What’s your capacity to be embodied, present and engaged with anger? Before we jump into this topic, it might be helpful to reflect for a moment on your relationship with anger: When you read or hear the word “anger,” what do you notice in your body? In your personal history, what has happened when youContinue reading “mindful anger”
Category Archives: Nervous System
taking control of the narrative
sometimes our deeply held beliefs about ourselves don’t hold up to scrutiny. For years, I’d been sure that I was not getting enough sleep. I would wake up in the morning feeling tired, often disturbed by the vivid dreams I experienced. If I woke up in the middle of the night, I’d anxiously count theContinue reading “taking control of the narrative”
“can’t you just…”
Last week, one of my clients was telling me about her past experience with a yoga teacher. “She was young, thin, her body could do everything, and she was just trying to push my body into different positions, like, ‘can’t you just do this,’ and it wasn’t working at all…” In that moment, not onlyContinue reading ““can’t you just…””
6 ways that movement helps support mental health
(There are definitely more, but 6 is a nice number to start with!) Endorphins. Movement releases “feel-good” hormones like seratonin, endorphins, dopamine & norepinephrine (adrenaline). You really can get a natural high. If you’re moving in synchronicity with other people, socializing, or outdoors, you may get an additional dose of these! Improves the mind-body connection.Continue reading “6 ways that movement helps support mental health”
has perfectionism been your protection?
“I don’t understand why I’m so bad at this,” my client said. “Why can’t I do it?” “Have you ever done this before?” I asked her. “Why do you think you would be an expert at something you’ve never done before?” Perfectionism shows up in our movement practice much as it does in the restContinue reading “has perfectionism been your protection?”
tension holds us together
What do you feel when you read the word “tension?” When we speak or hear about tension in the context of a yoga class or a massage treatment, we might think of tension as something to be eradicated, soothed away, released, dissolved. We’re encouraged to smooth our forehead, relax our jaw, soften our shoulders. TheContinue reading “tension holds us together”
the frustration is a good thing
So, you’ve decided you want to make a change. Maybe you’re working on recognizing and changing a bias you carry. Or you’re trying to use learn a new skills, like Indian clubs (see video below). Or you want to start using your non-dominant hand for more activities. How long does it take before you feelContinue reading “the frustration is a good thing”
changing patterns takes time
If I asked you to balance on one foot right now (and that is something your body is able to accommodate)– which foot would you pick up? When you reach up to open a cabinet, which arm do you use? Do your shoes wear more on the inside, or the outside of the soles? TheseContinue reading “changing patterns takes time”
what is healthism (and how does it hurt us)?
You may not have heard the term, but you are already an expert in healthism. As invisible and pervasive as the air we breathe, healthism underlies and intersects with all other aspects of our culture. For many of us, some aspects of healthism will feel like absolute truths, while we may be unsure about others.Continue reading “what is healthism (and how does it hurt us)?”
HRV: when you can’t hear what your body’s saying, turn on the closed captions
Like many of you, I have a morning ritual. I wake up, feed the dogs, make my coffee, and sit down with my phone– not to start my social media scroll (that will come later)– but to take my heart rate variability (HRV) measurement. HRV is a super easy way to take a look atContinue reading “HRV: when you can’t hear what your body’s saying, turn on the closed captions”