From Stiff to Swift
Over many years through private sessions with amazing clients, I've identified numerous factors contributing to a decline in my clients, friends, and family members health, energy level, well-being, and longevity metrics.
I've observed that when people are confronted with health-related choices as simple as exercise but as complex as an MRI reading without adequate information and education, they often feel overwhelmed and consequently defer their healthcare decisions to their doctors or other professionals. While doctors, therapists and practitioners strive to provide the best care and many go above and beyond to alleviate their patients' suffering, I’ve seen through thousands of cases I've worked with that demonstrate to me the fact that professional western medical care is most effective in acute situations.
For reoccurring movement patterns contributing to tension and lack of ease, energy, strength, and agility in your body, I advocate for self-directed education and care.
Self-directed education is like taking the wheel of your wellness journey. It’s empowering! When you take charge of your health, physicians and therapists become your co-pilots rather than the captains, leading to lasting change and complete recovery.
Self directed education is when you are responsible for how you feel totally. You rightfully take back your power, removing blame and expectation from practitioners. In this shift in perspective, what occurs is nothing short of a miracle. You’re then in the rightful place of having ownership and autonomy over how you feel; and the people you chose as your professional healthcare team then become your partners in your courageous climb to well-being. This approach fosters sustainable change and complete recovery.
Early in my career as a Licensed Massage Therapist, I pursued further advanced education in teaching modalities such as Active Isolated Stretching, Feldenkrais, Pilates, The Gyrotonic Method, Yamuna Ball Rolling, Neurolinguistic Programming, and several more health modalities because
I noticed a recurring pattern: my Massage Therapy clients would return each week with the same issues.
Despite leaving my office feeling great, relaxed, and happy again they struggled to maintain these improvements in well-being and lightness in their step. Their body didn't change permanently. Why? Their bodies didn't undergo lasting change because they continued the same movement patterns that initially caused the tension. My observation of this over many years highlights the need to empower my clients with what I call self-directed education and care.
To achieve lasting change…
We must approach alterations in habits, unlearn compensatory movement patterns, and make lifestyle adjustments with a comprehensive and diligent strategy. The process begins with acquiring new information, which serves as the foundation for understanding what needs to change and why these changes are beneficial. This education is crucial, as it empowers us with the knowledge to make informed decisions about our health and well-being.
Once we have the latest, most up-to-date information on longevity and wellness, and understand how our bones and muscles create structure in our bodies, the next step is to put this knowledge into practice. This means consistently incorporating new movement patterns into our daily routines. Initially, this practice requires conscious effort and persistence, as we are essentially reprogramming our bodies and minds to adopt these new behaviors. It is natural to encounter challenges and resistance during this phase, as breaking old habits and forming new ones can be difficult. But, that's why I'm here to encourage, guide, and create new ideas and ways to implement these changes.
Long-term change requires a multifaceted approach that combines education, consistent practice, and the development of unconscious competence.
