X-Ray Yoga – The Bones Behind The Poses (Video)

X-Ray Yoga - The Bones Behind The Poses (Video) | Third Monk image 5

Yoga’s forms recreated in X-ray imaging shows the beautiful flow that the body gets into when going into one pose after the other. Although there are no muscles or tendons, the movements give off a sort of flexibility allowing the bone structures to move smoothly and seamlessly through each progression.

One awesome benefit of seeing X-ray Yoga is the ability to see how your skeleton aligns itself properly in every pose. Yoga clearly aids in proper skeletal alignment and increased flexibility which helps prevent injuries from other types of physical activities.

Regardless of the type of Yoga you prefer, you’re bound to find a pose or two you recognize.

X-Ray Yoga Pics

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Female Skeleton in Yoga Position

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X-Ray Yoga 1

6 Bad Habits That Drain Your Energy

6 Bad Habits That Drain Your Energy | Third Monk image 2

 

Simpsons_tiredLack of sleep isn’t the only thing sapping your energy. Little things you do (and don’t do) can exhaust you both mentally and physically, which can make getting through your day a chore.

Here, experts reveal common bad habits that can make you feel tired, plus simple lifestyle tweaks that will put the pep back in your step.

You don’t drink enough water

Being even slightly dehydrated—as little as 2% of normal fluid loss—takes a toll on energy levels, says Amy Goodson, RD, a dietitian for Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine.

Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume, explains Goodson, which makes the blood thicker. This requires your heart to pump less efficiently, reducing the speed at which oxygen and nutrients reach your muscles and organs.

To calculate your normal fluid needs, take your weight in pounds, divide in half and drink that number of ounces of fluid a day, Goodson recommends.

You skip exercise when you’re tired

Skipping your workout to save energy actually works against you. In a University of Georgia study, sedentary but otherwise healthy adults who began exercising lightly three days a week for as little as 20 minutes at a time reported feeling less fatigued and more energized after six weeks.

Regular exercise boosts strength and endurance, helps make your cardiovascular system run more efficiently, and delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. So next time you’re tempted to crash on the couch, at least go for a brisk walk—you won’t regret it.

You’re a perfectionist

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Striving to be perfect—which, let’s face it, is impossible—makes you work much harder and longer than necessary, says Irene S. Levine, PhD, professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine.

“You set goals that are so unrealistic that they are difficult or impossible to achieve, and in the end, there is no sense of self-satisfaction.” Levine recommends setting a time limit for yourself on your projects, and taking care to obey it. In time, you’ll realize that the extra time you were taking wasn’t actually improving your work.

You make mountains out of molehills

If you assume that you’re about to get fired when your boss calls you into an unexpected meeting, or you’re too afraid to ride your bike because you worry you’ll get into an accident, then you’re guilty of “catastrophizing,” or expecting that the worst-case scenario will always occur. This anxiety can paralyze you and make you mentally exhausted, says Levine.

When you catch yourself having these thoughts, take a deep breath and ask yourself how likely it is that the worst really will happen. Getting outdoors, meditating, exercising, or sharing your concerns with a friend may help you better cope and become more realistic.

You skip breakfast

The food you eat fuels your body, and when you sleep, your body continues using what you consumed at dinner the night before to keep your blood pumping and oxygen flowing. So, when you wake up in the morning, you need to refuel with breakfast. Skip it, and you’ll feel sluggish.

“Eating breakfast is like starting a fire in your body by kickstarting your metabolism,” Goodson says. Goodson recommends a breakfast that includes whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fat.

You work through vacation

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Checking your email when you should be relaxing by the pool puts you at risk of burnout, says Lombardo. Unplugging and allowing yourself to truly unwind allows your mind and body to rejuvenate and return to the office stronger. “When you truly take breaks, you will be more creative, productive, and effective when you return,” says Lombardo.

14 Reasons You’re Tired All the Time | TIME

Getting High During Yoga Is An Ancient Practice

Getting High During Yoga Is An Ancient Practice | Third Monk image 1

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As more and more states hop aboard the legalization wagon that will inevitably become federal law, cannabis use will manifest in new demographics and cultural groups. 

One of these groups is an obvious one with room for synergy: yoga. An uplifting Sativa coupled with a smooth stretch can be a perfect combination. And it’s already happening, Stoned Yoga is a rising trend.

