I'm amazed but not surprised that it has been a year since my last blog! 12 months ago (almost to the date) I found out I was pregnant and life has had no other priority since. Our little Dragon arrived in August and we have kept him to ourselves for most of his initial four months here. With 2012 coming to a close and all projects that have been suspended for the past 12 months 2013 is going to bring the completion of these projects and the start of a whole new way of running my business interests and life. Above is my reading list for the year and as you may suspect a lot of the reading was pregnancy related! I still managed to read a book a month and plan to continue this little habit in 2013 and beyond. My writing will increase with the invite to write a chapter in a pending Movement book with a leader in the industry (more will be shared when I can)and the year starts with a trip to NZ to film for said project. The long promised donnaeddy.com is in final stages (seriously ~ it is) and we are keen to launch and have our regulars and foundational participants enjoy and provide feedback. The delays have been for obvious reasons, plus getting the systems right to do exactly what i've envisioned. For you donnaeddy.com will open Posture Plus Online which means you will have weekly workouts to your email inbox direct. This blog page will become a regular feature in my communication with you, along with social media pages and other communication sites. My little dragon will continue to be the main focus and completing other projects like Train the Trainer workshops and writing articles; chapters; books etc will fit in around life as 'mumma De'.

We will be in touch regarding the launch of donnaeddy.com and we look forward to interacting with you, assisting your movement development; injury recovery and sharing life style tips and experiences. Cheers to the New Year. See you on the other side.

2011 in review

My year in review....
2011 was a flash compared to other years, yet there was also a lot that changed and was achieved.

Here is the picture of my reading list for the year, achieving slightly more than a book a month.

Feb/ Mar was consumed with a six week Educational Tour of the USA & Canada. I spent 5 weekends out of 6 in the class room soaking up Movement & Neuroscience like a kid in a candy store.

Winter came and went and apart from maintaining the flow of Clinic & Class, managing other business and developing the next phase for Posture Plus & Donna Eddy dot com. Winter passed rather unremarkably.... and unfortunately without a visit to the snow!

Spring came (well at least the dates did, not so much the weather) and my focus turned to my physical training. For the months of Sept to Dec I almost lived at the Dojo. Dec 2nd, 3rd & 4th was my first ever Black Belt Grading and I joyfully came to the end of the year and the start of Summer ~ a Northstar Black Belt


The Summer (again date reference here rather than weather, although our Xmas weekend was hot & happen'n @ Bondi)
My short "festive" break and the Summer is being spent completing a new collaborative project (which for now is top secret) and FINALLY piecing together the content for Posture Plus Online and donnaeddy.com. A lot of filming is going to be happening in Jan!

So Cheers to the New Year! 12 hours till the start of 2012.
What does the year have in stall for you? Do you have plans laid out? Have you particular goals to achieve?
I'm the most excited i've ever been about a new year turning and you will see the results of many many hours of "behind the scenes" work when the Aussie New Year turns in Feb!

Twenty one two.... what will it be for you?

Myths around stretching

Below is an email and my reply just sent to the patient.
My passion is movement and my aim is to inspire informed and enthusiastic converts to DMP (Daily Movement Practice). The premise of DMP is moving with intention; awareness and total understanding of what is being done and why.

In the email just received an replied to, are typical questions regarding movements I set as "homework" namely stretching. Understanding the nuances of movement, the intricacies of your body and the adaptability of the human form, much can be achieved and changed under your own volition and diligent practice.

Below are the emails....


On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 9:43 PM,****************** wrote:
Hi Donna,

Thank you for sending those, it really helped! Just got home from work and did them... I'm sweating! :)
Just a couple of questions, how long should I be aiming to hold the stretches for? Also, is there a reason I'm doing just the left leg for one stretch, and just the right for another?
Sorry, I could have asked this when I saw you.

I woke up with very little pain in my back the day after seeing you! The difference is incredible, thank you soooo much! You're amazing!

