Denise* and I worked together over many years. We met every six weeks online and her main goal was to decrease the pain in her left hip. She is a great example of what I want to share with you this week. Denise was full of energy! She was extremely motivated to exercise daily and complete her home exercises. There were times when I would ask her to do less physical activity as she was like the energizer bunny...she just kept going and going. Denise had some real struggles in her personal life. She was the primary care giver for a home bound parent which carried a lot of responsibilities and energy. She lived alone and unfortunately experienced a major housing crisis that impacted her whole world. She had no control of the fix nor the timing of the renovations. On top of that, she had daily pain in her hip. She was exhausted. One day while on Zoom, I realized that she was running on empty. Her energy was zap, zilch, gone. She was drawn and sitting in a slouched posture, almost like she wasn’t even able to hold herself up. The zest that was normally present for physical activity was gone. She wasn't sleeping well and looked very, very tired. I invited her to come into her favourite position, legs up the wall, where you place your bum close to the baseboard and then let the legs be supported up by the wall. She could settle in that position and I invited her to just rest. After some twitches and wiggles, Denise finally settled and I could see that her breath was also calming down. Through a guided rest and rejuvenation sleep meditation, I guided her through a series of ways she could connect to her body and breath. Her mind was able to perceive and absorb what I was saying which helped her fall deeper and deeper into rest. Denise didn’t have to do anything physical. She simply allowed herself to be guided into a deeper and deeper rest. After the meditation, she slowly came back to a seated position and faced the Zoom camera. The deflation and lethargy had lifted. Her body was now upright and light. She looked me straight in the eye and said how wonderful she felt. With an expression of gratitude, she thanked me for the meditation and acknowledged how depleted she really was. Denise realized that rest was the only thing that could lift her energy. Life is hard. It can drain us to near depletion. Sometimes we run (literally) through this world and never give ourselves rest. Is that you? Are your living on an empty tank? Has life drained you of your vitality? If so, I invite you to consider how you can fill your tank back up. I would like to help you with that. One of the parts I love about my job is helping people fill up their tank. Sometimes it is with physical activity and at other times it is with rest. Isn’t it amazing how two things that we might think are on opposite sides of a spectrum actually can do the same thing??? Physical activity AND rest can both build our vitality! So, I’ve got something for you. A new 10 minute video for you to explore a rest and rejuvenation sleep meditation. Find a comfy place to sit or lie down and let my voice guide you the whole way through. After going through the meditation, have you felt a shift in your system? Maybe a large shift or maybe a subtle shift. Both are good depending on what you need. And if you want to do more resting with me, consider signing up for my upcoming four week series of rest and rejuvenation sleep meditation at Yoga Within Edmonton starting on October 13. Click here for more information and to sign up (and yes, it is in person AND on Zoom!) Stay well and happy moving or resting, Lisa *name changed for confidentiality
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Hands down - the hips, back and shoulders are the areas of the body my clients always struggle with the most. Quite literally, clients are challenged to actually get their hands up and over head and they are doing all sorts of funky movements to get their hands there. Is that you? Are you dealing with stiff, sticky and cranky shoulders that need some TLC? This week I've got you! Shoulder issues can show up as previous injuries but also can be a shift and change in the shoulder's ability to move. The arm bone doesn’t have the freedom of movement it once had in the shoulder socket. This can come down to how well the shoulder blades are moving on the rib cage. And you have two of them, of course! In this next instalment of Real Moves for Real Life, I share 3 specific movements that bring awareness to your shoulder blades and provide an opportunity for them to move. Here are movements you can do in less than 10 minutes that will bring the freedom of movement back into your shoulders. Jump right in! All you need is a strap or a belt or an old neck tie, a mat or chair, and a medium firmness ball like a tennis ball. After you've gone through the movements, what did you notice in yours shoulders? Can you reach up above your head to give me a double high five? 🙌🏼 And with ease? Hit reply on this email and let me know how your shoulders feel NOW. Let’s start this next week with relaxed shoulders! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa P.S. Did you know I have a YouTube series called Real Moves for Real Life? If you have missed any of the other episodes, here is a link to the playlist. Have you noticed the change this week? The shift in the weather. The shift in our daily routines. The shift in our priorities. September often feels like a fresh start, almost like a new year in January! One of the perks of living in a city with all four seasons is that change is always in the air. And with change comes the opportunity for a new perspective. This got me thinking about you and how we can navigate through these transitions, especially when it comes to our physical well-being. Today, I want to share with you a key approach to cultivating a new perspective that's closely tied to your physical activity habits. So, let's dive in! Take a moment to pause, breathe… Reflect on the exceptional physical activity experiences you've had in the past. Transport yourself back in time to those moments when moving your body felt amazing. For each of these experiences, consider these seven questions:
I've even provided a handy worksheet for you to jot down your thoughts. Writing it down can help you reconnect with those experiences even more deeply. Now, armed with the insights you've gained from these reflections, it's time to craft your new perspective on physical activity for this Fall.
What new possibilities open up when you draw from your past exceptional physical activity experiences? Remember, the process of introspection and implementation is incredibly empowering. And there's no better time to start than right now in September! As I glance at my desk calendar, which I've recently turned to September, I read this quote by Aristotle: In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous. So, embrace the marvels of this week as you shape a fresh outlook on physical activity for the final four months of 2023! If you'd like to share your exceptional physical activity experience from the past, feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]. I'd love to hear about your experiences and how they'll influence your new perspective on physical activity. Keep moving forward! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa P.S. September is already in full swing! If you're interested in working with me in person, here's a quick overview of a few ways you can do just that. |
AuthorMissed my most recent newsletter? Don't worry, I've got your back. Find all my exclusive letters here on this blog. ~Lisa Archives
October 2024
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