Maximizing Workouts - Visualization and Integration

All too often, folks at the gym isolate small muscle groups like biceps and triceps, while the rest of their body is disengaged, limp and out of alignment. Unfortunately, for most people (not all, but most of us), this is not the best use of our workout time. Functionally, the body does not use just one muscle at a time, so this does nothing to improve day-to-day strength, ease and grace. It burns far less calories than big muscle movement (or even isolation exercises done with the core engaged). And, this isolation ideology ignores all the muscles that are not in motion, creating an unbalanced body,

That is why, in STL mat work, it is so important to shed this single-muscle focus instilled by gym machines, and allow every muscle of the body to work simultaneously, in functional and balanced movements.

One affective way to do this is to focus on the muscles that are stabilizing, rather than the muscles that are moving, During the new Roll-Up series, try focusing on stabilizing the lower body and engaging through the inner thigh, while the upper body is in motion, facilitating a symbiotic and highly effective manner of working the whole body.

Visualization is another great way to focus and achieve full body engagement. Using visual images can trigger the muscles quickly, and help you to flow through the movements with heightened awareness and engagement of all muscles.

For example, in Roll-Ups, imagine there are thick leather straps buckled over the tops of your thighs, holding the legs in place. As you roll down, think of a strap wrapped over the top of your belly button, that is pulling the belly back towards the spine, leading you to roll down from your deep core engagement.

Or, during Open Leg Rocker exercises, after you have rolled back, imagine you are sitting in a high-backed rocking chair that is about to tip over and you quickly have to pull yourself up into a balanced position.

There are many others to try. Let us know if you have an especially good visualization tool you like to use for STL exercises.



Be the ball....

Private sessions now available

Lee has a few openings in her schedule now reserved for private 1 and 1/2 hour sessions. Sessions are designed, based on client’s needs. Individual coaching sessions will always integrate, whatever the modality, the fundamental STL principles of deep TVA engagement and initiation with every activity; upper back alignment and stability; lateral breathing through exertion; and the enhancement of “lengthening” the body throughout every movement execution.

In addition to customized design, and thorough integration of STL principles, each individual session will end with deep stretching and relaxation. Light massage and verbal guidance is integrated throughout the relaxation period.

Exercise Coaching Sessions Can Include:
Classical Mat Pilates
Weight and Resistance Training and Conditioning (STL Style)
Plyometrics and anaerobic conditioning (STL Style)

We are proud to announce a partnership with Castle Hill Fitness for state of the art body composition and customized fitness analysis testing with a detailed summary. Those clients interested in designing a program that will really affect change for their bodies (minds and spirits) may consider this wonderful option. Please contact Lee for more information!!


Cost:
STL Clients
One Session: $45
Four Sessions: $160 (Must be redeemed within four weeks of purchase)
Eight Sessions: $304 (Must be redeemed within eight weeks of purchase)
BODPOD/FIT Test $75

Non-STL Clients
One Session: $60
Four Sessions: $208 (Must be redeemed within four weeks of purchase)
Eight Sessions: $384 (Must be redeemed within eight weeks of purchase)
BODPOD/FIT Test $85

Due to maintaining mindful scheduling for all (and my sanity), I must require that all sessions are redeemed within the timelines listed above.

Thank you all for your continued support and involvement in our growing, talented and wonderful community.

-Lee Vallely

Founder; Director

Corporate Wellness Solutions

Ph: 512.415.5078

Fax: 512.628.3036

lee@cwstex.com

www.cwstex.com

New STL Session 3!

2009 STL Session 3 starts Monday, February 16 through Thursday, March 19, 2009!

Session Focus: Introduction of blood pressure cuff
No, we’re not measuring blood pressure! We are starting the third session with simple tests to determine how much (or little) we are actually engaging our TVA (Transverse Abdominal muscle) while moving through our Fundamental exercise curriculum. Want an instant “data feed?" You’re gonna get it! So get excited, because you will soon have IMMEDIATE, REAL TIME awareness of where you are in relation to initiating all basic exercises when attempting to fire first, from the TVA. (Yes, it is exciting.)

Fundamental:
In addition to blood pressure cuff work, we will be digging into Roll Ups - perfecting our strength and release in this challenging exercise - as well and introducing Rolling Like a Ball, Spine Stretch with Arm Circles and continuing our practice of both Single Leg Stretch, and modifications on Double Leg Stretch. Pilates rings will be utilized as the session progresses.

Fundamental Intermediate:
In addition to integrating Roll ups and Rolling Like a Ball, FI clients will be focusing on Open Leg Rocker, full Single Straight Leg and Double Straight Leg Stretch (we’ve been modifying these two exercises), Spine Stretch Forward, the Tree and (modified) Shoulder-Bridge Leg extensions.

Intermediate:
All of the above will be covered in the Intermediate Thursday class, as well as Shoulder-Bridge leg extensions and the Saw.

