How To Strengthen Your Body Starting With Foundations

Six packs, toned triceps and strong thighs look nice. There is no doubt that strong quadriceps, glutes, core muscles are essential, they are stability muscles in the body.

What I was to talk about today is the difference between looking strong and actually being strong.

When they look at me, many people don’t realize that one of my kicks or a punches can actually cause them a lot of pain.

I don’t look particularly strong, but the foundations are strong and when everything comes together there is a lot of power behind a fist.

Alignment

Today we are very focused on strengthening the larger muscle groups such as glutes and hamstrings. And yes, they are really important as they are stabilizer muscles.

However, we are missing something. Something really important. We are missing the small muscles in our bodies. Just because we don’t see them or they don’t bulk up that doesn’t mean they are not there or they are not important.

Furthermore we also talk a lot about posture and we focus on core strength. Which, again, it’s essential. But how can you strengthen your core in the wrong position?

What I mean is this. We have developed an incorrect body alignment as a consequence of sitting, slouching, looking down to our phones to text, leaning to one side when we talk on the phone, carrying our bags on one shoulder and so on.

Our body is in an incorrect position to begin with. So why strengthening it in that position?

What I recommend before anything else is understanding how you should hold your body, proper alignment, first of all.

Then, with that alignment in mind go ahead and strengthen your core muscles….in the correct position.

Joints

Every joint has a position where it’s at its strongest.

For example your wrist in the case of a punch. If the wrist is slightly bent up or down, when you punch it will give in and maybe even injure it, or even fracture it, depending on the impact.

I disagree with punching against a pad for beginners. That is why, although I come from a Martial Arts background, Karate Shotokan since 1995, I never do this with my clients.

A punch is so much more than just throwing it in a pad or bag. And those round punches that PT’s teach their clients damage the shoulder, the rotator cuff. Plus how someone who has never punched before hold their wrist. Ok, I will stop here and write a separate blog about it.

Another example are the knees when you run. There is repeated pressure on the knees. The angle at which the impact falls is the one that decides whether there will be an injury or not.

Pressure is there but it’s the angle the pressure falls on that damages most.

Strengthen from the inside

After you become aware of body alignment begin working on your deep core stability muscles: diaphragm, pelvic floor etc.

You will not be able to isolate these muscles but what you can do is practice techniques which targets them. For example the crawls I do with all my clients.

They are safe on the back and strengthen the inner/deep core muscles as well as other stability muscles in the body.

Balance techniques are also a great way to strengthen the deep core muscles. Not only that, balance exercises strengthen the small stability muscles in your joints.

So your joints strengthen starting with deep foundations. And the slower you go the better with these type of exercises, particularly at the beginning.

Fast or slow?

I think one of the most overlooked element with all exercises today is the speed at which we practice the exercise.

Plyometrics (explosion) exercises are very important, particularly for runners. Muscles need to fire up. So they should be in your workout plan if they aren’t already.

What plyometrics overlook is the small stability muscles which strengthen through slow movement. Movement that requires stability.

Let’s face it, everyone can do things fast, but how many can slow down to a snail’s speed? Now that’s control over your body.

One whole unit

Your body is designed as one unit. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that running is only about the legs and lifting or punching only about the arms.

A strong punch comes from your feet. It involves the whole body, not just the shoulder. Maybe I will explain how this work in a video rather than writing.

Everything you do is more efficient if you use your body how it is meant to be used. In a correct way of course. If you use your whole body and it’s not correct then we’re not getting anywhere.

Do you need more personalized advice or would like to go into more detail? Contact me.

August 31, 2015August 31, 2015

How To Improve Your Posture

It is not enough to have a strong core alone. It is not enough to do just crunches and situps or just squats and lunges. Here are the different aspects when it comes to improving your posture and attain a stronger and healthier body.

Core exercises

Many people go for crunches and situps because they are straight forward. You cannot lift yourself if you don’t tense your abdominal muscles. So there is not much thinking and it’s all bout repeating it.

However crunches and situps, while they can strengthen your abs, can also harm your back and your neck.

Here are some suggestions of core strengthening exercises: mountain climbers, planks and variations, pressups and variations, hanging leg lifts.

Crawls. Besides the fact that they are safe on the back, they work your core (that includes your back) as well as the rest of your body….if done properly that is. That means hips down and knees close to the ground, among many other technical points. This is something I teach in detail in the videos in The Academy.