The mingling of weed and yoga is an ancient one, this second century text from India suggests that cannabis can be a type of sedative, like yoga.

The subtler attainments come with birth or are attained through herbs, mantra, austerities or concentration.

Cannabis use allows for a quieting of the outside world, and the ability to focus more totally on the interior process of meditation.

– Yogasutras 4.1

Similarly, Kriya Yoga master Swami Satyananda Saraswati discusses the similar effects between cannabis and yoga–and how they reach the same end point:

By infusing ganja or some hallucinogenic drug, the chemical properties of the gross body change. The heart slows down, the breathing rate changes, the brain waves alter and the mind becomes calm and still.

Is it not possible to arrive at the same point through Kriya Yoga?

Cannabis use may allow people who would otherwise be unable to participate in yoga, perhaps due to chronic pain, partake in the practice. The effects aid not only the spiritual existence, but the physical body as well.

STONER-YOGA

Yoga on Weed: How The Ancient Exercise Encourages and Embraces Cannabis Use | Marijuana.com

A Three Day Fast Can Regenerate Entire Immune System (Study)

A Three Day Fast Can Regenerate Entire Immune System (Study) | Third Monk

intermittent-fasting Three Day Fast

A three day fast can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found, in a breakthrough described as “remarkable.”

Although fasting diets have been criticized by nutritionists, research suggests that starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing more white blood cells, which fight off infection.

Scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) say the discovery could be particularly beneficial for those suffering from damaged immune systems, such as cancer patients on chemotherapy. It could also help the elderly whose immune systems become less effective.

When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged.

There is no evidence at all that fasting would be dangerous while there is strong evidence that it is beneficial.

– Valter Longo, Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences at USC

In trials, volunteers were asked to fast regularly for between two and four days over a six-month period. Scientists found that prolonged fasting also reduced the enzyme PKA, which is linked to aging and a hormone which increases cancer risk and tumour growth.

Fasting for three days renews entire immune system, protects cancer patients, ‘remarkable’ new study finds | National Post

Useful Yoga Poses for Athletic Recovery and Injury Prevention (Guide)

Useful Yoga Poses for Athletic Recovery and Injury Prevention (Guide) | Third Monk image 3

Yoga leads to increased flexibility and body awareness which is great for recovering from old injuries and preventing new ones. Yoga also relieves stress from your mind and body allowing for increased focus.

Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

Useful Yoga Pose - Forward Fold

In Uttanasana, your head is below your heart. This allows the unusual occasion for blood to rush to your head (rather than your feet), giving your cells a rejuvenating boost of oxygen. 

Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose):

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

useful yoga pose - Tadasana

Rest your hands on your hips, exhale, and bend forward from the hip joints rather than the waist. Draw your belly slightly in and focus on lengthening your front torso as you go deeper in Uttanasana. Keeping your knees straight, place your fingertips or palms on the floor beside your feet, or touch the back of your ankles with your palms. To modify this movement, cross your forearms and hold your elbows. To help tone your thighs, press your heels into the floor, lift your sit bones toward the sky, and turn the tops of your thighs slightly inward. Let your head hang loose, releasing all tension in your back and shoulder blades. Lengthen the front torso a little bit more on each inhale. On each exhale, release fully into the bend. Stay in this posture for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

To come out of Uttanasana, bring your hands back to your hips and rotate at the hip joints until you stand strong and tall. Do not simply roll your spine up.

Benefits of Uttanasana

  1. Stretches the hips, hamstrings, and calves
  2. Strengthens the thighs and knees
  3. Keeps your spine strong and flexible
  4. Reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue
  5. Calms the mind and soothes the nerves
  6. Relieves tension in the spine, neck, and back
  7. Activates the abdominal muscles
  8. Eases symptoms of menopause, asthma, headaches, and insomnia
  9. Stimulates the kidneys, liver, spleen
  10. Improves digestion
  11. May lower high blood pressure
  12. Therapeutic for infertility, osteoporosis, and sinusitis

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)

useful yoga pose - adho-mukha-svanasana

Start on all fours with your knees directly underneath your hip and your hands directly underneath your shoulders. The palms are firmly grounded onto the mat and your fingers are spread. Pull your stomach in and melt your chest towards the floor. Tuck your toes underneath you. Lift your knees away from the floor, lengthen your spine backwards and shoot your tailbone up towards the sky as you straighten out your legs. Push the top of your thighs back and stretch your heels towards the floor. Form the shoulder blades onto the back, release the neck and extend your heart towards your thighs. Hold the pose for three minutes, rest, and repeat one more time.

