Physical Foundation

 

I believe that you have to heal yourself.

The responsibility to heal yourself is yours, never give up this responsibility. You and your body on a deeper level know best what is good for you. Get back to this responsibility and this knowledge of what is good for you, so that you heal yourself and stay fit and healthy.

 

My main objective is to give you the information you need to take care of yourself. If, I as a Naturopath or Counsellor become "Obsolete", I know I have done my job properly.

 

Foundation:

 

Your Posture

 

When standing, stand on both feet, supporting the weight of your body equally with both legs. Avoid putting the weight of your body on one foot as this can distort the relationship of the hipbones and spine.

 

When sitting , do not slump over, half lying and half sitting. Unnatural distortion of your spine is often the result of sitting improperly.

 

Choose a chair that has adequate firmness to hold your weight comfortably and then sit straight. Avoid too soft, overstuffed chairs. Recliner chairs are acceptable if they are constructed so that when you are reclining your back is in a normal, straight position.

Cross your legs only at the ankle, not at the knees. Crossing your legs at the knees could aggravate an existing back condition as well as interfere with the circulation to the lower limbs.

 

Rest, Relaxation And Sleep

 

Set aside a special time each day for complete mental and physical relaxation. This is important in the restoration, as well as maintenance, of normal health. Get enough sleep to allow your body to recuperate and repair. If you do not get enough sleep you are drawing on reserves. Those reserves are limited. Find out how much rest you require to awake naturally refreshed and adopt a time of retiring that permits you to get the required amount.

 

For physical and metal regeneration (Alpha brainwave), 7-8 hours deep refreshing sleep is the average. More if you are depleted or sick, less once you have acquired total health.

 

Sleep on a firm mattress , but soft enough to allow your shoulders, buttocks, etc to depress into the mattress.

Your pillow should support you head so that your neck vertebrae are level with the rest of your spine. Avoid sleeping on your stomach.

Do not sleep sitting in a chair or in cramped quarters.

 

 

Exercise

Exercise in the Foundation Programme, has only ONE Reason, - to establish a level of fitness to suit your individual lifestyle. The "harder" you "live", the harder you have to exercise to create the fitness for your lifestyle.

 

Remember One Important Fact:

You Cannot Store Fitness !

 

Exercise every day, make it part of your lifestyle. Walking, exercise-bike or mini-trampoline for Cardio-Vascular exercise, at least 20min. daily. Become active to the point of getting up a light sweat, but one should never become breathless or exhausted.

 

Walking Programme :

Walk a distance, which you can walk comfortable in 20min. Having established this distance, slowly increase the distance but stay in the 20min. time frame. Doing this insures building up fitness in a safe manner, without exercising the whole day.

Do stretching exercise like Yoga for mobility and strength. Never strain yourself. 20min. beginner Yoga stretching, "salute to the sun" and about 8-10 yoga position.

The aim is to tone up muscle while at the same time improve digestion, keep weight down, stimulate circulation, correct metabolism and tissue oxygenation, increase vitality, encourage proper elimination, enrich mental function, invite restful sleep and combat depression.

 

 

Conscious Breathing

Give your lungs a good clean out. At least once daily, better twice, do a circle of conscious breathing. This will strengthen your lungs, as they begin to process more oxygen with less effort. The heartbeat will grow stronger pumping an increased volume of blood to the muscles. Sagging tissues will regain firmness. Your face will have better colour.

 

Body temperature is controlled through automatic change of breath between the right and left nostril. The right represents the sun, heat and energy. The left nostril, the moon, the cooling power, and the expansion of the mind.

 

1 circle consists of:

Inhale to the count of four, holding to the count of four, exhale to the count of four, retain to the count of four.

Article supplied by the editor of Use Nature, Dieter Luske

 

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