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Ryan_F

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Ryan_F last won the day on July 1 2022

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  1. @Mac M Thanks for responding. To tell you the complete truth, I’m still struggling with the problem. It’s very strange because I wake up every day with a headache, with no chance of it fading until I get up and moving. There’s no lying around in bed; it gets worse. I am a bit embarrassed regarding my post, as I think I spoke too soon, as if the problem was on the way out, but years later I’m still suffering with it. I’ve tried almost everything, and I cannot put my finger on what it is that’s causing the headaches…. Perhaps I’m using my accessory muscles to breathe when I’m lying down, or something? I’m going to a headache clinic in the city in early 2023; will see if that helps.
  2. Hello, I was surprised to see no mention of the Buteyko Method on here so I thought I'd start a thread to gauge thoughts & experiences on the subject. It's a breathing method which was developed by a Soviet doctor. As far as I can understand, the idea behind it is that breathing less = better health & one can achieve this by doing exercises to induce a state of light "air hunger". Has anyone had experience with the method or anything similar?
  3. Hello, I have been attempting to implement the content found on this site and in ONBP for the past 9 months as well as the lying relaxations to combat constant headaches upon waking, however I have had limited success. I have been doing the standard stretching once every few days and gentle limbering daily. I have been working on the solo hip flexor wall stretch as well as gentle neck and chest stretches. I'm not sure if / where I am going wrong. I visited a massage practitioner today who remarked that I have one shoulder and hip higher than the other and my shoulders roll forward. Upon searching these forums I have ascertained that the general advice to improve posture is to stretch the hip flexors so now I am feeling slightly confused as where to go next. I struggle to find a partner to do the partner exercise with which I am concerned may be holding me back. Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what I should do.
  4. @Nathan Thank you for the wise words. I will try your suggestions and report back.
  5. Hello, I want to learn how to breathe “properly”. I have noticed lately that my automatic way of breathing is chest breathing. I watched a video on the shortfalls of chest breathing and how diaphragmatic / belly breathing is far superior. It is supposed to be our natural way of breathing and the way that we all breathe up until the age of 5. Is there a practice that I can adopt so that my automatic method of breathing is belly breathing? Is there a practice to enhance breathing in general? Thanks Ryan
  6. I haven’t been consuming any animal products (vegan) for about two months how, however I am finding it to be a bit of a pain to eat when out and about. There is also an inconvenience in that I cannot accept meals offered to me by friends, family etc. My rationale for following such a diet is based on ethics, and not really in the pursuit of health. I don’t think being vegan is more healthy than eating an omnivorous diet - it all depends. However, I cannot help but think that the way that the meat and animal product industry works today is cruel. From what I have gathered, it’s one of those things that people would rather not think about. My simplified thought process is: “no consumption of animal products, no suffering caused to animals”. However, as stated earlier, I am conflicted. I have been thinking lately of the trade-off between the convenience and pleasurable taste of animal products and the ethical “high ground” of veganism. I’m not trying to attack meat eaters here either - I am genuinely looking to hear new perspectives. What does everyone think?
  7. Hi all, Im just wondering on what the general consensus is on magnesium here? It is often claimed to help with cramps and muscular tension, nervous system, anxiety etc. I’ve heard that most people are deficient, and as a result it may be a good idea to introduce a supplement to the diet. I feel as though I am more able to relax when I am taking a magnesium tablet daily however I am not sure whether this is purely placebo. I am wary of supplements in general as I feel that a lot of times one can be wasting their money and putting extra strain on the organs which have to excrete such things. Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences with magnesium supplements that they would like to share? If you have found that they have helped you, I would also be interested to hear what type and when you found was the most effective time to take it.
  8. Such a fascinating discussion. I have throughly enjoyed reading this. Very thought provoking!
  9. Hello, Lately I have been finding that my stretching sessions (stretching, not limbering) have been taking soooo long. It takes me about an hour and a half to stretch my quads, hip flexors, hamstrings, calves, pecs and traps. I am finding that by the end of 3 or 4 of the above exercises, I get slack / tired and end up putting in a sub par / rushed effort for the last few body parts. I have thought of a solution but I am not sure if it is recommended. Would it be okay if I stretched one different body part (relatively intensely) each day, and just did some gentle stretching (limbering) for the other body parts? Or is it recommended to intensely stretch all tight / problem spots in the same day, once every 4-7 days, limbering all parts on the days in between?
  10. Hello, I have just bought the OBP Course and have been doing it as recommended - follow a program and then have one day rest. Firstly - Program 1 was fantastic - it felt good and alleviated my back pain for a few days. I didn't find program two as useful, but I am suspecting that I didn't do it correctly, as I didn't really feel much stretch when I was doing it. I did program 3 two days ago, and it didn't feel great. I have no doubt that my hip flexors are incredibly tight. I have tried this particular stretch - the floor hip flexor stretch - a number of times before (from both Overcome Neck and Back Pain book and also YouTube videos) and I have had the same result - pain in the stretch, cannot relax whilst in the stretch and then potentially worse back pain the day after. I felt the same when having a partner sit on my back. I'm not trying to 'dis' this stretch as I know that many people find it fantastic and the hip flexor stretch. I am just wondering whether there is something else that is tight that I need to stretch first before I can even start to get my hip flexors to stretch. I think I remember hearing once somewhere here that rectus femoris needs to be loosened before the hip flexors will begin to behave but I am not sure of this (I'm not the best at anatomy either, I have a feeling that this muscle is a hip flexor but I am not sure). Any suggestions? I really want to be able to start loosening my hip flexors but I do not have a partner to help and I am an 80kg male who is reasonably strong (tight) in the legs (I think).
