A SOMA Experience Video: Edward Farwick

Check out our latest retreat experience video with our most recent Guest Edward Farwick. It will certainly get you wishing for a retreat of your own.

This entry was written by scrawford, posted on January 14, 2010 at 6:54 am, filed under Bodywork, Experiences, Fitness, Food, Green Lifestyle, Hiking, Life is Fitness, Lifestyle and Spa, Los Angeles, Meditation, Nutrition, Outdoors, Pilates, Press, Products, Retreats, Santa Barbara, Skin Care, Stand Up Paddle Surfing, Yoga and tagged beach, biking, Fitness, Hiking, Karen Keltner, Los Angeles, mountains, Outdoors, Retreats, Running, Santa Barbara, Scott Crawford, Skin Care, SOMA GET FIT. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Perfect Exercises For Those Stuck at a Desk All Day

Need a workout you can do anywhere? Try these simple exercises daily to keep you moving in all planes of motion courtesey of Scott Crawford Soma Get Fit.

This exercise targets the hip flexor which when sitting is tight, this opens it up in turn releases the low back.

1-split stance

2-back toes turned in slightly, hands on hips

3-feel stretch in hip flexor as you lean back slightly and bend into front knee

4-twist hip complex

This exercise builds leg strength and endurance especially in the glutes, while stretching hip and shoulder girdle. Reaching down toward floor when moving into squat engages lats and stretches tense shoulders and necks, releasing tension.

1-feet forward, under shoulders, neutral stance

2-weight shifted slightly towards heals

3-sit down in chair and reach arms towards floor feel back engage and neck stretch

4-float up so that heels stay on floor, mini backbend engaging core, stretching arms back towards ears staying relaxed in shoulders

This exercise challenges balance while working lower and upper body together. Lunge first then rotate, feel core as rotation moves while the back is stretching opening muscles.

1-lunge to side making sure feet stay neutral; keep ankles, knees and hips in alignment

2-after land lunge rotate toward side you are lunging to feel core muscles rotate you while the upper back stretches

3-upon return toe tap other direction

4-twist with toe tap

*Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor or medical professional before trying any of these exercises. Your Daily Thread and Scott Crawford/Soma Get Fit are not responsible for any injuries.

This entry was written by scrawford, posted on January 13, 2010 at 9:06 pm, filed under Fitness, Green Lifestyle, Life is Fitness, Lifestyle and Spa, Los Angeles, Outdoors, Santa Barbara and tagged green work out, new year’s resolutions, Scott Crawford, SOMA GET FIT, wellness retreat santa Barbara, Working out. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

A Review in Vital Juice for Soma Get Fit

Check out our most recent press in the daily healthy online magazine Vital Juice.

We hosted the LA editorial team here for one of our weekend retreats and they absolutely loved it.

Click below to read the full review and save 20% off your next retreat.

http://vitaljuice.com/entry_detail/la/1037

This entry was written by scrawford, posted on at 8:16 pm, filed under Bodywork, Experiences, Fitness, Food, Green Lifestyle, Hiking, Life is Fitness, Lifestyle and Spa, Los Angeles, Meditation, Nutrition, Outdoors, Press, Retreats, Santa Barbara, Stand Up Paddle Surfing, Yoga and tagged Bodywork, California, Exercise, getway, health, Jamie Kiffel Alcheh, Los Angeles, Outdoors, Retreat, Santa Barbara, SOMA GET FIT, SUP, Vital Juice LA, wellness. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Foundation – Returning to the Basics

by Nina Bennett

Upon completing my through hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, I found myself in a peculiar situation. I had no major ties to anything. No job, no relationship, no responsibilities. The world was my oyster, so to speak, yet I found this to be an overwhelming and stressful position to be in!  I would oscillate between dreaming about all the amazing places I could settle down, jobs to pursue, potential relationships to be cultivated, and being completely lost and without direction, overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices. My internal compass was spinning uselessly!  Having no clear idea in which direction to focus my energy, my mind used the energy to wind itself up even more! An unfocused mind quickly becomes destructive, pondering the “what- ifs” and worries it likes to create. Things that are not actually a truth in the eternal NOW. Stress is a construction of an overly active mind.

During stressful times in our lives, so many of us do not know which way to turn, what action to take. Our minds spin, out of control, mulling over the millions of possibilities, attempting to figure the answers out through logic. My brother, recently through with college, is in the same situation. “Where should I choose to settle down, to start my life? “ he asks me. Another friend, unhappy with his relationship and living situation also finds himself a victim of his highly creative mind. He wants his life to be different, but doesn’t know how to make it happen. There are so many of us seeking direction; people who have recently lost a job due to the state of the economy, people needing change, people who have lost a loved one. We are all so lost in our thoughts, we are incapable of taking action in the physical world.

