PURPOSE: Assesses lower-body strength, which is needed for numerous tasks, such as climbing stairs, walking, and getting out of a chair, tub, or car.
HOW TO TEST: Sit in a chair with your arms folded across your chest. Stand up, and then sit down again. Count the number of full stands you can complete in 30 seconds.
The Senior Fitness Test provides an easy and effective way to measure the strength, flexibility, and endurance of older adults without sophisticated equipment. Safe and enjoyable for older adults, it also meets scientific standards for reliability and validity. Developed by In Full Bloom coauthor Jessie Jones, Ph.D., and her colleague Roberta Rikli, Ph.D., its accompanying performance norms are based on actual performance scores of over seven thousand men and women between the ages of sixty and ninety-four. When completing the test, do the best you can, but do not overextend yourself or push yourself beyond what you consider safe. Prior to testing, complete a five- to ten-minute warm-up and general stretching routine.
This test was not developed specifically for use with the Brain Education System Training (BEST) method used by Dahn Yoga, but it is a great accompaniment. It is especially helpful for assessing progress during step one, which emphasizes the connection of body and brain. If you work with older adults, or if you would like to assess your own condition, try using this test before you begin. Usually it takes approximately three months of consistent practice to fully experience the benefits of BEST, so it is preferable to retest every three to six months.
In Oriental medicine, the Yong-chun is one of the most important energy points. Yong-chun means “like spring water spouts out of the earth, life en-ergy is created inside the body.” It is believed to be a source of great vitality and courage for your life. This same concept is represented in the West in the term “cold feet,” which suggests that courage is somehow connected to circulation in the feet.
Yong-chun is located in the front third of the sole, right under the ball of the foot, between the second and big toes. It is located in the indention where the sole print creates an upside-down V shape.
To stimulate the Yong-chun, stand up straight and comfortably, and lean forward about one degree from the center of the sole. When standee ing this way, your weight naturallv shifts to the Yong-chun. As vou do this, concentrate on your Yong-chun and use the strength of vour toes. Since the weight is now evenly distributed throughout the bodv, the joints won’t have the burden of bearing your entire weight. You mav notice that it is hard to stand still in this posture because your body will want to spring forward naturallv with little effort.
Now walk forward, concentrating on the Yong-chun and using the strength of your toes, as if you were grabbing the earth. As your weight is placed on your toes, all the weight that was on the heels will move to the front.
Spend a few minutes observing how you walk normally. Notice if one leg takes more weight, or of there is pain on one side. Also notice your footsteps. You may notice that one or both feet turn inward or outward. The feet should remain consistently parallel, like the number eleven. If not, it is an indication that the legs are not in proper alignment with the pelvis.
This sort of misalignment can lead to serious problems in the knee and hip joints. Also, when the legs are not aligned, they consume more energy in each step. While walking, consciously try to keep your legs parallel with your knees turned forward. Your knees should almost touch, and the legs and feet should remain parallel throughout the entire step.
As Ilchi Lee tells in the human body, the pelvis is to the body like the foundation is to a building. When properly aligned, the rest of the body will naturally follow-. Carefully aligning your legs and feet in this way will help facilitate energy flow in the legs, and it will allow better accumulation of energy in the abdomen, which is the center of physical energy. Digestion and circulation around the organs will also improve as the entire body comes back into alignment, thereby improving your overall sense of well-being.
walking with the body symmetrical is the most basic principle ot Jang-saeng Walking, and it governs the whole circulation system of the body and energy. when telling tired or powerless at work, or when you teal pain and stiffness in the joints, focus on realigning your body for better energy flow. You will feel much better.
Our discussion here concerns Brain Integration. This aspect of BEST works to reunite the diverse processing centers of the brain, reviving dormant connections between thought, emotion, and reasoning and helping vou to discover your true self.
The human brain is the most complex structure we can imagine. Its billions of neurons interweave in countless neural connections, and it is a living, dynamic system. Millions of nerve cells die every day while more are created as a result of new experiences. Though we have made great leaps in our knowledge of the hormonal, electrical, and functional operation of this amazing organ, we are still light years away from understanding how the physical brain gives rise to self, awareness, and consciousness.
According to a 2006 study conducted at the Yale School of Medicine, the brain uses both digital and analog coding for communications across its expanse. Digital signals, the yes/no option that defines today’s computers in everything from cars to video cameras, are very efficient and were thought to be enough for the brain to do its complicated work. Not so. It turns out that analog signals, which depend on changes in the voltage of the electrical impulses that drive our brains, are also involved. The result is a solution far more subtle and efficient than we ever expected. Our brains are full of surprises, as are we. Your brain gives you the potential to reinvent yourself at any age.
