Van Morrison wrote the song “Wavelength” in what is known as his adolescent years, during which time he would tune in and listen to the Voice of America radio and hear his favorite artists of that era; including Ray Charles, Muddy Waters and Mahalia Jackson. Morrison wrote the song about the radio wavelengths traveling across the ocean that he would tune into that  would “never let him down”; drawing inspiration from his own wavelength that was honed and cultivated by listening to the vibrations of Ray Charles and others. Wavelengths affecting matter.

We have all changed the dial in our cars  trying to find the right frequency or style of music that appeals to us and our state of mind. Often times this simple action enhances our mood instantaneously. How? Just like we tune the radio dial to get the vibration or frequency that resonates with us, we all have our own “dials” that regulate our internal frequency; raising it or lowering it based on our actions. I’m reminded of the Office episode where Dwight Schrute proclaims his ability to raise or lower his cholesterol and when asked why one would raise their cholesterol he replies, “so I can lower it”. As silly as that scene is it beautifully exemplifies the power of suggestion and isn’t far off from the truth about the power we all wield to change how we see and interact with the world by monitoring and regulating our resonance and coherence. 

We are making decisions all the time; from major life choices to smaller things like what to wear or how we interact with others. Even the length and pace of our stride on any given day changes based on our energy and mood. Many of these “choices” are made only half consciously based on the 60,000 random thoughts we have every day and how they affect our mood and demeanor, and most of those thoughts are the same thoughts you had yesterday! So what do we do about this? Begin by becoming aware of how you’re feeling in this moment. Where is your attention? What is your mood? How did it get there? Did you consciously come to this state or did you just end up here? If you’re finding yourself in a “strange land” more often then you’d like then this next bit will be right up your alley. 

The human heart has an electromagnetic field that is powerful and measurable. The magnetic field has been measured 3 feet outside the body and the electrical field up to 10 feet. So the effects of heart coherence are not limited to our own beings; we are affecting those around us based on the vibration or wavelength of our internal environment. Have you ever been in a grocery line and without seeing the person behind you can just sense they are in a hurry? Or maybe you’ve passed by someone at work or out in public and just felt lifted or upbeat? This is powerful stuff. The good news is you have the power to change your coherence and it’s not difficult, costly or time consuming. Spoiler alert, it’s tied into stress and nervous system regulation. I have included a link from Psychology Today that’s a short read (3 min) but really informative and helpful with some tips!

Our coherence can shape how we see things and the way in which we “see” things can affect our coherence. “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”. ~ Wayne Dyer

During this season of giving we can find ourselves buoyed by the energy others share with us which bring our hearts joy and peace. It’s important to remember to continue giving to yourself throughout the year to maintain that positive feeling and internal harmony. It comes down to us, you and me, to define how we impact our world and determine seen and FELT. Taking time for yourself to reset, recharge and replenish is not a selfish thing. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the most selfless things you can do.

Please reach out if you would like assistance in finding more harmony in your life by tuning into YOUR wavelength. 

I’ve just returned from a brief pilgrimage to the Southwest which included Santa Fe and Sedona. This was my first trip back since attending the Utah College of Massage Therapy over 25 years ago and it felt amazing to return to a place that is so dear to me and left me feeling energized and at peace. I had long heard about the beauty and energy of Sedona but northing prepared me for how deeply it touched me; often being moved to tears by it’s beauty or something as simple as watching two coyotes wandering up the road. I have a lot of history in the Southwest; from my uncle teaching me to drive his manual VW Beetle in Apache Junction when I was 14, mornings jogging alongside the Superstition Mountains, and stopping at roadside flea markets and buying a cowboy hat (and feather clips for the back!). Returning was a really visceral experience for me; it had certainly been too long and served as a good lesson for me to be sure to schedule my next journey before life has its way with me.

We all need to remember to take time for ourselves, especially when it seems we have the least amount of time available! It is important to SCHEDULE time regularly to quiet the mind and calm the body; not only to reset our nervous systems but also to maintain a healthy physical structure. As within, so without. Which is to say, whatever is happening in our “internal environment” will be represented or reflected in our external environment (i.e. our physical being, our interactions with others, etc.)

