A few years ago, I wrote The Trouble with Belly Breathing which took off in readership over the past year and a half. I’ve gotten requests to write a follow-up article on ways to use more of your lung capacity, so here we are! If you have a hard time breathing into your chest, sides, or back, whether from long COVID, anxiety, or something else, this is for you.
Read morePain Is Not Inevitable
I’ve been back in my office seeing clients in-person since August, and I’ve had a bunch of new clients. By the end of their first session, half of them have told me, “I should have done this years ago”. Those same words, over and over. I’ve heard them far more often in the past 2 months than I usually do. While I’m delighted to be able to help these people now, those words break my heart.
Read moreWhat Happens in an Online Session?
I deeply wish I could wave a magic wand and say, “My office is open, come see me in person!”, but we’re just not there yet and it’s not clear when we will be. I miss you all so much. In the meantime, I want to give a few examples of what online sessions look like and how they can be useful.
Read moreQuarantine and Kindness
I spent Friday evening in a Feldenkrais workshop on presence - presence with yourself, presence with others, and being present with both at the same time while keeping boundaries clear. The original plan was for a full weekend workshop, but obviously that didn’t happen, so the trainer, Donna Blank, offered a short online version. In the beginning of Donna’s work, she asks you to close your eyes, feel your contact and support from your chair and the floor, and look for a “felt sense” of the experience of just being there - sensory cues that tell you how you are rather than thoughts or emotions. It turns out, for me, that this is a very scary thing to do while dealing with quarantine.
Read moreSelf-Care Tips for Covid-19 Times
Over the past few weeks that quarantine has been in effect in Washington, I’ve talked to a few people who are doing really well and enjoying staying home, but the vast majority of us are struggling. Whether you’re stuck at home due to being immuno-compromised or an essential worker still leaving the house, it’s likely that your sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, or freeze) is on high alert. Here are some easy things to do that will give your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) a boost.
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