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Fascinating Article on Travel

The Alexander Technique: Your Best Companion For Low Stress Travel

Learn simple, user-friendly ways to avoid back pain and stress while travelling.
As youre waiting in line you shift from one leg to the other, balance your carry-on bag on your hip, torque your neck to keep your shoulder bag on your shoulder, balance a double latte, strain to hear the announcements coming over the P.A. system, and pull down on your neck and shoulders as you read the flight info up on the screen. Sound familiar? Traveling --- whether by plane, train, or automobile --- poses challenges to our bodies that if gone unattended, can interfere with our enjoyment of the trip, take days to recover from, and even exacerbate chronic back and joint conditions.

The good news is: You can minimize or overcome these negative effects altogether! With a few simple tips based on the Alexander Technique, the century-old technique of re-learning habits of physical movement, you can create greater ease and overall well-being, prevent injury, and reduce stress. Not to mention put the fun back into travel!

Next time you head for the airport, keep these simple principles in mind and enjoy the positive impact on your body.

Step 1 Simply notice

You have more choice than you might realize in ensuring a comfortable, low stress, non-injurious trip, simply by putting the mind-body connection to good use. A bedrock principle of founder F.M. Alexanders technique is that what we think affects our bodies --- from our stress level, as measured by heart rate and blood pressure, to excess muscle tension, to getting stuck in fearful or agitated thought cycles until our bodies are tied in knots.

Check in with yourself on a regular basis --- all the way from loading the trunk in your driveway to lowering your seat back tray 25,000 feet up in the sky --- and simply notice:

What are you thinking? Are you worried? Anxious? Excited? Joyful?

Are you clenching your jaw?

Is your abdomen tight?

Is your breathing shallow?

Are your shoulders hunched up by your ears?

Tennis guru and corporate coach Timothy Gallwey states in The Inner Game of Work, that Desire focuses attention. And when our attention is focused, our entire system organizes around the accompanying thought. Just by noticing where your attention is heading, you can be at choice as to how you respond. You can choose to let your shoulders drop down to their rightful place, giving your neck the space it needs to hold up your head! So, heed Gallweys advice and pick a thought that fills you with joy and lightness. Choose a thought that springs from something youre looking forward to on this trip. Create a fantasy around it. Youll soon discover that your body is relaxed, yet alert --- focused around your desire.

Step 2 - Just say no

Yes, it really is that simple. If you notice that your body is tightening, adding force to gravity and compressing your spine and joints, just say no! Stop whatever youre doing, and your bodys anti-gravity reflexes will be allowed to function. The result of the simple act of saying no is that the right thing does itself, as AT teacher Michael Gelb says in Body Learning.

Step 3 - Space the final frontier!

Heres the power of thought again: Because brain activity has a simultaneous neuro-muscular component, just by directing your thoughts, you can create much-needed space in your joints, spine, and muscles so they can function in the miraculous, ingenious way they were designed. When space is compressed in the neck and head, for example, we become prone to pain, but also a host of other subsequent disorders, such as TMJ (Temporo-mandibular Joint Syndrome), to name only one. Robert Rickover, Alexander teacher in Omaha, Nebraska and author of Fitness Without Stress, illustrates this relationship: A surgeon will tell you that there are as many distinct structures in your neck as in all the rest of your body. Air, food, nerve pathways and life-sustaining fluids such as blood and lymph have to pass through this narrow region of your body. And because the structures of your neck are packed so closely together, they require an absolute minimum of excess tension to function at their best.

Try this experiment: Tighten your whole body and pull in and down on yourself. Now release it. Do you notice how you spring up and out like letting go of a cork under water? Youve just created the necessary space your body needs to function optimally. Remind yourself to lighten up on yourself by letting go of unnecessary holding and tension. Just that simple directed thought will yield a positive change in your body.

Dont get fixed! Get up out of your seat and walk around. Sitting for long periods can be an invitation to stiffness and compression. Movement is the best antidote.

Say yes, thank you, to the flight attendants offer of a pillow. If you notice that your hips are at a lower angle than your knees while sitting in your seat, sit on a pillow to bring the angle of your thighs and lower legs to ninety degree. This will allow more space in your hip joints, as well as, allow your spine to follow the direction of your head in a more efficient manner.