Another exercise is rope skipping. Can be fun and works your whole body.

Variation

While it is important to practice, or to repeat your core exercises, do not limit yourself to just 4 or 5 types. Anything in exaggerated amount can be detrimental.

And variation will also train your body in a multilateral way, meaning from different angles.

For example you may have a core workout that consists of exercises such as planks and pressups under many variations.

Another core workout can be crawls. They still workout your core muscles and actually they do it better, if you ask me.

And another can be hanging, hanging leg lifts, pulls ups and chin ups. Yes all these work your core, not only your arms.

Multilateral training.

Mobility and flexibility

Sure, now you have a strong core. But do you walk with your shoulders dropped forwards?

Or maybe you have tight hamstrings that may lead to lower back pain?

Or maybe you have tight hip flexors from all the sitting and so you bend from your hips and you butt sticks out slightly when you walk.

Many forget that a tight and closed up body will never have a good posture. It is not enough to be strong, you also have to look after your range of movement.

Mobility and flexibility is essential for health.

Alignment

Well, this wraps up everything. No matter how strong you are, how flexible and mobile you may be if you do not know the basics of body alignment there is no posture to talk about.

Aligning your body properly will also make ALL those exercises more effective.

How do you align your body? I explain everything in one of the Posture Masterclasses. I also explain why posture is so important for your health and happiness. At the end I take you through a guided visualization for posture alignment.

So watch it and practice. And if you need my advice, contact me.

What are Masterclasses?

Masterclasses are online webinars I hold regularly. Although they are free to attend from anywhere in the world, they are full of valuable content and practical information. I do not hold back. Check out the events page.

August 10, 2015August 18, 2015

Things To Do Under The Shower

It’s not what you think ok? It’s about stretching.

Too many of us “complain” we have no time to stretch. Well, beginning today you can incorporate stretching in your other daily “must do” habits.

And for stretches, doing them under the shower is actually good as they release tension faster and they are also warm and ready for a stretch.

Some safety stuff: showers are slippery so you might want to sit to do some of the stretches or all of them so you don’t injure yourself.

So here are a few things you can do while you shower

Be mindful of your posture

Hahaha, thought you got away. Nope, the more aware we are of our posture and body weight distribution the better.

So stop slouching. Relax your shoulders. What makes the greatest changes in life are the habits you do when no one is watching.

It’s difficult sometimes to hold your posture, I know very well. But if we want to make any difference in the way we feel we must make an effort, just at the beginning until the habits become automatic. It will be worth it in the end.

Read my blog post on Posture: 3 Awesome Benefits Of A Great Posture

Stretch your toes and fingers…one by one

This the the best feeling ever. And it’s not only me saying this. My clients and my readers stretch their finger and toes and they feel amazing as well.

Imagine your fingers all day tensed after tipping, carrying, throwing, catching and, in my case punching. Toes are the same, curled up in shoes (particularly high heel shoes…ouch!), walking, running. They need to stretch and relax.

Stretch your wrists

Pretty straight forward:

– bend your wrist and push one at a time with the free hand, to feel the stretch on top of the wrist

– palm facing up, push the fingers and palm down and pull them towards you, to feel the stretch on the opposite side

– palm facing down, pull the hand towards you (slowly); elbow tucked in; drive your thumb towards your body

– palm facing down, pull the hand towards you (slowly); elbow tucked in; drive your palm and little finger towards towards your body

Breathing exercises

Here I actually have a chapter of my upcoming book, Breathing Mastery, available for free download.

Take the linear and triangle breathing techniques and practice them.

And if you want to know why correct deep breathing techniques are important, check out my blog: 16 benefits of deep breathing. Among them we have:

Relaxes the mind and brings clarity, focus, allows room for more creativity and productivity.
Helps detoxify your body.
Relieves emotional struggles, calms you down in moments of panic and anxiety.
Assists in weight control. More oxygen to your tissues burns up the excess fat more efficiently.
Improves cellular regeneration.
Encourages good posture. When you slouch notice how your body closes up and your breathing becomes shallow. Then you take a deep breath, your chest comes out and your body naturally straightens.

