Bubbles? No Troubles!

I recently learned that, in Seattle at least, bubble wrap can be recycled as sheet plastic if all the bubbles are broken. Hmmm. Is that an onerous task or an opportunity to play? I say Play! Use the opportunity to build strength. Pop those bubbles with the tips of your fingers (bigger bubbles are easier). Try smashing them between your palms. Feeling bold? Can you burst them by dancing on them? If all that racket gives you an excuse to laugh, all the better. Combining strengthening exercise with recycling is multitasking at its zaniest!

Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.

Soft Eyes with Glasses

I heard a rumor once that the framing caused by eyeglass frames limits us to the visual perspective of our parents. I never heard it again, and don't know if it's true, but I find it refreshing sometimes to just do without my spectacles. I definitely experience my glasses' tendency to keep my eyes focused to the front and center, and sometimes I see phantom frames when my glasses are off. Practicing Soft Eyes is a different experience if done without glasses. Before stripping your glasses off, however, consider whether you need them to help prevent falls. We can always sit down to practice Soft Eyes without our glasses. Then we can safely and gently point the face straight ahead and let our attention go up and down, side to side, and diagonally, seeing the whole range with Soft Eyes.

Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.

Soft Eyes

When I was taking my self-defense class, we were told that we could have a better chance of success in a threatening situation if we used Soft Eyes. This is a technique that lets us see more of the world around us, especially small movements. Pointing our face/eyes straight ahead without focus but letting our looking be the whole range of what our eyes can see--including all of our sideways and vertical peripheral vision--shows us the big picture in ways we can't see if our focus is straight ahead. It is easiest to start this practice seated without glasses, and, while pointing our eyes steadily ahead, we let our attention go up and down, side to side, and diagonally, seeing the whole range. Then we can softly return to center while keeping awareness of all that we've just experienced with our eyes. Practicing walking this way makes us especially aware of unusual movement, such as a fly zooming about. I have to admit, however, that if I found myself in a challenging situation, I wonder if I would think of Soft Eyes!

Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.