STRETCH & REST CARE for the wellness warrior |
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What's on the agenda for you over the long, holiday weekend? Hopefully something to refresh your mind, body and soul. I don't know anyone that isn't needing more rest in their life right now. All forms of exhaustion- mental, physical, emotional- are at an all time high. So here is your Rest Prescription for the weekend. It's a great one to help you fall asleep but you can also do it floating in the pool and before taking a nap in a hammock. It's super simple.
If you get off track, start over at 32 or just pick any number and count backwards as you do a full inhale and exhale. You can pick any number. It doesn't matter where you start. If you fall asleep, woohoo. Just rest. When you wake up, you wake up. Whatever length of time it is, your mind, body and soul needed it. Get outside if you can over the weekend and do a few minutes of this breath work to take a nap. Use the exercise to help with sleep on a regular basis. Deep breaths and baby steps! Mollie P.S. Want better sleep? Download this 5 minute rest meditation to take a quick time out, prep for a nap or to relax your body before sleep.
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Hope you're staying cool & enjoying some summer fun so far. Summer is a great time to check in on how we are doing with our green, healthy living habits to support nature and the planet. Here are 5 tips to help you have a green, clean, healthy body & home while you help save the planet. 1. Look for businesses that are Certified B Corporations™: B Corps are for profit businesses that commit to balance both profit and purpose. These brands meet legal standards to consider not only the needs of their customer and employees in their decision making but also the environment and larger global community. 2. Look for the BUNNY LABEL to find brands that don’t do testing on animals. Download the cruelty cutter app to make it easier to shop cruelty free. 3. GROCERY SHOPPING:
4. HOUSEHOLD GOODS:
5. CAMPS WITH A CAUSE: our online bodywork camps will not only help you have a strong, calm, well-rested body but every camp sale supports an organization that improves the health & welfare of animals and wild life like the Beagle Freedom Project & Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
Remember it all adds up. Mini moves & baby steps to have a healthier body and lifestyle. The brands you chose matter for not only you and your home but our planet. Go More Green! Mollie P.S. More scoop on 2 of my favorite Animal Rescue & Rehab organizations that we support with every online camp sale. Beagle Freedom Project is a non-profit animal rescue and advocacy organization and the world’s leading organization for rescuing and rehoming animals used in experimental research. Since 2010 the charity has been freeing survivors from laboratory experiments, senior and special needs animals from shelters, and victims of horrific abuse from around the world. FYI Beagles are the most tested on dogs, particularly in the cosmetic and beauty industry, due to their gentle nature. Remember look for the bunny label or use the cruelty cutter app to shop. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust rescues & rehabs orphaned elephants, rhino’s & wildlife in Kenya to return them healthy to the wild as well as securing habitats for future generations, providing fresh water relief, vet rescue units and my favorite- their canine project using dogs to sniff out wildlife crime. *denotes affiliate link It’s about that time of year. The time when we get lots of questions about how to get rid of neck pain. Maybe it’s all the online shopping? Here is what we recommend to let the healing begin. As always, anytime you have pain you want to calm things down. First step is to decrease the inflammation. Next CHECK IN on these 3 areas: Hip Check In- stiff muscles or tightness causing pain in your neck can be a sign that you’ve got some underlying weakness in your core and postural muscles. Why check your hips when you’ve got neck pain? All movement begins at the hips which are the base of your core. Your hips don’t lie. Imbalances in strength and mobility of your hips will cause issues all throughout the body. Wait what? Yes it's true and because everything’s connected to everything through your fascia (connective tissue). If your hips are tight and pelvic floor muscles are weak, then your neck may be working overtime to hold you up against gravity. Posture Check In- it’s important to check that you aren’t straining your neck with your positioning in bed and wherever you sit for long periods (i.e. office chair, sofa, car seat). Bed Tips: How many pillows do you sleep with? You want to find just the right amount of support particularly in your neck area so that you aren’t too flexed or too flat. You’ll need to take into consideration if you sleep on your back, side or belly. They make pillows for all types of sleepers now. Find one that fits you just right. If your neck is flared up, you might need some extra support in the curve of your neck just below the base of your skull. You can roll up a towel and place it in the bottom of your pillowcase for some extra support. If you’re a belly sleeper, a good goal would be to try and become a side sleeper. You could even get a body pillow and sleep halfway between your side and belly sleeping for less stress on your neck. Chair Tips: ideally you