New Footcare Videos!!

New Footcare Videos!!

Ashley Osier aka The Posture Specialist

MA, HHE, CPS, CSMT, CAMT, CAYT, CWHP

 ~ Holistic Wellness for Mind, Body, and Spirit ~

I have two new footcare videos for you this week! 

I know I have some foot pain sufferers here. 

Long days at the office, on your feet, or sitting for long periods of time can put a strain on the foot bones, tendons and ligaments and overstretch or tighten the muscles. Google search results on "foot pain" is at 28,100,000. Footcare measures have never been more needed. Many of you have numbness in your feet. Some have tingling and neuromas on the bottoms of your feet. I bet many of you have calluses on the bottoms of your feet or cracked heels. And with the rise of plantar fasciitis, I can imagine some of you have experienced the pain and inconvenience that accompanies this condition.

So what are you doing to take care of your feet? Do you have a footcare routine? I have fallen prey to neglecting my feet and have found out the hard way, but I have thankfully become a better friend to my feet. I am thrilled to be to offer you informative, fun and practical videos to start implementing a better footcare routine and practice in your daily life. So check out my YouTube channel at: theposturespecialist.com. Click on the links to the videos below and give the tutorials a try.  

The Best Footcare Routine with Bonus Tutorials

Best Complete DIY Tutorial Foot Soak, Scrub, and Wrap

ALL VIDEOS ON MY CHANNEL ARE FREE, so you have nothing to lose. Many of you already have what is needed for a simple foot scrub, so you don't have to go out and purchase anything new. Hopefully most of you already own a tennis ball, but a canister is between $3-$5 at your local store or a store like Kmart or Big 5. If you want to get a canister at Amazon, I would recommend clicking canister of tennis balls.

Some of you may be asking: What is my buy in? It is your wellness. Your optimal function. Your healthy aging. Your ability to thrive and enjoy life with less pain and better posture. This brings me great joy to know that you are happier and healthier while you work, at home, and as you age. 

Comment on a video so I know the needs I can address in my FREE self-help videos. You can also comment to say hi and let me know how some of the suggestions I provide are helping you. 

Have a great day at work or at home and make sure to remember and sit tall and watch my video on engaging your 3 Lock Mountain. You can see that here.

Happy Posturing!

Ashley

The Posture Specialist

theposturespecialist.com

Instagram (@theposturespecialist)

eastwestsomatherapy.com

Disclaimer: The Amazon link is an affiliate link where I'll earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Ashley Osier is a holistic health educator and therapist, stress management therapist, corrective posture and corrective exercise specialist, an acupressure and massage therapist, stretching, massage, acupressure, and self-acupressure instructor and creator of the Point Release™ Technique and StretchFit™ Method. She specializes in working with stress management, injury prevention and pain relief, therapeutic stretching for individuals and couples, and posture awareness. She also offers coaching in nutrition and support for women going through divorce. Appointments can be scheduled by contacting her at   ewsomatherapy@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available on this blog is for general information purposes only. You agree that your use of this blog is at your sole risk. Consult your physician before beginning any stretch, exercise or self-acupressure suggestion. By using this site, you are agreeing to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Ashley Osier against any and all losses, expenses, damages and costs resulting from using the information contained within this blog. 

Strategies You Can Start Today to Prevent Falls

Strategies You Can Start Today to Prevent Falls

by

Ashley Osier aka The Posture Specialist

MA, HHE, CPS, CSMT, CAMT, CAYT, CWHP

 ~ Holistic Wellness for Mind, Body, and Spirit ~

Enjoying my organic lemon water from Imperfect Produce while my feet soak.
(More information at end of post)

This week I have introduced you to the second video in my Foot Series for Foot Awareness Month starting in April. In this video, I give you facts about falls, facts about the feet and how they age, and five things you can start today to prevent falls. You can see the full video here. Fall prevention is going to be a growing focus and you can start to prepare to have your strongest and most balanced body...now...starting with your feet.

Next week I will be going over basic foot care, I will have a tutorial to make your own foot scrub, give yourself a foot bath and deep moisturizing foot wrap and then teach you something special that will lead us into the following week on foot massage. You won't want to miss that one for sure. Your feet are really going to love you, so make sure you have subscribed and clicked on the bell to receive notification for when I upload my new videos.

How are your feet doing? Do you know where you are distributing your weight? Are your "dogs" barking at you (as a young woman called her feet during our conversation the other day)? 

