 | This fall as my partner and I prepared our garden beds to rest for the season, it made me think about tending to the body. I thought about the idea of rest and how vital it is to intentionally rest our bodies in order to allow our nervous system to regulate and maintain the health of our tissues and organs. We live in a GO & DO culture. How often do we pause in quiet rest during the day? How often are we truly present to the here and now of everyday tasks and activities? A few years ago I read the book, "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself" by Joe Dispenza. Honestly, I didn't put into practice what he shared in his book, but I do remember he said that 95% of our day is on automatic. I was blown away how high the percentage was! As many of you know from working with me, I am a big fan of bringing mindful pauses and resets in the day to pattern interrupt the habitual circuitry that can propagate a pain cycle or an organ to muscle loop. |
Restful Practices
This holiday season don't get trapped in the buzz of over scheduling, prepping, and parties. Find your rest with some of my favorite strategies and wellness professionals:
1. Yoga Nidra or Sleep Hypnosis. Dr. Andrew Huberman talks about Yoga Nidra and Sleep Hypnosis and their benefits in this video.
2. Mindful Breathing. The idea is simply to focus your attention on your breathing—to its natural rhythm and flow and the way it feels on each inhale and exhale. Allow your breathing to move down into your core as well as the ribcage.
3. Spend time daily with connective tissue release. Our fascia is fluid and assists our body in metabolic functions and relays sensory info to our nervous system. Just like brushing teeth, our fascial tissue needs daily maintenance. Some of my favorites for fascial release: MELT METHOD, Tune Up Fitness.
4. Mindful Movement. Mindful movement allows us to check in with our bodies and get moving in a way that can help to rewire habituated pathways, thereby reducing tension and stress that has been built up in the system. Some of my favorites: Feldenkrais Method, Qigong, Z-Health, Anatomy in Motion, Yoga, Nutritious Movement.
1. Yoga Nidra or Sleep Hypnosis. Dr. Andrew Huberman talks about Yoga Nidra and Sleep Hypnosis and their benefits in this video.
2. Mindful Breathing. The idea is simply to focus your attention on your breathing—to its natural rhythm and flow and the way it feels on each inhale and exhale. Allow your breathing to move down into your core as well as the ribcage.
3. Spend time daily with connective tissue release. Our fascia is fluid and assists our body in metabolic functions and relays sensory info to our nervous system. Just like brushing teeth, our fascial tissue needs daily maintenance. Some of my favorites for fascial release: MELT METHOD, Tune Up Fitness.
4. Mindful Movement. Mindful movement allows us to check in with our bodies and get moving in a way that can help to rewire habituated pathways, thereby reducing tension and stress that has been built up in the system. Some of my favorites: Feldenkrais Method, Qigong, Z-Health, Anatomy in Motion, Yoga, Nutritious Movement.
May rest be with you!
Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT. Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignforhealth.com.
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