want to sit in a position with good low back support that encourages you to sit with your shoulders over your hips and head in line with your spine. Try to have your elbows supported to take tension out of your shoulders and put any screen at eye level to avoid slumping over and flexing your neck too much. Standing desks work for some folks also to break up their sitting time. It’s impossible to have perfect posture all day long but you can become more mindful of how you sit and take frequent movement breaks to reset your posture and help your tissue stay hydrated throughout the day. Stress Check In- most of us are aware that when we are stressed, we hold tension in our necks. Taking simple relaxation breaks from 3 reps to 3 minutes throughout the day will help you calm your nervous system and help you feel more ease each day. Now that you’ve checked in, which of these areas needs some attention? Keep that in mind as you work on the next step: moving without pain. NECK BASIC MOBILITY WORK Here are a few gentle movements to help relieve neck tension or pain. Relaxing your face- There are 2 simple moves that can help you relax your face and put less tension on your neck. Smiling and putting your tongue on the roof of your mouth while you breathe. I know it seems too simple but try it while you are working on the computer or working out to see if it helps keep tension out of your neck. Relaxing your shoulders- Good form is important not only in sitting but when you are lifting weights or doing arm movements during Pilates or Yoga exercises. Check in and make sure your shoulders are not pulled up toward your ears (elevated) when you are sitting, cooking, driving, working out, talking on the phone. Instead keep your shoulder blades pulled down toward your hips and think arm pits to hips as you move and go through your day. Chin Tuck Exercise- Sit up tall, shoulders over hips, arm pits to hips and gently move your chin back toward your spine like you’re making a double chin. Think about lengthening the back of your neck. Repeat 10 times as long as this doesn’t increase your pain. Rule of thumb: if a movement makes your pain worse, don’t do it or modify it. Nose Circles Exercise- Sit up tall with good posture and move your nose in a circle like you are drawing a circle the size of an orange. Repeat 5-10 times then reverse directions and repeat circles 5-10 more times. Modifications: If you’re super flared-up, you might want to do the Chin Tucks and Nose Circles laying on your back with a supportive pillow or towel roll. Bend your knees with feet flat on floor to take even more tension off your spine. You can do these several times a day especially at the end of your day. When someone has a recent injury, you typically have them do 10 reps every hour to help calm the area and get out of the pain cycle. Remember we want to calm the body when it’s in pain. As things calm down and you’re able to move better without pain, the next step is to turn on your postural muscles with stability exercises. POSTURE WORK FOR NECK PAIN Even though you are dealing with a neck issue, you want to start with stability exercises aimed at strengthening your hips and pelvic floor muscles to help improve your posture and take tension off your neck. You can literally reshape your body with a few minutes of daily fascial body work. We show you how to improve the mobility and stability of your hips and spine using fascial stretching, massage and stability work in our online program, HIP Camp™: Stretch & Rest Care Tools To Reshape Your Body. Learn more here. WHEN TO SEEK HELP WITH PAIN If you have sharp or constant pain or start to lose sensation or control of any muscles, it’s time to call your doctor. Seek medical help immediately when you have an acute (new) injury. If you’ve been diagnosed with a herniated disc or have numbness/tingling into your arm, you will need a health care professional to guide you with your recovery. You’ll want to find someone that has strong manual therapy skills and training with myofascial tools like cupping, kinesiotaping or dry needling. You may benefit from traction techniques also. Your provider should also give you a home exercise program to do between sessions. Don’t forget you are still fragile as you are healing. Go slow as you get back to normal activities even when you start to feel better or have less pain. Heal Well! Mollie P.S. Ho. Ho. Ho. It’s time to Roll. Our favorite foam roller is 30% off this month. It’s like having a PT, Chiro, Massage Therapist in one and the closest we can get to sending our hands home with you. You can find it here*. In our online program, HIP Camp™, we show you how to use the foam roller & more to help you reshape your body for better energy, mobility and posture. Learn more here. For more stress management tips, download this Daily Planner to help you add 1-3 minute rest & relaxation breaks into your day. DIY Self Care Book Resource for Neck Pain: McKenzie Method- Treat Your Own Neck. Available in English and Spanish. You can find it on Amazon or here. For more for tips on having good form during workouts, refer to this Fit Blog. For suggestions on how to build your rehab team, refer to this Fit Blog. *denotes affiliate link 2020 has been INTENSE for all of us. We've all got a battle or two (or more) going on right now in our lives. Even dentists are reporting increased numbers of cracked teeth and dental emergencies since the Spring. Apparently, it's from all the jaw clenching and teeth grinding from stress. Good news, I've got a go to breathing exercise for anxiety and stress... THE COOLING BREATH It’ll not only help you process strong emotions like The Ha Breath does, but help you calm and relax your nervous system. It’s the perfect time to add it to your breath work toolbox. OK let's test it out. Check in to see if you are feeling any anxiety or stress. Rate it on a scale of 1 (none) to 10 (I’m freaking out). Next do 5 reps of The Cooling Breath. HOW TO DO THE COOLING BREATH