Benefits of Adho Mukha Svanasana

  1. Inverted poses are extremely important because they reverse the action of gravity on the body and get the blood and lymph flowing in opposite directions.
  2. On an emotional level downward facing dog helps turn everything on its head and helps us see things from a different angle.
  3. It helps boost self-confidence.
  4. Because of the increased blood flow to the top of the body, shoulder stand can help improve brain function and cognition and reduce anxiety and depression.
  5. Takes pressure off the heart, which has to work less to get blood flowing to the brain.
  6. Strengthens and tones the arms and legs
  7. Because of the weight bearing nature of the posture on the arms and legs it helps strengthen the bones and prevent osteoporosis.
  8. Lengthens and straightens the spine, helping to relieve pain in the upper, middle and lower back.
  9. The body gets a 360-degree stretch in just one pose.

Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

useful yoga pose - utkatasana

Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Stand with your big toes touching, heels slightly apart. Lift and spread your toes. Feel yourself rooted to the ground. Now, raise your arms above your head, perpendicular to the floor. Either keep your arms parallel, palms facing inward, or touch your palms together. Bend your knees and bring your thighs as parallel to the floor as possible. Your knees should come out over your feet and your torso should lean forward over the thighs, more or less forming a right angle with them. Keep your back long, with a slight curve in it, and keep the inner thighs parallel to each other. To intensify your thigh work-out, try squeezing a yoga block or holding a thick book between them. Let your shoulder blades relax down your back. Stay in this posture for 5 to 10 long, deep breaths.

To come out of Utkatasana inhale, straighten your knees, exhale and release your arms to your sides. You are now back in Tadasana.

Benefits of Utkatasana

  1. Tones the leg muscles excellently
  2. Strengthens hip flexors, ankles, calves, and back
  3. Stretches chest and shoulders
  4. Reduces symptoms of flat feet
  5. Stimulates the heart, diaphragm, and abdominal organs

Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (High Lunge)

useful yoga pose - Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana,

Start in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog). Exhale and step your right foot forward between your hands, aligning your knee over the heel. Keep your left leg strong and firm. Inhale and raise your torso to upright. At the same time, sweep your arms wide to the sides and raise them overhead, palms facing. Do not over-arch the lower back. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor and reach back through your left heel. This will bring the shoulder blades deeper into the back and help support your chest. Look up toward your thumbs. Be sure not to press the front ribs forward. Draw them down and into the torso. Lift the arms from the lower back ribs, reaching through your little fingers. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. Then exhale, release the torso to the right thigh, sweep your hands back onto the floor, and, with another exhale, step your right foot back and return to Down Dog. Hold for a few breaths and repeat with the left foot forward for the same length of time.

Benefits of High Lunge

  1. Opens your groins and hips
  2. Stretches and tones your legs, especially thighs
  3. Strengthens your knees, ankles and waist
  4. Stimulates abdominals’ organs
  5. Increases stamina and lung capacity
  6. Lengthens the spine, thereby stretching the chest
  7. Therapeutic for indigestion, constipation, sciatica

Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose)

useful yoga pose - Virabhadrasana I

Begin in Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (High Lunge) with your right leg forward. If you are in correct stance, your right knee should be directly over your right ankle. Your right toes should point straight ahead and your left toes should be pointed 45-60 degrees away from your body. Make sure your right heel is in line with your left heel, then engage your legs by pressing through your feet. Bring your hands to your hips, squaring your hips and shoulders straight ahead. Then, relax your shoulders down your back and gently draw them together. Inhale and lift your arms straight up over your head, palms facing each other. If possible, bring your palms together. Now, reach up strongly through your arms. Avoid puffing out your sides; rather lift through your sternum so you can feel a nice stretch in your entire torso and spine. Keep your shoulders relaxed and chest lifted. To deepen the stretch, keep your palms together and gently arch your back, gazing up towards the ceiling. Feel strength and stability in your stance. Breathe deep and steady while you hold the pose for one minute.

To release, come back into high lunge, straighten the right leg, pivot your body 90 degress to the left, and point your toes in the same direction. Extend your arms out to your sides and you will be in Utthita Hasta Padasana (Extended Hands and Feet Pose). Take a few breaths of relaxation and repeat the exercise with your left foot forward.

