Body Moments ~ In the Moment with your Body!
Issue #010 - July 24, 2011

Welcome, Body Window Seeker, to Body Moments ~ In the Moment with your Body, the newsletter from The Body Window Website.

I offer practical advice to keep you in tune with your body and its messages to find health and healing in your life. Your body-mind-soul will love you for it! Stay up-to-date with current topics in the world of holistic health as well.

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Table of Contents

1. In the Moment with Your Shoulders.
2. Foam Rolling
3. What's new at The Body Window Website.
4. Need a little help with your health issues? My Holistic Health Coaching Services can help.
5. Want to have your very own web-based business? A business without borders? SBI! can help.
6. Body Moments Back issues.

1. In the Moment with Your Shoulders

As I review my readers desires, I have found that many are interested in how to manage their shoulder issues. For this month of July anyway, the shoulders seem to be bothering more folks than any other body part. Therefore, I offer this shoulder meditation.

For our shoulder meditation, we will become aware of the top of our shoulders, upper back and neck, including the trapezius muscle and all the other muscles that attach to the shoulder joint. Just stretching and meditating on this area, we will release the burdens that we carry on our shoulders and heal our pain. For the moment, we will "shrug off" anything that sits on our shoulders.

The shoulder meditation that I offer today can be done at your desk in your office or in the quiet of your meditation space.

If you are at your desk taking a mini-break, scoot your buttocks forward in your chair. If you are at home, you may sit comfortably on the edge of any firm chair, or you may sit on the floor, in the Hero Pose (kneel on the floor, then sit back onto your feet, resting comfortably). Let your hands rest on your knees or at your sides, whatever is comfortable.

Begin to center yourself and begin your deep breathing. Focus on your breath. Feel it deepening. (I use the breathing technique that I taught you in the April Issue of Body Moments.)

As you sit, don't allow your spine to collapse. With your chest up, lengthen your spine, from your tail up through the top of your head. Breathe deeply and lift your chest and spine.

As you inhale deeply in your position with spine lifted, take your hands and clasp them behind you, resting them in the small of your lower back, with your fingers interlaced together, palms facing outward. Your elbows should be out like chicken wings. Keeping your spine lengthened, you should feel a nice stretch in your shoulders, upper back and neck. Allow your shoulders to relax and fall into this stretch. Breathe... feel the stretch deepen.

Sense your shoulders relaxing and as you focus on them, feel any additional sensations that need to come to your awareness. Give your shoulders permission to speak to you through any discomfort that they bring. Tell your shoulders and your neck that you love them and release them.

As you breathe into this body meditation, affirm, "My burdens roll off my shoulders." and "I choose Love and Hope." and "Love lifts me up."

Now take your head and as you inhale deeply, let your head fall to the right side, ear moving down to touch your shoulder. Hold this and breathe deeply for several breaths. Feel the stretch in your left upper shoulder, back and neck.

Exhale and bring your head back to center. Inhale and reverse, moving your left ear to your left shoulder. Breathe and feel the stretch on your right side.

Stay in this moment as long as your are able or as long as your heart desires. Stop on any spot that needs more attention and a longer stretch. On each inhale, try to go farther into the stretch. As you exhale, release even more.

You may deepen this stretch, as your heart desires, by taking your hands off your lower back, and with your fingers still entwined, straighten your elbows, as you inhale. You will feel a stronger pull in the front of your shoulder joint and in your chest. Breathe deeply and hold this stretch.

While staying in this position with your arms extended, fingers interlaced and spine lifted, you may repeat the neck movements as before, if your heart desires. Continue to listen intently to what your neck and shoulders are saying to you. They are trying to get your attention, if they bring you pain. The message is not good nor bad, it is just there for your awareness.

As you stay in the moment with your shoulders, repeat the above affirmations once again or create your own as your faith and intuition lead you through this exercise.

When you are ready, slowly bring your attention back to the day.

Repeat this body meditation as much as possible in the coming month. The more you practice this, the more automatic the tension release will become. With each moment that you learn to release the tensions in your neck and shoulders, the more natural and automatic it will become in your life.

During the day when you cannot do the body meditation, you can quickly say one of the above affirmations to yourself. As you say the positive affirmation, your body will connect with the feeling of relaxation from this body moment exercise. If you center yourself for just a moment as you say the affirmation, you will feel your body relaxing. You will want to breathe deeper. You will then release your tension immediately instead of holding it and creating dis-ease.

'May God's healing Energy that is within you be unleashed as you spend this moment with your body.'

2. Foam Rolling

You may go to my most sought after article on the shoulder, Foam Roller Exercises for the Shoulder Muscles for more information if you so desire.

You may also wish to read my discussions on the upper back in more depth, by going to Foam Roller Exercises for the Upper Back.

If you do not already own a foam roller, you may wish to purchase one. In my opinion, foam rolling is the single most important activity that has been invented for maintaining a healthy body. I use mine almost every day and never leave home without it. I recommend foam rollers from Power Systems. If you purchase one by clicking on the link, I will earn a small commission. I thank-you so much for your support.

3. For What's New at The Body Window Website, and all the latest articles, go to my blog:

4. Need a little help with your own Body Window interpretations?

'Prepare to meet yourself in a new way, through your body.'

5. Body Moments Back Issues