ACTIVE PHYSIOTHERAPY = MOVEMENT, RELAXATION, BREATHING
The active physiotherapy techniques that the Mayr Therapy uses most are movement, relaxation and breathing exercises. All these exercises help to improve intestinal functions, which is precisely the primary objective of the Mayr Therapy.
Movement is one of the two basic foundations of health, together with the diet, not only during the Mayr Therapy, but in daily life. Of course, during the Mayr Therapy – which is essentially a real rest therapy – movements must never be exaggerated and consist in one or two short daily walks and some simple exercises. During gymnastics, one must not worry about following the set schemes, but rather, one has to free the imagination, and do the various movements with the arms, legs, neck and trunk, in order to move all the joints. Just a few minutes, three or four times a day would suffice to start feeling better. The important thing is that the movement must be always done in the open, in the clean air – while at least during the therapy – the use of equipment is superfluous. Let’s keep in mind that the primary objective is not to hyper-develop the muscles, but to move the joints which we never have the chance to exercise, even in our daily chores, at work, during sports, or with the hobbies we usually engage in.
Relaxation is one of the basic components of the Mayr Therapy, which is the rest therapy par excellence. All the relaxation and positioning techniques are ideally associated to the dietary therapy, from Yoga to Bioenergetics, and Autogenic Training to Meditation. In particular there are two Yoga exercises that specifically stimulate intestinal motility, the tiger pose on all fours, and the semi-candle, that should always be done during the Mayr Therapy.
Another nice relaxing technique consists in lying down before lunch for a few minutes. The aim is to relax the tensions accumulated in the morning, and thus prepare the body to digest the second meal better. As you see from this small example, the Mayr Therapy is one of the therapies that is most considerate of the human being, since it takes into account one’s most interior and unknown needs. Try out this trick and you’ll see how you will digest your lunch better, and not feel any post-meal dreariness!
Last are the breathing exercises. These must never be strained, but rather, have to accompany gently and naturally one’s spontaneous physiological breathing. The secret to perform really beneficial breathing exercise is to be aware of the alternation of contraction and relaxation that occurs in all the muscles of the chest when breathing: when breathing in, a contraction comes about, and on breathing out, relaxation. During the Mayr Therapy, the doctor applies this fundamental principle to guide the patient toward the exercises that are most suitable to his/her case. The breathing exercises are also important for the massaging action the diaphragm has on the intestine during deep breathing: when breathing in, the diaphragm lowers and gently presses on the upper part of the intestine, while on breathing out, it rises, and releases this pressure. All this explains how gentle and personalized the breathing exercise should be during the therapy.