After 5 reps of The Cooling Breath, check back in and rate your anxiety or stress on a scale of 1 to 10. Did it go down? Do you want to do a few more reps? Listen to your body. What does it need? You can use The Cooling Breath during the day, in the car, before bed. Anytime you feel anxiety rising. Make sure to teach it to your kiddos. They'll love it. You can describe it like blowing bubbles if that helps them catch on to it. We are sending tons of love to anyone fighting or recovering from the virus, the fires, or the hurricanes. Please take care of yourself during these challenging times. Stay Safe! Mollie P.S. Craving better sleep? Download this 5 minute rest meditation to take a quick time out, prep for a nap or to relax your body before sleep (it includes The Cooling Breath). Download this daily planner to help you add more 1-3 minute rest & relaxation breaks into your day. Would you agree that time is our most precious resource? One thing that can rob you of time is being in pain. You only have so much energy (i.e. brain power) in a day and painful joints or muscle soreness takes up brain space. If you’re in pain and not able to move well, what are you missing out on in life? Is it time with loved ones, your favorite sport or hobby, planning your dream trip? What’s pain costing you? At work? At home? It's never too late to learn simple strategies to help you get out of pain and calm things down. So, let’s do an inflammation checkup. Are you in pain? Does your body feel, sore, tight, or stiff? Inflammation and soreness are signs of over-training or over-use. Healthy tissue doesn’t hurt. It’s not tender to touch. It doesn’t hurt when you move. Pain is telling you something is not right. It’s a protective mechanism. It’s locking up to guard. Your body is like “Hey, over here. Pay attention to me. You better stop that. I need a break NOW!” It’s talking to you all day. We get hunger signals. Thirst signals. Fatigue signals. All of them are like the warning lights on your car. Alerts before you break down. Most of us wait until our body is screaming at us all day or we can’t move before we pay attention. The good news is you can learn to calm it down if you missed the warning signals. 6 Strategies To Calm Down Inflammation
THE MORE YOU:
The more you'll benefit from supporting your body with daily practices to decrease inflammation. Which one are you going to test out first? It's never too late to feel, move, and perform better! Here's to taking it one day or one step at a time. Happy Healing! Mollie
If you’re feeling the anxiety creeping back up as the Rona wildfire spreads across the southern part of the U.S., here's a self-care practice that should help. We had our dress rehearsal in April for this scenario. Cue the jazz hands, it’s SHOW TIME! Remember… We know what to do to slow the spread: WASH (your hands), WATCH (your distance), WEAR (your mask). We know outside (with social distancing) is safer than indoors. It’s the perfect time to start a GROUNDING PRACTICE. And it’s super simple. How To Start A Grounding Practice Grounding 101: Lie on the ground outside for 5-10 minutes. You don’t have to do anything but let Mother Earth do her thing. Spice it up: you can visualize growing roots from your body down into the earth as you breathe. Inhale all the healing energy of nature, then exhale anything you want to release from your mind or body through those roots down deep into the earth. Benefits Of A Grounding Practice A Grounding Practice can help you:
Other options when you can’t get safely on the ground and start to spiral with anxiety or fear:
Self Care Resources Here are links to all the blogs for resources I’ve pulled together so far during the pandemic: Self-care basics during COVID-19 Rest Resources Immune Boosting Breath Work Pet Care: the latest CDC update is that humans can pass coronavirus to their pets (no evidence of them giving it to humans). Keep your pets away from anyone outside your household and anyone who has tested positive or is in quarantine. If you don’t know Andy Slavitt, I recommend you follow him on twitter (@ASlavitt) or on his podcast (In The Bubble) for real time COVID-19 updates as hot spots develop around the country. Stay Safe & Strong! Mollie P.S. Want better sleep? Download this 5 minute rest meditation to take a quick time out, prep for a nap or to relax your body before sleep It’s getting W-E-I-R-D in here. How are you doing now that we’re at the mask stage of the Rona Ride? I’m used to them in the medical world, but it still feels strange to wear them in public. This whole experience is pretty disorienting. Isn’t it? As we add covering up with the mask to social distancing, keep in mind you can still connect with others using your eyes and body language. Some of my stroke patients that I learned the most and felt closest too didn’t speak a word the entire time I worked with them because of their aphasia. We used body