Tag: adaptation

Yoga Tools – Open Your Mind

by Jody, posted in mindfulness, movement, tools - movement, yoga

I’m going to challenge you to change things up this week. Whatever you think you should be doing, (in a movement, in your posture) whatever you’ve been told to do… do the opposite.

15327336_10157994488295226_6548450058877273096_n

As an example, while you’re sitting during the day:

  •  If you have a tendency to hold yourself rigid, perhaps with your shoulders pulled back, chest puffed out front, sitting up nice and tall, as some would say ‘good posture’, allow yourself something different. Perhaps slump a little, let the upper back round a little, feel as if you can soften the area between your collar bones, let your belly be soft and full when you breathe. RelaxI’m not saying this is what you need or you should sit this way all day. But try it for a few minutes and notice what you feel.
  • If you tend to be someone who is generally in a slumped position when sitting, try the opposite. Feel your sitting bones on the bottom of your chair, perhaps even pushing them into your chair slightly. Think about sitting tall, imagining your head feeling light above your shoulders, it lifting towards the ceiling. Collarbones wide, shoulder blades down your back.  Notice what you feel.

Though this is only one example. You might try this way of being, or doing, in a multitude of ways.

In yoga, do you always exhale when forward bending and inhale on the reverse? Try changing it up and see what you feel. What do you notice?

Experiment with doing the opposite of what you think is right for you, what you’ve been told is right for you and see how it goes. If you like, comment below so we can take the conversation further.

 

Change the brain, the nervous system, the body

by Jody, posted in chronic pain, nervous system, neuroplasticity, pain, research, stress, Uncategorized, yoga, yoga therapy

neuroplasticity-and-technology-4-728The changing of our brain …

One of the most important changes in the last 14 years or so is the field of neuroplasticity.

“Scientists once thought that the brain stopped developing after the first few years of life.“  Since then, we’ve come to understand this isn’t true of the brain. Research shows our brain is capable of learning, adapting and changing throughout our life.

The changing of our body …

Our white blood cells die after 3-4 days, red blood cells after about 120 days, the dermis of our skin renews every 2-4 weeks. Research shows that changes in the relative level of physical stress cause a predictable adaptive response in all biological tissue.  In other words, changes take place and what’s exciting to me is how we can take measures to influence what happens in our body.

stretchingI’ve also learned it seems we may have been ‘wrong about stretching‘ insofar as we’re not really stretching or lengthening muscles. At least not as much as we once believed. Rather, we’re changing our response to a stimulus via the nervous system.

“your ability to stretch at any range is determined by your nervous system’s tolerance to that range.” – Jules Mitchell

The changing of our nervous system …

Our brain is naturally going to respond in a protective manner to anything it perceives as dangerous.  If we are trying to re-train flexibility or just movement in the body and do so with strong, forceful pressure or stimulus … the brain/body will react by saying … stop! No! Don’t go there. It will send a (pain) signal to safeguard our movement.

stretchHowever, if we move in small incremental ways within a safe and pain-free range of motion, the nervous system will react by saying … this feels okay. Safe. I’m happy to explore this.

This is a somewhat simplified way to explain all that’s going on, but it’s a starting point we can work from. We can even begin by just imagining movement and still create changes in the brain and our nervous system. So we can, really, start anywhere.

By learning to pay attention, moving in a way that allows your nervous system to adapt and create new patterns while it feels safe, you will make progress. 

Change. Big Change. Lasting Change.

It turns out – we are adaptable!

by Jody, posted in chronic pain, health, neuroplasticity, pain, research, yoga therapy

We are adaptable. 

Tissue can change. Your brain can change.

brain

This provides HOPE to anyone living with pain, chronic pain, limitation to mobility or perhaps psychological pain (or unease) from the stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia that often accompany physical pain. All of which are common problems affecting a large proportion of our 21st Century population.

Pain science

The experience of pain doesn’t necessarily correlate with the state of our tissue.

You may see some awful looking images on an x-ray and yet not experience pain. You may experience pain, though not even have the limb that pains you (phantom limb pain).

Which doesn’t mean it’s all in your head but that pain is indeed, very complex. 

Neuroplasticity

Contrary to our understanding up to about the year 2002, our brain can change. 

This is revolutionary in terms of we can keep learning, and also how we can change behavior and adapt.  Most important, how your pain can change.

What does this have to do with how well you can or cannot move? The fact that you have persistent pain or not? Why it flares up?

Explore this (somewhat new) information and learn simple things you can use throughout your day that are most likely to help, according to the latest research.

What I Know For Sure

by Jody, posted in chronic pain, neuroplasticity, pain, research

What I continue to learn is we really can’t be absolutely sure, about any of this. But, stay with me …

uncertainty-is-an-uncomfortable-position-but-certainty-is-an-absurd-one-quote-1

As soon as I discover something to share or write about on a blog post, it may soon be out of date. Though research leads us in the most reliable way we know at any one time, it’s only as good as the next study. Knowledge changes, books get re-written.

There is the constant discovery of what we thought we knew, what we’re now learning and what’s yet to come. As in life itself.

As I stated before, pain is indeed very complex. I’m not sure anyone knows with certainty what causes and therefore eliminates back pain, for instance. But I have seen it dissipate almost immediately and over time for those who once believed it cannot, or never will.

For me personally? Today’s x-rays and ultrasounds will likely show arthritis and chronic inflammation / plantar fasciitis still exist in my feet. I do know, however, that my feet (legs and hips) have dramatically changed by working with awareness, changing movements and therefore re-patterning my nervous system over a relatively short period of time. That, and a whole host of other changes to sacroiliac (SI) joint pain which no longer exists, shoulder impingement being resolved and hip bursitis… almost there on it as well.

So where does this lead me, or you, or anyone else?

Are you resigned to thinking it ‘just has to be’ this way?

What is it you REALLY want to be able to do?

Many people I speak with and work alongside are/were just like me and don’t know what information or skills they can learn and use to help them move better, sleep better, feel better.

We’ll explore these together.