Benefits of Virabhadrasana I

  1. Strengthens your shoulders, arms, legs, ankles and back
  2. Opens yours hips, chest and lungs
  3. Improves focus, balance and stability
  4. Encourages good circulation and respiration
  5. Stretches your arms, legs, shoulders, neck, belly, groins and ankles
  6. Energizes the entire body

Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)

useful yoga pose - Setu Bandhasana

Lie flat on your back with arms at your sides, palms down. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Keep your feet hip width apart, parallel to each other, and as close to the buttocks as possible. Simultaneously, press your upper arms and feet into the floor and begin lifting your hips towards the ceiling. Distribute your weight equally on the inside and outside of your feet. Now, move your breastbone towards your chin, keeping your chin lifted only slightly as not to flatten the back of the neck. Firm your tailbone in towards the pubis and move your pubis slightly towards the belly. In order to keep the lower back extended, keep the knees over the ankles, perpendicular to the floor. Your buttocks should be firm, but not clasped. Lift your hips as high as you are able without breaking position. If you are having trouble holding posture, you can clasp your hands behind your back and firm you arms into the floor, shoulder blades shifted down along the spine. Hold this pose for 5 to 15 breaths.

To come out of Bridge Pose, release on an exhalation, rolling your spine slowly down onto the floor.

Benefits of Setu Bandhasana

  1. Stretches the chest, neck, spine, and hips
  2. Strengthens the back, buttocks, and hamstrings
  3. Improves circulation of blood
  4. Helps alleviate stress and mild depression
  5. Calms the brain and central nervous system
  6. Stimulates the lungs, thyroid glands, and abdominal organs
  7. Improves digestion
  8. Helps relieve symptoms of menopause
  9. Reduces backache and headache
  10. Reduces fatigue, anxiety, and insomnia
  11. Rejuvenates tired legs
  12. Relieves symptoms of asthma and high blood pressure
  13. Therapeutic for hypertension, osteoporosis, and sinusitis

Ardha Dhanurasana

useful yoga pose - ARDHA DHANURASANA

Lie on your belly, with the legs together or a few inches apart. Bring the chin to the floor. Bend the left knee and reach the left hand back to hold onto the left heel or ankle. Inhale and kick the left foot into the arm to lift the left leg, head and chest off of the floor. Keep the neck in line with the spine, looking down at the floor. Lift the right arm off of the floor, keeping it parallel to the floor. Breathe and hold for 2-6 breaths.

To release slowly exhale and lower the leg, arm, head and chest down to the floor. Repeat on the other side.

Benefits of Ardha Dhanurasana

  1. Energizes and strengthens the entire body
  2. Builds core body strength.
  3. Stimulates the kidneys, adrenals and reproductive system.

Paripurna Navasana (Full Boat Pose)

useful yoga pose - Paripurna Navasana

Sit on the floor with knees bent, feet flat, and legs together. Slide your hands a little behind your hips, fingers pointing toward your feet and elbows bent away from you. Lean back slightly and lift your heels an inch or two off the floor. Make sure your back does not round, keep your back straight throughout this pose. Draw your shoulder blades together momentarily to lift and open your chest. Slowly begin to straighten your legs through the heels. When your legs are fully straightened, your thighs should be angled about 45 degrees to the floor and the tips of your toes should be slightly above the level of your eyes. If you are unable to straighten your legs while raising them, keep your knees bent (shins parallel to the floor). Now, stretch your arms forward alongside your legs, palms facing down. Spread your shoulder blades across your back and reach strongly out through your fingers (while maintaining a straight back and long torso). Your arms should be parallel to each other as well as to the floor. If you are unable to raise your arms while in Paripurna Navasana, either grip the back of your thighs or keep your hands behind your hips where they were. Open your chest and relax your shoulders down your back. Put as much effort into lifting your chest as you are in lifting your legs. Breathe steadily and hold for 2-6 breaths. Gradually increase your endurance until you can hold the posture for a full minute.

To release bring the legs in as you exhale and sit upright as you inhale.

