Revitalize Your Stressed-Out Neck, Shoulders, and Hands

A Powerful 4-part Upper-body Practice for Reversing the Effects of Too Much Sitting, Texting, Typing, and Zooming

You are over #FierceOver50 and you have worked hard all your life – knocking out projects, perhaps raising kids, achieving your professional goals, and giving everything you tackle your utmost creativity and energy.

The Live Zoom Workshop will Happen on Thursday, September 24, 2020.

But don’t worry if you can’t make it live -- you’ll have unlimited access to the recording so you can catch up later (and then again and again and again)!

A live Zoom workshop and upper body practice to reverse the results of too much sitting, texting, typing, and zooming

🌟 In this 2-hour live workshop (with a bathroom break!), you’ll learn 4 powerful ways to restore a feeling of well-being in your hands, shoulders, and neck.

🌟 We'll cover simple, but effective, movement practices to improve your range of movement, massage and stretch stiff hands and fingers, relieve pain on your upper back and neck, and gently strengthen your upper body so it functions optimally for the next 50 years of your life!

What? When? Who? And, What Do I Need?

WHAT?
Revitalize Your Stressed-Out Neck, Shoulders, and Hands -- A 2-hour live workshop (with a bathroom break!) teaching you how to respond to the pain, stiffness, and tension in your hands, neck and shoulders that results from too much time spent sitting, typing, texting, and zooming.

WHEN?
Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 9am Los Angeles | 11am Chicago | 12pm New York City | 5pm London | 7pm Jerusalem

WHO?
Me 👋 I’m AnnMerle. I am the creator of the Body Vitality Method. For nearly 20 years, I have worked with #FierceOver50 women -- private clients and students -- as a body wellness coach .

I’m certified by Jill Miller in YogaTuneUp® and The Roll Model Method®. I am also an advanced Forrest Yoga instructor, a Reiki Master, certified in Turbodog Yoga, and in the Safe and Sound Protocol.

I have used the Body Vitality Method as the basis for numerous other courses and workshops. And now, I have bottled up everything I know about healing your hands, necks, and shoulders and creating this in-depth workshop to share this work with you.

WHAT DO I NEED?
You'll need simple props like a pair of tennis balls, a yoga strap, and a yoga block. As soon as you'll sign up, you'll find a list of recommended products inside our student platform. These props will become your new companions and can be used over and over again to restore your body vitality.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

RELIEF FOR YOUR NECK, SHOULDERS, AND HANDS

Everything you need to know to massage out pain, restore movement, and gently strengthen your upper body.

2-HOUR LIVE ZOOM WORKSHOP

Your personal invite to the 2-hour live workshop where you’ll learn (and try!) 4 short yet powerful movement practices to revitalize your neck, shoulders, and hands.

PRACTICES AND WISDOM TO APPLY TO YOUR UPPPER BODY

Before each practice, we’ll have a 10-minute chat so you understand what we’re doing and how it will heal your body so you can carry this wisdom into your everyday life.

Q&A SESSION

A live Q&A session at the end of the training - and the opportunity to send your questions in advance if you can’t make it live.

UNLIMITED ACCESS

Unlimited access to the workshop recording including the 4 practices and 4 introductory chats. This means you can go back to what you learn and practice with me again and again and again, What else? Your pass to Revitalize Your Stressed Out Neck, Shoulders, and Hands includes:

Exhausted Achievers: Ready to Revitalize Your Stressed-Out Neck, Shoulders, and Hands?

Join the live workshop and discover 4 practices to revitalize your upper body and say goodbye to pain, stiffness, and stress so you can type and text and zoom without torturing your precious body.

Sign up for the live workshop for $37

Price will go up to $67 dollars after September 24th, 2020.

Join Now for $37

Before you take this workshop, consult your doctor. Not all exercises are suitable for everyone. The instructions and advice in this workshop are not meant to be medical advice and should not be taken as such. The creators, producers, and instructors of this program disclaim any liability, loss, or injury in connection with these exercises.

These days, the time you spend sitting, creating amazing work on your laptop, or zooming to connect with colleagues or with distant family, or texting that one last point is taking a greater toll than it used to:

✋ You grab your cell phone to text a message to your kids or your co-worker and your neck and shoulders start to scream at you.
✋ After a long day on your laptop, you go to sleep with unbearable tension in your neck
✋ You turn your head to parallel park your car and you wonder why your neck is so stiff and can hardly move.
✋ You are not willing to reach up to that top shelf to pull down a heavy pot or platter, for fear that you’ll tear something in your shoulder like ao mmany of your friends have.
✋ You start typing on your keyboard and it doesn’t take even an hour before your hands and wrists start to hurt

You Can Feel the Pain

You can feel the pain taking up residence in your traps at the top of your shoulders. You can feel the tightness working its way up your neck. And you wonder if you will go to bed with a tension headache or whether you will wake up with one.

