“Stress-Free Posture” Lessons:
For people who fight a constant battle with muscle ache, tension and stress from inefficient posture.
One-to-One Lessons in Plymouth Meeting, PA.
- Posture Affects Job Performance.
- Posture Affects How Others Perceive us.
- Posture Affects Our Self-Confidence.
- Posture Correction Requires a Coach.
- Posture is a Habit.
How “Stress-Free Posture” training works:
One-to-one lessons are highly personalized but usually include a tailored combination of gentle stretches, breathing exercises, simple strengthening exercises and *Ideokinesis.
Step One
“Posture Analysis”
Students learn some basic anatomy, and their personal posture, alignment and movement weaknesses are analyzed and explained to them. Polaroid photos, drawings and a video camera are often used as visual aids.
Step Two
“Strength & Stretch”
Elizabeth introduces the student to very basic stretching and strengthening exercises. These are tailored to their needs, goals and motivation level.
Step Three
“Neuromuscular Re-Programming”
The student learns to improve posture and body alignment by using *Ideokinesis. For this, Elizabeth suggests very carefully targeted images for them to think about. The student focuses on the imagery-first while relaxing, then while sitting, standing, and moving. This imagery affects the brain signals that initiate muscle-movement. As the muscles around joints begin to work more efficiently they move the bones into better balance, and the entire body benefits. Digital photos or video may be used to help students understand the changes that take place.
TAKE NOTE! *Indeokinesis offers other benefits! Because it has elements similar to meditation and self-hypnosis it also calms the nervous system, resulting in a slowdown of breathing, pulse rate and blood pressure. This makes *Ideokinesis an extremely effective and time efficient skill to practice at work or at home.
—To read the details behind one dramatic client improvement story, go to “Blog Articles” in the main menu and read “The Search for Efficient Posture”.—
* What is “Ideokinesis”?:
Because posture habits are unconscious it is virtually impossible to alter them consciously. However, with carefully targeted mental imagery you can tap into your unconscious to improve posture habits. “Ideokinesis” is a 70 year old method named by Dr. Lulu Swigard, Phd. and perfected by her at The Julliard School and Columbia University. The method replaces inefficient neuromuscular habits with new, improved ones. Elizabeth is one of a handful of Personal Trainers teaching Ideokinesis in the USA. She learned the method in 1983, when she spent a year taking a course for dancers called “Anatomy & Kinesiology using Ideokinesis” taught by Karen Barracuda –a protegee of Dr. Sweigart.
Elizabeth has taught group posture courses at Temple University, West Jersey Health System Hospital, Immaculata College, and other locations. She has been featured in the Health & Science section of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“As a rule, nature wants you to stand up straight. If you begin tilting, if your spine bends to one side, other parts of your body will pull or tilt in the other direction to compensate, says Glaze. These countervailing forces and curves create your “personal stress points,” which are often manifest as headache and pains in the neck or lower back.”
Philadelphia Inquirer, Health & Science, Art Carey, Nov. 1997