First the good news…
click HERE to see an artist's rendition of your fascia in motion
Insight sometimes materializes in chapters. Know what I mean? Themes show up this way and that. Connective threads emerge in your face. Sometimes it takes several aha moments to anchor insight into reality. Today, with gratitude, I write about a wisdom kernel received from you, my physical therapy patients. A recurrent theme all summer long.
First the good news: when we learn to release chronic tight body spots, we feel relief almost immediately. And for some, that knowledge translates to a regular letting go practice. Even if we don’t develop a routine practice, we know just what works when those inevitable aches flare up. It is useful to have first aid!
The bad news: why do I have to keep releasing this tight tissue? Why doesn’t my body just heal? This frustrating song has been on repeat all summer, a recurring inquiry begging for insight.
Great question! Almost every time we dig into this ask, this is what I hear: love my roller and massage balls and totally down for releasing back and shoulders, hips and legs. It feels so good! So I ask: what about the 5-10 minutes of core exercise we carefully crafted together? Answer: hmmm, not so much.
Here’s what we haven’t grokked yet: an increase in strength transforms that temporary release into healing. Think of it this way. Our sticky fascia, muscles, joints are created over a lifetime. The domino effect starts with falling off our bike (or some such thing) a million years ago. Each subsequent injury---from the large memorable to the small barely noticed---changes our structural pattern. Not to mention the habitual way we sit and stand and sleep. Not to mention our genetics.
This tight tissue starts to take over the core’s job of holding us up. Insidiously it substitutes for and actually inhibits our central power. After a while the core, usually asymmetrically, goes to sleep. Literally goes off line. It is fascinating as we work together with the nervous system, re-establishing its ability to relay a message to the core. Greasing the neurological connect is key to reclaiming strength. Healthy bodies have a communicative nervous system. Healthy bodies are fluid and powerful, qualities that go hand in hand.
One more summer insight. More and more I invite you to take the long view. We can feel better fairly quickly. Better is good. But I want us to feel incredible. For those of you with motivation to stay with I witness beautiful changes over a year’s time. This is hard (not impossible!) to do alone. Lots of support available with Release & Realign, the Video Library and the (newly filmed) introductory videos.
This is what one-on-one physical therapy support looks like after an initial visit:
A bit of guidance, please! 2 follow-up visits $300
Give me a year! after first 3 visits, 6 visits to complete a transformational year $900
Personal training session after first 3 visits, one hour in-studio work outs $100
I’m excited to let you know just one more thing. Letting Go: a three hour session once a month October through January. Join me on the mat for a tender healing journey of deep release. New to using rollers & balls? Totally skilled? Somewhere in between? No matter. This slow-paced skill building session will help you develop mastery AND leave you feeling melted, surrendered and inspired for home practice. This is a yin exploration of breath, fascia, muscle, bone and your nervous system. Come feel, come breathe, come change.
How many ways can I invite you in to a tender healing relationship with the only body you get in this lifetime? Life is way to short to tolerate a status less than feeling good.
❤️Bella