Stretch the sides of your body

I have a couple of pictures of you here:

Alexandra-Merisoiu-Flexibility-Exercise (10)

Alexandra-Merisoiu-Flexibility-Exercise (11)

Stretch your neck

Stretch your forearm, shoulder and triceps

Alexandra-Merisoiu-Flexibility-Exercise (2)

Alexandra-Merisoiu-Flexibility-Exercise (3)

Alexandra-Merisoiu-Flexibility-Exercise (1)

Stretch your shoulders and chest

Alexandra-Merisoiu-Flexibility-Exercise (4)

Alexandra-Merisoiu-Flexibility-Exercise (5)

The Merisoiu Stretch (of course)

I must remind you here about safety on slippery surfaces. You can do this after you come out of the shower, better.

July 28, 2015

Posture. And The Message You Send Out

I remember one of my clients told me that the moment I shift the body weight onto one leg I change.

She noticed that when I balance my weight on body legs, stand grounded, tall and my body aligned I have a different attitude.

And she was right. The slightest body movement can send a different message. Sometimes those who receive the message are unaware of it, others feel it or even see it, either way it’s there.

Your body

The brain communicates with the body through nerves that send and receive information to and from anywhere in the body.

The nerves the body uses to send and receive information to and from the brain, all go through the neck and spine. Or should I say they come out, they originate, from the spine and then go everywhere in the body.

Your spine can be compared to a garden hose through which you have running water. If the hose is bent there is no water flowing, or very limited. The spine is curves but not bent.

Same goes with your neck. If the neck is not straight then those nerves will not be able to function optimally to send and receive information and so the reactions in the body will not take place in an effective way.

There is much more that takes place in your body as a consequence of your posture. For now just think that without nerves no much takes place in your body and if they don’t function properly it leads to many imbalances in the body.

There are mainly 2 kinds of people

Those who look down into the ground and compress the trachea which can restrict breathing. This position also encourages slouching which, in turn, leads to compressing the rib cage and internal organs. Pressure builds up.

Those who tilt their heads backwards and put a lot of strain on their spine. This also leads to slouching as the shoulders drop forwards.

This is very basic but you go the idea. What we need to find is a balance between the two.

That balance is the elongated, relaxed and aligned posture.

Your mind

In his studies and practice Frederick Matthias Alexander, as in the Alexander Technique, helped not only patients suffering from physical pain such as neck, shoulders and lower back but he also helped his patients suffering with depression by re-educating their manner of USE, the use they were using their bodies.

It is no surprise that posture affects physical wellbeing as well as mental.

When you are sad for example, all you need to do it change your stance and that changes your mood as well. These are your power stances.

When feel sorry for yourself, you slouch and look into the ground. But the moment you lift your head high and look ahead your attitude changes as well.

These are basic, simple examples. They work in probably any situation. Stand tall and confident and you will notice how your mood, your thoughts and emotions change almost instantly.

In self defense

In fact in martial arts and self defence among the first things they talk about is posture, how you walk and attitude.

You see, someone who walks with their head into the ground, hands in their pockets and slouching are seen as less confident and vulnerable and they often fall victims.

When you are confident on the inside, which can be influenced by your posture, you send out confidence.

In business

Here’s what you might be interested in more. Posture is body language.

In business, negotiations, when you speak in public, when you walk on stage, your posture is the first thing people see.

Actually they do not see your posture, what they actually see is your attitude and confidence.

They see the confidence you have in your own product and service or the words you speak.

What are you telling your audience? That what you do is the best or that you are not very sure whether they should buy from you or not?

Every moment of every day you send a message through your posture. What is the message you send out?

[tweetthis]Every moment of every day you send a message through your #posture. What is the message you send out?[/tweetthis]

For me, the journey to an improved posture started when I was 8 years old. That doesn’t make my posture perfect, no one has a perfect posture. However I know I do send out the right message.

Karate Shotokan, Daito Ryu, target shooting, archery, Latin American dancing and all the other sports I practiced since 1995 all require a good command of the body and mind. They also require confidence, power and mental strength.

And posture is where everything begins. As posture will determine the kind and quality of physical movement you engage in and what happens in your mind.

So posture for me, and for my clients, is number one. From the first day we meet my clients hear my talk about posture and every sessions after that.

How about you? Do you think posture matters in your business, profession and life in general? If you are unsure how to achieve a relaxed, elongated and confident posture I would like to invite you on a call with me.