Why did I highlight the word schedule? “If you talk about it, it’s a dream. If you envision it, it’s possible but if you schedule it, it’s REAL.” We all get our musts, we don’t get our “shoulds.” You’ve got to put it in your calendar, planner, phone, WHATEVER to make it real! I remember the first time I heard the term “date night”. I thought to myself, how could someone be so busy in their lives that they need to schedule time with their partner? Well…let’s just say my stance has changed since my initial thoughts on the subject. ;) Just do it!

Now, this doesn’t have to be something grandiose like a sabbatical or pilgrimage to spiritual vortexes nor does it require great planning or insight. Look, you already know some things that help you feel more like yourself and ways that help you relax and unplug. The most important thing is to decide you’re worth it (spoiler alert… YOU ARE) and then write it down. Like now. (Seriously, now).

Creating a rituals can help to set the stage to honor  your future self and build accountability. Finding time away from “the things of man”, (to quote Tom Hanks from Joe vs. The Volcano), is the goal and you can start with just 5-10 minutes a day. Find a place where you can sit quietly, either on the floor or in a chair. Begin with the 4-7-8 breathing technique to regulate your vagus nerve. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and exhale for 8. Continue with the breath work or incorporate whatever you’d like; watching your breath, watching but not getting attached to your thoughts, melding with a vision or deity you resonate with, etc. This is a very easy and effective way to bring about relaxation in the middle of a busy day and also help you fall asleep. Here are two videos that walk you through the 4-7-8 technique.  One is a shorter, instructional video and the other is a longer 20 minute mediation with speaking and some music.

A (not so subtle) reminder that bodywork is another great way to honor yourself and maintain a healthy nervous system and physical structure. Zero Balancing and Craniosacral Therapy are fabulous for creating expanded states where healing and relaxation can occur and of course massage can help address the physical structure while also quieting our monkey mind.

When I was growing up I always looked forward to family gatherings because my aunts and uncles were hysterical and the first 15-20 minutes would often be spent telling jokes or sharing funny stories. Even at that young age I began to have an appreciation for humor and how good being silly and making others laugh felt. As a result I began to look for humor in everyday situations and tried to make people laugh whenever I could. As you might expect, this often didn’t go over well with my teachers but nevertheless my silliness and sense of humor has stuck with me to this day. From time to time someone will comment on my silliness and ask how it came about. I now know that I had set an intention in my youth to connect with others through laughter.

The reason I share that story with you is to demonstrate the power of intention and exemplify what can be accomplished if we set an intention instead of simply hoping or wishing something would happen. I have long stopped ruminating on how to be funny, but the intention I set is still part of my daily actions and operates on a subconscious level. Even though I won’t be wining a Nobel prize for my levity, it’s still a good example of what we can do when we really set our minds to something that we are passionate about and that touches us deeply.

The Latin root of decide means “to cut of from or remove”, so when you set an intention or make a decision you are “cutting off from” any possibility other than that which you desire. That’s pretty powerful stuff! So how do you get this ball rolling? It starts with getting quiet; listening to your inner self and stilling the mind. It’s revisiting that child like whimsy of achieving whatever your heart desires and not allowing doubt to enter the picture. When we forget who we truly are at our core, that stops the intentional process and creates a life of reaction rather than a life of creation. Even in a chaotic world it is still possible to create the life you want by incorporating intention and self care.

Decide how you want to feel in your life and realize with complete certainty that you DESERVE to experience it. Set an intention and tell yourself that you will not settle for anything less and take the first step. Stop wishing and start creating! In the words of George Eliot: “It’s never too late to become what you might have been.”

Spring is officially here and with it comes longer days (yay sun!!!), warmer weather and increased activity as we emerge from our winter hibernation and start to move our bodies again. 

Getting started in spring can sometimes be a challenge as the winter stagnation/hibernation can settle deeply into our structures and be difficult to shake. This feeling stuck-ness or stagnation can manifest physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and more and leave us feeling helpless or hopeless; triggering our parasympathetic nervous system to be on high alert and wearing us down. The next thing you know you’re feeling less like “you” and more like you’re just going through the motions or “phoning it in”; simply existing instead of living with passion and a zest for life. If this is sounds familiar to you, let me assure you that you’re not alone. 