So what do we do when we find ourselves in these situations? How do we pull ourselves back into the present moment, back into our bodies, and out of the mental realm in which we have become lost?

My sister is fond of saying “root down to rise up.” The key lies in building a strong foundation. The strength and integrity of the tree begins with its root system. The stability and ability of a building to endure starts with a strong base, a solid foundation. The peace, grace, and sense f direction in our lives begins with the cultivation of our most basic needs. We cannot expect our minds to be healthy and able to make good decisions in regard to our actions if our bodies are unhealthy.

Step 1: Slow Down

The first step to building my strong foundation was to give myself permission to not take any action. I decided that I would allow myself a month to get my body in good health before I made any decisions or took any major action steps. Not only does this reduce the immediate stress of feeling the need to make a decision, it allows the foundation of good health to build slowly, which translates into sustainability in the long run.

Slowing down also brings you closer to the present moment, which is the only place we truly have any control or influence over out lives anyway. In stopping, we can look around us and really see what IS true in our lives at this moment. Not with our minds, but with our total being.

Have you ever tried to draw a flower? Did you draw the traditional “daisy?” Then what if you try to draw one specific flower? Look closely at it and all its unique individual characteristics. The way the light casts shadows, its petals, perhaps the imperfections of it’s specific form. When you look at the flower as one unique flower unlike any other out there, it takes your complete attention. So do this too with your life. Instead of taking a quick, cursory glance at it and saying, “yeah, I know it,” look at it closely and see all the intricate detail. Really study all the minute details. Try not to think about and attach meaning to what you are seeing, just observe. We are able to make an accurate assessment of our situation with the knowledge provided by clear vision.

Step 2: Eat Well

On a chemical level, we are what we eat. Whatever you put into your body is what eventually makes up your body. And your brain! Proper nutrition can go a long way in affecting your experience of life. Trail life made this, too, abundantly clear! My usual meals consisted of nuts, dried fruit, hummus, lentils, couscous, granola, dried milk, and the like, and usually I had plenty of consistent energy to hike 30 miles a day. One resupply, I was unable to get my normal fare and I ended up eating pop tarts and crackers for every meal. Needless to say, I did not feel well physically or mentally. I struggled up hills and was in tears by days end. My malaise did not pass completely until almost three days after resuming normal eating patterns! I observed this trend with other hikers as well. Those who ate healthy foods tended to be more consistent hikers than those that chose refined, sugary, and starchy foods.

There are millions of books and articles out there on diet. Find what works for you. Don’t let diet become another avenue for stress to enter your life! As a general rule, choose foods that are closest to their natural state; the less processed the better. Pay attention to how you feel after eating certain foods. The power of observation applies to all arenas of life! Your body will let you know how particular foods affect you. Keeping a food and feelings journal can be quite illuminating. I discovered that caffeine makes me happy for a few hours after I drink it, but that the next day, I feel like a toddler that hasn’t had a nap! Cranky, uncomfortable and inconsolable! With a little time, attention and experimentation, you will find a diet that optimally supports you .

Step 3: Get Some Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins. Exercise makes our bodies healthy, toned, vibrant. It increases self confidence. Exercise makes you breathe deeply and increases your heart rate, assisting your body in the release of metabolic waste. There is no excuse! Get out there and find some physical activity that you enjoy! And do it! Your stress will decrease immediately!

Being physically active anchors you back into your body, helping you let go of thought for awhile. Pay attention to the physical sensations in your body. Notice your breath, your heart beat. Bring your senses into the present moment. As you become more accustomed to experiencing life through your body during exercise, you will be able to maintain this in leisure as well.

Step 4: Get Plenty of Rest

Sleep is important. It is when our conscious thinking turns off completely. Our bodies go into repair mode. Do not underestimate the importance or rest! Try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

Try bringing your awareness to these four things, as an experiment, and see where you are in month, or whatever time frame you give yourself. If you find yourself off course, confused and stressed, just patiently bring the focus back to the foundation. In doing so myself, I have found my internal compass has begun to direct me again! In leaning to be here, now, observing without preconceptions, magic happens. Clarity occurs. The unimportant and unnecessary fall away. Give it a try and I have a feeling that you will discover some healthy sprouts rising toward the sunshine, sustained by a sturdy, supportive root system!

Peace and patience on your journey!

Namaste

This entry was written by nbennett, posted on January 12, 2010 at 5:42 pm, filed under Experiences, Fitness, Green Lifestyle, Life is Fitness, Lifestyle and Spa, Outdoors, Santa Barbara and tagged Exercise, Nina Bennett, Nutrition, SOMA GET FIT. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.