Insights On Healthy Living

by Marti I. Hartman

The other day a new client came to me for assistance. “Where do I start,” she said in desperation, wanting a good nutrition program. Delighted to share some insights with her, we launched into a “Forward with a Firm Foundation” program.

A firm foundation starts with the four cornerstones of healthy living:

1. Exercise 2. Nutrition 3. Language 4. Environment

One of the most important and easily recognized authors on nutrition in the world, Dr. Paava Airola, stated “It would be better to eat junk foods and exercise a lot, than to eat health foods and not exercise at all! You can eat the best health foods in the world and all the vitamins you can afford, but if you do not exercise you will not achieve or maintain good health. I consider exercise to be even more important in the maintenance of health than nutrition.” Balance is the key to healthy living. Along with eating right, comes an important ingredient in the Foundation For Healthy Living; exercise.

Therefore, we will first explore exercise in this series. There are four types of exercise to consider:

1. Walking - provides incredible benefit to the body, mind and spirit. 2. TAI CHI - a meditative exercise form utilizing the mind to move the body. 3. Rebounding - this works on the cellular level which effects all the cells of the body. 4. Tibetan Energy Exercises - brings into alignment the imbalance of energy that begins all illness.

These four forms of exercise promote harmony of energies both internally and externally. Our bodies were meant to move and exercise allows the body to maintain optimal fitness. In just a short period of time, without exercise, the body begins to deteriorate or breakdown. Just break an arm or leg and a very dramatic loss of muscle shows up quickly. Walking 20-30 minutes a day will reverse the breakdown which occurs over time without exercise. While external exercise such as running, weight training, aerobics, wrestling, boxing, tennis, etc., may produce an attractive outer appearance, the results usually shows up in a depletion of energy of the internal organs. This can lead to injuries, poor health and premature aging.

In Tai Chi, the form called the Seven Golden Movements of China qualifies as an ideal choice to build inner strength. It offers training in standing meditation which uses the mind to engage the whole body in movement. It builds inner strength in the organs and lean muscle mass. It creates a quiet moment of rejuvenation in a fast-paced world. Because the mind directs the movement, everyone can benefit from doing Tai Chi. The form suits all ages and abilities, athletes, housewives, office workers, laborers, students, professionals, handicapped or bedridden. Why such a broad range of appeal? Tai Chi utilizes the mind to move the body, not just the use of mundane strength.

The Seven Golden Movements of China are:

Movement One Holding the Ball: Strengthens the heart. Holding the ball is the posture of love. The gesture of outstretching the arms as to embrace will instantly strengthen the thymus to reduce stress and increase energy flow. Always smile while holding the ball posture.

Movement Two Bending Forward: Flexes the vertebrae. Promotes healthy and flexible spine, prevents and discourages spinal diseases.

Movement Three Golden Phoenix Rising: For perfect balance. An excellent exercise for activities requiring good balance and strong legs.

Movement Four Tiger Stepping: Strengthens weak back. Very good for weak back, back pain. Stretches muscles in back of legs and buttock; also good for sciatica. Improves sexual performance.

Movement Five Embrace Tiger and Return to Mountain: Whole body circulation. Greatly improves circulation of blood and energy to the four limbs and trunk. Has benefits of number one with additional movements. Unites mind, body and breath to quickly reduce stress and increase the power of concentration.

Movement Six Turning waist: Separate positive from negative. Teaches to distinguish between waist and hips. Massages the kidneys which controls reproduction; excellent for promoting sexual endurance. Very good for activities such as: golf, baseball, tennis, etc.

Movement Seven Collecting the energy: Balances brain. Gently gathers the energy and returns it to the center. The alternate lifting of both hands and one leg balances the brain.

“Rebounding,” according to Al Carter, author and rebound expert, frees the body from “the gravitational force pulling on everything on this Earth is vertical.” We are subject to gravity and we cannot control it. “However, we can control the direction and intensity of the forces of velocity, acceleration and deceleration.” That is the purpose of the rebounder. As you stand on the rebounder, every cell in your body is subject to the force of gravity. Something fascinating happens when you start moving up and down. You begin to subject your entire body to the forces of acceleration and deceleration, plus gravity. It works on the cellular level and causes all the cells of the body to physically adjust to a greater demand. It does sound crazy and simple — just jumping on a little trampoline.

Tibetan Energy Exercises, sometimes called Fountain of Youth exercises, show remarkable results when incorporated into any program. Tibetans describe seven energy centers in the body best translated as vortexes. In these magnetic energy centers the energy spins at a very rapid rate. To Tibetans the slowing of the spin heralds the onset of ill-health, aging and senility. They use five vitality exercises in sequence which they believe will achieve, within a three month period, the return of vibrant health.

Vitality Exercise #1: The Spin - clockwise turn increases the speed of all the vortices.

Vitality Exercise #2: Thigh and chin - legs lift and chin raise together.

Vitality Exercise #3: Neck back, arch back.

Vitality Exercise #4: Body lift.

Vitality Exercise #5: Body arch and bend.

Exercise is a chief cornerstone in laying a firm foundation for healthy living. Without exercise of some type we run the risk of less than optimal health and the possibility of ill-health.

Next month we will explore the second cornerstone in health — nutrition and how it interfaces with our lifestyle and our fast-paced world.¤

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