Teach....your children well....

    Last night I watched the news with a combination of horror, admiration and even pride when I saw the disturbing video of an attempted abduction. The would be kidnapper got a huge surprise when his ten year old victim fought back, kicked and bit him while her two year old brother screamed like a banshee. My emotions ran high and I was moved to tears as I watched the video.

    I was furious that she was attacked in broad daylight while she was walking down the sidewalk with her baby brother. I was relieved that she was able to protect herself. I admired her tenacity. Most of all, I was proud of her that she knew exactly what to do under such terrible circumstances. And I was proud of her little brother for screaming his head off.

    How did this girl know what to do? Her father taught her. Good for him. Apparently, the girl's father had repeatedly instructed her how to react under such circumstances, just in case. They had even role played such a terrifying scene, in the remote chance that she ever was attacked. As a result, she responded immediately and correctly. She fought like a tigress. She got away and he got arrested.

    I like the ending to what could have been a tragic story and another statistic. I don't know about you, but I would rather see more stories like this than one where another innocent life is lost. Remember, perpetrators are looking for an easy target. If you can't teach your children how to protect themselves, or feel ill equipped to do so, you have options. Look into a self defense program for kids, or consider enrolling them into a martial arts school to receive proper training. The point is not to scare them, but to "aware" them. Awareness is the greatest defense a child can have. Teach your children well. The life they save may be their own.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Back to the basic$ of financial neuroplasticity.

    After several months of implementing the principles of Feldenkrais to help us move more easily through our financial environment, we were ready to enjoy the fruits of our effortless saving. It was time for a few home improvement projects.

    We carefully planned a few things, including our projected budget for each project.  First on the list was updating the master bathroom. What girl doesn't just love the idea of a new bathroom? Since the plumber was coming and the dogs were safely tucked away at Little Doggie Day Care, we arranged for a window cleaner to come the same day. To round off the day, we had the electrician come to give us an estimate on two small jobs. What fun!

    I was having a great time until we received a shock. A really big shock. You may even say an electrical shock. It appeared that our fuse box had to be replaced and the entire house rewired. Yikes! Our electrician meticulously explained the problem to us and showed us where we had already had something called a burn. I didn't understand what that meant, but I knew it didn't sound good. What I did understand was that my new bathroom just went down the toilet. But at least my house would be safe, from an electrical stand point. And my windows were clean. What more could I ask for?

    The cost of the work left me speechless. Which has not happened more than a few times in my life. But I recovered from the shock (so to speak) and was ready to move forward. You would think that such a huge expense would break the bank. The truth is, it did take a hit. But, thanks to our new sense of financial neuroplasticity and our new habits of saving and spending, I could figure out how to recover. I went back to the drawing board. Time to make a few adjustments. I looked back at the budget I had written up last summer. I made a few changes, still allowing for the most important things like food, gas, wine and hair color.

    The good news is that our electrician told us that if we had been considering replacing any light fixtures, now was the time. Since they had to pull all of the fixtures anyway, they would replace any upgrades free of charge. Keep in mind "free" is a relative term considering the cost of the entire project. Hmmm....time to go shopping, at least if it fits in the budget. I may not be getting my bathroom as of yet, but I'll get a new light fixture and I already have a clean window. At least I'll see my bathroom in a whole new light, so to speak. That's a start.

    When one of my sisters commiserated with me, she assured me how pleased I would be that the work was done. But, unfortunately, for all that money, I wouldn't even have anything nice to look at. Oh, contra ire, I told her. Once all the work was completed, I was going to go through the entire house, turn on every light, go outside and admire the show through my sparkling clean windows.

    So, just in case you see a strange light from the Rocky Mountains, no worries, it's just me enjoying my home improvements. And, don't worry, it will be a brief light show that doesn't last long. After all, I am on a budget!

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

I can see clearly now....

    Spring cleaning started a little bit early this year. Well, I have to be honest. This is only the second consecutive year that I have subscribed to the idea of spring cleaning. But that's another story.