Benefits of Paripurna Navasana

  1. Tones and strengthens your abdominal muscles
  2. Improves balance and digestion
  3. Stretches your hamstrings
  4. Strengthens your spine and hip flexors
  5. Stimulates the kidneys, thyroid and prostate glands, and intestines
  6. Aids in stress relief
  7. Improves confidence

Virasana (Hero Pose)

useful yoga pose - Virasana

Start by kneeling on your yoga mat or the floor with your thighs perpendicular to the floor. Pad your knees, shins, and/or feet with a folded blanket or towel if necessary. If you experience any strain in your knees at any time while in Virasana, come out and prop yourself up further before attempting it again. Make sure the tops of your feet stay flat and even on the floor. Bring your inner knees together, then slide your feet apart (a little wider than your hips). Point the feet in line with the shins. Gently pull back the flesh of your calf muscles, exhale, and sit down between your feet. Evenly support your sitting bones by adjustment, allowing a thumb’s width space between your heels and hips. If your buttocks don’t rest comfortably on the floor, raise them by placing a yoga block or thick book between your feet before you sit down. Counteract the tendency to slump by adjusting the muscles of your buttocks sideways and back with your hands. Your pelvis should be at a ninety-degree angle with your thighs. Rest your hands in your lap, on your thighs, or on your ankles. Firm your shoulder blades against the back ribs and lift the top of your sternum. Widen the collarbones and release your shoulder blades away from your ears. Lengthen the tailbone toward the floor. Sit in silence for at least 1 minute.

Benefits of Virasana

  1. Stretches the hips, thighs, knees, ankles and feet
  2. Improves circulation and relieves tired legs
  3. Strengthens foot arches, relieving flat feet
  4. Improves digestion and relieves gas
  5. Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
  6. Improves posture
  7. Reduces swelling of the legs during pregnancy (through second trimester)
  8. Therapeutic for asthma and high blood pressure

Supta Padangusthasana

useful yoga pose - Supta Padangusthasana

Lie supine on the floor, legs strongly extended. If your head doesn’t rest comfortably on the floor, support it on a folded blanket. Exhale, bend the left knee, and draw the thigh into your torso. Hug the thigh to your belly. Press the front of the right thigh heavily to the floor, and push actively through the right heel. Loop a strap around the arch of the left foot and hold the strap in both hands. Inhale and straighten the knee, pressing the left heel up toward the ceiling. Walk your hands up the strap until the elbows are fully extended. Broaden the shoulder blades across your back. Keeping the hands as high on the strap as possible, press the shoulder blades lightly into the floor. Widen the collarbones away from the sternum. Extend up first through the back of the left heel, and once the back of the leg between the heel and sitting bone is fully lengthened, lift through the ball of the big toe. Begin with the raised leg perpendicular to the floor. Release the head of the thigh bone more deeply into the pelvis and, as you do, draw the foot a little closer to your head, increasing the stretch on the back of the leg. You can stay here in this stretch, or turn the leg outward from the hip joint, so the knee and toes look to the left. Pinning the top of the right thigh to the floor, exhale and swing the left leg out to the left and hold it a few inches off the floor. Continue rotating the leg. As you feel the outer thigh move away from the left side of the torso, try to bring the left foot in line with the left shoulder joint. Inhale to bring the leg back to vertical. Lighten your grip on the strap as you do, so that you challenge the muscles of the inner thigh and hip to do the work. Hold the vertical position of the leg anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes, and the side position for an equal length of time.

Once you have returned to vertical release the strap, hold the leg in place for 30 seconds or so, then slowly release as you exhale. Repeat on the right for the same length of time.

Benefits of Supta Padangusthasana

  1. Stretches hips, thighs, hamstrings, groins, and calves
  2. Strengthens the knees
  3. Stimulates the prostate gland
  4. Improves digestion
  5. Relieves backache, sciatica, and menstrual discomfort
  6. Therapeutic for high blood pressure, flat feet, and infertility

These useful yoga poses can be done in a circuit as their own workout or as a precursor to another athletic activity of your choosing.

Were these yoga poses helpful? What are some of your favorite poses?

Benefits of Hemp Oil – Nutrition, Disease Prevention, and Skin Care

Benefits of Hemp Oil - Nutrition, Disease Prevention, and Skin Care | Third Monk image 3

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Research has shown that a diet with a proper balance of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids – such as those found in hemp seed oil – may delay or reduce the neurological effect of some diseases and improve quality of life.

Hemp oil is nature’s most balanced oil for human nutrition (3:1 LA to LNA ratio) and is easily digestible; in fact this oil could provide all of our Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) requirements for life, due to the balanced 80% EFA content of the oil.