One of my clients came in this week and brought me a bag of her shoes from the past four years that we have been working together. I was amazed and thrilled to see the changes in the wear of her soles given the corrective posture work we have done over the past four years. It was fantastic to be able to point each of the areas out to her, and as a result, she has an increased awareness of how her own body is shifting, balancing and strengthening. I am hoping that you will be able to do the same through these videos and interactions in the comment section.

Speaking of the comment section, if you are able, now that I figured out how to re-engage the comment section, send me a comment and a photo of the soles of your shoes. What have you noticed? If you have no idea what I am referring to, you can check that video out here. Let me know! If you wanted to send a comment on a previous blog post, try again and see if it will go through. You can always email me if you have any trouble trying to make a comment.

I have started a community for The Posture Specialist. You can visit it here to become a part of this wellness, posture and pain management community. 

I look forward to seeing you there!

Lastly, if you are having challenges with your balance or you have had issues with falling, please let me know. I want to make sure to consider integrating various needs into my videos so that the material is truly applicable for everyone.

If you want to learn more about how Imperfect Produce is stopping food waste by delivering customized boxes of conventional and organic food to your doorstep, click here (affiliate program). I will be posting recipes of dishes I make using their food soon! Enjoy!!

Many thanks and blessings to you.

Happy Posturing!

Ashley

The Posture Specialist

theposturespecialist.com

Instagram (@theposturespecialist)

eastwestsomatherapy.com

Ashley Osier is a holistic health educator and therapist, stress management therapist, corrective posture and corrective exercise specialist, an acupressure and massage therapist, stretching, massage, acupressure, and self-acupressure instructor and creator of the Point Release™ Technique and StretchFit™ Method. She specializes in working with stress management, injury prevention and pain relief, therapeutic stretching for individuals and couples, and posture awareness. She also offers coaching in nutrition and support for women going through divorce. Appointments can be scheduled by contacting her at   ewsomatherapy@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available on this blog is for general information purposes only. You agree that your use of this blog is at your sole risk. Consult your physician before beginning any stretch, exercise or self-acupressure suggestion. By using this site, you are agreeing to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Ashley Osier against any and all losses, expenses, damages and costs resulting from using the information contained within this blog. 

Stress Management Corner: Travel Neck Pillow Review

Stress Management Corner

Travel Neck Pillow Review

by

Ashley Osier

MA, HHE, CPS, CSMT, CAMT, CAYT, CWHP

 ~ Holistic Wellness for Mind, Body, and Spirit ~

I'm thrilled to add a stress management segment to my blog. There are numerous topics to discuss, but today I would like to talk about Travel Neck Pillows. Over half of my clients travel by plane for work, vacation regularly or have to commute long distances. Traveling and a happy neck are not two words usually used together. Neck pain, as with most other pain, is not fun. I wrote a blog post about neck pain relief and you can read more about that here. When my clients come back from their trips and vacations, their neck is, more than not, tighter than before they left. Plane seats are notoriously NOT body-friendly in my humble but professional opinion. Seats on the subway, on buses, and on boats do not offer any better outcome, but the seats are not as cramped as plane seats. 

I also think about students who have to sit all day in chairs that cannot possibly be body-friendly. On top of these unforgiving chairs, students have to carry backpacks that are more than the recommended 10% or less of their bodyweight. Add tech-neck syndrome from cell phone and computer overuse and you have a recipe for disaster. I wonder if some of our young children were able to use one of their short breaks to take a cat nap, whether  it would give them a boost mentally and physically or make them more tired. Perhaps this is something doctors and educators will consider in the future. Having a neck pillow that could attach to their backpack would make it easy to travel with or it could easily fit in their locker. Hmm.

Whether you are a student or a professional, I highly recommend having a travel neck pillow handy. I always have a neck pillow in whatever car I am driving and whenever I travel by any other form of transportation. If I ever need to take a cat nap during a break at work, in between classes or during a long drive, I have my handy neck pillow to support my neck and make my rest the best it can be. I've never used it while I was driving, but as a posture specialist, I am considering various strategies that will help people in all situations. 

I have tried different kinds of pillows. I have traveled by plane with a small pillow, a regular pillow, a u-shaped travel pillow, a cylindrical pillow and have just used my jacket or sweatshirt in a pinch. I've gone on long road trips with the same options. The most comfortable, easiest and most reliable pillow has been the u-shaped travel pillow. 