See you soon,
Lyndal

Sent from my iPhone

My reply:

Yes the difference in your homework (for now) is to address the difference in your structure (as it stands currently) doing the "lopsided" practice is aimed at squaring you up, when you come in for your follow up next month, we'll be adjusting your practice according to your progress.

Stretches are not held "for time"... they are not held PERIOD!
Read the directions and pay attention to the movement you are aiming for, so with hip stretches it is the sinking of the pelvis. This is not a timed thing nor a set number of breaths, your body will release in its own time, some times its 5 breaths some times its 15 and each side of your body each exercise is going to be different.

This is ALL ABOUT getting you IN to your body and being 100% focused on the movement; sensation and intention of the exercise. That way you are being complete ~ specific and self challenging to create change and lasting results.

Be diligent with your practice EVEN WHEN THINGS ARE "fixed" and feeling good!
Some exercises you will do EVERY DAY from this day forward, others will change as your body changes. Daily Movement Practice is now part of your daily routine.

Enjoy.
will be in touch in approx 2 weeeks.

Cheers
Donna

A true teacher

A true teacher touches your soul ~ lifts your spirit ~ challenges you in ways you never knew you could (let alone need) to be challenged!

A true teacher can reach you beyond their death and stimulate learning ~ love ~ and emotional contemplation, changing your perspective ~ goals ~ attitude ~ and passion.

A true teacher is always with you, because you embody the learning and relive the lessons with every day beyond their teaching.

In memory of a teacher gone too soon. You'll be missed greatly. Geoff Wilson ~ Art of Health, you were my teacher for only a short while but I grew and took in so much in that time. Thank you.

The Seasons turn....

It always amazes and excites me travelling the world. Adventure, the unknown, the world in your hands (or the Golden Gate Bridge, if you position yourself to do so!) As I write, I am still in the Northern Hemisphere (8hrs ahead but a calendar day behind) away from "home".

I left during the hot and humid tail end of Summer, I return to Autumn and the end of Daylight Savings.

My most memobrable travel/ time/ season distortion was arriving home to Sydney and standing on the beach (toes enjoying the water) looking out to sea, feeling the heat from the Sun and marvelling at the fact that only 12hrs prior I was standing in Snow 20 degrees below freezing in Japan!

With fondness I am aware of my fortunate life, being able to explore this world of ours.
The travel bug got me fairly early on in life. At 18 my first international journey was all it took, a safe introduction to the wonders of travel. I was one of 200 high School students on a performing arts tour around the USA.

During this first trip I decided that I would explore the world and made the commitment to myself to travel once EVERY YEAR outside Australia. The initial promise was for the first ten years out of school (1992 was that introductory trip) and I can quite happily say ~ I did it (and then some). Some years i've had more than one trip and more often than not more than one country within each trip.

Since 1992 I have only missed one calendar year 2006 and that was only because a snow trip got bumped from Dec '06 to Feb '07! So how far have I travelled? How many countries have I been to? What was my favourite place? Where was my most memorable moment? Hard to say! I've done it for the experience.... not to keep stats.

I've had the pleasure of travelling alone (USA as a nanny/ summer camp counsellor/ storm chasing. Europe and Canada)~ with Friends (snow trips to NZ & Canada, Bali and Thailand) ~ with fellow students (1992 USA Rock Eisteddfod & 2004 UTS to China) ~ with colleagues (Europe, USA & Canada CST tour) ~ with loved ones (China, USA, Phillipines, Malaysia, Canada and Singapore)

And I am yet to get to India, South America, most of Europe, Africa's, Antarctica & Arctic Circles, Ireland, Iceland and many many more. So as my current travels come to an end ~ 12 hours till I board a friendly and familiar Qantas flight from LA, I reflect on the journey thats been the past 6 weeks...

AND i'm drawn to the excitement of planning the next one!
For now, back to the future, back to the land of Oz ~ home.

The year in review....

