There are a handful of movement patterns that are truly fundamental for the human body to move freely and have vitality. If you are among those who struggle to be regularly active and don't have periods of stress-reducing downtime, these healthy patterns may not be functioning in your body. The ability to move fluidly and with strength is strongly linked to increased longevity. And it's necessary not only to participate in the activities you love, but to simply engage in daily tasks under your own power. A good squat pattern is one of the most requisite motions you want to master to move without pain. Sitting and lifting are both variations of squatting that can be hampered if you don't have the ability to squat. Anatomically, the spine, hips and ankles need to obtain a functional range of motion. This allows the spine to remain neutral, the hips to sit back, the knees to track in line with the toes and allows the balls of the feet to remain grounded along with the heels. When you gain this range and align the body to use the stabilization and strength of the muscles and connective tissue, you can squat without pain. And teaching the quality of a squat is something i love to do. Not only because of the physical relief it brings when the body is strong, but the somatic and emotional sense of power you can embody with it. There is a more potent connection to grounding as well as freedom of your form when you realize, that a mobile body can move you forward in ways you cannot when you're stuck. Can I help you understand this on a deeper level? Message me ...or reach out to schedule a 1 to 1 consult . I am wishing you well and sending love :)

Making the change necessary to break out of a pain pattern, takes a high level of awareness. And when we are in our day to day, we come up against triggers that we react to automatically if we haven't taken the time away to understand them. And that's generally how so many move through their world. When you get triggered, it can be reflected in your mood and how you feel in your physical form. And it's near impossible to find the awareness of and solution to it when you're in the middle of the scenario that causes it to activate. But, when you retreat from daily patterns with the purpose of sinking into the messages presented by the body and emotions, you can recognize what causes automatic reactions. The physical and emotional do a dance that when held with presence can be cycled through to release resistance and pave the way for making different choices. It's one of the many reasons I love being a participant AND a teacher of retreats. The wisdom that comes through in somatic presence....especially in nature, is so self-informing. And begins to break the cycle so you can change, in body and mind. This weekend, on 40 acres in the mountains, I will be holding space and guidance for participants for a full day respite to do just this. Will you join me? For more information, follow me here . Wishing you well :)

A few months ago I highlighted the importance of focusing on the exhale to activate the para-sympathetic (calming) of your nervous system. One of the reasons why this activation is so important, is that it allows the innately expansive quality of the inhale to engage in response. But, it's not generally the pattern that most people are used to. The full diaphragmatic breath, which is one of the healthiest behaviors we can adopt, is not accessible to most. Unresolved trauma and other sources of stress, block the natural flow of the muscles and fascia that draw life giving energy into and through us. This hypoxic (low oxygen) state starves all your tissues of sustenance. And you were created for so much more than this. In addition to creating calm, when you lengthen the exhale, it creates a decrease of pressure internally and enables the air outside to fully fill the chest and abdomen. If you then focus your attention on relaxing the physical space of your heart, it triggers the nervous system to release it's muscle guarding on the structures of inspiration. It's truly about observing sensations and feelings where the heart resides...without judgement or attachment. In this presence, you'll start to feel how the chest subtly rises a bit more with each breath. Coupled with exercises that release the structures of the chest and ribcage, you will feel the breath and nervous system slowly transform to greater fullness and ease. Friday, I will demonstrate Live how you can use a release tool and presence to change your breathing pattern. If you want to learn more about how these tools can help you, schedule a 30 minute complimentary session with me. Please take good care. I look forward to engaging with you soon :)