Now there are micro-fiber, memory foam, microbead, air-filled and others that claim to support the neck. The memory foam is too soft to effectively support the neck in varied conditions, (from my experience and preference) the microbead easily tears and spills everywhere (NOT pet or toddler-friendly), the air-filled is not reliable and many people won't have the lung capacity to refill it, and the other "pillows" that wrap and support will be difficult for many people to operate in cramped sitting areas. Other neck pillows I have seen are simply impractical because they are so bulky...not travel-friendly. So I am back to the u-shaped travel pillows to review. Here are a few that I have found to choose from.

Click on...World's Best  This is my favorite. At $10.99-$12.99 (depending on the pattern), so I like the price. With 616 customer reviews, I think it is safe to say this is a credible travel neck pillow. It is comfortable, supportive, won't be too squishy and it can be folded to feel like a pillow (headrest of seat in car to the window). The ends can be in the front, to the side, or toward the back to deter your head from dropping forward. It comes in a number of patterns and colors and the snap allows the pillow to easily attach to your luggage, briefcase, gym bag, purse strap or backpack. If you are a minimalist, you can loop it through your pants' belt loop on a hike or picnic. Here is more info on this neck pillow directly from the site.

• Feather-soft microfibers wrapped in soft-plush fabric for the ultimate in travel comfort
• Perfect hypoallergenic alternative to down-filled pillows
• Entire pillow machine washable. Guaranteed to be as soft and every time you use it
• Filled and finished in the USA
• Environmentally friendly fill and packaging. We use recycled materials like water bottles which are transformed into our soft micro-fiber filling

Click on...BCOZZY I like this travel pillow for a few reasons.  There are 2,260 reviews on this travel pillow and 71% gave 4+ stars. This makes it a credible travel neck pillow in my book. It stays in place so you are not constantly having to adjust it. The ends stack to lift your head so it doesn't fall forward or to the side (if your head usually rests to one particular side). You can twist it to act like a pillow. It comes in adult and child sizes. I think this is a practical idea. On the other hand, I am not a fan of it wrapping around the entire neck. Some people may feel "strangled", especially if you have a large neck. If you have a sensitive throat, this would not be my first choice for you. Stick with World's Best. It doesn't easily attach to anything unless you wrap it, so I'm not confident it is as easy to travel with as the World's Best travel pillow. I'm also not thrilled on the price tag of $29.97, but it could be worth it for some people. Here is more info on this neck pillow directly from the site.

• • THE BCOZZY PILLOW is the only travel pillow that stops the head from falling forward; the patented neck pillow wraps gently around the neck and provides SUPER SOFT AND BEST SUPPORT simultaneously to the head, neck, and chin;
• • IDEAL FOR AIRPLANE FLIGHTS because it is comfortable and actually works; YOU CAN conform and twist it in several positions and control how tight it will be around your neck. The design is perfect for full support while sleeping upright without getting a stiff neck; EXCELLENT ALSO FOR ALL FORMS OF TRAVEL- car, train, or bus ride;
• • PERFECT FOR THE HOME – THE SPECIAL DESIGN is crafted for relaxing the head and neck muscles when watching TV or READING and for stabilizing the head for people having trouble holding the head up and need support or to sleep in an upright position.
• • GREAT FOR CHILDREN because its unique design gives the child a sense of comfort and security while PREVENTING THE CHIN FROM SNAPPING or dropping forward and sideways, especially during a car ride; Not a safety device, for comfort only; Do not leave child unattended while using;
• • EASY CARE AND CARRYING since it is durable and FULLY MACHINE WASHABLE; it can be easily attached to side of the carry-on with a SNAP STRAP or easily compressed into the hand bag;

I would love to hear what travel neck pillows you guys are using and what you like about them. If you don't have one yet and purchase one of the ones above, leave a comment and photo on how it is working for you. Is your body more relaxed and rested? Is it easy to travel with? 

Remember that sleep is really important, especially to our ability to properly perceive and effectively manage our stress. Rest is also important in being able to maintain good posture! I take cat naps often to give myself a mid-day boost, especially when I am keeping odd hours or stay up late to make deadlines. Set your alarm to wake you up after 10-20 minutes and you will feel refreshed. The first time you may feel a little groggy, but after a couple of times, your body will start to kick in and you will get an extra boost of energy. If your office chair is not practical, take your nap in your car. If you are taking the subway but you have an office, bring a blanket or stretch mat to lie on in your office. If you are a student and your teacher is staying in the classroom, take a towel or stretch mat with you and use it on the floor in the classroom. Schools need to be providing this option for our children. Adequate rest is as important, if not more than exercise. A 10 minute nap for an elementary or middle school aged child would bless many teachers, I'm sure!