    Anyway, one of the first items on my agenda were my windows. I have cleaned them before, of course. Or at least, I've tried. Many times. But instead of getting them clean, all I've ever managed to do was to rearrange the dirt and grime. But I kept trying.

    Taking the windows apart to clean them was difficult enough. Putting them back together was a nightmare. And yet I kept trying, doing the same thing over and over with the same grime streaked results. Finally, I gave up. If my windows were gong to be dirty, at least I had the satisfaction of doing nothing about it. But then the glorious morning sun would come beaming through my windows, clouding my view and mocking me at my failure to get them clean. I thought about getting professional help.

    I once mentioned in front of my father that I needed to hire a professional window washer. He was horrified. He said "You're kidding me! Can't you clean them yourself?" Apparently I can't, which is why I was considering having a professional clean them for me.

     But he did get me thinking. Why couldn't I clean them myself? Maybe I wasn't trying hard enough. Maybe I was doing something wrong. Maybe there was something wrong with me. My windows were representing a part of my belief system and my self image that I am not a very good housekeeper. It sounds silly, but it really bothered me. So, I quadrupled my efforts and tried again. And still I failed.

    I finally hired a professional window washer two weeks ago. And he did a wonderful job! My windows are clean, crystal clear, with not even a streak left behind. The morning sun coming through my windows is beautiful, giving me a clear, uninterrupted view. So much light is coming through, I can see the corners of the house that need to be cleaned. And I am attending to them with a new sense of enthusiasm and awareness.

    Life's a lot like those windows. Sometimes we get layers of muck that we simply can't clear away on our own. Sometimes we can't see clearly through the layers of dirt that we have accumulated through the years. We get stuck in patterns and we can't find our way out. It may have a negative impact on our self image, even if it seems trivial to someone else. And it takes away our ability to really enjoy the most simple things in life. Sometimes we all need a little professional help to improve our awareness and see through our problems more clearly. All we have to do is remove the judgment, stop worrying about what other people may think of us, and open ourselves up to new possibilities.


Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

And the journey continues....

   It takes a tremendous amount of courage for a woman to walk into a testosterone infested  Dojo and begin training. It also takes an enormous amount of trust. I had neither. I was scared to death for the first two years. However, the guys were incredibly tolerant, gentle and patient with me. Most of the time I was the only woman in class, and they dutifully took turns working with me. I thought that was awfully magnanimous of them. I soon discovered that it was because I was prettier and smelled better than any of the guys, even on my worst day. They had plenty of opportunities to work with each other, and they seemed to enjoy tossing me around for a change.

     Even though I was enjoying the classes, I was still incredibly intimidated. I was a good student, not because I was interested in going up through the ranks, but out of a strong sense of self preservation. In keeping with my good humor and to hide my perpetual state of terror, I hid my fear by setting some ground rules. So, I told the guys that they were permitted to kick me, punch me, throw me and pin me, but for Heaven's sake, don't mess up my make up. That would make me mad. After all, we all have our limits, and it's good to set boundaries.

    It's funny to remember how my friends responded to my sudden interest in martial arts.  I had some impressive bruises during the first year, and many of them encouraged me to quit. My girlfriends just knew I would get hurt, and some had the audacity to suggest that I was too old. That did it. I was determined to stick it out for at least another year. I would quit when I was good and ready to quit, and on my own terms. Have I ever mentioned my incomparable stubbornness?

   Some days I would go straight from ballet class to the Dojo. Some people thought I was nuts. Sometimes I thought I was nuts. In reality, it was good cross training. But during this incredible journey something really strange happened. My experience slowly transitioned from the physical training to something deeper. My nervous system was responding to my newly discovered patterns of moving and sensing myself in this new environment. The term is called neuroplasticity and refers to our ability to learn new things by responding to changes in our environment.

    So, something inside of me changed. It was slow and subtle, but it was there. My intimidation  turned into awareness. My fear changed into confidence. My incomparable stubbornness developed into Spirit. My humor and acceptance about my gender, size and age led me to the understanding of my limitations as well as the acceptance of my possibilities. My lack of trust transformed into self compassion. And now, with each rank I achieve I experience an overwhelming sense of humility. And respect. For myself, and for my art.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

The quality of touch....