The current state of our world can leave even the most stalwart of us in a state of uncertainty and with a general feeling of uneasiness. This “dis”-ease affects the way we move our bodies and interact with others. The longer our nervous system stays in “fight or flight” mode the more likely we find ourselves careening towards a state of nervous deregulation. What does that mean exactly? It essentially means “an imbalance or disruption in the normal functioning of the nervous system.” Not only does this affect our central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) but more alarmingly the autonomic nervous system (heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and even perspiration). 

Yes, that means that your heartburn, atrial fibrillation, upset stomach, HBP and more can be a result of this deregulation. This often translates to us shutting down to a certain degree and not moving our physical bodies as much or in our usual dynamic way, causing stagnation. When we don't move physically in a way that makes us feel good, subconsciously it begins to wear on us, diminishing the way we see the world around us. 

Don’t despair, there is hope and getting back to feeling like yourself again isn’t as hard as you might think. One of the easiest ways to get “un-stuck” is to move your body in nature. Research has shown that taking a walk in nature for as little as 15 minutes can improve your mood, reduce stress, improve your cardiovascular health and enhance your focus and creativity. My 2 year old Vizsla mix gets me out every morning for 30 minutes rain or shine and I can’t tell you how much this simple activity has improved my outlook and life. I have begun to feel more at home in nature and in my body. I feel that the more at home one feels in their body then the more at home one feels in the world. Our sense of belonging and connection evolves as our structures come into balance with gravity and therefore in harmony with energy.   

If you haven’t tried ZB yet, NOW is the time as it is designed to help regulate the nervous system and bring us “home” again. 

As always, let me know if I can help you feel more like YOU and live a life filled with movement & passion!

Space: The final frontier… 

Okay, as you have likely already guessed, I’m not here to talk about voyaging to strange galaxies far, far away. I am instead talking about a different kind of system: our internal environment and the roll that space plays in defining how we feel at any given moment and how that can drastically affect how we view and live life.  

Space is a word that has many different meanings depending on context. Whether we are referring to outer space, a parking space, personal space or losing focus and spacing out. When I think of space as a Structural Bodyworker, I imagine muscles, tendons, joints and how when all are working in harmony proper alignment creates space in our structures. But this is only part of how space affects us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. 

Just as our fascia learns over time to respond to what we “tell it” to do determined by our every day activities and postures, our internal environment behaves very similarly. It is directly tied in to the space within and around us and it is ever changing based on what is happening in our world and how we have conditioned ourselves to react over time. We often respond to external stimuli instinctively or automatically with little or no thought beforehand. I remember hearing something years ago that really drives this point home: When you squeeze an orange, what comes out? A silly question to be sure. The answer is obviously orange juice. But what happens when WE get squeezed or feel pressure? How we react is a reflection of our internal environment and what we are carrying in our “space”. How muddied have you become internally, and how far is your current state from where you want it to be or from what you would call your ideal self? 

How can you begin to create some harmony in your inner world that will help you better enjoy your outer environment and day to day existence? As with most things, it begins with a decision. The latin root of decision means to cut off, which means it’s time to remove that which no longer serves you and create a new path; honoring yourself and setting healthy boundaries and habits. To create a “space”, within and without, that you can thrive in and be proud of. A life of joyful expression and authenticity. 

All of this is perfect timing as Autumn is the time for transformation, introspection and new beginnings. Now is the time to really dig deep, embody change and create some space in your world for yourself. If you can begin to envision those things you want to see in your life and make small steps, daily, you can begin to make that vision a reality. 

So if you’re willing, I invite you to take some time to reflect on where you are right now; physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Be honest about what you’re noticing and feeling as you look within and ask yourself if you could make some more space in your world for YOU, because you’re worth it. 

As always, if I can be of assistance in any way on your path to becoming more balanced, whole and in tune with your true nature, please let me know. 

“I get by with a little help from my friends…”. 

The line from the iconic Beatles song is one that most everyone is familiar with and that many of us could likely hum or sing along to. All of us can relate to “getting by” and we all have our methods and means of doing so. But if you stop to think about it, what does it really mean to “get by” and is it something positive? If you could do better than getting by, would you? 