You clasp your fingers, attempting to stretch them. You rub the sides of your neck. You are irritated by that knot between your shoulder blades that you cannot reach.

You wonder if a new office chair or a better, ergonomic set up would help. You remember the relief from your last massage, even though those delicious feelings were gone by the next morning, when you returned to your computer.

The Solution is Simpler Than You Think

I know. I feel you. I have been there. It’s funny, but once you sit up and take a look at your sitting, zooming, texting, typing life and the pain it is causing, a light goes off for you.

You say to yourself, “This can’t possibly be right. I’m too smart not to be able to figure this out.”

When you learn how to move, breath, massage, and strengthen all of these over-used parts of your body, they respond so quickly and lovingly -- like they are your best friend joining you for a long-awaited reunion.

How do I know this? Through my 1:1 practice and online classes, I’ve helped dozens of women resolve neck, shoulder, and hand issues. But more than that, I also know all of this from first-hand experience.

How did I learn to take care of my own “exhausted achiever” neck, shoulders, and hands?

At age 50, almost 20 years ago, I was a professor and a single mother of two great kids. But I had reached the end of the rope when it came to pain, stress, and a day that never ended.

I typically woke up with a tension headache that got worse throughout the day. I sat over a computer or held a phone to my ear (remember those?) all day until I drove home to pick up the kids, make dinner, get us all ready for the next day and then I repeated all this the next day.

I Knew I Had to Do Something

I knew I had to do something -- my life, as it was, was not sustainable. Yoga was my “gateway drug” and it helped a bit, but even after 3 years of a regular yoga practice I developed a frozen shoulder from all those previous years of shoulder abuse.

After many advanced certifications and trainings -- Reiki Master, Advanced Forrest Yoga, Turbodog Yoga, the Safe and Sound Protocol, I became certified as a YogaTuneUp® and Roll Model Method® practitioner with Jill Miller and that changed my life.

You might need a physical therapist or a chiropractor for a serious injury, but most of us can relieve the pain of “overdoing” with a regular, 15-minute practice of self-care. That’s how we easily repair the damage of texting, typing, and everyday life and work activities.

What Makes This Practice Special?

My practice to break free from upper body pain is based on the Body Vitality Method -- developed over almost 20 years of serving #FierceOver50 clients in-person and through virtual classes.

🙋‍♀️ This method was designed especially for you: the woman who needs new and effective solutions to the pain that comes with years of achieving and working hard, often under tremendous stress and long hours sitting.

🙋‍♀️ Many yoga classes claim to fix your neck. Frequently, they ask you to, for instance, clasp your hands behind your shoulders to stretch your neck. And most women our age, with years of desk work on our necks, would likely injure themselves simply trying to get into that pose.

🙋‍♀️ I make it a point to teach you why we are doing what we are doing because my clients are smart, self-motivated, can-do women, like you. I call us “exhausted achievers” and there is a good side of that: we know how to get things done. The other side, of course, is that we don’t know when to stop.

🙋‍♀️. Learning why you are doing what you are doing, through the Body Vitality Method, gives you the power to choose what specific techniques you need and when you need them.
🙋‍♀️. My intent is to give you tools, techniques, and encouragement to support the health of your neck, shoulders, and hands just like you would brush your teeth.

Learn to Ditch the Pain

Most important, in this workshop, you’ll learn how to ditch the constant pain and tension that lives in your hands, neck, and shoulders and finally be able to live each day of your life free of the deadening burden of stress-induced pain.

🌟 Learn and own simple practices that you can use anytime and anywhere: at home in front of the TV, in the car while driving, sitting at the kitchen table, or laying down on your yoga mat.

🌟 Feel immediate results and relief as we progress through the workshop + know exactly what is working for you in your specific body.

🌟 Gain a deep understanding of why the techniques I teach work, so that you can choose the ones you need with confidence to take care of the issues you are facing.

When your neck, shoulders, and hands don’t hurt, the rest of you, your whole body, feels fabulous and energized, like a window just opened up leading you on your next adventure!

Here's What You'll Learn Inside

This live zoom workshop consists of 4 sections, covering the main aspects of Revitalize Your Stressed-Out Neck, Shoulders, and Hands.

Each section covers a 15- minute, mini-practice and will be preceded by a short,10-minute chat about what’s going on in your body and how to make the practice work for you.

And the best news? You’ll be able to take these powerful self-care solutions and immediately incorporate them in your everyday life!