     We use our hands constantly during the day. But, do we really appreciate the quality of our touch? Our hands and fingers are highly sensitive with many nerve endings that send messages back to our brain and tell us how to respond to our experience of touch. So, how can we awaken our sensation of touch?  Try this little exploration:

    1) Sit on the edge of a firm chair with your feet on the floor. Place your dominant hand gently on your leg. Take a moment to allow your hand to soften. Let your hand contact your leg and your leg contact your hand. Take a few moments to fully connect with the sensation of your hand and leg touching each other.

    2) Begin to gently lift and lower just your palm away from your leg and back down to your leg. Your fingers stay in contact with your leg the entire time. Lift your palm, lower your palm. Your fingers will gently come toward each other and slide against your leg as you lift your palm. Your fingers slowly slide against your leg as you lengthen your fingers and lower your palm. Do this many times, very, very slowly. Stop. Let your hand rest on your leg.

    3) Lift and lower your palm against your leg. This time, as you lift your palm, let your fingers slide toward each other, bringing your fingers and your thumb together. Now allow your fingers to open up again and slide back down, reversing the movement until your fingers are long and your palm is on your leg again. Do this slowly and gently, really listening to the quality of the movement. Stop. Rest with your hand on your leg.

    4) Lift your palm from your leg, let your fingers slide toward each other and come together. Now, lift them off of your leg (as if you were picking a piece of lint off of your leg).  Then allow your fingers to open completely, lower your hand back down onto your leg with the palm contacting your leg first, and then the fingers. It's an undulating movement. See how you can make this movement smooth and continuous. Pay close attention to the quality of your movement. Stop.

    5) Once again, let your hand rest on your leg. Let your hand contact your leg and your leg contact your hand. Take a moment to gently press and release your entire hand into your leg. How has the quality of your touch changed? Are you more aware of the sensations in your hand? Could you imagine touching a baby, stroking a beloved pet, or touching the face of a loved one, with such a quality of touch? Perhaps you can even touch your own face with the same amount of awareness, caring, and sensitivity. Stop and rest.

    Using our hands as an instrument to communicate to others is a gift. The gift of touch also helps us communicate with ourselves and our environment. Our hands can comfort, caress, create, and heal. The possibilities are endless, so why not cherish the gift and nurture the quality of our touch?

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

 

Unlock your jaw....

    A lot of people experience neck pain, jaw pain, tooth pain, headaches and TMJ dysfunction. The pain can become debilitating and incapacitating, resulting in a diminished quality of life. However, the cause may be as simple as holding excess tension in your face and jaw, and can be easily corrected. How? Try this simple but highly effective movement exploration based on The Feldenkrais Method(R).

    1) Lie on the floor on your back with your knees bent or your legs straight, whichever is more comfortable. In the spirit of making yourself comfortable, you may need to support your head with a folded towel. Don't use a pillow, it is too soft to provide your nervous system with the appropriate feedback (proprioception). Bring your attention to your face, neck and jaw. Does your neck feel tight? Does your mouth and the muscles of your face feel tense? Are your teeth touching?  Don't try to change or "fix" anything, and don't place any judgement on what you are sensing. Just be aware.

    2) Slowly begin to open and close your mouth. Don't open all the way; just make the movement small, smooth, soft and easy. Do not bring your teeth together as you close. Get comfortable with the sensation of your mouth being closed without having your teeth together. Take a brief rest. Continue the gentle movement of opening and closing your mouth in a smooth, continuous, rhythmical way. Stop and rest.

   3) Slightly  open your mouth and gently take your lower jaw a little to the left. Again, slowly and rhythmically  open and close your mouth without allowing your teeth to come together. Pay attention to the joint of your jaw, which is located just in front of the opening of your ear. How can you make this simple little movement more smooth and easy? If you hear a clicking of your jaw, or you experience and pain or discomfort, make smaller and smaller movements until you find a range of movement that is comfortable for you.  Stop and rest.