There is always time to expand your mind. The pic is of my reading stack for 2010.
Books- journals- magazines- course manuals, all ingested and enjoyed for the year.

The titles are listed below and I recommend them all!
My favourites were the "Flow" books by Milhay Csikzentmilhalyi and "The Brain that changes itself" Norman Dioge.




Magazines

Nett Magazine 4- Feb; March; April; May
Australian Yoga Life 2- Mar/May; Jun/Aug
Fitness Life NZ 5- issue 44; 45; 46; 47; 48
Alive Australia 1- Summer issue 2
Network 2- Winter; Spring
Australian Yoga Journal-2 Apr/May; Aug/Sept

Journals
ATMS 3- Vol 16 issue 1; 2; 3
Sports Injury Bulletin 7- Jan; Feb; Mar; Apr; May; Jun; July


Educational Notes
Going Ballistic: Brandon Jones (CST)
How to write Headlines: Mal Emery
No Bull- Speed selling: Mal Emery
The Ultimate Million $ mkting: Mal Emery
Chiball Method Instructor training
CST Head Coach Training
Gua Sha TCM techniques


Books
~Let’s Read Our Feet: Jane Sheenhan
~Full Body Flexibility: Jay Blahnik
~Orthobionomy: Kathy Kain
~The Chakra Bible: Patricia Mercier
~The Book of Five Rings: Miyamoto Musashi
~Success in Your Business: Mic Pilon
~Bodymind: Ken Dychtwald
~Deep Simplicity: John Gribbin
~Finding Flow: Milhay Csikzentmilhalyi
~Flow- the Psychology of
Optimal Experience: Milhay Csikzentmilhalyi
~Creativity: Milhay Csiczentmilhalyi
~The Genius of Flexibility: Bob Cooley
~Rooms for Improvement: Geoff Wilson
~How the Catholic Church
Built Western Civilisation: Thomas. E. Woods
~Dying was the Best Thing
that Happened to me: William Hablitzel
~The brain that Changes
Itself: Norman Dioge

HOW DID I MANAGE TOREAD ALL THESE?

No i'm not a speed reader.
Yes I am a geek! AND I am also a master @ time management...
Neally all this reading was done whilst driving. Well not literally (although those that know me won't believe that)I read all this whilst sitting in traffic/ @ red lights. I started with journals, as they had short articles that are easy to read. Then i picked up my reading pace a little, but more importantly committing to memory what I had read so I didn't need to re-read anything the next time I picked up the book!

So get yourself some 'redlight' reading and nourish that plastic thirsty brain of yours! How much can you read in 2011?

Cheers to the New Year. 11 is a GREAT number.... big things are coming for Posture Plus and "Donna Inc".

Movement is Life

Life should be experienced with vibrance and animated vigor.

You – your body, should be able to do anything at any moment.

The more you are willing to move, the more you will look for new ways to move- the world becomes that playground it once was. Climbing a tree is not just for kids; play equipment becomes a fantastic (and fun) free gym session.

All you truly have- all you “are” is your body. If that does not function with all its dynamic options….. What sort of life are you living?

Sadly we modern day adults are conditioned out of dynamic movement. When was the last time you sat or laid on the floor? When was the last time to skipped (with or without a rope). When was the last time you felt your stomach drop from the exhilaration of successfully completing a challenging physical manouver?

Most of the above activities are done when in the 'rehab' phase of an injury that suddenly 'happened TO US' or activities we watch others do. We are ignorant of the magic of our body's until we desperately want it to heal, so we can 'get on with it' and ignore it once again.

2011 will bring the opportunity to service your physical needs and still 'get on with life'. The secrets and shortcuts of injury prevention and fantastic fitness will be available through Posture Plus and the new site that is coming. Keep your eye on this blog and be ready to take action!

This body is your only body and the only thing that you truly posses! Be mindful of its service to you and aim to do one new/ different movement each month, then each week, then each day.

More to come soon!