There will be no pitching or selling, and I will take you through a guided visualization which will help you improve your posture. Here’s how you can book.

May 12, 2015January 5, 2019

Strong Foundations For A Strong Pain Free Body

I think you agree with me when I say that if a building cannot stand without strong foundations, no matter how much iron rods and cement we put on every floor, a human body cannot be strong without a strong foundation no matter how strong the other floors may be.

For your body that foundation is your feet. If your feet are not strong, your weight properly balanced between your two feet and you do not use/move them in the correct way there is damage to be expected.

And that damage might not even be felt in the feet. No, no, it can be the knees, the hips , the lower back. But the source of your pain may very well be your feet.

Now I am not a doctor, a physio or podiatrist. But I study books such as The story of the human body , Alexander principles and I read articles by doctors, listen to interviews etc etc.

Today I realise how much the faulty use of my body and particularly of my feet contributed to pain and struggle.

As a teenager I used to literally walk on the outside of my feet, lifting my the arches as high as I could. Why did I do that !!!

I was also very, very heavy footed, stumping around like a dinosaur. Still am a little but that’s changing day by day.

And in the past I also used to take, rather force, long strides just because I was short and everyone was making fun of my short strides.

But things changed

I had the greatest luck to be coached by the amazing Michael Cohen, obstacle race coach and founder of Wild Forest Gym.

What he did was to open my eyes to the bad habits I developed through time. From there on I took over, I began to study and experiment on myself and boom!! my knowledge of the human body and movement exploded. And my body started to heal as well.

Now I believe I am here to give back. To help you heal as well. And for this I bring in not only what I learnt from Michael but the extraordinary wisdom from Traditional Martial Arts. Together they form powerful tool for my clients.

Now although my clients come to me to get fit, reduce stress, even lose weight I also help them with pains throughout their bodies that come as a result of body misuse.

The moment they understand how to use their bodies everything, everything changes. And in some cases the changes come after 2-3 sessions as we address posture and balance. Things I also coach over skype from the comfort of their home.

Three elements for you to become aware of and practice:

If you manage to address these elements you are on your way to healing. Ignore them and probably nothing will change. Your choice…

3. WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

When you walk become aware of which foot takes the most pressure. Then is there a foot that pushes off more aggressively than the other when you step?

Once you become aware of this imbalanced try to balance your weight evenly on your feet. This can solve so so so many problems as in knee pain, leg pain, hip pain, lower back pain. In some instances your pain comes from this faulty body weight distribution.

2. STABILITY MUSCLES

This is where we talk about strong foot muscles. The easiest and fastest way to strengthen them is to sand on one leg. Yes, balance exercises.

And you don’t need a stability ball, trust me. First you need to learn to balance properly without under or over pronating, distributing the weight of your body evenly on the ball of the foot and heel.

Then you learn how to use your toes to strengthen the muscles. Then you look at the knee position. Then your become aware of your core contribution. And so on.

Then there are loads of variations of balance exercises you can try home. You do not need a stability ball so stop wasting your money on gym equipment and start actually doing something.

Lack of equipment is just an excuse for not doing anything. Sorry, but in many cases that is the truth. I used that excuse many times as a teenager 😉

1. POSTURE

Although we are talking about feet I want you to know that your posture is the beginning of everything.

Your cannot balance properly to strengthen your foot muscles and the rest of the body if you cannot hold a nice, relaxed, elongated posture.

You MUST address your posture. I cannot stress this enough

Changing the way you move, breathe and live

I am putting together a virtual coaching program which will cover all these elements here as well as meditation, mindfulness and habits that lead to pain, discomfort, weight gain, lack of energy in the first place.

All designed to take you from stressed out, exhausted, in pain and feeling down to energetic, enthusiastic and pain free by transforming the way you move, breathe and live.

This program will also have the power and tools to enhance your body’s ability to heal itself.

If this sounds good to you please email me at alexandra@urbanwomenfitness.com and I will contact you with more information regarding the upcoming program.

April 21, 2015April 21, 2015

What Is Zanshin And Why It Is Important For You

What Is Zanshin And Why It Is Important For You

Zanshin is the state of readiness in Budo practice. Budo is the code of Martial Arts, the Martial Arts path, an education system in the modern world, rather than a fighting system like many people believe.