language and eye contact to connect and understand each other. When you’re wearing a mask in public, you can still crack jokes and use eye contact to connect with people especially those with essential service jobs. The stress and fatigue are on the rise in the front lines. Smile with your eyes. They’re still the window to your soul. Send them some love. TO MASK OR NOT TO MASK I know there’s confusion and mixed messages out there on masks, even when some communities require them. Part of the journey of this pandemic is we have to adapt as we learn more information. Current research shows masks help decrease risk for all by at least 50% (3 ply surgical masks are better than home made). Wearing a mask is another tool to protect ourselves and the most vulnerable in our community from the virus. Mask Care 101: Make sure you cover both your mouth and nose with it. And once it’s on don’t touch it with your hands. If you do touch it, wash your hands. Take it off by the ear loops and throw it away. Yes the Rona Ride is getting repetitive but it’s simple: Wash (your hands), Watch (your distance), and Wear (your mask). BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM Before you mask up, do the dog breath (in your house or car). It’s another exercise to add to your breath work toolbox that’ll help boost your immune system.  DOG BREATH:
Peace & Love, Mollie P.S. Helpful Resources: Download this daily planner to help you add 1-3 minute rest & relaxation breaks into your day. Additional Rest Resources Self-care basics during COVID-19 Surgical Masks: Austin Emergency Supply Foundation provides free masks to small business and those in need. You can buy masks for just yourself or for you + help others get them too. Best Mask For Glasses (anti-fog) I don’t know about you but I’m ready for a REST stop on the Rona Ride. It’s starting to feel like a country song come to life… Dad’s on lock down (at his assisted living). Youngest brother’s on the front lines (ER doc in Virginia that loves infectious disease). I’m on a see saw balancing between two new worlds (the wellness “rest” world from my yoga nidra training and the upside down medical world on the verge of burn out). Ironically, my yoga nidra training started when the pandemic hit our area. I'll be honest my Rona Ride stalled out at the end of April when my body screamed "time out" due to poor sleep from stress and the crazy pace of all the almost daily changes happening in the medical world. I was exhausted mentally and physically. So what did I do? I busted open my rest-care tool box which helped me bounce back energy wise. THE BEST MEDICINE IS REST There has never been a better time to listen to your body and give it what it needs. Right now besides your basic hygiene, social distancing and using the latest CDC safety precautions, I recommend using as much rest, laughter, and nature as medicine as possible. I saw a post where someone mentioned they were making turns onto aisles at the grocery store like they were in a haunted house. I couldn’t help from LOL thinking of that even though it’s also sad. Hopefully we won’t feel like that forever. Find the humor whenever you can right now. It's OK to laugh while you're anxious or sad. It's a #1 coping strategy in the healthcare world. Don’t feel guilty. Focus on what you can control in your immediate environment. Your self-care comes first then everyone else. The wellness rules are the same as before, but we need to ramp up the calming strategies. Remember to take advantage of the health benefits of movement and meditation each day. You don't have to go hard core. A little bit helps a lot. Did you know doing something synchronized like singing with another person is right up there health wise? Our bodies intuitively know this. Think of all the TikTok videos or the clapping each day in NYC and Italy for health care workers. Go ahead and bust out the karaoke or your favorite dance moves a few minutes a day. Sing and shake your body to keep the energy and emotions flowing. I know you’ve got cabin fever. Go for a drive. Go outside and soak up some sun. Get near water or trees. Move your body. But then I still want you to REST, REST, REST. This is a marathon not a sprint. Our bodies heal and get stronger at rest. REST & RELAXATION SELF-CARE TOOLSHere are some free rest and relaxation tools to help calm your body & brain: Download this free 5 minute rest meditation for better sleep. Use it to take a quick break, prep for a nap or to relax your body before sleep. Free Meditation Apps: Calm, Head Space Tapping (EFT) is a combination of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology that sends calming signals to the brain. Here are some free resources: The Tapping Solution free coronavirus stress and anxiety meditations: go here The Tapping Solution has 6 months free membership for health care workers and first responders: learn more here Tapping with Brad Yates on YouTube: Coronavirus Rest is medicine! Mollie P.S. Working from home for the first time? Don’t forget to take mini movement breaks for better focus & less stiff muscles. Download the Mini Moves Planner to help your body feel more energy, ease, and flow each day. Need some immune boosting tips? Here’s the Healthy Traveler Packing List from an oldie but goldie blog post on nutrition and exercise resources to add to your self-care practices. They're good year-round not just for travel. Find COVID-19 self-care basics & resources here.