I hope you have enjoyed this post and review. If there is anything you would like me to review in the future, let me know in the comment section. If you haven't seen any of my posture videos, you can check them out at theposturespecialist.com. Make sure to start with the 3 Lock Mountain video. I have an official series list of foundational posture videos to watch which you can find here.

Until next time...Happy Posturing!!

Ashley

The Posture Specialist

theposturespecialist.com

Instagram (@theposturespecialist)

eastwestsomatherapy.com

Disclosure Statement: 

“I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”

Ashley Osier is a holistic health educator and therapist, stress management therapist, corrective posture and corrective exercise specialist, an acupressure and massage therapist, stretching, massage, acupressure, and self-acupressure instructor and creator of the Point Release™ Technique and StretchFit™ Method. She specializes in working with stress management, injury prevention and pain relief, therapeutic stretching for individuals and couples, and posture awareness. She also offers coaching in nutrition and support for women going through divorce. Appointments can be scheduled by contacting her at ewsomatherapy@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available on this blog is for general information purposes only. You agree that your use of this blog is at your sole risk. Consult your physician before beginning any stretch, exercise or self-acupressure suggestion. By using this site, you are agreeing to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Ashley Osier against any and all losses, expenses, damages and costs resulting from using the information contained within this blog. 

A Cup Of Thankfulness: Sharing the Blessings of Others

A Cup Of Thankfulness

Sharing the Blessings of Others

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; 
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Random Acts of Kindness...  
It brings me great joy to do something meaningful for someone else. Some of the most simplest of thoughtful actions on my part can truly make a major difference in someone's life. I know for myself that a smile from someone walking by, a sweet text from a friend I haven't heard from in a while, a hug from a child, news of blessings in someone's life... really make my day. I am thankful for others' simple and grand efforts to be kind to me and to others. I think we need more of this so we can be encouraged to be thankful.

I will be sharing different stories that have increased my thankfulness over the years in the future, but for today, I want to share about a new friend I have met and a blog post she wrote about Random Acts of Kindness. I was thankful to see someone focusing on kindness to others and her list of suggestions are quite lovely. I met Fabiana Meredith in a songwriting group on Facebook. When the group turned ugly in their commenting on one of my posts, one of the gals suggested I start a separate songwriting group for women. So I did. Fabiana was my first member. I appreciate her heart and am thankful for her efforts to encourage kindness and thoughtfulness.

I want to support people, companies and various organizations who are giving to this world in ways that increase love, encouragement, protection and a mind of service. So please take the time to visit Fabiana's blog and read through her list of Random Acts of Kindness. If you are able to, try out one or more of her suggestions and comment here about your experience. I would love to hear about it! You can see it by clicking RAK.

One of my favorite go-to's right now is sending sweet notes by text, Messenger, Snapchat and even FaceTime. Pic Collage is a phone app that has a "cards" section with pre-made stationary. It is a wonderful way to send a kind thought. Of course emojis are quick and easy when you want to send a heart or hug emoji to a friend or family member.

There are other organizations that focus on RAK (random acts of kindness). Some of these include the following links:
Facebook RAK Worldwide
RAK.org

I hope you are able to experience a cup of thankfulness today. It is not yet 9:30am and I already have so much to be thankful for...

Have a blessed day!

Ashley

theposturespecialist.com

Instagram (@theposturespecialist)

eastwestsomatherapy.com

Starting Off On The Right Foot

Starting Off On The Right Foot

by

Ashley Osier

MA, HHE, CPS, CSMT, CAMT, CAYT, CWHP

 ~ Holistic Wellness for Mind, Body, and Spirit ~

Feet Feet Feet!! These things we walk on, run on, cram into tight shoes, neglect, stand on for hours, and take for granted. We demand so much of them and expect them to perform well regardless of how we treat them. Where's the love?

Search results for foot pain is up to 28,600,000 and approximately 10% of the population deals with a condition on the rise called plantar fasciitis. The increase of falls and mortality rates associated with falls can be connected to a lack of balance, pain and numbness in the feet and inability to perform activities of daily living at a normal rate and pace, to name a few. With so many complications and health-related costs, one might think people would be more aware of their feet.