As we navigate through our lives in this fast paced world, we learn to take short cuts or make sacrifices here and there in order to survive and get by. Unfortunately, some of the things that we cut short or eliminate completely are things that we truly enjoy and would like to see more of in our lives but we have allowed something else to take precedence. Sometimes we can remember making the decision out of necessity, but often times these things happen slowly over a long period of time until we wake up and notice something “missing”. For me it’s usually starts by skipping a day or two and then I blink and it becomes months. Maybe you can relate to this as well?

Winter is a time when nature slows down or stops completely and just is. If we look to nature as a guide, we, too can utilize this time to slow down a bit and do some introspection; re-evaluating where we are and what we might be able to bring back into our daily lives so we’re not just “getting by” but getting BETTER. 

So how do we do this and is it actually possible to reintroduce things we have pushed aside without disrupting the balance and descending into chaos? (Okay, maybe a little melodramatic there…) The answer is a resounding YES! Just like anything we are just learning or attempting to master, it takes baby steps that slowly, over time, help regain accountability with ourselves and create a life we have designed instead of one that we have learned to accept.

I had a discussion with a friend about this recently and we both agreed that the next day we would re-introduce something simple into our daily routines. Nothing daunting or too complicated because we wanted to set ourselves up for success. I remembered how much I liked to have a cup of Earl Grey tea in the mid afternoon for a little treat and pick me up so I chose that. Just like that, I had added one simple thing into my daily routine that I CHOSE to be there. It wasn’t arduous our painful and it made me happy to know I had taken this first simple step in returning to “me”. Is there something simple you can bring back into your daily routine that will help enrich your life? Could you aim for tomorrow to start? 

In the spirit of getting better and adding positive things back into our lives, I am introducing discounted packages of three sessions which will be $35 off the regular price and can be found towards the bottom of the scheduling page on my site. 

As always, if you would like some guidance or assistance in your transformation, give me a call or drop me a line and let me show you how I can help you get to where you want to be. 

The past two years have been life-changing and unlike anything, most of us have witnessed in our lifetimes. With little or no notice, we were forced to hit full stop and change the way our careers, relationships, daily routines and even our conditioned habits looked. During this unprecedented shift we have had to put aside most of what we “knew” and took for granted and create a new reality on the fly, leaving many of us in shock, searching for stability and normalcy again.

It is not an exaggeration to say that we have all experienced a collective traumatic event that has affected the deepest levels of our beings. As with any traumatic event, there is a “before” and “after”. For many of us this meant shifting our workspace to our homes and sitting in less than ideal postural positions, changing our diets, stopping our wellness and fitness routines and trying to find how to live in this “new normal”; living in a perpetual state of “fight or flight”.

This combination of sustained high stress and makeshift workspaces has left many of us not feeling like ourselves, both mentally and physically. Previous aches and pains that came with our everyday routines have now been amplified by the chaos and changes to our physical beings.

It’s not all doom and gloom though! Now that we see the light at the end of the tunnel and are beginning to take our heads out of the sand and peek out from under the covers, we are excitedly looking ahead to returning to our lives and reemerging; but what will that look like?

We all essentially know who we “were” before the pandemic and anticipate returning to some semblance of that life, but the two-year pause has given many of us a chance to look inward and perhaps see some things we don’t want to return to; things that no longer “fit” who we are. But better still, we have been allowed a rare opportunity to start some new habits, add some self-care routines and really reemerge consciously, with intention. An opportunity to learn how to be kinder to ourselves and how to make time to honor a commitment to self-care.

I love that the word reemerge means “to come into sight or appear again.” It feels so empowering and without limitation. This is essentially a blank canvas and we get to choose the colors and scene. What will you create?

And if, as you reemerge, you find yourself feeling physically, emotionally or mentally drained or just not feeling fully settled in your body, don’t dismay. Let’s face it, this has been a trying time for all of us and having a support team to help you through difficult times is paramount to a self-care routine.

My self-care routine has always included physical bodywork but the importance of resetting things mentally and neurologically cannot be overstated.

Would you like some guidance or assistance in your transformation? Give us a call or drop us a line and let us show you how we can help you get to where you want to be, maybe for the first time in your life.