Stretch Component All Levels:
More shoulder/chest opening, Spine twists, and inner thigh release

Relaxation:
Ever work with colors when relaxing? Working with color and breath enhances our ability to transport ourselves into deeper realms of relaxation. Our guided visualizations will include color and light.

FUN STUFF… WE CAN’T WAIT!!

First class is free, so tell your friends to come check it out!

Location and Time:
STL Fundamental: Monday 5:00 - 6:00 pm (HS)
Wednesday 5:00 - 6:00 pm (HS)

STL Fundamental Intermediate: Tuesday 4:00 - 5:00 pm (HS)

STL Intermediate: Thursday 5:30 - 6:45 pm (Mecca Studio, soon to move so stay tuned for updates!)

Click below for directions:
HS - Home Studio

* Make-up classes will be held on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m., by RSVP only. There is a six person maximum for make up classes, so make sure to make an appointment in advance. If current students would like to use this time and space for an extra drop in session, they are welcome to do so, if the class is not filled. Locations for make-up classes will vary.

To enroll in the session or schedule a make-up class, contact Lee Vallely at:

Ph: 512.415.5078

lee@cwstex.com

A message from Lee

Here is a comment from Lee with lots of great information. I thought I would post it so that you all would be sure to see and read it! Enjoy...

Reading Elisabeth's wonderful and robust words, I was inspired to reestablish a deeper connection to one of my idols who inspired me greatly as a young dancer; even though she was very old at the time. To quote a passage of Martha Graham..."Many times I hear the phrase 'the dance of life.' It is an expression that touches me deeply, for the instrument through which the dance speaks is also the instrument through which life is lived-the human body. It is the instrument by which all the primaries of life are made manifest...Dancing appears glamorous, easy, delightful. But the path to the paradise of the achievement is not easier than any other. It takes about ten years to make a mature dancer...The body is shaped, disciplined, honored, and in time, trusted."

I want to add that this is the very same truth in achieving sustained, elegant, movement through the STL program. The practice and application of discipline, consistency, focus and commitment nourish and strengthens the soul WHILE achieving a fit, pliable, elegant, graceful body.

Ms. Graham goes on to say - and this is a FUNDAMENTAL aspect of the STL philosophy - "Then comes the cultivation of the being from which whatever you have to say comes...and there is grace. I mean the grace resulting from faith in life, in love, in people, in the act of dancing. (and I add)...in the act of MOVING...which in itself, can be a beautiful dance."

To me, building this program is an act of faith and love. An act of BELIEVING in the power of moving to create health and vitality. To NOT move would be death to me. To move with strength, grace, power, dignity and purpose; is the essence of living. Then the soul can shine, the heart open, and the spirit, no matter the trials and challenges of the moment, can sing; if even for a brief moment; it is a moment that can and often will, sustain.

Yours in elegance and health,

Lee Vallely
Founder; Director
Corporate Wellness Solutions

For more on Martha Graham go to: www.marthagraham.org.

**Update**
Everyone should be aware, but just in case... the Monday 7:00 p.m. class will not be held for the next few weeks do to a schedule conflict at Mecca. This week, we will meet instead on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m., February 10, in the Mecca studio. Hope to see you all there!

“Use it or lose it,” a lesson from the Gods of dance...

That old cliché “use it or lose it,” in the case of both physical and mental activity, continues to prove true. A recent study from Queensland Brain Institute illustrates that the deterioration of a person’s skills occurs from their disuse. On the flip-side, practicing those skills, even just a bit daily, can prevent much of the decline in strength and stamina that is usually attributed to aging.

Whether it is exercise, dance, foreign language or social skills, activities are carried out through a series of nerve cell interactions in the brain. When you engage in activities, the neurons grow microfilaments to connect to one another. This produces what is called an aborization, a treelike branching of nerve fibers. When you learn new skills, (such as deep TVA engagement, postural and alignment cues, or movement patterns), your neurons secrete growth hormones that cause the nerve fibers to arborize, or to branch freely and repeatedly, stimulating their growth and the growth of neighboring nerve processes as well. Just think of activity, mental and physical, as the needed water for your tree of knowledge. Without continued practice and maintenance, the branches and connections of that tree wither away.

So, feel empowered! We do have some control over the aging process after all – giving us all the more reason to continue to strengthen our muscles, develop our mind-body connection, and work to improve our balance, core stability and posture!

Lee mentioned a perfect example of this principle in motion during one of last week's STL class, Eartha Kitt, the famous American singer, actress and dancer who performed well into her 70s.

In her 2008 obituary, the New York Times reported:

“As Ms. Kitt began the sixth decade of her career, she was still active. In 2000 she received her second Tony nomination, for best featured actress in the musical “The Wild Party.” Branching out into children’s programming, she won two Daytime Emmy Awards, this year and in 2007, as outstanding performer in an animated program for her role as the scheming empress-wannabe Yzma in “The Emperor’s New School.”