Translated literally, Zanshin means “left over or remaining heart / spirit”.

Zanshin is not something you can aim for, it’s not a goal, it’s rather like discipline or awareness, you always have to work on it. You will never “get there”.

I have yet to understand what it is but I will give it my best to explain what I’ve learnt so far in the past 20 years.

I took elements of Budo into my coaching and teachings blending the wisdom of traditional martial arts with modern coaching methods.

This approach helps me make huge breakthroughs with my clients, taking them from exhaustion and shut down to energetic and fully functional. As they learn about Zanshin they apply the 8 aspects and their life changes.

The 8 aspects of Zanshin:

It was difficult to find sources on Zanshin. Well….good sources with information that explains what it is in a satisfying way that I agree with and resonates with my teachings.

After searching and searching I found the eight aspects of Zanshin which made perfect sense and bring out exactly what I teach day in and day out.

The eight aspects refer to Martial Arts, at first glance. But….if you look closely you will see they apply to every and any area of your life. And here’s how:

1. Posture (Shisei)

How you use and move your body. Elongate your body, be relaxed yet prepared to respond to any unpredictable situations that may arise. Be prepared for the expected and unexpected.

If I’ve ever coached you then you know how much emphasis I put on posture at every single session and/or call we have. I remind and remind and remind you until you hear my voice in your head reminding you.

2. Eye control (Metsuke)

Observing the world around you, take notice of everything and everyone and be prepared

3. Engagement distance (Ma-ai)

Interacting with the outer world. Although you can clearly notice the application of this aspect in fighting there are ways to bring it into your day to day life. You can call this you personal bubble that no one should disturb.

You have to be aware of who and how close someone may get. This can also be applied to other circumstances like how close you stopped to the car in front of you.

It’s paying attention to distance you put between you and someone or something for your own safety and comfort.

4. Focused energy (Kiai)

Be involved with your mind, body and spirit and let nothing disturb your focus. This is probably easier said than done with today’s technology and facebook on our iphones.

I personally refused to have internet on my iphone or ipad so that I am not tempted to see who and what commented or what emails I’ve received. If anyone wants to get hold of me they can call.

5. Connection (Ki musubi)

Awareness of and connection with your inner world. Now we talk about how much attention you pay to what’s going on inside of you.

And here I mean thoughts, emotions, but also how your body feels, what it’s asking for and how tuned it you are.

6. Decisive focus (Kime)

Don’t waste energy, channel it towards one thing. In Karate you do not think about your business while you practice a Kata. You do that and your focus and energy are lost.

You focus on what you are doing in the moment. You can be aware of what are your next 3-4 moves but the focus is on the move you are engaging in at that moment in time.

Of course this is difficult to do for someone who has 1000 other things. But this is where meditation come into play, to help make space and re-arrange your thoughts in the correct order.

7. Essence of the technique (Riai)

This is something I emphasize to my students over and over again. In life look for quality rather than quantity.

Too often we find ourselves running for more, faster and better. I know I do…many times. I am always striving for speed, perfection as well as quality. Sometimes I fail and that’s when I slow down.

It’s not easy, that’s why Zanshin is a lifelong journey. It is not a goal, a milestone or destination.

8. Intuition/awareness (Kanken)

The 8th aspect of Zanshin is link between the heart and the mind and brings together all the other aspects.

You cannot keep good posture if you are not aware of your own body. And you may notice what your body feels but you need intuition to know what it needs to thrive.

All aspects come down to intuition and awareness. And you need to train your awareness to train your intuition.

This is what Zanshin is and the reason I chose it to be part of The Merisoiu Technique Five Essential principles.

Zanshin can be taught through face to face or virtual coaching. That doesn’t mean you will master it. Mastering takes years, but you will get a glimpse of what I am talking about here.

So if you want to talk about it and I will also take you through a posture and breathing analysis book a FREE call with me and let’s put you on the Zanshin path, starting today.

March 29, 2015February 13, 2018

5 Awesome Benefits Of Sleeping On The Floor

This is something I have never talked about and very few of you know that one of my greatest pleasures is sleeping on the floor. The earth and grass and perfect but if it’s a nice straight wooden floor that’s even better.

