Downward Dog

Have you ever noticed how much your dog stretches? Charlie wakes up in the morning, sits up, stretches her neck upwards with her nose pointing to the ceiling while her shoulder muscles noticeably pull downwards ~ stretching her chest, throat and shoulders. Then she hops off the bed and goes directly into a downward dog pose, stretching her legs and back.

Throughout the day she continues these stretches during her normal activities...

Jump off the couch. Stretch.

Pounce on a toy. Stretch.

Run outside. Pause. Listen. Stretch.

We should take a cue from our pets and stretch more often. I've never heard anyone regret stretching.

I have been really busy lately and I tend to use lack of time as an excuse of why I'm not taking better care of myself. The reality is, if you don't take the time now, you'll pay for it later. A few minutes of stretching - throughout the day, not just once in the morning - takes little time and you feel great afterwards!

So after I got to work this morning and started feeling a cramping sensation in my right calf ~ the result of walking to work without stretching once this morning ~ I had to have a little talk with myself. And I committed to make a conscious effort to take regular "bathroom breaks" and get away from my desk to stretch in private. I feel a lot better and it really wasn't that difficult.

Stretch, people. Breathe deeply. Take care of yourself.