The capacity to move with great freedom and integrity is so profound in the human body. And it begins with the impressive structure of our spine. But, I would guess that most human's spine are restricted when compared to the immense movement capacity we were all born with. Between too many hours sitting and a constantly hurried pace, the fascial and muscle structures don't get enough blood flow, lymphatic flow and movement. This stagnation causes tissue that is less elastic, more tight and fibrous and ultimately creates the pain which is caused by this misaligned tug of war. And the more we practice the thought process born out of fear, shame and the emotions that stem from these, the more the nervous system directs these guarding patterns. Mobility can take a hit all over the body when we are in a vigilant state, but consider that the spine has 26 joints along each side. And there is subtle movement capacity even in the sacrum and tailbone. A loss of movement can mean a loss of healing energy and inhibition of functional nervous system activation through this column. It impairs the entire body's healthy patterns. But truly, you were designed to live in a body that moves freely and a mind that understands that limitations are momentary. As you use tools to alleviate binding in the body, coupled with the somatic process that works compassionately through your nervous system, you can begin to reconnect to a fluid body. Nowhere is this more evident, than when you focus your efforts on releasing and re-aligning the spinal column. My clients experience how transformative this can be and I love guiding them with the tools that make the difference. I use releases, somatic experiencing and strengthening to create the change in the body and the emotions that reflect one another and create long term change. If this speaks to you and your aspirations in moving forward, please message me. Or schedule a 30 minute complimentary session . As always, wishing you well :)

For thousands of years, generations of humans have understood that we are a physical embodiment of energy systems. Within each individual, these systems are either in a harmonic state or a chaotic one. When a human is in fight or flight, their harmonics are totally off. Unfortunately, most of us are in a persistent state of stress which inhibits the physical body from dropping back into this place of symphonic healing. It costs us our health, both emotional and physical. At the basis of this ancient understanding of energy in humans, is the chakra system, which runs throughout the body. The central power points of this are the sushumna nadi, which is the system along the length of the spine and head. At the base of this is the root of the seven centers, called muladhara. When we have flow through here, it connects us to our sense of feeling safe and trusting in a positive unfolding of the future. If this area is stagnant it does the opposite...we deny our own strength and wisdom and fear the worst case scenario. Somatic movement can have a powerful impact on this because it connects us to the feelings that reside here. The juxtaposition of stillness and movement informs us of the pulses or lack there that are the current state of being. It allows us to explore what is presently happening through sensation and emotion...and use these wise realizations to liberate blocks and make space for empowered change. I've spent untold hours exploring this in my own body and can say first hand, how potent it is to focus in and create change in this loving way. I've liberated, gained deep insight and understood my path moving forward by tending to my own somatic experience. I'm still on the path with the rest of humanity, but my willingness to grow and move forward is ever expanding. I'm grateful for it. :) If I can support you as you journey to release pain and grow into the most boundless version of yourself, reach out to me. I love to help. Message me here . Or schedule a complimentary consult . Wishing you well...

I've worked in health and fitness for 25 years and there's one approach to wellness that I've seen fail over and over again...using self criticism as a motivator. Fail is a super strong word for me to use, and ultimately, if you don't quit you can't actually fail. But nothing will cause a person to fall short of their goal more consistently than criticizing themself for what they didn't do or do as they thought they should. And then there's those who don't know they're in self judgement. So they don't have the opportunity to evaluate that self defeat is holding them apart from getting out of pain in their body and mind. Specific physical tools are really important to alleviate pain. But, as important, is the presence with which you engage the action in non-judgement so the nervous system responds well. Whether it's the imperfect way you do your stretches or missing them for a day or two, being self critical of this is a temporary tactic, at best, to get you to do the thing you want. That's why somatic (body awareness) is so helpful in transforming the pain you have in body and mind. It can help you work kindly and effectively with your body when you perform the exercise(s) that helps...and gives you reason to keep going when you aren't as consistent as you'd planned. Why? Because self-criticism is the very energy of resistance that gets in the way of you seeing and acting clearly. Message me to begin to understand how this works. Or begin the new year with a complimentary consult, get on my schedule here . Wishing you well :)

