How to Perform Neck Rolls for Physical Therapy

How to Perform Neck Rolls for Physical Therapy



After an injury, physical therapy can help you to regain strength while improving range of motion and flexibility. The neck roll is one of many therapies you can employ to speed your recovery from injury. Use this exercise anytime your feel tension building in your neck, shoulders and upper back.









1


Stand or sit with your spine straight. Gently drop your chin down to your chest. Drop far enough to feel a stretch along the back of the neck, but do not force the movement. If you feel pain or discomfort, you are dropping too far. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds or two long, deep breaths.





2


Begin the roll. Keep your head dropped and roll your jawline along your collar bone, moving your head to the right side. Hold the stretch for two long, deep breaths or 10 seconds. Release the stretch and return to your starting position, holding your chin to your chest.





3


Roll to the left and hold the stretch on the opposite side. Repeat the physical therapy exercise at least three times on each side. As you gain strength and flexibility, finish with quicker neck rolls, holding each position for only half the time. Remember that you can exacerbate your injury if you move too quickly, so keep the motion slow and smooth.


http://www.ehow.com/how_2249183_perform-neck-rolls-neck-physical.html

How to Perform Insight Meditation

How to Perform Insight Meditation



If you're in search of inner peace and a sense of calm, then consider practicing Buddhist insight mediation, otherwise known as Vipassana. This 2,500-year-old worldwide practice enhances concentration while developing deep wisdom and insight.









1


Establish a quiet location for your meditation. Technically, Buddhist insight meditation can be done inside or outside. If you're a novice, select a location with minimal distractions.





2


Select a time to practice mediation. Mornings are optimal as your mind is fresh, rested and clear of daily events. Keep in mind, however, that the best time for meditation, is a time you'll commit to daily.





3


Sit on a cushion against a wall. Attain appropriate posture by imagining someone pressing between your shoulder blades. Relax your muscles.





4


Set your hands on your knees or in your lap. Shut your eyes and allow the lids to rest softly. Relax the muscles of your face.





5


Allow thoughts to flow freely through your mind, even thoughts that are disturbing or frustrating. You'll notice, over time, these thoughts are not permanent. They come and go.





6


Remain aware of hindrances to effective Buddhist insight meditation, including aversion, restlessness, sleepiness, hopelessness and desire. These hindrances minimize over time.





7


Meditate for as long as possible. Initially, you'll find it hard to sit for 5 or 10 minutes. As your practice improves, you'll sit for longer periods.








Tips & Warnings










Accept a constant wave of thoughts in the beginning, as this reflects the current state of your mind. Gradually, these thoughts diminish as your mind calms.








Don't try to force thoughts away. Eventually, they'll depart as new thoughts take hold.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2240305_do-insight-meditation.html

How to Exercise During a Fast

How to Exercise During a Fast



Exercise should be kept to a minimum during times of fasting. However, you can still actively assist your metabolism.







Things You'll Need:





Athletic Shoes




Exercise Mats









1


Understand that fasting is a time for the body to repair itself internally, and that exercise can distract your body's attention from the inside to the outside.





2


Realize also that during a fast your body lacks many of the nutrients and calories necessary for a workout to be beneficial to your body, and therefore exercise can be detrimental during a fast.





3


Avoid strenuous workouts or heavy labor during your fast. If you have a normal regimen you can't stand to quit for a few days, cut it down by more than half.





4


Do light, low-impact exercise: walking,
gardening
, or light work.





5


Do simple yoga exercises to help balance and stimulate your inner organs.





6


Stretch and breathe. Do not underestimate the healing power of deep, conscious breathing.





7


Develop and maintain a regular exercise schedule after completing your fast. Exercise is essential to proper nutrient absorption and triggers endorphins that help you feel good.








Tips & Warnings










Pregnant women and
children
should not fast.








Consult your healthcare provider before starting a fast, especially if you have diabetes, heart disease, ulcerative colitis, or epilepsy; if you are less than 18 years old or underweight; or if you are on any medications.








This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.



http://www.ehow.com/how_12686_exercise-during-fast.html

How to Do Self-Hypnosis

How to Do Self-Hypnosis



You are getting very sleepy....







Things You'll Need:





Armchairs




Candles




Pocket Watches




Relaxation Tapes




Relaxing CDs




Candles









1


Recognize that to be hypnotized is to enter a trance state. You will be very focused, but will also be aware of what is happening around you.