But what are the benefits of sleeping on the floor? Here are 5 benefits that come with it:

1. You can truly “let go”.

Because there is nothing there to take the shape of your body, your body cannot sink into the mattress, so you don’t need to tense up, you can actually relax and let go of tensions in your body.

2. Reduces lower back pain.

As the spine straightens and lengthens you get that feeling of release in your lower back and throughout your spine.

3. Aligns hips.

So many issues come from misaligned hips or pelvis, imbalanced muscles and body, poor posture and misaligned bones can also trap nerves. A straight wooden floor can realign the hips.

4. Aligns shoulders.

Misaligned shoulders can put strain on your neck and back, causing chronic pain, and even headaches. The consequences of a misaligned body take time to show up but it’s the details that many ignore which cause the greatest injuries. A straight wooden floor is perfect to realign the shoulders.

5. Posture.

You cannot achieve a nice lengthened posture if the pillow or mattress takes the shape of your head and body. It means that if your head and neck are in a wrong position they will take that shape and will keep your posture in the same (incorrect) position.

A wooden floor, if sleeping on the back, will align your head, neck, spine, hips, the whole body. The communication between head and the rest of the body is enhanced helping healing, improving circulation and better functioning of the body.

Remember that sleeping is the body’s natural way of healing, so sleep in a good resting position to enhance the process of healing.

A good posture also tells your brain it is happy while slouching tells your brain it is unhappy and sends stress signals towards your brain.

Thus by simply aligning our physical body we tap into mental wellbeing, happiness and optimism. Laying on the floor, on your back, makes things very easy, you don’t even have to think about it, you just need to enjoy the moment.

Other awesome benefits include grounding, less tossing and turning, falling asleep immediately, waking up earlier and there’s this feeling of clear mind that I always experience when I sleep on the floor. But that comes down to you to experiment and experience it for yourself.

How should I sleep on the floor?

The best position for most people is on their back. That’ll help align the body. On the side….not that much. Even if you say you cannot sleep in that position, on your back, you might be surprised at how much and how fast you relax and end up sleeping like a baby.

Of course as with anything else in the world there are also disadvantages but you just have to decide whether this works for you or not.

Won’t my body ache?

It might, at the beginning, if you’ve never slept on the floor or haven’t in a while. The body positions itself in a different way and joints straighten so if you do feel achy that might not be that bad. It might take up to one week for your body to adapt. However if you feel very uncomfortable start slow.

How should I build up so I don’t ache too much?

As with every habit it is good to start small. Just lie on the floor for 10-20-30 min or for how long you want before you go to bed or throughout the day. It may take up to a month to slowly build up. It depends on your body and its structure. You will know when you can sleep on the floor all night. Your body will let you know.

Warning!

If you have any injuries, skeletal problems or anything that sleeping on the floor might make worse do check with your doctor so you don’t create more damage.

Please keep in mind that this article is for information only, based on personal research in biomechanics and different therapies and personal experience. The author cannot take responsibility for any consequences if you decide to follow any of the advice in this article or on this website for that matter.

March 17, 2015

3 Awesome Benefits Of A Great Posture

As a Martial Arts kid you never get a break. I’ve been practicing Karate Shotokan since the age of 8. Now that’s a long time, 20 years to be more exact.

Posture, precision, focus, body control, emotional control are some of the few elements of a great Karate-Ka. And I do consider myself a great Karate-Ka.

But today I want to talk to you about one of these elements, that is Posture.

As a professional or entrepreneurial woman you have a lot going on. You have the business, family, friends, and yourself to look after. Probably more to add to the list.

There is a lot of stress and tension piling up and then you feel exhausted, burnt out and overwhelmed instead of energized and excited.

But the real problem is…

And the problem is not that you feel like this for a day or two. The problem is that you feel like this ALL the time and it’s difficult to change that state in a blink of an eye if you don’t know how.

You go for a run from time to time, you try to eat healthy and at regular times and to sleep well but sometime things don’t work out as planned.

Well I am here to tell you that there is a simple solution. Things that really work do not need to be the most complicated ones, many times the simplest elements make the greatest differences.

That one simple thing is POSTURE, but you’ve already guessed that, it’s in the title of this blog after all.

Here are 3 reasons posture is the most awesome thing you can do for your body and your mind.

3. Posture sends stress signals to the brain

Your brain records everything your body does and when you slouch that sends stress signals to your brain.