Of course your best course of action would be to take a series of private lessons in the Alexander Technique to deepen your learning on a long-term basis. The Alexander Technique is not a therapy or an exercise program. Simply put, through a series of private lessons, the teacher guides the student through everyday movements while providing direction with her hands. Thanks to the teachers observations and expert use of his hands, the student learns to stop reacting with excess muscle tension. Over time, chronic pain and injuries caused by misuse begin to subside.

Wherever your destination you can find a certified teacher by visiting the teacher directory on one of the following web sites. If your country or destination is not one of the following, you may find links on any of the sister organization web sites:

U.S.A. - www.alexandertech.org

U.K. www.stat.org.uk

Germany www.alexandert-technik.org

Australia - www.alexandertechnique.org.au

Switzerland www.alexandertechnik.ch

Bon Voyage!

About the Author

Connie de Veer, MFA, CPCC, is a Certified Life Coach and published author. She teaches successful professionals how to break free from performance anxiety and move ahead in their careers. Look for her e-book, Pull the Plug on Panic: Speak With Confidence, and Keep Your Armpits Dry! due out August 2003. Learn more at www.cdvcoaching.com.

CORPORATE ACCOUNTABLE FOR WORKERS HEALTH AND SAFETYOsoro P.J. Nyawangah

Call for all stake holders in the working sector to take appropriate actions to help their employees
Tens of thousands of workers and employees from Tanzania will join hands with others world wide to commemorate the International Labour Day on Thursday this week.

Many workers have been waiting eagerly for the day and will snatch the opportunity to air their grievances and problems facing them in their respective work places.

The functions that take place yearly have done little to ease the working environment for the workers all over the world. Workers have been crying against insufficient and delayed wages, harassment, gender discrimination, poor working conditions, informal employment for so long etc.

The main agenda for this year according to their theme is healthy and safety environment for the workers, calling for corporate accountability for workers health and safety.

Two million workers (including 12,000 child laborers) die each year through work related accidents and diseases and that is just the tip of iceberg, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Around the world, unions on behalf of the workers have been campaigning, for employers to be made more responsible for workplace injury and illness. They are already the duty holders who should establish a good working environment: In offices, factories, and mines.

But unfortunately, they have failed time and again to do so, and as a result, unions are demanding around the world that they be held to account for their actions.

The issue of corporate social responsibility is an issue in both the developed and less developed economies. The US is neither immune in this capacity it has exploded there as an issue where corporate financial failings have been highlighted, and unions have been trying in vain to convey the same message around the world about corporate behavior on health and safety and other issues for decades.

Many trade unions in work places seem to be toothless and are doing less to help improve working environment for their members. The story is the same in the US as in Tanzania.

If doing nothing can put their members in danger, then becoming actively involved in fighting bad working environment and repression in workplaces seal the fate of most union leaders (mostly those who are directly employed by the corporation). In an interview with this correspondent recently, Magu district TALGWU Chairperson Mr. Francis Masenya disclosed how it is difficult for them as direct employees to confront their employer, on matters facing their members for their employment security.

Magu district council being one of 38 districts exercising council reformation programme, has a big number of informal employees-vibarua (whose names have never appeared in the payroll for seven years) in sectors of driving, watchmen, office attendants etc.

Trade unions, employers and the government should use this years commemoration day to show their joint agreement to implement their responsibility in building good environment for their workers.

As I have stated earlier, the 2 million lives taken annually by work related accidents and illnesses cost the global economy an estimated US $ 1250,000 million according to the Labour body. It is the humble duty for the stakeholders to create and promote a health and safety culture in a globalize world.

Fatalities, accidents and illness at work can be prevented. Every one is responsible to promote a health and safety culture in the workplace wherever work is done backed by appropriate national policies and programmes to make workplaces safer, healthier and insured for all.

For the informal employees like in the Magu district council, their corporation does not insure their employment. For that long period they are denied employment rights. Thus they are not pensionable in case of illness, accident or retirement. Their future is blank!

