A Morning Stretch for Shoulder, Elbow and Wrist
Welcome to my studio in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, a small fishing village on the coast of Mexico near Puerto Vallarta. To further enhance your visit there may be typical neighborhood sounds included…chickens, dogs, birds, horses, Mexican music…at no charge.
Organic StretchingSM is an improvisational method. The movements illustrated by this video are only a fraction of the possibilities available, but the viewer can gain an idea of the principles that guide the program and can begin to feel the way in which Organic StretchingSM works on the body.
This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of any kind. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with your physician or other qualified health professional before adopting or changing any exercise regimen. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the viewer.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH ORGANIC STRETCHINGSM
What is the experience for students of Organic StretchingSM? Following are letters from two students who attend classes regularly at the Pat Henry Studio in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico.
Great shoulder release/by Josef Kandoll
From Andrea–
I lived for years in an aching body but always searching for a way to heal and enjoy my full potential once more. I investigated many different kinds of body work, in order to ease the pain and train and maintain my body without doing more damage to it. When I read “Organic StretchingSM for pain management through increased range of motion,” I knew I had to try it. After only two months of twice-a-week classes, the results are miraculous. Now I am able to sit on the floor with my legs folded under me again. My body feels energized and comfortable like it felt 30 years ago. It is impossible for me to describe any of this technique. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen or experienced before. I have been recommending it to friends, especially those who are incapacitated. In this system, you learn to help yourself! I feel blessed to have this option available right here in La Cruz. –Andrea (Nov 2009)
And from Sylvia–
I am so appreciative of the opportunity to be able to practice Organic StretchingSM with Pat’s classes. I feel that my body’s ability to move has improved under her tutelage.
The changes in my body began with the second class. I had experienced a pain in my left upper arm for at least 20 years. I called it bursitis without ever mentioning it to a doctor. I just tried to hold my arm so that it did not hurt, especially in bed. Pat noticed a grimace on my face, when I was moving my arm, came over and worked with my arm for a couple of minutes. The pain was gone.
My jobs, and also my volunteer work, have included much typing and work with a computer mouse. Because of the repetitive motion, I developed carpal tunnel syndrome. Since coming to class twice a week and working with varied movement of my shoulder, the pain and discomfort has completely gone away. It feels like a miracle.
My entire body is much more limber than when I first began taking the classes. These past eight months have made a large difference. Thanks! –Sylvia S (July 2010)
My greatest joy in teaching this incredible work is hearing a comment in the middle of class like…”by the way, did I mention that my sciatica is gone?!” Or, “I haven’t had that much mobility in my neck in years! I can’t believe it.” Those are the moments I live for…giving people the tools to heal their own bodies.
Gain Without Pain in Organic StretchingSM
We all remember the old adage, “No pain, no gain,” meaning that without pain you could not achieve results in your fitness or exercise regimen. That is not the case with Organic StretchingSM. In fact, it is just the opposite; we look for the point just before pain, for the edge of our limitations. And then we allow the body to work along that border.
Going through the Pain for the Gain
In a typical class, each student is following the surface of his own body until he arrives at a point where he cannot move farther in that direction. This could be due to tightness, pain, or other physical limitation from a wide range of sources. Rather than releasing the point he has gained, he will make small shifts…perhaps in the angle of approach or by adding support to release tension, and then pause, waiting for the entanglement to unwind enabling him to continue.
Learning how to do Organic StretchingSM is learning how to listen to your own body. It is not seeing an ideal form and aiming to achieve that; it is not a competition. The ideal for you belongs only to you. The process is a deep communion with your own structure. The role of the instructor/coach is to help each student reach for and recognize the edges of her limits and to help her slow down, explore, and move through each block gradually. But this happens in layers and will be revisited time and again achieving gradually a wider and wider range of motion.
Since the character of Organic StretchingSM focuses on joints rather than muscles, if support is maintained through each move, for most students there should be much less muscle soreness, if any, following a session than with most other forms of exercise. Of course, this can also depend on the physical condition of the student. The work goes deep into the system and in unwinding may result in a release of stored toxins which may cause some soreness. Normally a hot soak with vinegar added to the water will relieve any discomfort.
It is important to note, that because we are working primarily on joints, this program relies on paying attention to messages from the body to avoid forcing a joint past its range…not going where it is painful. Therefore we are looking for the edges of our limits and acknowledging them at every point. Week-by-week these edges begin to shift as the body releases old holding patterns and allows freer movement throughout the system.
Photo courtesy of lululemon athletica
Experiencing Organic StretchingSM
Welcome to my studio in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, a small fishing village on the coast of Mexico near Puerto Vallarta. To further enhance your visit there may be typical neighborhood sounds included…chickens, dogs, birds, horses, Mexican music…at no charge.
This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of any kind. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with your physician or other qualified health professional before adopting or changing any exercise regimen. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the viewer.
Pura Vida Spa & Rancho El Limón Hosting Organic StretchingSM Weekend Workshop
Welcome to Pura Vida Spa
November 26 – 28 Organic StretchingSM will present a three-day intensive workshop at Pura Vida Mexico Organic Spa located at the Rancho el Limon organic farm outside of Ixtapa, Northeast of Puerto Vallarta. This will be the first in a series of workshops at the spa and the first weekend workshop for Organic StretchingSM.
Friday afternoon, as you pass through the peaceful countryside on the way to Rancho el Limon with mountains rising in the distance and fields stretching out on either side, the effect of the weekend will already have begun.
Surrounded by fresh flowers
We will meet at 1:30 pm on Friday first to get acquainted and then to begin unwinding the twists and turns we have built into our bodies over many years…the ones that keep us from full movement and bring the twinges of pain as we get older. The learning process is gradual as we train our bodies to move in new gentle, slow movements that go deep into the system.
On Saturday and Sunday we will begin at 10:00 with a break at mid-day for a beautiful, bountiful organic lunch fresh from the garden and time to take a stroll, go for a bike ride, kick back in a hammock to read a book or snooze. The afternoon session will wind up at 4:30 each day. Sessions will include learning how to move as well as discussion of the principles that guide Organic StretchingSM, the effects on the body, and how to develop an effective personal practice…with most of the time spent in stretching.
Fresh organic mangos
With twelve and a half focused hours your body will have stored memories which may allow you to begin working on your own to maintain the flexibility we’ve gained.
The workshop is limited to ten participants for maximum attention. For more information and our special first-time discounted price…contact us.
Introduction to Organic StretchingSM…Connection
Welcome to my studio in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, a small fishing village on the coast of Mexico near Puerto Vallarta. To further enhance your visit there may be typical neighborhood sounds included…chickens, dogs, birds, horses, Mexican music…at no charge.
This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of any kind. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with your physician or other qualified health professional before adopting or changing any exercise regimen. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the viewer.