Your Four-Part Practice

PRACTICE 1: RESTORING FULL MOVEMENT TO YOUR SHOULDERS

To restore vitality to your neck and shoulders, we need to improve your shoulders’ range of motion. If you have been sitting and slouching over a computer keyboard your shoulders are getting stuck in that position. A stuck shoulder joint cannot move; if forced, you will invite an unfortunate injury.

💡 In this section, you will learn how to maintain and improve your shoulders’ ability to move through a full range of motion. You’ll also learn techniques for breath that assist your shoulders in moving well.

PRACTICE 2: LOOSENING STIFFNESS IN YOUR HANDS AND IMPROVING GRIP STRENGTH
You might not realize it, but tightness and pain in your hands and fingers is directly connected to weakness and the curved posture of your upper back.

💡 Here, you’ll learn how to massage your fingers and hands to reduce inflammation and stiffness. I’ll also show you how to improve your grip strength -- one of the main signs of aging well.

(Plan to open those pesky salsa jars on your own! )

PRACTICE 3: MASSAGING AWAY STRESS FROM YOUR NECK AND SHOULDERS
Your neck and shoulders are a magnet for invisible stress. Even if you have no pain right now, if you are #FierceOver50, you are most likely accumulating stress in these areas. This stress is causing your connective tissue, or fascia, to dry out and emerge, now or eventually, as painful knots or inflamed areas.

💡 Here is where the magic happens! Using soft massage balls or pillows, you will feel a rainshower of stress cascading off your neck and shoulders.

This is where my clients moan out loud in embarrassingly deep-throated tones, “Oh, I didn’t think it could feel this good.” This is, I often feel, as good as it gets in life -- bringing dehydrated and immobilized tissues in our bodies back to life.

PRACTICE 4: BUILDING GENTLE STRENGTH IN YOUR NECK AND SHOULDERS
The biggest mistake my clients make (before coming to see me, that is) is deciding they are going to get in shape, joining a gym, or hiring a trainer, and beginning strength training. And boom! One of the 4 key muscles surrounding the shoulder joint gets torn, badly pulled, or inflamed or all of the above.

💡 In this section, you’ll discover unusual but very effective ways to strengthen your shoulders and neck. This gentle strengthening work can be done with almost no props -- just your body weight. And, it involves looking quite a bit like Wonder Woman -- if you are ready for that!

Testimonials

This work is designed for women our age to keep our muscles and joints loose without the sometimes overuse and stress caused by gym machines. AnnMerle taught us to focus on and isolate key muscles and breathe life into them, and she did it in a low key, fun, way.

Liz Carlson

As my body ages (gracefully, I hope), and as I leave my hardcore workouts behind, I’ll have these tools to keep my body moving, not only in activities of everyday life, but also stretching myself in other ways to feel fulfilled (such as breathing and gratitude practice.)

Shari Greenberg

It’s time for you, too, to experience the relief and freedom that comes with:

Letting go of stress
Getting beyond pain
Feeling like you are floating on new energy
And, finally being about to see where you can go in your life with a newly revitalized body!

I can’t wait to share with you what I have taught so many of my clients.

Exhausted Achievers: Ready to Revitalize Your Stressed-Out Neck, Shoulders, and Hands?

Join the live zoom workshop and discover 4 practices to revitalize your upper body and say goodbye to pain, stiffness, and stress so you can type and text and zoom without torturing your precious body.

Sign up for the live workshop for $37

Price will go up to $67 dollars after September 24th, 2020.

Join Now for $37

Revitalize Your Neck, Shoulders, and Hands is perfect for you if…Text

😃 You have simply spent too much time sitting staring into a computer or phone screen. Have you? I certainly have.

😃 You recognize yourself as an exhausted achiever (OMG! That’s me!) and you realize that you need some new strategies to respond to the chronic tension that your neck, shoulders, and hands are holding on to.

😃 You love the feeling of a massage, but they are costly, unavailable these days while we are social distancing, and the results simply do not last. You’d like a solution that you can own. You are, in your heart, a do it yourselfer.

😃 You know you need to do something about the daily build-up of pain in your neck, shoulders, and hands, and this workshop is saying “Yes” in your heart. You’d like to give it a try and you are ready to build some new self-care habits.

😃 You can type and text and zoom all day without any pain. (Lucky you!) Consider that stress and tension are building up in your body, and while it hasn’t become painful yet, it’s a good idea to learn these practices to keep yourself happily doing everything you want to do in life.

On the other hand, you might want to skip this if…

😫 You are currently seeing a doctor or completing a round of physical therapy for issues that require medical attention.

😫 You are considering surgery for your neck, shoulders, or hands.