Hemp Oil – Nature’s Perfectly Balanced Oil

Hemp seed oil has all the necessary essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamins and minerals our bodies need for optimum health and restoration. It is an excellent choice for skin and hair care as it protects against free radicals, sun damage and skin conditions.

Hemp Oil – Benefits for Pets

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Hemp protein powder and hemp seed oil are not only super-foods for people, but can also do wonders for your pets. Hemp is filled with important and crucial nutrition, making it an excellent addition to your pet’s meal plan.

The benefits of hemp for your pet’s health include:
– Strengthens the immune system
– Supports a healthy weight
– Increases energy
– Improves condition of skin and fur

The Raw Project has a great recipe for hemp seed dog treats.

Hemp Oil – Nutritional Facts and Uses (Infographic)

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4 Scientific Principles of Posture and Functional Movement (Guide)

4 Scientific Principles of Posture and Functional Movement (Guide) | Third Monk image 4

Modern work life does a great job at creating bad posture. So what can we do to keep our bodies from falling apart while we work… and in general? Renown physical therapist and mobility guru Kelly Starrett breaks down good posture into what he calls “functional movement” to help you become a “supple leopard.”

1. Spine First

The spine is the chassis for your body’s other two primary engines, the hips and shoulders. Each functional movement begins and ends at the spine, so your spine has to be properly aligned. When it isn’t, it will weaken your body’s force production. Simply looking up – and thus breaking the spine alignment with a bent neck – can reduce strength in your arm.

Kelly-Starrett-mobilitywod-principles-braced-neutralBraced Neutral Tip: You’re not limited to just sitting perfectly upright: You can still lean forward, or lean back, while maintaining a braced-neutral spine.

 

Kelly-Starrett-mobilitywod-principles-pelvic-gimblePelvic Gimble Tip: If you find that you round forward and try to correct that by straightening your back, you’ll probably just end up in an overextended position. Instead, stand up, run through the bracing sequence, and then sit back down, keeping your back flat and belly tight.

2. The One Joint Rule

Kelly’s one joint rule is a simple way to organize functional movement and guard against injury. You should look at your spine as a single column, with no local flexion or extension within it. You should only see flexion or extension at the hip or shoulders. Unfortunately, too many of us do things like slump forward in our chair, meaning we have to tilt our head upwards to look at our computer screen, creating an improper flexion point in our neck.

We can certainly flex our spine globally, for example if we are bending back to serve a volleyball – but not locally. We all know that when we pick a box up from the floor we should keep our back straight and flex only at the hips. That not only protects our back; it helps us lift more effectively.
Kelly-Starrett-mobilitywod-principles-belly-whackThe belly-whack test is another way to help bring consciousness to a braced-neutral position and the 20 percent constant-tension concept. It’s simple: You should always have enough abdominal tone to take a whack to the belly. We do this at our gym and around the house. If you have a spongy middle, you get caught right away.

3. The Laws of Torque

Kelly-Starrett-mobilitywod-principles-torque-machida-kickIn all motions of flexion and extension, there’s a corresponding rotational force, says Kelly:

Whenever we flex our arm or leg forward, our shoulder or hip should rotate outwards.

When we move our arm or shoulder behind us, the rotation is internal.

Understanding the laws of torque, and thus the basics of external and internal rotation, are key to proper movement. The reason yogis prefer the lotus position is the external rotation in the hips and shoulders maintains the spine strong and organized. 

Unfortunately, sitting at a chair with our feet on the floor keeps our hips neutral, not externally rotated, and doesn’t give our spine proper support.

4. The Movement Tunnel

Kelly-Starrett-mobilitywod-principles-movement-tunnelEvery movement has a start and end position. Kelly calls what happens in between those positions “the tunnel.” The tunnel is a crucial concept that says once you are underway in a movement, it’s too late to correct your stance. If you’re standing with your feet sticking out like a duck and you start running, it’s hard to correct your stance mid-stride.

Understanding how to enter the tunnel and organize your body correctly at the outset is the only way to guard against injury. You have to enter the tunnel organized and exit the tunnel organized.

These 4 Principles make even more sense once you see them in action.

Kelly Starrett: MobilityWod Principles

If 60 minutes isn’t enough and you want more, visit Kelly’s full workshop on creativeLIVE or read his best-selling book Becoming a Supple Leopard.