  11. Posting a 2 month update just in case anyone else with a similar affliction comes across this post: I have been stretching relatively intensely once per week and doing a light limbering session on other days, in line with the recommendation. I have also been doing a lying relaxation each night following along with the relaxation scripts that Kit has uploaded. The short story: I rarely get headaches anymore. My sleep has improved immensely. I am waking up feeling well rested far more often than not. The neck and jaw tension is rare and I am able to realise when it is occurring and actually relax the muscles through that realisation. Psychological stressors that I have dealt with for years are beginning to fade. The relationships I have with other people are better and life is more pleasant and enjoyable in general. This will sound absurd, but I am also feeling more intelligent, or at least I have more mental resource to dedicate to important or enjoyable tasks rather than it being depleted it on useless worries. It may sound like I am getting paid to say these things, but I promise you I am not... I tend to be skeptical of systems that promote solutions to pain, because so many systems, prescriptions and exercise routines (given by doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors, yoga teachers, osteopaths) have failed me in the past. I am sure this is how a lot of people feel. You have to trust that this system is different. I remember reading a number of threads in this forum which helped or at least encouraged me when I was at some low and painful points. I am simply posting this in hopes that I can steer someone who is in the same boat in the right direction. Kit has said before (I will paraphrase here, please don't take it as gospel) that if you try the weekly stretching, daily gentle limbering and daily relaxation exercises, in one lunar month, you will begin to see change in your body and in yourself. I can testify that this was absolutely the case for me. The most popular exercises needed to start are free on YouTube and the relaxation scripts are freely available as well. You have nothing to lose! As a final note, I would recommend that anyone who is on the fence, listen to the Stretch Therapy podcast next time you are in the car or something. Some of the conversations that both Kit and Olivia have and the way they talk about how this system works is fascinating. P.s. @IanSDW I have been enjoying the Melbourne 2017 ITS one and also the 2017 Greenwell Point one. I like to alternate between a few different ones or else I get familiar and fall asleep.
  12. @Nathan Thank you kindly for your reply. I think you're right about how impulsively creating new variables is leading to uncertainty and is not helping at all. I am going to heed your advice and stick to a plan. I'm going to try one relatively intense stretching session per week, plus daily limbering and a relaxation exercise. I will report back in the next few weeks my results!
  13. I wrote to Kit not long ago asking for advice for a problem and it was suggested that I post here. For over two years now, I have been dealing with headaches / neck / jaw pain. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly where I am feeling it, as the jaw, front of the neck and suboccipital muscles all feel afflicted. Muscles in the shoulder and middle/ upper back will tighten as well, on one side. The pain will be experienced almost always upon waking, though it will usually alleviate somewhat once I get up and move around a little bit. I cannot lie around in bed at all once I wake up. At seemingly random points throughout the day, the pain will return. It will also wake me up in the night. The randomness of the pain returning is the most maddening part, as I do not feel as though I am stressed sometimes, yet the pain will still come. Perhaps my awareness is so limited, that I simply cannot let myself relax. I have been made aware of the idea that most are aware of the concept of relaxation, but cannot actually invoke the experience. Perhaps I fall into this basket. Kit recommended that I try the hip flexor and neck stretches, and in particular the latest ones from the YouTube channel. I did so (my hip flexors are incredibly tight, especially on one side, from skateboarding - I assume) Kit also recommended that I try cultivate a daily relaxation practice. In response, I began to do the lying relaxation scripts. There is absolutely no doubt that these are effective - both in inducing a state of deep relaxation in the moment (which I honestly believe I had NEVER been able to do before) and in increasing bodily awareness throughout the next day. In the following three days, I experienced complete, sustained relief from the pain, for literally the first time in years. This was incredible - I was ecstatic. Life was beautiful once again. On the third day, I began to stress about one thing or another - the pain returned. I am now feeling as though I am “chasing the dragon” in trying to recreate the relief. I am trying to do the same stretching exercises, though I feel as though I may be stretching far too frequently and not giving the muscles enough time to recover. When the pain comes, however, it is hard to restrain myself from the utopia that stretching provided in the recent past. The pain is also now returning whilst I am trying to do the lying relaxations. I don’t know whether this is because I am missing a muscle group that needs to be stretched, or whether my muscles have been overworked, or whether I am simply stressed and unable to relax. I have just tried one of the seated mediation audios which was better and relatively pain free - I will continue with these. It’s worth noting here that I am currently about 2 weeks out from my final law exams. Undoubtedly stress levels are higher than usual and this must be playing a significant role in this affliction. However I have been experiencing this pain at relatively consistent levels throughout the past 2 years, whether on holidays or during the uni semester. I have only sought to properly resolve the pain and enhance my relaxation in the last few weeks, whereas in the past I was merely putting up with it. I do not know whether it is the stress that is causing the pain, or whether it is the pain that is causing the stress. When the pain occurs, I side with the latter. I find it hard to be relaxed when in pain, and as mentioned, it is severely disrupting my sleep, which only contributes to the stress experienced the next day. I’m sorry for the length of this post and the lack of cohesion. I realise I am probably rambling and I have no specific question. Any thoughts would be deeply appreciated.
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