2


Sit in a comfortable chair or recline on a couch in a quiet place. Be sure that your clothes are loose and comfortable and the temperature is not too warm or cool.





3


Turn down the lights so that it's not too bright. It doesn't need to be dark.





4


Relax. You can have your eyes open or closed, whichever is most comfortable for you.





5


Let yourself go loose. Feel every muscle go limp. Feel your mind slow down. Good.





6


Breathe deeply and hold it. Feel all of your stress and worries sucked from your body and your head into your lungs. Blow them out slowly and watch them swirl away from you.





7


Notice the different colors of each concern. See them float away and dissolve in the air. You are feeling more and relaxed with every breath.





8


Feel your heart. It is strong and slow. You can feel it beating, slowly, slowly. Each time you exhale, your body relaxes more. You are calm and safe. You can feel your heart. It's beating so slowly.





9


Feel your toes. They feel empty and light. They want to float away. That lightness is spreading up your legs, through your hips and into your back. Your body is so empty. You can see through it.





10


Feel your arms. They feel empty. Your shoulders are empty. Your neck is empty. Your head is floating, weightless. You feel so calm.





11


Feel liquid begin to fill your body through your navel. It's deep blue. It feels cool and comfortable. Watch it fill up your body. Cool blue. When you are full, you will feel calm and completely at ease.





12


Now open your eyes and sit up. Your cool, blue feeling will stay with you.








Tips & Warnings










Remember that hypnosis is a skill that, like any other, must be practiced.



http://www.ehow.com/how_7949_self-hypnosis.html

How to Do a Summer Cleansing Fast

How to Do a Summer Cleansing Fast



This summer cleansing fast comes from a Seneca Indian tradition. The North American tribe believed in fasting as a means of connecting mind, body and spirit with all of Nature. Please see "How to Understand a Summer Cleansing Fast" (under Related eHows) and consult your doctor before beginning this fast.







Things You'll Need:





Bragg Aminos




Fresh Fruit




Herbal Teas




Mineral Bouillon




Vegetables




Fresh Fruit




Vegetables









1


Prepare for your fast by gathering all the food you will need in advance. Avoid the temptation to eat a big "last supper" before the fast. Your mind, stomach and appetite need to get used to the idea that less food is acceptable. An internal bath before you begin your fast is also a good idea.





2


Eat all the fruit (except bananas) you want on the first day. Eat apples, berries, watermelon, peaches and cherries. Drink plenty of fresh juice, water and herbal tea.





3


Eat nothing on the second day. However, drink all the herbal tea you want for the second day. Drink your favorite teas, or some suggested teas are cyani,
catnip
, chickweed, buchu, dandelion, barberry, and black walnut. Use raw herbs boiled in water and then strain to make your own fresh tea.





4


Eat all the vegetables you want on the third day. Eat them raw, steamed, roasted or baked. Drink teas and juiced vegetables.





5


Prepare a big pot of vegetable broth on the fourth day. Boil all your leftover vegetables from the day before in a pot with water. Add other vegetables as well, such as potatoes, peas, corn, carrots, broccoli, green peppers, zucchini, cabbage and parsley.





6


Season your broth with Bragg Aminos or mineral bouillon.





7


Strain away the vegetables and drink only the broth of your stew throughout the fourth day of your fast. (Keep the vegetables and eat them the next day.) Drink tea and water as well.





8


Break the fast on the fifth day with fruits in the morning, steamed vegetables for lunch, and a sensible, healthy dinner.








Tips & Warnings










Avoid heavy exercise during the fast. Some light yoga, stretching,
gardening
or walking are excellent ways to stimulate your metabolism and aid the processes of fasting, but hard exercise will distract your body. It is important, however, to begin exercising regularly immediately after the fast.








An internal bath at the end of the fast is an excellent way to aid your body in expelling toxins that have accumulated in your colon during the fast.








Pregnant women and
children
should not fast.








Consult your health care provider before going on this fast especially if you have diabetes, heart disease, ulcerative colitis, or epilepsy; if you are under 18 or underweight; or if you are on medication.








