Body-Part Wednesday V

 

Those terrific or tense (or both?) shoulders! Did you ever notice how your shoulders can affect your world? When they're tight or knotted your ability to turn your head is severely limited - so you can't even see much of your world.

And I find that when my shoulders are open and relaxed I am amazed at how much I can lift or how much energy I can expend in digging a hole. Just saying - because it's not like I'm out there hole-digging every 5 minutes - I'm not in the grave digger biz (monster truck OR obituary related)!

So, for today's Body-Part Wednesday post I thought I'd ask you to write, sing or dance about your shoulders. And I thought of a cool exercise I wanted to share with you that might help you relax those lovely shoulders...

Well, before I get to my amusing (and cool) exercise I'll tell you a couple things I try to do when I notice that my shoulders are tense. First - I try to only notice - not bite myself on the a$$ over it (altho, the stretch required to bite oneself on the a$$ might be pretty good for loosening the shoulders ?). Second - I shrug both shoulders, then alternately shrug them. One then the other. Repeatedly and fast (unless they hurt - in which case I go slow).

That helps me get my shoulders out of my ears (something my pal Tina Marks Shirley once told me she reminds her yoga students - it made me laugh when she said that - and also made me aware of how often I do have my shoulders in my ears...).

I also (we're dropping the "first" "second" and whatever comes after those because I'm getting confused) roll my head slowly all the way around (but not like the Exorcist girl) - and then do the same thing in the opposite direction.

And now we've come to my cool exercise (I've been stalling because I'm going to have to show you my doodle - and lord knows I don't go around showing my doodle to every Tom and Harriet! I'm kinda shy...).

Here goes:

Ok, now stop laughing. No, on second thought - keep laughing - laughter is definitely good for relaxing your shoulders. But when you're done, please read on...

I decided to draw (term used loosely) a picture of me (idealized version, check out the tiny waist and curly hair!!) and my shoulders (yes, those are the two horizontal lines below my head and extremely long neck - no one said I was good at drawing!!) and write what weighs them down.

So I listed - across my shoulders - a number of things that feel like they are weighing on me - causing me to have tense shoulders. And then I pictured relaxing my shoulders (I once heard a yoga tape where the instructor said to imagine your shoulders relaxing down - like melted butter) and having those troubles just melt right off.

You can try the same - either draw a pathetic doodle like I've done or just a horizontal line - and list your troubles. Write down what's weighing on and tightening your shoulders. And then picture the troubles melting like butter onto the floor (yuck, who is going to clean all this up?). Fun, huh?

Please, please, please - remember to comment ON the blog to be part of next Tuesday's giveaway! Just post your comment, picture, or dance on your blog or Facebook - and then come over to the Square-Peg Reflections blog to leave us a note about where your shoulder info is! Or just comment on the SP Reflections blog itself. We'll use the random number generator on Tuesday to choose a giveaway winner.

Comments

[Rosalyn]

Interesting (to me) fact. I recently visited my reflexologist after a year. A year in which I've been really moving into coaching, doing loads of it and halved my salaried hours to do more... I guess I feel I'm living my purpose now, at least some of it.

Coming on to shoulders now... historically I have very tense shoulders, always a mess. My reflexologist commented how little tension there was.

Living my purpose has released my shoulders!

Hurrah!

Rosalyn

http://www.rosalynclare-coaching.co.uk

[me.yahoo.com/a/FtKDgCoSldiWQm5VWgPwDSx.fSmizekC2mp60Mcc]

Here is my post in my notes on Facebook. Hope I do this right!

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&suggest&note_id=113369191501

Let me know!

[Square-Peg Karen]

Absolutely, completely and totally done "right", Sooz - but then, there IS no way you could do it wrong...lol...thanks for sharing your story!!

[Square-Peg Karen]

Yea, Rosalyn - awesome that your shoulder tension released as you began living your purpose!! And I'm thinking that you probably passed that gift on - in your coaching - helping others move toward their purpose - so yea world!!

[janie]

aaahhh, moving on to the shoulders this week. wish I had someone to massage mine today, work out some of the kinks and aches. my shoulders are one of my weak points, always too tense (maybe too many people leaning on them in the past) or too much key-boarding at the wrong angle, carrying heavy bags of books and craft material, moving too many things the wrong way. several years ago I took Tai-Chi as a p.e. class at the college, as a work-aholic that multi tasks for just about everything it was a challenge to learn to slow down my actions. I soon noticed a big difference in not only my shoulders but my hands as well ... less tension, less pain, less tingling sensation and the feeling of weight was actually lighter. I still do the Tai-Chi exercise, and try to at least go thru the motions in my head when I start feeling myself tense-up at work ... it's nice to know that Tai Chi is also being proven very beneficial for 'senior' citizens in nursing homes, helping improve their balance and agility. Maybe I can teach a class when I get to move into my assisted living center (but not for many years to come I hope). and, it was reassuring to see your stick figure list ... now I know we also have our drawing talents in common too.

[Queen Octagon Peg]

Funny how I've....ummmmm...."evolved." My students giggle at me now b/c I'm always saying, "get your head out of your shoulders!" :)

[Zura]

I am getting married in Oct and my dress reveals the top of my arms and my shoulders so I've been doing exercises -- curls, etc with two cans of wolf chili as weights lol-- so I'm very aware of shoulder stuff. I think one of my biggest problems is my poor posture. A trainer once told me that when we slump it's cramping the space that our heart has. That was a powerful visual for me. When I catch myself slumping (suddenly sitting up straight) I think about my poor heart trying to push away walls so it can pump.

[Davielle Huffman]

I am so behind in blog-reading, but Karen, I just caught this post about SHOULDERS and it sure hits home for me. they're my most notorious spots for tension. YECH.
But this afternoon, when I opened my MAILBOX and lo and behold, there was a BOX inside, addressed to ME, sent by YOU, wow, did I get happy, happy, happy.
What a fabulous surprise! I'm itching to put that CD in and give it a listen ... and the ultrasuede - way cool, and oh-so-groovy. LOVE the jelly roll; LOVE the apricot-colored cotton lace; and LOVE the "peas in a pod".
NOW what all that gratitude has to do with BODY PART WEDNESDAY and SHOULDERS, I've yet to figure out. But if GETTING THAT COOL SURPRISE and LESS TENSION might go hand-in-hand - then KUDOS TO YOU, girl.
xo - Davi

[Square-Peg Karen]

janie - ME too! The massage - ohhhh, that would feel so good!! I took a Tai-Chi class years ago, too - signed up for a series at a local adult ed center, went to one - and loved it (really, i DID!) so much that I never went back, go figure!! lol It is a wonderful tool for getting grounded - coming home to your body. giggles about the drawing - maybe we can have an exhibition together...

Queen Octagon Tina - you evolved, huh? lol...I can imagine your students giggling - somehow the way you say it - the nonjudgmental pointing it out - makes it easy to remember and act on, not feel bad about!

Zura, I am not going to even ask what WOLF Chilli is..jeez! lol... - but that visual IS helpful - remembering to give our hearts room...October! So soon! So exciting!! Woo hoo!

and Davi - I think you hit on something there - It DOES seem like gratitude is relaxing - we get into a different place physically when we're grateful or excited...hmmm...never thought of it before, but this is like the thing (science experiements) done with smiles..where "they" (grin) proved that REAL smiling (including the eye muscles) actually changes internal stuff...way cool! Can't believe you got the package that quickly!! And Davi, that was a modified jelly roll..lol..I am SO bad at packing!!