Our bodies are shaped by every movement we make and, in particular, by those we do repeatedly. Those who sit repeatedly have short hip flexors, those who play the piano have increased mobility and control in their fingers, those who run marathons have leg muscles that have adapted to endurance use.

Do you wake up in pain?  Where you ache in the morning is an indicator of the areas of your body which need more attention.  If you consider the combined effects of gravity and our daily activities--driving, computer time, lots of sitting, it would make sense that our alignment is most poor after a long day. 

I am a mover. That is to say, I am passionate about movement. As a dancer and movement instructor, I am constantly amazed by the body’s ever-growing capacity for development. However, this development, though sought after in the positive form, can also manifest itself in the body as negative habits/patterns that can cause pain and degeneration.

Stretching the fingers and hands awakens and stimulates the muscles and nerves in the forearms--a body part which is often overlooked—and re-establishes a connection between our digits and their point of attachment to the axial skeleton via the shoulder girdle. Through gentle stretching, we are also stimulating laminar blood flow, a vital component of cardiovascular health.

One of my favorite things in life is rowing a raft through the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. Until eight years ago, this was my job: Grand Canyon River Guide. Every year, from April through October, I took passengers on wilderness rafting trips through beautiful, remote desert far from the rest of the world.

Have you ever thought about the way that you walk? For most people, walking is an instinctive activity—I mean, how hard could it be?  Putting one foot in front of the other doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that requires thought or effort…  In actuality, walking correctly (in alignment and with the proper use of musculature) utilizes more brain and muscle power than you would think.