If you have any questions or concerns, contact a physician or health care professional before engaging in any activity related to health and diet. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.



http://www.ehow.com/how_12679_summer-cleansing-fast.html

How to Do a Spring Equinox Fast

How to Do a Spring Equinox Fast



Spring clean your insides with this simple, effective, non-hungry fasting technique. A great fast for first-timers. We recommend you read "How to Understand a Spring Equinox Fast" and consult your doctor before beginning this fast.







Things You'll Need:





Citrus Fruits




Fresh Fruit




Fruit Juices




Fruits And Vegetables (mazao)




Herbal Teas




Vegetables




Vegetables




Fresh Fruit




Vegetables




Vegetables









1


Clean your digestive tract with an internal bath or enema before beginning this fast. If you are uncomfortable with this idea, you can also take a mild laxative or laxative tea, but it is not as effective as an internal bath (see "How to Take an Internal Bath").





2


Eat only these foods, in liquid or solid form, from 8 a.m. to 12 Noon: apples, lemons, limes, oranges, kiwis, grapefruit, water, and herbal teas. Eat as much as you like of these foods.





3


Eat only these foods, in liquid or solid form, from 12 Noon to 8 p.m.: asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, dandelion leaves, garlic, olive oil, parsley, sprouts, water and herbal teas. The vegetables should be steamed, raw, baked or roasted. Vary the ways you eat them in order to obtain the live and cooked enzymes from all the vegetables.





4


Continue this diet for 3 to 10 days.





5


Begin drinking laxative teas in the morning and evening after the third day of the fast to aid your body in expelling matter. Realize that as your body under-takes this spring-cleaning process, toxins are being released from your vital organs and deep tissues. These toxins must exit your body or they will cause you discomfort.





6


Break your fast by beginning to include some spring grains, such as barley, wheat, millet, or rye into your diet. Continue eating balanced meals.





7


Adopt a regular exercise schedule after your fast to help your body maintain its clean system.








Tips & Warnings










This is a great fast for first-timers, as it allows you to continue eating throughout the fast. Have fun inventing new ways to combine and prepare the foods within the parameters. Juice everything.








Drink plenty of water.








Educate yourself about fasting before you begin.








Do light yoga and stretching during your fast, but abstain from heavy exercise.








Repeat this fast once a year.








Pregnant women and
children
should not fast.








Consult your health care provider before going on this fast especially if you have diabetes, heart disease, ulcerative colitis, or epilepsy; if you are under 18 or underweight; or if you are on medication.



http://www.ehow.com/how_12676_spring-equinox-fast.html

How to Hem a Pleated Skirt

How to Hem a Pleated Skirt



A pleated skirt remains a fashion mainstay in the closets of many girls and women and at some point you may want to add a hem to alter the length of the skirt. However, different techniques are used to hem a pleated skirt, depending on whether you're actually making the skirt, or whether you're tailoring it.







Things You'll Need:





Matching thread



Sewing machine



Pins







Tailor a Skirt By Adding a Hem




Step
1



Trim the "allowance" (the amount of fabric above the existing hemline) to a quarter of an inch. Create an overcast edge, which is simply a single-fold edge that folds from the outside to the inside of the skirt.




Step
2



Re-stitch the side seams, stopping when you're 6 inches above the overcast edge of the newly folded hemline.




Step
3



Create the hem in the front of the skirt and then the back of the skirt. Sew them into place separately rather than all at once. Ensure that you match the hem at the seams before completing them.




Step
4



Trim any leftover material away.


Hem a Skirt As You Make It




Step
1



Create the hem after sewing the side seam into place. Trim away the fabric down to your seam allowance in the area where you're going to create the hem and fold it at the seam so it's square with the pleat.




Step
2



Pin the hem into place, about a quarter of an inch from the edge of the skirt, and finish sewing the hem into place. Don't forget to clip the seam allowance, bringing it up just above the hemline.




Step
3



Fold your pleat to the point at which you want it to set and pin it in place about a quarter of an inch from the edge of the skirt. Sew it into place using a running stitch technique.







Tips & Warnings









Seam lines can make adding a hem to a pleated skirt a little tricky, particularly since the seam sometimes splits open at the hemline. To prevent this from happening, sew the pleat together about a quarter of an inch from the edge, press the skirt, and then overcast the seam edges so they cover the hem.








Always have the person who will be wearing the skirt try the skirt on before you add a hem to ensure proper fitting. Also, double-check to make sure that your baste (pin) markings are absolutely accurate before you sew them into place.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2228104_hem-pleated-skirt.html