A few years ago, I wrote The Trouble with Belly Breathing which took off in readership over the past year and a half. I’ve gotten requests to write a follow-up article on ways to use more of your lung capacity, so here we are! If you have a hard time breathing into your chest, sides, or back, whether from long COVID, anxiety, or something else, this is for you.
Read moreWhat Happens in an Online Session?
I deeply wish I could wave a magic wand and say, “My office is open, come see me in person!”, but we’re just not there yet and it’s not clear when we will be. I miss you all so much. In the meantime, I want to give a few examples of what online sessions look like and how they can be useful.
Read moreQuarantine and Kindness
I spent Friday evening in a Feldenkrais workshop on presence - presence with yourself, presence with others, and being present with both at the same time while keeping boundaries clear. The original plan was for a full weekend workshop, but obviously that didn’t happen, so the trainer, Donna Blank, offered a short online version. In the beginning of Donna’s work, she asks you to close your eyes, feel your contact and support from your chair and the floor, and look for a “felt sense” of the experience of just being there - sensory cues that tell you how you are rather than thoughts or emotions. It turns out, for me, that this is a very scary thing to do while dealing with quarantine.
Read moreMigraines, Headaches, and Jaw Tension
If you’re reading this article, chances are you suffer from migraines and/or headaches. I bet you also clench your jaw a lot. Take a moment to check in with your mouth. If someone put a pressure meter between your teeth, what would it read? A few ounces? A pound? A lot more than one pound?
What part of your mouth is your tongue touching? How hard is it pressing? When you open your mouth, do you experience popping and clicking?
Read moreMoving On From Injury and Trauma
It's a universal desire when we have a problem to want an easy fix and a solution. We all look for easy fixes for all kinds of problems, and often there is one. When it comes to somatic questions, however, there isn't always a fix. I don't mean for that to sound depressing. Instead, I'm offering a perspective shift.
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