What do you do when you wake up in the morning and and the simple movement involved in getting out of bed has put your spine into a breathtaking painful spasm?

The first thing I do is I reach for one of my fabulous rice bags, pop it into the microwave and heat it up. Then put it on my back as I lean back in my chair and do deep breathing and visualize releasing twinges in my spine.

As a body worker is almost embarrassing for me to recognize that I am in pain. I hate to admit that I too am vulnerable and have pain. I thank God for the knowledge of being able to quickly get a hold of my body and knowing how to do qi gong and gentle stretching and yoga and breathing in order to release it.

I also work with other therapists and they have taught me ho to make small, gentle movements to limber up my spine. We often get impatient and end up trying to push away the stiffness and pain. That is exactly the wrong to do.

So, move gently, apply heat, do gentle stretching and a bit of Tai Chi or Qi Gong to get blood flowing again. I promise, it will help.

Valentina Boonstra