Your brain actually thinks you are stressed. The opposite is also true, a good posture tells the brain you are happy.

When you adopt a tall, relaxed posture the “feel good” hormones are free to move around your body. And Voila! Happy you.

2. Your mind and body and always connected

If you feel stressed, nervous and anxious relax your body instead of struggling to “empty your mind”. It’s easier to relax you body, then your mind will shortly follow.

1. Reduce aches and pains around your body

When you slouch and you compress your body you put a lot of stress on it so everything starts hurting. That’s neck, shoulders or lower back pain many times comes from repeated body misuse, and the most common body misue it’s the posture.

Pain leads to stress, frustration and grumpiness and then to less focus, productivity and creativity.

A good, relaxed, elongated posture takes the pressure of your body and, because your mind and body are always connected, relieves the pressure or stress at a mental level as well.

To elongate your spine you need to relax your shoulder and pull your body up from the crown of your head. But there are many ways to do that.

My clients learn a series of elongated posture techniques throughout our coaching, whether that is face to face or virtual.

I’d be happy to share one of my techniques with your completely for FREE. All you have to do is book a FREE call will me and I will show you how it’s done.

January 31, 2015January 31, 2015

3 Mindfulness Lessons From Practicing Target Shooting

Lately I’ve been thinking and talking about the time when I practiced target shooting. I practiced for more than 1 year, I even entered some competitions. Sorry, unfortunately I have no pictures from that time.

I also practiced archery but not as much.

I practiced target shooting on rifle but the pistol was my favourite and I was also better at it so that’s what I trained for mostly.

I was always amazed at how good I’d do in training and how everything changed when competing.

Target shooting is indeed a sport of the mind. It also teaches you about relaxation, mindfulness and focus. It’s a challenging sport.

Nowadays I still practice some of the mindfulness and focus exercises I learnt from my coach. And I wanted to share 3 of them with you. Here they are:

1. The finger on the trigger

Pulling the trigger does not just happen. If you pull the trigger just like that you will certainly be off target. The trick is to breathe in half way and hold your breath for 10 seconds then slowly push on the trigger, millimetre by millimetre.

Do you have any idea how difficult that actually is? :)) And how annoying it is when you pull it a little too fast and you are waaaay off target.

Awareness of how you use your arm, hand and fingers is essential in target shooting. And the millimetre by millimetre requires relaxation, focus and so much control.

2. Mindful of the breath

I remember this as if it was yesterday: “feel your breath on your upper lip”- my coach said one day. And you know what…this made a huge difference, it made my mind focus on the present moment.

I still do this from time to time. The feeling is unique. Try it…

3. Posture

Again with the posture. No matter what I talk about I still end up here.

That’s because no matter what you do, posture is the first thing you need to be aware of. Whether it’s showering, making toast or practice target shooting, good (and relaxed) posture should come automatic.

In target shooting, every millimetre of your body, of how you position and use your body can make the difference between shooting in the centre of your target or off it. One millimetre makes a huge difference.

This is what I wanted to share with you. Learn from everything in life, good or bad. Gather wisdom and later on, when you’re ready, pass it on.

Want to learn or practice some of my unique exercises or learn a good and relaxed posture? You can always book a free call with me. I’d be happy to share my teachings with you.

And, of course, to learn more about my philosophy download my free ebook The Merisoiu Technique

January 8, 2015May 17, 2015

3 ways to enhance your meditation experience

I was introduced to meditation and mindfulness when I was 8 years old through my Martial Arts practice. I never thought I would ever teach it though. For 20 years I practiced Zanshin, the Japanese for “state of total awareness”. I experimented in different situations and environments, from indoors in my room, to outdoors in the mountains, even in supermarkets and at parties. The fact is that mindfulness can, and should be, with us anytime and everywhere.

Today I will give you 3 of my best ways to enhance your meditation or mindfulness experience.

1. Posture

All the information is sent to and from your brain from and to all the corners of your body through your spinal cord. If you visualize your spinal cord as a garden hose, it is easy to understand why posture is probably the most important and overlooked elements on our lifestyle not only meditation.

If the hose is bent then the water is restricted from flowing. When the hose is straight the water follows its path.