But what do people really know about their feet? Did you know that with aging, the feet lose density of muscle, decreased effectiveness of nerve function, increased blood pooling and fluid retention, and loss of padding? Did you know that weight and force applied to the feet, regardless of age, affects the structure of the feet, balance, ability to evenly distribute weight across both feet, and foot mobility? Are you aware that your posture is affected by your awareness of your feet?

In my Foot Awareness Series started this week, I begin to help viewers become more aware of their feet and how correcting their foot posture and weight distribution can enhance their overall wellness. I will be uploading more videos on the feet, from foot care to balancing strategies for fall prevention through the month of April in light of April being Foot Awareness Month.

I hope you can join me! To view the first video of the Foot Posture series, you can click 5 Foot Posture Basics. To subscribe to the channel and be the first to receive notification on my weekly videos, click receive notifications of new videos.

I look forward to sharing more wellness information with you through posture education and other aspects of holistic health education.

Joyfully,

Ashley Osier

The Posture Specialist

theposturespecialist.com

Instagram (@theposturespecialist)

eastwestsomatherapy.com

Ashley Osier is a holistic health educator and therapist, stress management therapist, corrective posture and exercise specialist, an acupressure and massage therapist, stretching, massage, acupressure, and self-acupressure instructor and creator of the Point Release™ Technique and StretchFit™ Method. She specializes in working with stress management, injury prevention and pain relief, therapeutic stretching for individuals and couples, and posture awareness. She also offers coaching in nutrition and support for women going through divorce. Appointments can be scheduled by contacting her at ewsomatherapy@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available on this blog is for general information purposes only. You agree that your use of this blog is at your sole risk. Consult your physician before beginning any stretch, exercise or self-acupressure suggestion. By using this site, you are agreeing to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Ashley Osier against any and all losses, expenses, damages and costs resulting from using the information contained within this blog. 

Happy International Women's Day!

Happy International Women's Day!!

~ celebrating women of all ages ~

Check out my video upload at Happy International Women's Day!

I wanted to give a shout out to women of all ages today in celebration of International Women's Day. Though I am not as hard core about my feminism as I was when I was younger, I still have a heart for supporting women being encouraged, loved, honored, cherished and protected. I will reveal more of what I have been doing in these areas in the coming months. But for now, a few notes about my gratitude for the women who have impacted my life.

As I reflect on my own life and the women I have been impacted by the most, I am so thankful to say I have been able to harvest a close and loving relationship with my mom. She is truly an inspiration to me. My mom modeled high-voltage courage as a single mom, working 2-3 jobs and supporting my sister and I by herself. She was resourceful in her parenting and was determined to carve out her own path in her work life as an actress and then as a psychospiritual addictions therapist. She's always had a strong work ethic, loyalty to her daughters, passion for fun, and love for the outdoors and adventure. Her connection to Native American roots has always driven her spiritually, and though we differ in our world view, we both refuse to let it get in the way of a loving and active relationship. She truly is a heroine and I marvel at how God has helped her thrive against so many odds. What an inspiration!

The other women who have inspired me and continue to impact my heart, mind, and soul are countless. My auntie, who is my God-mother, introduced me to my faith when I was ten. It is amazing to have such a close relationship to her today and I am forever thankful for her thoughtful invitation to her church. My daughter continuously inspires me to live a life of integrity, which has been an amazing challenge and opportunity, and I look forward to seeing her blossom through high school and beyond.

The women who are my friends, clients and students inspire and teach me on all levels and I am forever thankful for being touched by each one. Lastly are the girls and women I don't know but read about through social media and from historical and inspirational books. Some I am able to interact with and others I have just read their stories. Their pain, courage and determination have been awe-inspiring. Oppression and trauma is rampant for women of all ages, all cultures, all socio-economic backgrounds and all ethnicities. The choice each of these girls and women make to change their circumstances regardless of the limitations or struggle has imprinted itself in my mind and on my heart. I live in gratitude for their courage to share their story.

May we as women support one another on a path of love, honor, and courage. Though we may not have the same world view or fight for the same causes, may we hold a special torch of sisterhood for one another.

I have a special thankfulness to organizations and companies who are working diligently to counter oppression, abuse, and sex-trafficking against girls and women. For the men who support the women in their lives by living a life of integrity, by loving, cherishing, protecting, and honoring them and by communicating a language of equality and mutual respect, I thank you.

To everyone, Happy International Women's Day!