😫 You have not been cleared by your doctor for massage on your neck, shoulders and hands.

😫 You are currently working with a therapist or teacher of some sort who is solving these problems for you.

Testimonials

AnnMerle,you are an exceptional and wise guide -- your expertise, your years as a teacher, your thoughtful consideration and curiosity, and your practicing what you preach.

Ann O'Brien

AnnMerle, I am always impressed by the level of expertise and passion you bring to every class. I want to bottle you up and take you home with me.

Liz Smith

Exhausted Achievers: Ready to Revitalize Your Stressed-Out Neck, Shoulders, and Hands?

Sign up for the live workshop for $37

Price will go up to $67 dollars after September 24th, 2020.

FAQs

Before you take this workshop, consulHow will I be able to watch the workshop live?

The workshop will be hosted using Zoom. Zoom can be downloaded here: https://zoom.us/download. You'll also have access to the recording inside our student platform later on.

What if I got a new, more ergonomically appropriate office chair?

I can tell you that before I retired from my job as a professor to learn how to take care of myself and others, I tried every office chair available. Almost all of them support you in ways that actually weaken the muscles of your back and spine because you are nestling into a lumbar- supported back rest, instead of using your own muscles to hold your spine erect. Instead of teaching your back muscles to hold you erect, you are teaching them to slouch or rest against the chair.
holding yourself erect, your spine learned to slouch forward.

In Revitalize Your Stressed Out Neck, Shoulders, and Hands, I teach you how to strengthen your upper back and your neck, which goes a long way towards helping your posture.

But no, sadly, in my opinion, these ergonomic solutions might feel good at first, but they are not helping the basic structures in your body let go of tension, to learn to move your shoulder joints, and to strengthen your neck and upper back which have already become habituated to a slouching, slumping posture.

What props and space do I need during the workshop?

First, bring your beautiful self!

Then, a comfortable chair for listening and watching. And, have a water bottle handy.

For the practices, you need a wall space that will accommodate your body with your arms spread wide that you can lean back against.

And, please gather these around-the-house items:

*A simple yoga block of any kind

*A yoga strap or long scarf, sash, or belt

*Two tennis balls and an old sock to put them in

*A pillow that’s about one foot square or a large, or a very soft child’s ball.

These simple props will get you started in the workshop. If you love what you feel, I’ll have suggestions for the props I use daily inside the course.

What if I am in so much pain that I can't move my neck or my shoulder is frozen and won't move?

I’m so sorry if this is your situation. This workshop is not for you and I hope you will find a medical professional who can guide you to health. This workshop is for women who need to learn new self-care and movement strategies, but not for situations that require medical attention

How long will the live zoom workshop take?

The workshop itself will take around 2 hours (including a bathroom break) and, including a Q&A session.

During the workshop, you’ll learn 4 different practices focused on 1) shoulder joint mobility, 2) massaging and strengthening your hands 3) massaging your neck and upper back, and 4) strengthening your neck and upper back.

You’ll feel the impact of these practices almost immediately in your body. My clients tell me a sense of relief washes over them with specific movements or self-massage techniques.

The practices are all about 15-minutes long, so you can easily incorporate them into your day-to-day life.

At first, as part of your recovery, it is a good idea to practice about 3 times a week or on a regular basis. As you heal, you can choose to use a particular technique when you know, for instance, that you will be typing for a long time or on a very long zoom call.

You will become adept at knowing what your body needs. You can use these techniques daily or whenever as a preventative measure. Or, you can use them when you have overdone it and need some healing work.

That’s the beauty of this work. It is yours. You have the four practices and the introductory chats to go back to whenever you need to, but you will very quickly develop a sense of what you need to do on a regular basis and what you might need to do if you travel, attend a conference, start a big project, or anticipate a stressful situation.

Then, if you fall off the wagon, so to speak, you can always go back and watch the whole workshop again! 🤪

What if I can't join live?

You’ll receive the video recordings of the four specific practices and the four introductory chats soon after the workshop, so you can watch them whenever you want.

Plus, you’ll have the chance to submit any specific questions in advance, so I can cover them during the Q&A part of the workshop.

When will you offer this workshop again?

I’ll offer the recording of the live workshop as a class, but the special launch price of $37 will be gone. After Thursday, September 24, Revitalize your Stressed-Out Neck, Shoulders and Hands will be sold for $67 and you won’t get the opportunity to join live or submit questions in advance.

What if I don't learn anything new?

If you feel you haven’t learned anything new from this workshop, please get in touch within one week of your purchase and I’ll gladly refund your investment.

I've got another question.

Great! Use the chat box at the bottom right corner of this page and let's chat. Or, e-mail me at annmerle@annmerle.com