frees up movement the body’s connective tissue (that layer just under the skin full of blood vessels and nerves) which interestingly enough helps ease joint movement and makes movement easier and exerciseimg_2717 work a little deeper.

To quote from Sue Hitzmann and the MELT website: 

“New research has revealed the missing link to pain-free living: a balanced nervous system and healthy connective tissue. These two components work together to provide your body support and optimal mind-body communication. MELT directly addresses these two systems of your body in a way no other self-treatment can, including diet and exercise. You’ll see and feel results in the first session. The ultimate goal of MELT is to improve your body’s ability to restore balance and repair itself, which can create remarkable, lasting changes. MELT offers natural pain relief, allowing you to address the true cause of chronic pain, not just mask the symptoms.”

Connective tissue research is one of the new exciting areas of scientific research that focuses on pain management, injury recovery and general health.  I think understanding connective tissue, or fascia as it is often called, is the next step in body care and physical medicine.

After  doing the foot and hand routines, my clients and I both have experienced a greater ease of movement, not only in feet or hands but moving inward towards the body’s core.

Currently I have added the MELT foot technique to my Thursday morning class Arcs, Balls and Bands (ABBs)

and my foot fitness workshops.  Come give it a try.

 

Post ID: 1608

My studio cleaner recipe. You asked so here it is!  I use both essentials oils that have been identified as antispetic and anti fungal along with some other basic ingredients. I wanted a cleaner that was reliable enough to keep the studio equipment and mats clean, smell good and not be harsh on either the equipment or people in the studio.

cleaner basicsFirst, acquire all of your ingredients and a spray bottle of your choice.  As you can see I purchase my ingredients in bulk because cleaning the studio is a many times a day task.  Use whatever source you trust, an ounce of each oil will last for several batches.

INGREDIENT LIST:

  • Lavender – (I use Lavender Grosso)
  • Tea Tree Oil – Antiseptic/Antifungal (mine is sourced in Australia, others are good too the smell is different on each).
  • RoseGeranium Compound – anti fungal (may just be called Geranium oil)
  • Grapefruit Seed Oil (smallest container you can find)
  • Liquid Silver (one of the two chemicals rated by the CDC as effective against MRSA)
  •  White Vinegar (nothing fancy, I just buy it at Costco)

For my bottles I choose a shape that appeals to me, recycling a bottle from a store bought cleaner.  Over time, the oils may clog your spray nozzle and you will need to replace the bottle, so don’t become too attached.

cleaner in studio

Once you have all the ingredients and your bottle get ready to mix it all.

First add water and vinegar to the bottle, use a half and half mix . — Fill your bottle to about and inch to ½ inch below the top.  Start adding the essential oils – this is not an exact science. When done your essentials oils will only be a thin layer on top of the water – my bottle in the photo has about ⅛”, if you look closely you might be able to see.  Start with the tea tree oil, try a tablespoon and see how strong that smells,  add an equal amount of lavender and about half that of the rose geranium oil.  Add more oils if you want a stronger batch until you have about ⅛ layer of oils.   These oils can be overpowering so start small and add bit by bit.  Sometimes just for smell I add a bit of Jasmine or Spearmint to the mix, be creative.

Once you have the oils in add a dropper full of the liquid silver and a few drops of the geranium oil.  Put the top on, Shake and VOILA!

For the final green cleaning element I use Norwex silver impregnated cleaning cloths to be double sure no bacteria hangs around.  I use this cleaner ,on my pilates equipment, mats, and Yamuna Balls.  BTW, I don’t use this on my kitchen counters because the oils can sometimes leave a sheen, but I will use it to clean the car interior.  ENJOY

 

 

Post ID: 1290

Waffles on a pilates studio page you say?  Finding that balance between nutrition, exercise and peace of mind is an important part of the Mind Body Spirit exercise regime.  For me, peace of mind includes taking time for a delicious meal that meets my (and my family’s) needs of being gluten free and low glycemic; and knowing I will have the energy to make it through a day of Pilates and teaching.  This Mother’s Day my gift to you is a waffle recipe that meets those conditions and is not only wheat gluten free and grain free, but also contains CHOCOLATE!!  — .
I found this recipe back in March when I was hosting a brunch for my daughter and her bridesmaids.  The best way to get this recipe is to go directly to its source, then you can see some great photos and print off the recipe in a concise format.  Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of Juli’s blog post for the recipe.

So here they are Mini Chocolate Waffles from the Juli Bauer’s PaleOMG blog site , created by Katja of Savory Lotus – both of them have tasty and nutritious recipes — check them out when you have time.

They have become a staple in our the house.  I always make a double batch so I can freeze several weeks worth of easy “toast and go” breakfast.  I also add cacao nibs for extra texture.  My favorite way to eat them is with fresh fruit (especially raspberries) and walnut butter.  For an extra delicious taste, try with  Ginger Syrup from the Ginger People.

If you have only baked with wheat flour this dough will be more solid than what you are used to.  It refrigerates well if you want to cook some each morning and removes easily from my cast iron stove top waffle maker.  Enjoy.

Post ID: 1109

Fluids & Fascia and Dynamic Manual Interface

The 10 Year Anniversary celebration continues.

Saturday, April 18, 1-4PM

There is a lot of information these days about fascia, fascial fitness, fascia and muscle movement and the part fascia may play in pain and rehabilitation. Dynamic Manual Interface (DMI) has been around for some years but is yet to be widely discovered. In this free introductory workshop Barry Craig, LMP, FFT, will present information on fascial fluids and movement, cover how the work Frank Lowen developed is clinically and independently confirmed by current research, and give demonstrations of this modality. Although you won’t become a certified DMI you will get a chance to see if it bears further investigation on your path. You’ll also get a chance to see Howling Dog Studio and, if time allows, Nancy will share some of the new fascial fitness exercises that can performed on the pilates equipment (developed through a collaboration of Merrithew Fitness’s ZEN-GA and Robert Schleip’s Fascial Fitness programs).

This workshop is for professionals in the movement, physical and manual therapy fields or those interested in the nitty gritty of this technique.  Be prepared for video of human tissue and hands on experience.  Letter of completion available upon request.  Click above for more information and to register.

Post ID: 1043

Inner Strength Pilates is celebrating its 10th year!  To help you celebrate with us there will a new event or opportunity each month, many of them free, to enhance your movement, improve your life or just have fun.  Great opportunities to check out the studio.

January 17             Knit Fit – Free Workshop
February 21           Direct Manual Interface (DMI) with Barry
February 28           Foot Fitness Workshop
March 14               Asymmetry- Free Scoliosis Presentation
March 28               DMI private sessions with Barry
April 18                  DMI- Free Intro & Workshop
May TBD               Osteo Health- Free Bone Health Presentation
May 9                    DMI private sessions with Barry
June 6                   DMI private sessions with Barry
July TBD               Foot Fitness Workshop
more info and links to registration to come

Post ID: 961

A new, Pilates small equipment class, using spine correctors, weighted balls, flex bands and other accessories has been added.  Wednesdays 5:30-6:30PM starting next week February 5.  Cost – $100 if you register for a 4 week series or $30 for a drop in (be sure to call and check on space if you plan to drop in.)

Post ID: 955

It is time of year for your epiphany*…

*Epiphany: 1) a sudden realization or enlightenment or 2) the culmination of the 12 days following Christmas traditionally thought to be when the Magi arrived with their gifts for the newborn child.

Classes and Personal Training begin again January 6.  There are spaces left in classes and one or two appointment times open.  Take advantage of an epiphany; your health matters — come, give yourself a gift —  find and build your inner strength.
Nancy Brose
Inner Strength Pilates