Joyfully,

Ashley

theposturespecialist.com

Instagram (@theposturespecialist)

eastwestsomatherapy.com

The Posture Specialist: New Videos!!

The Posture Specialist 

New Videos!!

I'm excited to share my new videos with you guys. I hope you are able to get on board with practicing corrective posture work as it is truly going to change your life for the better and your body is going to love you. Here is just a little run down on the videos so far. You are the only ones getting this information, so if you haven't started following me here, start now. I have some new and exciting burners in the fire coming up in the next few months, so you will want to be in the know right now.

Three-Lock Mountain Video-you can view this video by clicking 3-Lock Mountain Video. This video has what I consider to be the absolutely BEST stretch and exercise we can do EVERY day. You will want to practice this in every activity and daily function so you can get the most optimal and lasting benefits.i

How To Remember To Have Better Posture: Postural Hooks Video-you can view this video by clicking How to remember to have better posture. This video was inspired by a question given to me from a subscriber. She wanted to know how she could remember to stay in better posture. I think we all have this challenge and can benefit from learning about some of these postural hooks.

My Welcome Posture Video- you can view this video by clicking My welcome posture video. This video was recorded in my truck as I was recording an upcoming video. I wanted to let everyone know what my posture channel is about, what I will be doing, and the kinds of videos I will be presenting.

...to see my newest upload, click surprise! 

Make sure to leave comments, share with family, friends and co-workers and click the bell when you subscribe to be notified on new videos. Don't forget to look at the dropdown/description box below my videos so you can get connected with me on my other social media sites.

I have a lot more fun blog posts in the works, so stay tuned!

Joyfully,

Ashley

theposturespecialist.com

Instagram (@theposturespecialist)

eastwestsomatherapy.com

A Cup Of Thankfulness: Another Day to be Thankful

A Cup of Thankfulness

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; 
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Another day to be thankful. I got six hours of sleep even though I had to stay up late wrestling with my editing program to complete my new posture video. Woohoo!

I was able to stretch a little before getting out of bed, which helped relieve the stiffness in my back. I keep telling myself, "There is no reason to be a holistic health educator if you don't do the things you tell others to do to enhance their wellness." Smiling I hummed a prayer as I got ready for church.  I was actually ready to go...at 10:15 on the dot. Now that's something to be thankful for! LOL!

For some reason, today I couldn't stop feeling thankful. I was just overcome with joy and gratitude over all the challenges and blessings I have been experiencing. I truly have a stellar balance of big challenges and big blessings. It is quite amazing to be in the midst of unpleasantries and be able to bloom so radically. And I know it is not my own doing. I am a woman of faith and I must give credit where it is due. So to God I give the glory on this one (and everything!).

As I sat in church listening to the service, I marveled at how much God has done and continues to do without my input or participation. He is always working and taking care of something and someone. He never sleeps. I don't know why I am surprised, but I am thankful to be able to relax in my life knowing that God is in control and has a good plan for me and everyone else.  I also marveled that on six hours of sleep, I didn't fall asleep once during the service! Just a side note of thankfulness!

After the service, I spoke to a dear friend who was hurting. I remembered there was a time when I was in a place of deep hurting and my friend was so kind and loving toward me. I was truly thankful to be able to return the favor. I am often thinking about all the people are hurting. People of all ages, gender and color. I still can't believe I went 40 years without praying for others. It still makes me a little sad, but what a blessing now after so many years of focusing only on meditation, that I can actually pray for people who are hurting. This is such a big note of thankfulness for me. Some people think it doesn't make a difference, but I would not be one of them.

Well...I am only at 1pm and there is so much more thankfulness to be shared. The editing program that kept me up for three hours is now working. SO thankful! My home is warm (I know many people do not have a warm home...it is a luxury I don't want to pridefully assume I should have...more thankful!). I had a wonderful talk with my mom and I am so thankful to have such a wonderful relationship with her (so many children have difficult relationships with their parents...I pray for healing and reconciliation for everyone). Dinner was delicious. What a blessing to eat food that is healthy and yummy! More notes of thankfulness! My husband and I had a lovely conversation with his dad. My posture video is completed and I will get to bed at a decent hour. Woohoo! Thankful to get more sleep!

I already have the next blog post in the works...another note of thankfulness! I'm sure you will enjoy it!

With thanks and joy,

Ashley ~

theposturespecialist.com

Instagram (@theposturespecialist)

eastwestsomatherapy.com