One of the things I love about Pilates, Yoga, and Qi Gong is the emphasis on the breath work. They all teach you how the breath is where it all starts. It controls everything. How you heal. How you feel. How you move. And there are so many breathing exercises out there that can give you different results. You can change the way you breathe so that it calms your nervous system, to turn on your nervous system before or during activity, to boost your energy, to loosen muscle tension, and/or to decrease anxiety and overwhelm. It’s fascinating how something so simple can make such a difference in your body and mind. Try this. Put your hand over your heart and close your eyes. Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Repeat a few more deep breaths. Did that release some tension in your neck? Do you feel a less overwhelmed? How about more grounded or centered? You can use this breathing exercise anytime you feel like life is spiraling out of control. It reminds you that you DO have control. One breath can change everything. Your mood. Your energy level. And as they say you've gotta feel it to heal it. Breath work will help you do that. Having a variety of breathing exercises in your self-care tool box will help you manage stress, fatigue, and pain to perform and feel your best each day. Here is another breathing exercise for you to try that will help you release STRONG emotions: The Ha Breath*. Some of us were taught that it's not OK to express strong or negative emotions (i.e. anger, sadness) and they get trapped in our body. This technique will help you release them. Not to get too woo woo on you, but it'll also help you center yourself by combining both your masculine and feminine energy so you’re in a more peaceful place. THE HA BREATHStep One
Step Two
Step Three
Remember…baby steps, my friend. All is well. Mollie P.S. Want to feel more energy, ease, & flow each day? Download this free daily planner that'll help you pick out a few self-care mini moves so you can find your groove. *FROM THE BOOK: Daring To Rest by Karen Brody who learned The Ha Breath technique in a Sierra Bender workshop. If you’re worn out, burned out or in need of a time out, here’s my favorite tool to help you get re-energized. I've used it daily for the past 2 years. It's been my #1 self-care practice as I continue to ride the emotional roller coaster of providing elder care for my dad. I learned about it on a podcast that led me to a book that started me on a 40 day challenge with a simple rest tool called Yoga Nidra. I was completely worn out from helping my dad through his 3rd cancer surgery in a year when the podcast caught my attention. I'd heard the name many times from my Yoga Therapist colleagues, but didn’t really "hear" it until my body needed it the most. My body was like “Yes, THAT is what you need to do when you get home.” Deep rest was exactly what my body was craving and I was the perfect candidate to test out the power of it. I'll never forget my first yoga nidra nap and the way it refreshed and energized my worn-out body (and soul). It’s the most relaxed I’ve gotten on my own without going to acupuncture or massage. I would even say it’s a deeper relaxation experience that energizes you versus having that post bodywork fog where you can barely drive home. What is Yoga Nidra? It’s basically meditation while you rest. You lie down, listen to a guided meditation, and rest. It’s called “yogic sleep” and involves intense relaxation. Doesn’t it sound fascinating and fun? It’s my favorite rest tool for managing fatigue and stress. If you’re a caregiver for little ones, old ones, even furry ones... it'll help you re-charge each day. If you're in a healing profession... it's your burnout prevention tool. If you’ve got a job that requires you to perform (athlete, speaker)… it’s your pre-game “find your flow” mindset tool. A 15 minute yoga nidra nap will help you calm your nervous system so your body can repair and heal itself. It has been such a powerful healing & recovery tool in my life. I know it can be in yours as well. Getting Started With Yoga Nidra REST CHALLENGE:
OTHER RESOURCES:
Rest Well! Mollie P.S. Check out your brain on Yoga Nidra. The research on brain scans during Yoga Nidra is remarkable. Your brain is asleep and awake at the same time. After you wake up, you're primed and ready to act: Brain scans |
Mollie, Ender, Ty & Teddie
Mollie Miller, PT
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