How Exercise Helps us Think Better (Infographic)

How Exercise Helps us Think Better (Infographic) | Third Monk image 2

Exercise offers a wide range of benefits for our well-being. They are well-known and heavily supported with studies and scientific data. However, new findings are continually being unearthed that help us better understand what exercise is doing to our bodies and our brains.

After being cooped up inside all day, your afternoon stroll may leave you feeling clearheaded. This sensation is not just in your mind. A growing body of evidence suggests we think and learn better when we walk or do another form of exercise. – Justin Roberts, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois

Blood Flow

Blood Flow

So, exercise boosts your cognitive functioning and improves your memory, but how exactly does it do that? One of the ways is through improved blood flow. Rhodes writes:

Research shows that when we exercise, blood pressure and blood flow increase everywhere in the body, including the brain. More blood means more energy and oxygen, which makes our brain perform better.

Hippocampus Stimulation

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The hippocampus is a brain structure that is important for memory function, but what relation does it have to exercise? Rhodes responds:

Another explanation for why working up a sweat enhances our mental capacity is that the hippocampus, a part of the brain critical for learning and memory, is highly active during exercise. When the neurons in this structure rev up, research shows that our cognitive function improves. For instance, studies in mice have revealed that running enhances spatial learning. Other recent work indicates that aerobic exercise can actually reverse hippocampal shrinkage, which occurs naturally with age, and consequently boost memory in older adults. Yet another study found that students who exercise perform better on tests than their less athletic peers.

Exercise Infographic:

Fitter Body, Fitter Brain - Exercise Infographic

Why do you think better after a walk? | Scientific American

Running Enhances Neurogenesis, Learning, and Long-term Potentiation in Mice | Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Does Pressure Point Therapy, Reflexology Really Work? (Guide)

Does Pressure Point Therapy, Reflexology Really Work? (Guide) | Third Monk image 3

Reflexology is an alternate form of therapy that involves the application of pressure to areas of the feet, hands, and ears. Reflexologists believe that these areas correspond to different parts of the body, such as organs.

The body is divided into 10 longitudinal zones—five on each side of the body.

Each organ or part of the body is represented on the hands and feet. The practitioner can diagnose abnormalities by feeling the hands or feet.

Massaging or pressing each area can stimulate the flow of energy, blood, nutrients, and nerve impulses to the corresponding body zone and thereby relieve ailments in that zone. – Reflexology: A Close Look

Although there is no evidence that pressure point therapy actually treats any medical condition, others swear by claims to its efficacy.

“The best evidence available to date does not demonstrate convincingly that reflexology is an effective treatment for any medical condition.” – NCBI

There are some studies from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health that found reflexology may reduce pain and psychological symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, while enhancing relaxation and sleep.

With such a wide range in beliefs about the viability of reflexology, one is left to make up their own mind about it’s benefits. If it works for you, great! If you haven’t tried it yet, consider using these helpful photos to aid your attempts.

Hand Reflexology Chart

hand chart

top_of_hand_2

Feet Reflexology Chart

Reflexology FOOT

Ear Reflexology Chart

EarReflexology

Test and Fix Your Posture to Maximize Muscle (Guide)

Test and Fix Your Posture to Maximize Muscle (Guide) | Third Monk

Almost everyone has a posture problem. Over time, your poor posture takes a tremendous toll on your spine, shoulders, hips, and knees. In fact, it can cause a cascade of structural flaws that result in acute problems, such as joint pain throughout your body, reduced flexibility, and compromised muscles, all of which can limit your ability to burn fat and build strength.

But don’t worry—all these problems can be corrected. The first step to fix your posture is to analyze your alignment by having a friend take a full-body photo of you (with your shorts on) from the front and from the side. Keep your muscles relaxed but stand as tall as you can, with your feet hip-width apart.

Now compare your photos with the illustration below to diagnose your posture problems.

Posture Repair Plans

 

1. Problem: Forward Head

Where pain strikes: Your neck

The problem: Stiff muscles in the back of your neck
Fix it: Stretch with head nods daily: Moving only your head, drop your chin down and in toward your neck while stretching the back of your neck. Hold for a 5 count; do this 10 times.

The problem: Weak front neck muscles
Fix it: Do this neck “crunch” every day: Lying faceup on the floor, lift your head so it just clears the floor. Raise your head, and hold for 5 seconds; do 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.