According to the ILO report, costs borne by society due in part to work related accidents and diseases include early retirements caused by disability which on average, shorten working life by about five years; absenteeism that varies from 2 to 10 percent, depending on sector and type of work; unemployment that may stem from impairment of working capacity due to illness and affects an average of one third of all unemployed people. And poverty at home caused by the partial or full loss of income, especially among women workers.

Let the observance of the May Day this week bring a tripartite focus to the annual event mostly to the employers and unions to reduce the toll of death, injury and sickness at worlds workplaces, with special attention to prevention techniques to prove effective in both occupational accidents, diseases and improve business.

About the Author

freelance journalist, district political party secretary and african cultural advocate.

International Success Tips - Business Meeting Gifts - Part 1Kimberley Roberts

A gift is a social gesture that may be expected in some countries, and could be considered a bribe in others. Knowing the gift guidelines for the country youll be visiting will help make your meeting a success.
Preparing for a business meeting requires a working knowledge of the information to be discussed or presented, careful attention to all details on the printed material to be distributed, and perhaps a gift. This gift is a social gesture that may be expected in some countries, and could be considered a bribe in others. Knowing the gift guidelines for the country youll be visiting will help make your meeting a success.

Some multi-national companies and some governments have very strict policies regarding their employees accepting gifts. To avoid creating a problem, its imperative you learn the policies for the companies you do business with.

Countries like Malaysia and Paraguay, concerned with corruption, frown upon any gift that could be construed as a bribe. In Malaysia you wouldnt give a gift until you had established a relationship with the person. In Singapore, government employees are not allowed to accept gifts, and the United States limits the acceptable dollar value to $25.

However, in some countries like Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, exchanging gifts is strongly rooted in tradition. Part of the tradition is the gracious style used to present and receive them. Its important to plan time and focus on the process.

Its very important in Asia and the Middle East to only use your right hand, or both hands, to offer or accept a gift. In Japan and Hong Kong, use both hands.

In Singapore a recipient may graciously refuse three times before accepting your gift. But in Chile, gifts are accepted and opened immediately. And in Indonesia, small gifts are given on a frequent basis.

Always be cognizant of religious laws when selecting gifts. For instance, liquor and pork are prohibited in the Jewish and Muslim religions, so you wouldnt select a gift made from pigskin. As in India, dont offer a gift made from cowhide.

A standard to keep in mind for any gift you select is quality. Choose quality items that are not ostentatious. If you have gifts with your company logo, its better if the logo is discreet. And dont give company logo gifts in Greece, Spain and Portugal.

Hosting a meal at a nice restaurant is always a good business practice. A fine dinner is a wonderful way to give a gift to your hosts, to show your guests you appreciate the business relationship you have with them, and an opportunity to build rapport. People in Brazil, England, Panama, and Peru enjoy being invited guests for a meal, and the Greeks look forward to an evening filled with dining. In China, plan a banquet, especially if you are being honored with one.

Next month Ill discuss gift giving in greater detail by region and country, but following are some highlights to use.

If a country isnt listed in a category, it means gifts may or may not be exchanged. Should you receive a gift, and dont have one to offer in return, you will not create a crisis. However, this is a good reason for planning to host a meal. It becomes your reciprocal gesture.

Countries in which a gift is expected:

- Europe Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, Ukraine - Latin American Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica

- Pacific Rim China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand

Countries in which a gift is not expected on the first visit, but would be expected on a subsequent visit:

- Europe Portugal, Spain

- Latin American Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Venezuela

- Pacific Rim Malaysia, Singapore

- Scandinavia Finland, Norway

Countries in which a gift is not expected, or gifts are infrequent exchanged:

- Africa

- Australia

- Europe - England, France, Hungary, Italy

- Latin America - Uruguay

- Scandinavia Denmark

- Middle East Pakistan, Saudi Arabia

- United States

About the Author

Kimberley Roberts has conducted hundreds of seminars and helped thousands of women and men find more self-assurance and confidence, creating greater success in their lives. Her simple but powerful ABCs of Success can help a person get more of what they want. Kimberley also writes articles for international business women and men on etiquette and manners for countries throughout the world.

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