I met Jacques Gauthier in March of 2005, as he was nearing the end of a walk across the United States to spread the word about the benefits of stretching. At age 66, he looked the picture of health energetic, enthusiastic and quick to smile as he shared the inspiring story of his recovery from severe illness and pain through stretching. Seeing Jacques today, it is hard to believe that 16 years ago he was in severe pain and barely able to perform the most basic activities of living. Diagnosed with arthritis, osteoporosis and vasculitis, it took him 15 minutes just to get out of bed. He couldnt even shower himself as he was unable to lift a bar of soap!

Jacques' problems began at the age of 41, when he was afflicted with neurological problems which doctors were unable to diagnose. He was in pain and started losing function in his limbs. He lost all use of his left arm which atrophied over time. His "mystery illness" made him the subject of much medical interest and he became the object of a great deal of study. With all of the symptoms of vasculitis, he was prescribed prednisone to combat the pain.

Told that he would be on steroids for the rest of his life, Jacques was pleased to find that the pain was relieved and his energy returned. Little did he know that a side of effect of prednisone is loss of bone, and 8 years later, he learned that he had developed severe osteoporosis with 30% bone loss! He was then prescribed a medication to stop the effects of the osteoporosis. It was then that he made what he calls the most important decision of my life no more pills. He realized that the new medication would likely have new side effects which would require yet another medication. At that point he decided that if he was to become a quadriplegic, as doctors were predicting, he would rather have that happen as a result of the disease rather than the medication. Jacques stopped taking the prednisone.

Although this turned out to be a good decision in the long run, Jacques did not realize that stopping the prednisone all at once could be fatal. Fortunately, it wasnt fatal, but it did lead to crippling arthritis. Jacques pain was so severe that he was practically bed bound for 6 months. All he could do was listen to meditation tapes and pray! Finally, a friend told him about someone who might be able to help him.

Despite his pain, Jacques traveled 600 miles to meet a man who told him that the simple exercise of stretching was his only hope to recover from this terrible condition. At first he could only stretch for a few seconds and then rest for hour before trying again. But after spending 3 weeks doing stretches throughout the day, his pain had been reduced by 50%. In another 6 months, he was pain free and leading a normal life.

Today Jacques insists that "you dont have to live with pain!" Thankful for his recovery, he has dedicated himself to bringing the life-giving benefits of stretching to everyone he can. People of all ages and all walks of life have been receiving the benefit of the simple stretches he teaches. Doctors, nurses, chiropractors, physical therapists and all manner of health care providers have enjoyed his courses and recommend the stretches to their patients. As we age, our muscles tighten and we have less range of motion in our joints. Simple activities that we once took for granted, like cutting our toenails, picking things up from the floor or zipping a dress, can all become difficult. A regular stretching program can help lengthen your muscles and make these daily activities easier and more enjoyable.

Everyone can learn to stretch, regardless of age or flexibility. It does not have to involve a huge time commitment, but stretching can end up giving you huge results! Some of the benefits of stretching include:

Increased energy levels
Increased flexibility
Increased circulation of the blood to various parts of the body
Greater sense of well-being
Reduced muscle tension
Injury prevention
Enhanced muscular coordination

Over the years, Jacques has taught stretching to thousands of people. Many have reported improvement in a wide variety of problems, including headaches, sciatica, back and neck pain, insomnia, depression and even conditions like fibromyalgia.

Stretching is the simplest and perhaps one of the most effective fitness techniques there is. Best of all its free! Even if you dont set time aside for stretching, you can stretch throughout the day. Simply taking breaks from time to time and stretching in whatever way feels good can be highly beneficial. You can start right now stop, be still a moment, take a few slow, deep breaths and stretch!

Mary Maddux

With a lifelong focus on healing and spirituality, Mary Maddux supports others as a counselor, healer, speaker, writer and teacher. Highly regarded in her local area, her work is reaching a growing number of people worldwide, mainly through the medium of her CDs which embody the essence of her healing and teaching gifts. She works closely with her husband, Richard Maddux, who composes music which supports spiritual expansion, relaxation and healing.

Mary's long career has taken her through studies and work in both conventional and alternative settings. Her first formal training was in counseling. With an MS in clinical social work, she began her career as a counselor in mental health and school settings. She soon saw the limitations of the conventional approaches utilized in the clinics in which she worked.

She began the practice of meditation, and immediately saw its potential for personal growth and healing. She left her counseling work to devote herself to intensive study and practice of meditation in the Vedic tradition of India. She taught meditation for many years and participated in many advanced courses.

Her studies expanded to include the study of Ayurveda, the science of health originating in ancient India. Her first experience with hands-on healing was in 1986 when she was trained and worked as an Ayurvedic therapist both in the US and India. She later began to explore other systems of healing and metaphysical thought in order to enhance her work, always seeking to find the universal truths revealed through all systems.

In 1995, Mary began to work with subtle energies through exposure to the work of Roman and Packer,. She graduated from their Awakening Your Lightbody course in 1996. She returned to counseling to apply her experience with meditation and the use of subtle energies for healing to the field of counseling. As a hospice counselor, and was introduced to hands-on energy healing by a chaplain. Seeing its value for supporting healing on all levels, she studied Reiki and Healing Touch and was certified in Healing Touch in 1999.

Mary began recording her guided meditations at the request of students. Her first CD, The Ease of Being, was the outcome of these requests. Originally recorded and distributed to a handful of people, by now it has sold thousands of copies. The overwhelmingly positive response to this CD has inspired Mary and Richard to create more CDs.