Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

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Posts Tagged ‘increase energy levels’

Clearing The Negative Ions With Salt

Posted by terrepruitt on December 21, 2016

In August I went to the beach when I came back and wrote a post about negative ions and how the beach is one place you can get them.  You can also get them in the mountains, from waterfalls, and even from the shower.  Another place you can get them is a Himalayan Salt Lamp.  I have wanted one for a long time but whenever I have seen them they are really expensive.  Well, lucky me, I got one for Christmas.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitHow I got it early might be explained here or my friends and I have been having a Christmas gathering since we were eighteen.  For thirty years we have met and celebrated Christmas.  Sometimes it is before Christmas, sometimes it is after.  We just have always made sure that we did it.  It used to be four of us, but life’s circumstances took one of our friends away to another state.  For the past five years or so it has just been three of us.  But we still meet.

We gather, eat, drink, and exchange gifts.  The point of the gather is NOT the gifts, but we always manage to do pretty good with that.  The point is to visit and be together, but still we have always managed to exchange something.

This year we were able to fit it into our schedules before Christmas.  And a salt lamp was one of the gifts.  My house is full of Christmas decorations so I was going to wait to put the lamp out, but I ended up not waiting.  When I plugged it in and went to turn it on I was so excited to see it has a dimmer switch – super cool.

In order to write this post I did a search about the lamps and I came across an interesting site that has a lot of information.  It gives 10 reasons why you want one (Salt Lamps Cleanse & Deodorize the Air, Reduce Allergy & Asthma Symptoms, Eases Coughing, Increase Energy Levels and more).  It also gives advice on what size you might want for the room you are putting it in.  I think I might need a bigger one to be effective in the room I have it in now.  Or perhaps I can get two for the space.  It says that an average size room (which is what?) would benefit from a 6.9 lb lamp, but a 15 lb lamp would be better for larger areas like a living room.

Our house was designed with a great room so the area is very large plus there are cathedral ceilings.  The 15 lb one would probably work better in the living room.  It could be that two large ones would work best in that space.  It is very large.  I will take my gift one for my office.  Once Christmas is down I will be moving the lamp closer to where we sit and that might help in the mean time.  Until I find one (or two) I want to buy for the space.

My hubby has a tea light holder and I use that every once in a while. I am very excited about the lamp.  I wonder if we will notice a difference?

Do you have any Himalayan salt around?  Lamps?  Candle holders? 

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Twists And Ten Benefits

Posted by terrepruitt on August 17, 2016

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitTwists.  We do twists in Nia, we do twists in yoga, we do twists in stretching, we do twists in life.  Twists are good.  Twists stimulate adrenal glands, and since they make necessary hormones, it is nice to have them stimulated in a positive way.  Twists can also stimulate the kidneys.  Twists are thought to improve digestion, could be due to the massaging of the organs.  When the body twists around the organs move and press against each other.  All the movement in the digestive tract is said to help move food along.  Twists are said to “tone” the organs.  Practicing twists is good!

I always teach to lengthen before moving, especially in a twist, so we want to lengthen on the inhale and twist on the exhale.  Sometimes inhaling/lengthening and exhaling/twisting bit further.  When we lengthen we allow for the space in between each vertebrae to get bigger and that allows for more room for the bones to move.

Twists help with flexibility in the back, the spine mobility and the muscles of the back.  The old “move-it-or-lose-it” that so often applies.  When we include twists in our practice we help to ensure that we will be able to do all the everyday things that include twisting.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitWhile doing a seated twist, try to keep both sitz bones connected to the earth.  The twist comes from the upper spine.  One reason we anchor the ischial tuberosity (sitz bones), is to stabilize the lower back.  When we work to keep ourselves firmly rooted it helps keep the lower spine from twisting.  I’m sure many of us have done it or have had a friend who has done it.  You hear that statement, “I twisted, and hurt my lower back.”  That is because the lower back tends to have more mobility and without moving mindfully it is easy to over do it.  So we keep our sitz bones anchored.

Seated twists can be done “open” or “closed”.  An “open” seated twist is where you are twisting away from the bent leg, in some cases putting your arm or shoulder against the bent leg.  In a sense allowing your chest to open away from your body.  A “closed” seated twist is where you turn TOWARD the bent leg, in some cases drawing the knee towards the chest.  If you have a leg bent in a seated twist it usually allows for a stretch into the hip area.

In B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga The Path To Holistic Health, he says, “Twists – These asanas teach us the importance of a healthy spine and inner body.  In twists, the pelvic and abdominal organs are squeezed and flushed with blood.  They improve the suppleness of the diaphragm, and relieve spinal, hip, and groin disorders.  The spine also becomes more supple and this improves the flow of blood to the spinal nerves and increases energy levels.”

So twists are good, in summary they:

1)  stimulate the adrenal glands
2)  stimulate the kidneys
3)  improve digestion
4)  massage the organs
5)  allow space in between each vertebrae
6)  help with flexibility in the spine
7)  help with flexibility in muscles of the back
8)  help to ensure that we will be able to keep twisting
9)  increase energy levels
10) feel pretty good

How do you feel about twists?  Do you include them in your practice?

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