   4)  Again, open your mouth slightly, take your lower jaw a little to the right and continue the gentle opening and closing of your mouth in a comfortable range of movement. You may want to take a moment to compare the 2 sides of your jaw and how they move. Do they move differently? Again, not to judge, but just to pay attention. Stop and rest.

    5) One last time, return to just opening and closing your jaw as you did at the beginning of this movement exploration. How does it feel now? How is it different than when you first began? Stop. Bring your attention to your face, neck and jaw. How does your neck feel now? What about your mouth and the tension in your face? Are your teeth touching?  Stop.

    Often times our aches and pains are a result of simply holding excess tension in our muscles and joints. After a period of time, these faulty movement patterns can result in excruciating pain, joint dysfunction and joint destruction. This simple movement exploration will help you unlock your jaw, relax your neck and shoulders, and can be done anytime you're feeling stressed. It can also help you fall asleep more easily if you have occasional insomnia. Discover The Feldenkrais Method(R) and learn how to decrease aches and pains, improve the quality of your movement and the quality of your life!

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

From fear of falling to fearless falling.

    Most of us are afraid of falling, especially as we get older. Why is that? Of course, we don't want to get hurt, and many of us either know someone or have heard of someone falling and experiencing long term injuries. But it doesn't have to be that way.

    As babies and small children, we lived, played and crawled on the floor. As we grew, we continued to frequently get down on the floor. The occasional spills we experienced were no big deal, and we would bounce back up and be off on our next adventure. But as adults, we keep ourselves upright. We stand, walk, sit in chairs and lose our intimate relationship with the ground. As a result, we develop a fear and distrust of the ground, of our ability to fall safely (yes, there is such a thing) and gracefully get back up.

    My last hiking trip to the mountains included maneuvering through glacier fields. It was a challenge going up, and in the back of my mind I was a little concerned about the trip down, knowing that it would be a slippery descent. I, myself, have never been a huge fan of falling and used to avoid it at all costs. Oh, well. I was already pretty far up the trail, so I knew I would have to figure a way to get down.

    It was interesting to observe some of the other hikers and the strategies that they were choosing to get down the mountain. One group of teenagers took a running start and then slid down the glaciers as if they were skiing on their sneakers. An interesting technique, considering the huge rocks, large trees, sharp drops into the canyon as well as the fact that most of them were carrying large, pointed sticks for balance. I envisioned a few trips to the ER.

    One woman chose to walk behind her husband, holding onto his waist for support. She was bent forward with her center of gravity behind her base of support, staring at the ground, tentatively and cautiously placing her foot on the snow with each shaky step.  I watched her fall twice, once with her husband hanging on to her arm. I was more concerned about him dislocating her shoulder as he tried to "help" her than her injuring herself with the fall. Another family had 2 small girls that looked terrified as their Dad tied a rope around their waists. Yikes! What if Dad was the one to fall and take the little ones down with him?

    Without even thinking, I found my strategy. I set my weight down into my pelvis, lowered my center of gravity directly over my base of support, kept my upper body flexible and shifted my weight side to side. I quickly and confidently scampered down the mountain. Even if I did fall, I intuitively knew that I would not get hurt. My center of gravity was so low and close to the ground that I didn't have far to fall. Of course, I have the advantage of having studied a martial art where we learn how to fall. I also have the advantage of spending a great deal of time on the floor with my Feldenkrais practice. As a result, I am no longer afraid of falling, and am able to trust my instincts to know how to land without getting hurt.

    The physical therapist, Feldenkrais practitioner, teacher and ultimate caretaker in me was tempted to teach the other hikers how to safely get down the mountain. But the truth is, we all fall; literally and figuratively. Life often pulls the rug out from underneath us and we go tumbling down. It's up to each one of us to develop a strategy that not only allows us to fall safely, but also to be able to get back up again. We can hold onto someone else, and hope that they can support us as we fall, without causing more damage than the actual fall itself. We can tie ourselves to someone else, and hope that they themselves don't fall and take us crashing down with them. We can throw ourselves down a slippery slope littered with dangerous obstacles and hope for the best, and that somehow we will survive.  Or, we can figure out a safe way to fall, take care of ourselves, and get back up again.

