Antagonist Muscles

Rhomboid(red) Lavator scapulae(blue)

There is an interesting fact I have found that each muscle has an antagonist which keep to take the body balance. for example,  

Rectus abdominis (berry muscle) <---> Elector spinae (aside of spine)


Rhomboid (the red part on the right fig.) <---> Serratus (another name is Boxer muscle, red part on the bottom fig.)


 Pectoralis minor ( the blue part on the bottom fig.) <---> Lavator scapulae (it connects cervical and shoulder blade, blue part of the right fig.)

Serratus(red), Pectoralis minor(blue)

If the muscle is strong and the antagonist is weak, it's difficult to take the body balance or equality. I would like to focus on some areas where people suffer from computer work this time ...the side and back part of the neck, shoulder, scapula and the chest.

The shoulder blade will be slanted when the contraction is different between the muscle and the antagonist, then range of  the motion might be changed or feels pain at a point of a movement.


It is not only important that softening the muscle tightness,　be conscious about the antagonist and how to train the both muscles evenly at the gym, yoga, or in any exercises, also.



 

Relaxation Music

Kidneys

Hi, my name is Tomohiko Yokoyama who does Shiatsu massage at a hair salon in Manhattan, New York. This first time story of The Shiatsu Times is about Kidneys.

Many people has stress or tension on their kidneys that I have felt in the Shiatsu sessions in New York.

So what are cause of kidney's stress?...there are many reasons we might have,

* Lack of sleep

* Keep to listening sound or noise (kidneys relate ears in Chinese Medicine)  

* Coldness
* Depression, Fear
* Eat the foods which take the body fluid... like Salty, Dried, Baked, Spicy, Meat, atc
* Take water too much (kidneys need to work all the time to form the urine, besides when you do exercise, physical activity, or Summer)
* Taking excess amount of caffeine
* Electromagnetic radiation

Toward the real Winter we might be careful of the organ, but how we do?

There are some signatures of overworking of the kidneys,

1. water bag of the skin below the eyes ( you know when you didn't sleep...)
2. coldness of a side of thoracic 10-12th ( sometimes get swelled and hot will be excessive work, too )
3. swelling of the lateral arch of the feet

So when you see these signs on your body, you might avoid or do less any [ * ] marks would not be only effective, enjoying the bath time or wearing black socks will help the kidney's work, also...

Orientel Medcine has taught us " Ki (energy) " comes from the Kidneys and the Liver, so please take care your Kidneys for your Winter activity!

Thank you for reading, I would mention about this organ more, See you next time.