 

2. Problem: Elevated Shoulder

Where pain strikes: Neck and shoulders

The problem: Your trapezius (the muscle that starts at the back of your neck and runs across your upper back) is shortened.
Fix it: Perform an upper-trap stretch. With your higher-side arm behind your back, tilt your head away from your elevated side until you feel the stretch in your upper trapezius. Apply slight pressure with your free hand on your stretched muscle. Hold for 30 seconds; repeat 3 times.

The problem: A weak serratus anterior, the muscle just under your pecs running from your upper ribs to your shoulder blades
Fix it: Try chair shrugs. Sit upright in a chair with your hands next to your hips, palms down on the seat, and keep your arms straight. Without moving your arms, push down on the chair until your hips lift off the seat and your torso rises. Hold for 5 seconds. That’s 1 rep; do 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.

 

3.  Problem: Rounded Shoulders

Where pain strikes: Neck, shoulder, or back

The problem: Tight pectoral muscles
Fix it: Try a simple doorway stretch: Place your arm against a doorjamb in the high-five position (that is, forming an L), your elbow bent 90 degrees. Step through the doorway until you feel the stretch in your chest and the front of your shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds. That’s 1 set; do a total of 4 daily.

The problem: Weakness in the middle and lower parts of your trapezius
Fix it: Use the floor L raise: Lying facedown on the floor, place each arm at a 90-degree angle in the high-five position. Without changing your elbow angle, raise both arms by pulling your shoulders back and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold for 5 seconds; do 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily

 

4. Problem: Hunched Back

Where pain strikes: Neck, shoulder, back

The problem: Poor upper-back mobility
Fix it: Lie faceup on a foam roller placed about midback, perpendicular to your spine. Place your hands behind your head and arch your upper back over the roller 5 times. Adjust the roller and repeat for each segment of your upper back.

The problem: Weak muscles in your back
Fix it: Perform the prone cobra. Lie facedown with your arms at your sides, palms down. Lift your chest and hands slightly off the floor, and squeeze your shoulder blades together while keeping your chin down. Hold for 5 seconds; do 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.

 

5. Problem: Anterior Pelvic Tilt

Where pain strikes: Lower back (because of the more pronounced arch in your lumbar spine). The tilt also shifts your posture so that your stomach pushes outward, even if you don’t have an ounce of belly fat.

The problem: Your hip flexors, which allow you to move your thighs up to your abdomen, are tight.
Fix it: Kneel on one knee and perform a front hip stretch. Tighten your gluteal (butt) muscles on your kneeling side until you feel the front of your hip stretching comfortably. Reach upward with the arm that’s on your kneeling side, and stretch in the opposite direction. Hold this position for a count of 30 seconds, and repeat 3 times.

The problem: Weak glutes
Fix it: The glute bridge is your solution. Lie on your back with your knees bent about 90 degrees. Squeeze your glutes together and push your hips upward until your body is straight from knees to shoulders. Hold for 5 seconds; complete 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.

 

6. Problem: Pigeon Toes

Where pain strikes: Knee, hip, or lower back

The problem: Tightness in the outer portion of your thigh (your tensor fasciae latae)
Fix it: Stand up, cross your affected leg behind the other, and lean away from the affected side until you feel your hip stretching comfortably. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

The problem: Weak gluteus maximus and medius muscles
Fix it: Use an exercise called the side-lying clamshell. Lie on one side with your knees bent 90 degrees and your heels together. Keeping your hips still, raise your top knee upward, separating your knees like a clamshell. Pause for 5 seconds; lower your knee to the starting position. Perform 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.

 

7. Problem: Duck Feet

Where pain strikes: Hip or lower back
The problem: You lack flexibility in all the muscles in your hips.
Fix it: Drop to your hands and knees and place one foot behind the opposite knee. Making sure you keep your spine naturally arched, shift your weight backward and allow your hips to bend until you feel the stretch. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times, and then switch sides.

The problem: Weakness in your oblique muscles and hip flexors
Fix it: Try the Swiss-ball jackknife. Assume the top of a pushup position but rest your feet on a Swiss ball. Without rounding your lower back, tuck your knees under your torso by rolling the ball with your feet toward your body. Roll the ball back to the starting position. Do 2 or 3 sets of 12 reps daily.

> Principles of Good Posture | Men’s Health