InnerSelf

by Eva Cwynar, M.D. The most important thing is to get your body moving. If you sign up for a spin class and then never go, it does you no good at all. There are many types of exercise from which to choose and all of them give you energy to one extent or another. Most exercises fit into one of three categories...

There are a couple of problems that affect people when it comes to exercising for health. One obvious problem is the amount of time it takes. The other is boredom. Many people just don't like to exercise. For this group it's work, drudgery, and even a fate worse than death. There can be another way.

by Vijay Vad, M.D. Endorphins do make you feel good, no question about it. Narcotic drugs, including morphine, heroin, and cocaine, are classic endorphin releasers, but as we know, they can have horrific side effects, including addiction. Endorphins give you the high without the crash...

by Keith Johnson.

Both your brain and your body work in harmony together to help you operate at your peak if you know how to use them. Almost as instantly as the mind thinks something, there is an observable response in the physical body. Let’s do an experiment together. I want you to try an...

by Marcelle Pick.

The way you treat yourself can make an enormous difference in how your body, mind, and spirit respond. Changing your internal conversation is one key way to turn down the stress and turn up the relaxation. I’ve struggled with these issues, too, and I know how hard it can be to create a new conversation. The key is...

by Patrick Thias Balmain.  Most of us have a relationship to the outside world based on conflict, the power struggle. It is quite tiring. One must always be on the alert. Could there be another way of doing things?

Belly dance (by whatever name it is called) is excellent for any age. It is a celebration of womanhood, a dance by women for women's purposes. It can be practiced in preparation for childbirth. After childbirth, the dance can be practiced as a way to tone the abdominal muscles. This dance has also helped many women who have suffered from PMS and menstrual discomfort because the movements bring about better circulation and blood flow in the pelvic area.

by Larry Johnson, O.M.D., L.Ac. Throughout history, peoples in many parts of the world have sought ways to develop their energetic potentials for improved health, martial power, and to bring themselves closer to the divine. In China these practices are called QiGong. It is believed that the correct regulation of body, breath, and mind will harmonize yin and yang, balance Qi and blood...

by Carla Inniss, Have you ever marveled at the amazing flexibility of your cat? Ever felt a warm sense of contentment just watching your dog take a long yawn and then a happy stretch that reaches all the way down to her toes?

by Genia Pauli Haddon. Yoga! Suddenly, everyone wants to know about this gentle approach to whole-self fitness. A Roper poll reveals that over six million Americans (more than 3% of the population) already practice yoga. You don't have to be lean to do yoga.

by Xu Xiangcai. Qigong, through mind, breathing, and posture regulation, aids in the prevention and treatment of diseases and preserves and lengthens life. Qigong cultivates intrinsic energy (genuine Qi) which is found naturally within all people. There are many different forms of Qigong practice, each with its own distinct style and goals...

by Carolyn Scott Kortge.

All too often we approach exercise as just another task -- maybe even a burden. We do it because we know we should. "Stress walking", some folks have labeled it as they dash off to battle calories and advancing years with frantic lunch-hour sprints...

by Chia Siew Pang and Goh Ewe Hock. In ancient times, Tai Chi was taught only to members of the Chen family living in a small village in Hopeh Province. One day the grandmaster explained why he had broken one of the strongest family traditions by teaching an outsider the secrets of the art. This is the story of how this occured, related by teachers of this ancient art...

New research shows that minor excersing is very benefical to a healthy heart and preventing cardiovascular problems and heart disease. Endurance exercises—such as walking, jogging or cycling for 30 minutes—generate a protein in the heart called Heat Shock Protein 72.

by Xu Xiangcai. Qigong, as an art of healing and health preservation, is thought to have originated as early as four thousand years ago in the Tang Yao times as a form of dancing. From the experience of their long-term struggle with nature, the ancients gradually realized that body movements, exclamations, and various ways of breathing could help readjust certain bodily functions. Qigong, through mind, breathing, and posture regulation, aids in the prevention and treatment of diseases and preserves and lengthens life. Qigong cultivates intrinsic energy (genuine Qi) which is found naturally within all people.

by Dr. Timothy Johnson.

Most people -- men especially -- tend to skimp on the stretching facet of their workouts. By committing to a flexibility routine, however, you can actually prevent injuries that can sideline you in later years and instead continue to use your body more fully, because you'll maintain greater range of motion in your muscles and joints.

by Colleen Craig.

When I first laid on a Pilates mat after twenty years of not dancing or doing any sort of physical activity with the exception of walking, surprising and volatile emotions surged up. The first emotion was denial -- I don't need this, I have managed for years without structured exercise. Then there was a deep releasing of regret and grief

by James Endredy. For most people, walking is an activity that requires no thought or intention -- it is rarely even a conscious action. What's more, since walking is such a natural act, we are able to involve ourselves in a host of other activities while doing it. Watching other people walk can...

by F.J. Chu. The wisdom and knowledge that the martial arts offer is something that should be preserved in modern society. The practitioner who views his training as merely a means of self-defense will eventually realize that his efforts are unrewarding. The martial Way is nothing less than self-cultivation and the promotion of virtuous conduct.

by Carol Krucoff and Mitchell Krucoff, M.D. Today, virtually every form of medicine recognizes these basic truths: 1) Simple exercise can have profound healing effects. 2) Specific "healing moves" can help fight illness and enhance health. Healing moves provide an ideal self-care strategy to help prevent, relieve, and...