The same goes for your spinal cord. When we sit or stand tall the exchange of information is free to go back and forth helping us function at our optimum level, heal faster and better, have more energy and vitality and sending nutrients where we most need them. In meditation the same principles apply, a tall spine and body allows for better flow and communication and enhanced awareness.

2. Open up your senses

Touch, smell, hear, see, taste. Depending on the circumstances you may open up all 5 senses or just some of them. Nonetheless studies show that being in a state of awareness of the world around you helps reduce stress levels, anxiety, helps focus and productivity.

In fact NHS encourages mindfulness for mental health.

So next time you are in a supermarket try this:

FEEL how your fingers and hands pick up a piece of fruit, feel its texture, temperature and shape.

SMELL the difference fragrances surrounding you while you walk around the store. The smell of freshly baked bread, spices, fruit and vegetables.

HEAR how the cart wheels roll on the ground. Hear the rustling of peoples’ clothes when you walk past them.

SEE or rather acknowledge colours, shapes, sized and names of different products around you.

You can experiment in many different ways. Acknowledge the world around you.

The same goes for when you sit and meditate. You may close your eyes and observe your thoughts, or even hear far away noises, outside your room or house.

3. Breathe

Breathing is the element which brings us in a state of total awareness. Almost every meditation exercise begins with breathing and relaxing your body.

When you focus on breathing your mind cannot wonder around. If it does then you don’t focus on breathing anymore. When this happens slowly bring your awareness back to breathing.

When you relax your body you can choose to do a full “body scan” – relaxing the top of you head, forehead, cheeks, and go all the way down to your toes. Or you could relax certain parts of you body where you hold most tension. This is normally in the face muscles, shoulders and shoulder blades and lower back. But it’s not the same for everyone, so observe where you feel tensed around the body and breathe into that part of your body, releasing more and more tension with every out breathe.

If you’d like to learn more please download my free eBook “15 Healthy Habits For The Body” or book a free consultation with me.

December 3, 2014May 17, 2015

How to use your body to reduce aches and pains

How To Use Your Body To Reduce Aches And Pains

Do you feel aches and pains around your body and you don’t like them and want them to disappear?

If you do then consider acknowledging how you use your body. Use determines function – Alexander Principles. How you use your it determines how it works and how it feels. Your body can be a well oiled machine or an old and rusty pickup truck.

[tweetthis]Your body can be a well oiled machine or an old and rusty pickup truck.[/tweetthis]

If you look after it and use it in a proper way it will function at its peak and carry you wherever you want it. It will do everything you asked it to do. You cannot change it, but you can care for it.

I have experienced extreme pain throughout the years as part of the Romanian National Karate Shotokan Squad, since I was 8 years old. But in the past few years I’ve learnt, applied and experienced a 180 degrees change in how I experience life as a competitive athlete and coach.

Now, throughout your day I would like to ask you to focus your attention on:

1. How you MOVE your body

Is it stiff, tight and achy? Or is it light, flexible and moves fluidly? The less resistance you put onto your body the better you will feel. And that indeed leads to less stress and happiness.

2. Your POSTURE

If there would be one thing and one thing only that I’ve learnt in the past 20 years from working with all my coaches and Martial Arts Sensei that’s posture.

And that is what I emphasize every single moment in my life and when I coach you. Posture will help your body relax. But more than that, it will give you confidence and self esteem, when you walk with a great posture people see the greatness in you. I tell you this from personal experience.

So relax your body by elongating from the top of the head instead of pulling your shoulders back. You will have a great posture and be relaxed in the same time.

Do this when you run, walk, stand or sit. All the time, elongate your body.

3. How you USE your body

Use determines function. Every time you pick up a pen there is a reaction chain going on in your body. You see only your hand moving but there are so many muscles involved in picking up a pen.

Just my standing we use about 300 muscles. When we talk we use about 72, and they are not all in the head and neck area. Everything in interconnected in your body, without exception.

Thus the more tensed you are when you handle life around you the more tensed your body is, which leads to aches and injuries in the long term.

And let me tell you a secret (which actually you already know): When your body is relaxed and fluid your mind is relaxed and fluid as well. No more anger, stress or depression, only joyful movement in the body and in the mind.

All this is part of my program The 6 Guiding Principles of a Healthier Lifestyle.

With all this being said I hope you will start your day and all the following ones relaxed and with a great, confident, posture.