All the while she remained a fixture on the cabaret circuit, having maintained her voice and shapely figure through a vigorous fitness regimen that included daily running and weight lifting. Even after discovering in 2006 that she had colon cancer, she triumphantly opened the newly renovated Café Carlyle in New York in September 2007. Stephen Holden, writing in The Times, said that Ms. Kitt’s voice was ‘in full growl.’”

The videos of Ms. Kitt's performances and interviews, show her continued vitality and strength, even in her final years. What an inspiration!

As another amazing woman who understood and exemplified this philosophy, the famous Goddess of modern dance, Martha Graham, once said, “We learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same.”

Session Focus: Deep Transverse Abdominus Engagement

(Image from Wikipedia)


Since the Session 2 focus is deep TVA work, let's take a deeper look at the abdominal muscle most neglected, yet perhaps most important, in strength and core training...

The transverse abdominus (TVA), named for the direction of its fibers, is the flat, innermost layer abdominal muscles, located beneath the internal obliques. It is a major muscle of the functional core of the human body and is responsible for the shape and definition of your stomach, your core stability, breathing, posture and organ support. Developing this muscle is key to maintaining proper posture and alignment (not only during exercise, but also in daily activities), to relieving/preventing lower back pain and injury, and to getting the desired results from your workouts!

To strengthen and improve your awareness of the TVA in between STL sessions, you can try these two activities at home or work. (Just make sure you have a quite space to focus on connecting with your breath and muscles, because deep TVA work requires concentration!)

The Vacuum: In a seated position, lengthen your spine and roll your shoulder blades back and down the back into proper alignment. Take a full, deep inhale. Then, exhale SLOWLY, pulling your belly button up and back towards your spine. The muscles around your lower abdominal region and pelvis will engage. Hold this engagement for three to five seconds. Pull deeper once more, exhaling fully. Inhale again and repeat. Perform three times.


Angry Cat Stretch (with TVA deep contraction): From an all-fours position, with neutral spinal alignment, inhale and allow the belly to relax. As you exhale, draw the belly button in, towards the spine, rounding deeply through the low back and allowing a gentle curving in the upper back. Let the head drop naturally and the pelvis tilt in towards the body. Hold for two to three seconds. As you inhale again, release the back to a neutral position. Repeat three times. Each time think about drawing you belly button up and back, as if trying to reach through to the spine. Focus on feeling the deep engagement of the TVA.

Keepin’ Current: Finding Calm in the Crisis

Finding Calm in the Crisis...

As the economic recession infiltrates news headlines, many reports are just the same old facts and guesses repeated in a tired loop. But recently, two interesting national stories caught my eye and led me to wonder, not only how the recession affects our wellness, but if our priorities have been out of whack for far longer than the stock market.

An article in today's L.A. Times examines how the job decline affects even those who are not unemployed. Predictably, the negative impact was widespread:

“Employees who remain employed are prone to greater role ambiguity and job demands that can, in turn, contribute to greater alcohol consumption and depression, according to a 2003 study on the physical and mental-health effects of surviving layoffs, published by the Institute of Behavioral Science. The study found layoff survivors often experience worsening physical health: They eat differently, smoke more, suffer from neck and back pain, increase their use of sick days, and workplace injuries also rise...” The article goes on to say those consequences are long-term, with a six-year psychological fallout of surviving a layoff.

While this is not too shocking, it becomes more intriguing when contrasted with a recent New York Times article, which reports that losing your job can benefit health and wellness:

“Recessions and depressions, of course, are not good for mental health. But it is less widely known that in the United States, physical health seems to improve, on average, during a downturn. Sure, it’s stressful to miss a paycheck, but eliminating the stresses of a job may have some beneficial effects ... [They] spend less on alcohol and tobacco. They also have more time for exercise and sleep, and tend to choose home cooking over fast food ... an economist at the University of North Carolina, found that the death rate falls as unemployment rises.”

This leaves a gal to wonder ... how out-of-whack are our work habits, if it takes loosing a job to make many of us slowdown and take the time for much needed self-care?

But economic woes are stressful not matter what side of the fence you are on. In fact, many of us had a hard time relaxing before the crisis! Let’s face it, life can be stressful, if we let it get that way and neglect self-care. So, the question I am posing to you is, what do you do to keep centered? How do you remember to make time for yourself, and what do you do during that time to nurture your mind and body, no matter what your job status?

Here are a few things I try that help me get a little, tiny bit closer to that sought after life of ease and acceptance:

-I try to meditate in the mornings – though I'm pretty bad at sitting still! One pose I find easier to be still with is a hamstring stretch against the wall. I focus on the blood and energy moving against gravity. It has a warming and rejuvenating affect! Or, to combat my jitters, I do a walking meditation.

-I attend STL classes twice a week, and finish it off with a big ol’ salad from Whole Foods. It's a ritual that works wonders!

-Morning workouts a priority, even when there isn’t time, because I know that when I do them, all day long, I will have more energy, more focus, and more balance. So whatever time I spend taking care of myself in the morning, gets paid back throughout the day, plus some usually!

What about you?