The bow releases the arrow; the bow pose releases emotions and strengthens the nerves. This is a pose for dealing with reality, and getting over the fantasy. This is the moment of capturing dreams, attaining the goal and shooting your mark. The archer is the symbol for Sagittarius (I'm familiar given I'm a first week born December person) and when someone born under this Sun sign does focus, they are a force of nature. Ironically, they tend not to focus, becoming scattered, with frayed nerves, exhaustion and comic touches as they twirl through life, missing the mark. The archer is the opposite of this though - it is serious like Xena. The archer has epitomized the intensity of concentration through the ages in many cultures in many mediums, not just the zodiac: the laser-focus of the hunter, the power that comes from concentrating on just one object, place or activity.

Concentration is required on this path of yoga, for all poses, but the degree of concentration both physically and mentally needed for the bow is most high. The emotional release following this can be intense and I highly recommend this on melancholic days if emotions start to jam. To concentrate means to put all of one's attention and effort on that one thing. The definition for "concentrate" as a noun also beautifully applies: to reduce, to extract diluting agents; to become smaller so only the essence is left.

Power concentrates and narrows down to its raw essence, it doesn't blow itself up, strut around and puff about.

The physical concentration takes place in the solar plexus or manipura chakra located in the lumbar region in the spine where the kidneys are in the back and around the belly button in the front. To keep the power concentrated, rather than passive or scattered, focus on the solar plexus region in the front and corresponding part in the back. It's from this region that the legs sprout up. My arms are there to guide, not to pull and yank my feet. The power radiates from the middle outward, not from hands, arms or shoulders towards the spine. The feet and legs should be higher than the head, and there should be the sense that the hips are higher than the head. The forehead should only cautiously rise up once the power out of the solar plexus area has stabilized.

To prepare, lie flat on your tummy with one arm in front, the other back along the thigh. Stretch the front arm forwards on the ground and lift it up, while also lifting the opposite leg and back arm on the left. Hold the lift and gather focus on the solar plex at which point the spine will rise. The spine will lift not just up, but also outwards. The spine lengthens out towards your head and front arm, and also lengthens in the back toward the back leg and arm. After a few breaths, lower the spine and forehead to the ground, and change your arms. Repeat on the other side, and continue to alternate the arms at least two more times before bending your knees and grabbing the outside of your feet to prepare for the bow.

I've heard some fitness gurus liken sitting to the new smoking. This may be going a bit too far. But there is no doubt there is an epidemic of sitting, and sitting in such a frozen state for such long periods that it makes the worries about carpal tunnel in the '90s almost quaint. There is such a super-focused gaze now, directed only short distances onto little screens, that freezes the whole body in a perpetual state of flight-or-fright whether working or playing. Elbows locked, limbs locked, the body locked in awkward positions and the eyes narrowed into a tunnel vision - not across plains and through forests - but on a tiny rectangle.

I can't imagine this is healthy for eyeballs, particularly little kid eyes, but I deal almost daily with the physical fallout from adults mired in the "Sitting State". So many times they complain of arm or shoulder pain, when it's a cramp, lack of mobility, and tightness in the upper chest and thoracic spine that is the cause of the pain and problems elsewhere.

You can do these arm movements daily on the ground or while standing or while using a therapeutic ball. These balls are fantastic alternatives to chairs when you really must sit. They are fun to sit on even when you don't have to sit! They relieve the entire spine, and the buoyancy you feel as you gently bounce on them is the buoyancy experienced on your body inside. But of course, you can use them as physical aids and one way is to aid in the opening of the chest with these slow and gentle arm rotations. The rotation can be small at first -- they needn't be as wide as demonstrated below. A limited rotation has to be expected if you've developed certain hunched habits in the Sitting States. In time and with practice, the rotation will widen out and will become smoother.

Squat in front of the ball and lean your upper body back; let your neck and back of the head round back to meet the arc of the ball. Keep the knees bent and engage with the arms at the side of your body. Start to make the connection between the arms and the heart center: Feel the arms growing out of the upper chest or the heart center and start to move the arms side into a "T" position. Move slowly so you can build on the picture of the arms lengthening out of the heart center, which corresponds to the thoracic spine in the back.

One of the pleasures of living in New Jersey is the welter of farms - family-owned, centuries-old, organic - that produce all-natural, organic foods that don't break the bank. My latest discovery is Apple Butter, which has no butter or diary. As it says on the tin: "Nothing But Fruit".

Still, I was dubious as it looked too creamy, the consistency so rich. But nothing but apples and cider it is, and so dense and packed with nutrients that it makes smoothies look positively watered down. It's perfect for vegetarians and vegans any time, any where, and what a great alternative to nut-butters or spreads on mornings when the sweet-tooth is in over-drive.

Despite no pectins, additives or preservatives have been added, you don't need to refrigerator it either - a mystery the Bauman Family has cultivated since 1892. The Bauman Family says it doesn't even need a lid and could last for years. I'm not sure mine will last too long as it's just too delicious and one of my favorite food finds.