When the transition to a new year approaches, I assess where I have been and where I'm going. I would imagine you do the same. Points of demarcation like this can evoke emotion that motivates us to take action, but the decision to create change can truly happen anytime. And commitment through the imperfections carry us forward. We can do a lot of waiting for the right time to act on the intentions and goals we set forth, which has been my great challenge. But this can often block us from receiving the insight gained in the result of the action...whether it's a "good" or "bad" outcome. And it may be that very information that provides us with the next step. When I was presented with the allopathic treatment options after being diagnosed with breast cancer, they all sounded pretty miserable. And because I believed then as I do now, that there is a great force within us that has the intelligence to heal, those decisions where even harder. I don't believe that there is only 1 right answer for anyone, but for a complexity of reasons I chose to do allopathic treatments. I knew the end game and I had an outline of the process, but I didn't know how it would play out each moment. However, I chose to go through this, so I chose to commit and make the best of it. For me it wasn't about fighting and beating something, it was about learning from the circumstances I was presented with. And the outcome of being free from cancer was no guarantee. Why do I bring this up around the new year? Because I've gained the understanding that goals and intensions are empty if we don't commit to small, consistent, relevant actions that draw us closer to achieving them. And...there is an unpredictability to the precise outcome. But commitments give fuel to our focus so we ride out the hiccups along the way and stay on the path. It is a mind and body process that can create transformation into patterns that bring joy, freedom and fulfillment. So if it's nutrition, physical activity or mindset changes you seek, syncing the mind and the body is the path to making them a reality. I wish you peace and optimism as you approach this next chapter for you. If you need support, let me know if I can help. Get on my schedule here for a free consultation.

The human body adopts a stance of fear if we practice the patterned emotion. We tend to take it on and let it set up camp within our form. The negative belief that bad things will happen, seems to be shared across many groups and cultures. And bad things DO happen, but the forgone conclusion that they WILL is not a point in fact. Fear is an emotion to be real with, to experience it as it arises allowing it to change form. The energy that this form changes to often embodies the open and actionable force of courage. You can learn to flow with fear in a way that reduces it's negative impact and re-pattern your body and mind to hold courage and the action it inspires. I see the results of this every day...in myself and those I assist in their journey to wholeness. I've been a never ending student and expert of biomechanics for the past 25 years. And have witnessed in the way the body is held and carried, that the emotional manifestation and physical presentation are one and the same. When you cultivate practices that lift, open and empower your body to move forward, while choosing to be present with the moments of fear, you can transmute fear to courage. And there are releases, exercises and movement patterns that support this. If I can help you discover your path to creating this, I'd be honored to hear from you . Or get on my schedule for a complimentary consultation. Wishing you well :)

I don’t want to be crude, but when I see people’s bare feet it can be difficult not to notice some level of deformity in this crucial base of the body. While I wholeheartedly believe that the body’s strength initiates from our center (pelvis), it would be a big mistake to dismiss the ground force reaction we can generate beginning at our feet. If you stand, walk, jog or run, your feet’s function will impact the rest of your body. With ankle and/or foot immobility coupled with poor arch integrity, it will throw off the alignment and power your hips can generate. It’s a really dysfunctional feedback loop. I think the constant wearing of shoes is a contributing factor in tightening and weakening of the feet, although I think there’s more to it than this. This lack of stimulation as well as a general disconnection from feeling our own body as a continuous whole has created unintended abuse at the base of our anatomy. Do you have any awareness of your feet in response to the surface you’re on and where you lack the mobility to be strong? If you don’t, you’re certainly not alone, but you can improve your pain if you do. It takes a willingness to be in the present and feel the feels throughout your body. Connect to the sensation of your feet on the supportive surface and perhaps check in with yourself about why you may not have paid attention to this before? Our physical body relates to our emotional experience of ourselves…The Body Keeps the Score (as Bessel van der Kolk conveys in his book of the same name). So what might your feet share with you about the emotions you carry and how you may want to manifest differently in the body? On Friday, I will be live to explore the release and engagement of the feet. You may discover a bit more about how you can change your connection through to the earth’s surface. I’d love to see you then . Or message me if you’d like to reach out before then. I hope your Thanksgiving celebration brought you the connections you're seeking :)