    Recently someone asked me "Who catches you when you fall?" My answer was immediate and honest: "No one. I learned how to fall so I don't get hurt".

Be Healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Strong arms, soft shoulders.

    Here is a wonderful exploration for finding the connection of your arms through your shoulders and spine.

    1) Sit on the floor with your knees bent out to the sides and the soles of your feet facing (but not touching) each other. You may need to place a folded towel under your sit bones for comfort. Place your hands on the floor behind your pelvis and lean into your arms and hands. Play with the placement of your hands. Do you prefer your fingers pointing away from yourself? Towards yourself? Somewhere in between? Take a few minutes and very slowly explore where your arms and hands can be so you feel your arms can easily support you. Stop. Take your hands away from the floor and rest.

    2) Return to sitting with your knees bent, soles of the feet facing each other and place your hands behind your pelvis in the place where you feel your arms can easily support you. Very slowly and gently bend and straighten your elbows, several times. Stop. Even more slowly bend and straighten your elbows. How can your arms accept your weight? How can your arms connect with the floor? Stop. Take your hands away from the floor and rest.

    3) Return again to the sitting position with your hands behind your pelvis. Slowly, slowly bend and straighten the elbows. Notice what happens in your chest as you bend and straighten your arms. How does your head respond to this simple movement? How are you breathing? What is happening in your pelvis? How can you make this movement easy? Effortless? How do your shoulders feel? Stop. Slowly stand up. Notice how your arms rest at your sides. Notice the shape of your shoulders. Walk a bit and notice how your shoulders respond to the simple act of walking.

    Remember to always move slowly and gently, and in the spirit of interest and curiosity, rather than self-judgement. This allows for changes to take place in your nervous system (neuroplasticity). It's also important to be comfortable so you are able to pay attention to yourself as you move. In Feldenkrais(R) we have a saying: there is no right or wrong, good or bad, better or worse, just opportunities to learn.

    Be healthy!

Cheryl Ilov, GCFP

Expand your world with spinal flexibility.

    Many of us think of our spinal flexibility in terms of our ability to bend forward, backward, and sideways. What about rotation? Not only does rotation allow us to turn and look behind ourselves, but it plays an important role in healthy spine mechanics. Spinal rotation is also important for survival; we need to be able to turn to see who or what is behind us, to pull into traffic, to merge on a ski slope, etc. Unfortunately, we often don't include rotation into our movement patterns. We also may have heard that "twisting" the spine is a bad thing and can cause injury. There is a difference between "twisting" and the gentle rotation that is necessary for a healthy spine. Here is a nice little exercise to open up the spine in healthy rotation.

    1) Stand with your feet about hip width apart with the knees slightly bent. Bring your right arm up in front of you directly in front of your shoulder, as if you were pointing at something. Keep your eyes on your right hand as you slowly and gently turn your right arm, eyes and head to the right, as if you were going to point at something behind you. Go gently, and ONLY as far as feels comfortable for you. Note how far you go by mentally locating a spot on the wall or other landmark behind you. Come back to the front, lower your arm.

    2) Again lift your right arm, gently turn to the right as if you were pointing at something behind you. Leave your arm and shoulders to the right, and slowly and gently turn your eyes and the head to the left to look over your left shoulder. Slowly turn your eyes and head to the right to look toward the right arm and hand. Again, turn your eyes and head to look over the left shoulder. Turn again to the right. Now bring the right arm, eyes, head and shoulders back to face front, lower the arm, and take a few deep breaths. One last time, lift the right arm in front of you, keep your eyes looking over your right hand, and notice how far you go now. Are you able to go farther than when you first tried it? Does it feel easier? Smoother?

    3) Repeat the same movement pattern to the left.

    Remember to move slowly, gently, and "listen" to yourself as you thoughtfully do the movement. In the context of learning, doing less helps you sense more, which is a principle of neuroplasticity and the foundation of The Feldenkrais Method(R).  Do not do this movement pattern if you experience any pain or discomfort. You may want to consult with a Feldenkrais Practitioner or licensed physical therapist for assistance.

    Be healthy!

Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP