Every Friday afternoon at the Briargate Y, fifteen to twenty people gather in the group exercise room. But this is no ordinary exercise class. 

“Let’s get our left toes tapping and our right heels moving in and out,” Mia the instructor shouts; if that wasn’t complicated enough, attendees then started moving their arms in and out and counting to 72 by six. 

This is PEP, the Parkinson’s Exercise Program, which is designed to optimize brain recovery and repair for those with Parkinson’s. That’s where the counting and multiple movements come in. “Think of it like I-25 is shut down and you have to find a new way to get to Denver; you have to learn how to use 83 or other alternate routes. This type of exercise has proven to be extremely effective in combating the impacts of Parkinson’s by building new neural pathways.”

This class is making a difference. Participants are regaining strength and mobility which has helped some begin to walk again after using a walker or wheelchair. “Parkinson’s is one of those diseases where the best you can do is hold your own,” says Mike, who has been participating in PEP for almost 2 years, “and the exercise lets me do that.”

But PEP is about more than just exercise. According to Susan, who has been attending class regularly for almost four years, the friendships are what makes this program special. “Laughter is the best medicine and we laugh all the time in this class. We get together to just talk – about symptoms and life.”

What was the latest piece of gym equipment that caught your eye, but you were unsure of how to use it?  What was the last exercise you watched someone perform, and you thought “I should be doing that”?

We are all searching for new ways to spice up our exercise routines.  The key is ensuring that any changes are appropriate and safe for you.  There are four fundamental principles by which to guide your decision of adding a new exercise or deleting a current exercise.  Let’s dive in!

Principle 1:  Physics

“When resistance training, the resistance should oppose the movement directly,”¹ or in Newton’s words, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

Let’s make this principle real.  When performing a bench press - pushing weight away from the chest -, the resistance directly opposes the movement, as it pushes the weight towards the body.  This example is a correct application of physics. 

Conversely, do you recall the days of walking with ankle weights?  When you walk, your body is moving forward in space.  The ankle weight is not providing resistance against the forward motion.  It is actually creating a downward force.  Sports specific training corrected this issue by creating a parachute that an athlete could drag, thus creating the appropriate direct opposition of movement.  The athlete is moving forward, while the parachute pulls the athlete backward.

Principle 2:  Biomechanics

When resistance training, respect the body’s natural movement patterns.

The field of biomechanics investigates human movement.  It delves into how the muscles and joints work together and helps scientists understand how injuries occur.  

Think about a standard squat.  See, in your mind’s eye, where your hips, knees, ankles and feet are located.  Your body was built in a way that allows you to squat down towards the ground and to stand back upright.  

Now think about performing a squat on a BOSU ball.  Standing on the round side of a BOSU ball places the knees, ankles, and feet in a position that does not occur in everyday life.  The joints do not align in those abnormal patterns.

Principle 3:  Progression

“To continue seeing gains and improvements from an exercise program, the intensity of the exercises must gradually become increasingly more challenging.”²

Let’s use the bench press again to bring this principle to life.  You mastered the bench press, and you are ready to increase the challenge to keep progressing in your program.  You change the flat bench press with a barbell to a flat bench press with dumbbells.  This progression is perfect!

On the other hand, the following scenario is messy.  You mastered balancing on one foot for a full minute, and you are ready to progress.  Balancing with your eyes closed is a natural progression.  You try balancing on one foot with your eyes closed, but you quickly lose your balance.  You try again, but this time you balance on one foot, close your eyes, and place a hand against the wall for balance.  The only accomplishment here was mixing a progression (eyes closed) with a regression (hand on the wall).  A more suitable progression is to continue balancing on one foot with eyes open and to add an element of movement, such as having a mini stability ball tossed to you.

Principle 4:  Risk-Reward Ratio

Do the benefits of performing the exercise outweigh the risks (ie injury potential)?

Exercise selection is not a “one-size-fits-all” situation.  An exercise that may be incredibly risky for one individual may be foundational to another individual.  For example, think about someone who recently underwent rotator cuff surgery.  There are a series of exercises to help strengthen the rotator cuff and to aid the healing process.  

Conversely, that same program is not appropriate for a professional baseball pitcher because pitching greatly fatigues the rotator cuff.  Add an excessive amount of rotator cuff exercises on top of the daily pitching practice, and the risk for injury is substantial. 

How does this all apply to you?  All of these principles boil down to the truth that you are unique!  Simply because you see someone doing an exercise at the gym that looks neat, does not mean the exercise is appropriate for you.  Before trying a new exercise, run it through the above principles.  If it fails at any point, move along to the next exercise.

If you need any help in exercise programming, consider working with one of the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region Personal Trainers.  They are trained to create customized programs and to handle all these principles for you.  Check out the PPYMCA trainers here:  Meet Our Personal Trainers.

Be safe!

1.  https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/5389/5-exercises-trainers-should-never-do/

2.  https://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/684/ace-integrated-fitness-training-ift-model-for-functional-movement-and-resistance-training-phases-3-and-4/

Managing emotions is a key mental skill needed to navigate life’s inevitable peaks and valleys. While research and theory surrounding human emotion is ambiguous, we do know that emotions are constructed from experiences, personal disposition and innate reactions. 

A local hiker shares her recent opportunity to work with fear: “We were planning to hike Halo Ridge, a 15 mile ascent to 14,000 ft. in the Holy Cross wilderness. Preparing for such a climb requires a bit of research: weather conditions, four-wheel-drive terrain, and of course, what friends say about the mountain. Three times I was warned to beware of the spiders. I have a phobia or irrational fear of spiders. By the time I got to the trail head, Mount of the Holy Cross would be infested spiders the size of my hands. Reality? Oh. I saw two tiny spiders, and had an amazing time!” 

A  local mom shares her experience with what has become the norm for many parents today: “Phone dings. Email from the school district. I brace myself. Pep talk. I can open this. I can handle whatever change is coming our way. I’ll figure it out. I can do this. We can do this. Roll with the punches. My heart races. My face turns hot. My mouth is dry. I open it. Oh. Ok. Just an update from the school that CDOT is doing more construction and detouring the drive to school.

2020 has provided us all many opportunities to work with fear in the face of real and existential threats to safety: physical, financial, and beyond.

Fear and How to use it for Growth

Fear is an essential, universal human emotion. It is an innate protective mechanism that arises when safety, or the sense of safety is threatened. Fear can be real or perceived. How you interpret (both real and perceived) threats has a profound influence on physical, psychological and emotional well-being.

Paul Ekman, pioneer in the study of emotion, suggests three factors shape fearful experiences: intensity, timing and coping. His atlas of emotions, presents fear, and its approximations, along a continuum of intensity from mild trepidation → nervousness → anxiety → dread → desperation → panic → horror → terror. Effectively managing fear starts with accurate emotional labeling.

When considering fear as a protective mechanism, timing makes a world of difference. What begins as a startle reflex, or an intuitive whisper, could result in a life saving choice to flee from harm. Gavin DeBecker writes in The Gift of Fear, “the human brain is never more efficient or invested than when its host is at risk.Then intuition is catapulted to another level entirely, a height where it can accurately be called graceful, even miraculous…”

Practical tools for Coping

Coping with fear takes practice tuning into physical cues. Become curious about personal patterns, and identify what events trigger fearful responses. Begin practicing with a trigger that poses no immediate physical danger. The daily news can actually become an opportunity to start experimenting with your new, mindful relationship to fear. 

While interpreting initial physical responses (increased heart and breathing rate, blood sugar, muscle tension, sweat, etc), there is an opportunity to pause. In this precious pause, you have a choice to reassess the situation, reconsider the stakes, and re-frame consequences that may have been taken to illogical extremes (like gigantic spider infestations). 

Take time to name the emotion you are feeling, understand where it lies along the intensity continuum. A rich emotional vocabulary may lessen the intensity, and foster emotional intelligence.* 

As you re-frame, ask yourself some of these questions: 

• How does my body typically let me know when I feel threatened? 
• What meaning am I associating with these physical cues?
• Are my thoughts working for, or against my capacity to think and see clearly? 
• Am I adding something to the event that is not really there? Am I missing relevant cues? 
• What, if any, actions can be taken to reduce or eliminate the threat? 
• What is within my control? What is not?  

This type of constructive self talk is NOT akin to “stinkin thinkin,” worry, anxiety and doubt. See if you can tell the difference between thoughts that are flavored with curiosity versus thoughts that are wrought with worry, doubt or anxiety. Create space to learn which responses are skillful, situation appropriate,and provide an accurate interpretation of the environment. Over time, constructive self-talk will enable you to better trust your intuition.  

Remember, you can learn to be afraid of anything. Practice pausing often, re-framing with the intent to see threats clearly. When choosing to face your fears, start with something small and tangible. With practice, the fruits of your labor will allow you to meet looming existential threats with a clear mind and body ready for action. 

Did you know that the Lovingkindness Meditation was created as an antidote to fear? Stay tuned for a guided meditation on our resources page, reach out for individual consultation with Jordan or Bethany, or simply lean on the words of Yoda, “Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”

Until next time, 
Jordan and Bethany

Resources:

If you need help managing harmful thoughts please seek help immediately. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)  is a preferred resource https://www.nami.org/Home

 *https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.432.24&rep=rep1&type=pdf

What is Happening?

You open your news app, and the stories hit you like waves.  None of the news is good, and you feel fear wash over you.  “What if” questions barrage your mind, your breathing is all of sudden faster, your heart is beating out of your chest, and you are on edge.  The symptoms only compound the initial fear.  

Stop.

You are okay!  In fact, you are more than okay.  You are normal!  Your body is doing exactly what it is programmed to do.  It is programmed to survive.  

Are You Serious?

Please hear this and take it into your spirit.  All the fear and uncertainty surrounding current events is normal.  To help ground us all, would you take a little journey with me into the curious and fascinating world of the “fight-or-flight” response?

The Amazing Body

The human body possesses an incredible instinct - yes instinct - to survive.  A piece of that survival instinct is the emotion of fear.  Fear is, essentially, a warning of impending danger.  When the fear warning (“fight-or-flight response) is triggered, the body releases a cascade of hormones that prepares it to survive.  

These hormones rapidly spread throughout the body causing some systems to go on high alert and other systems to shut down.  All of this is happening, once again, in an effort to survive and preserve life.  

Here’s what happens:  heart rate increases, anxiety sets in, sweating begins, blood sugar levels rise, muscles tense (can cause tremors), blood pressure rises, breathing rate escalates, pupils dilate, the digestive system slows down (causes the “butterfly” feelings), and saliva production is reduced (dry mouth).  

In the midst of all this, the brain is rapidly assessing the threat level.  Is the threat real, is the threat perceived, and do the physical responses need to be blunted or accelerated?

That’s Nice.  Now What?

While the brain is rapidly processing and the body is responding, you still hold ultimate control.  Let’s return to the scenario of reading the latest news.  You possess a choice.  The choice is between closing the news or continuing to read and sink deeper into fear and worry.  There is incredible strength in you to choose wisely.  

Jordan and I are dedicating the next blog posts and podcast to the topic of fear, as it is pervasive in our world right now.  We will be exploring its psychology and offering relevant tools to manage it.  If you would like personalized guidance, know that we offer Health Coaching and would love the opportunity to work with you!     

Until next time,

Bethany and Jordan

Meet Jordan and Bethany

Purpose of Sleep

We discussed the purpose of the immune system as protecting the body from harmful elements.  Are you familiar, though, with the purpose of sleep?  

“Quality sleep – and getting enough of it at the right times -- is as essential to survival as food and water…. Everyone needs sleep, but its biological purpose remains a mystery.  Sleep affects almost every type of tissue and system in the body – from the brain, heart, and lungs to metabolism, immune function, mood, and disease resistance…. Sleep is a complex and dynamic process that affects how you function in ways scientists are now beginning to understand.”¹ 

Sleep + Immune Function 

Sleep and immune system function possess an interesting relationship.  The relationship is defined as “bidirectional”.  Simply stated, the relationship flows in both directions.  

Let’s look at this bidirectional relationship.  

Immune Function → Sleep:   When the immune system is activated (strong and/or long activation), sleep quality changes (fatigue/disturbed sleep).  

Sleep → Immune Function:  When sleep is chronically insufficient, immune function is weakened.   

Science Meets You

Science is fun, but will you take a moment to make this personal?  Think about the last time you were sick.  Were you fatigued?  Did you sleep more?  Now, think about the last time you were chronically sleep deprived.  Did you experience any tell-tale signs of sickness?  Those experiences are the sleep:immune function bidirectional relationship at work!   

Time to Sleep!

We know a lack of sleep hurts the immune system.  Is there, though, a right amount of sleep that helps the immune system?  Yes!  In the broadest, sweeping generality, adults require 7-9 hours of sleep per day.  To find your sleep need, ask yourself these questions.

1. How long does it take you to fall asleep?  If more than 20 minutes is required, you may be sleeping too much.

2.  Do you need an alarm clock to wake up?  If you struggle to wake, your body may require more sleep.

3.  How do you feel?  This question is the most important.  If you feel tired, allow yourself the space to sleep.  If you are awake, do not force sleep. 

Jordan and I speak often of the mind-body connection.  Sleep is a powerful place to practice that connection.  Would you be gracious towards yourself and truly listen to what your body needs for sleep?  Your immune system, your mental health, and your physical health will thank you!  

Until next time, Bethany and Jordan

1  Brain Basics:  Understanding Sleep

2  The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease

3 Good Sleep Habits

Bethany and I are excited to welcome back Stephanie Miezin, Registered Dietitian with Team USA.  In her writing, Stephanie expertly walks us through the interaction between daily nutrition and immune system function.  Get ready to take a few notes because she also provides practical tips!  Until next time, Jordan and Bethany

Nutrition and the Immune System  

Did you know what you eat can influence your risk of getting sick? Here are a few easy nutrition ideas to support your immune system:  

Eat enough calories overall: The immune system relies on fuel from foods you eat to keep it running at its best. Over time a diet too low in calories can lead to your immune system running on empty and putting you at greater risk for catching a cold or other illness. Avoid a weakened immune system by eating 3 meals a day, with 2-3 snacks. Pay attention to energy levels to help you identify when you may not be getting enough fuel. 

Prioritize protein and carbohydrates: Low amounts of protein and carbohydrates in the diet have been linked to decreased immune function. Include protein and carbohydrates in all meals and snacks to work towards getting enough of each. Great protein choices include fish, lean beef and pork, chicken, tofu, Greek yogurt, and eggs. Awesome carbohydrate sources include whole grain breads and pasta, sweet and regular potatoes, whole grain cereals, rice, quinoa, beans, and fruits.

Focus on fruits and veggies: We all know we have to eat them. Their immune system-supporting nutrients are one of the big reasons why. Specifically, Vitamin C and beta-carotene are two important micronutrients found in many, if not most, fruits and veggies that are critical in helping the immune system run at its best.

Get some zinc: This mineral is not one we think about often, but it does have a large impact on the immune system. Low zinc is associated with decreased immune function. Get enough zinc in your diet by regularly incorporating foods like beans, beef, shellfish, yogurt, chicken, pork, nuts, and zinc fortified cereals.

Soak up Vitamin D: Vitamin D plays a key role in several aspects of good health, with immune function being one. People with low Vitamin D status have been shown to have a higher susceptibility to infections. Aim for a moderate amount of sun exposure each day to promote Vitamin D synthesis in your body, or get some through your diet with salmon, eggs, mushrooms (especially wild types like shiitakes), fortified milk and cereals.

Fuel great gut health: Did you know you have a whole ecosystem of bacteria in your gut? These beneficial bacteria, or microbiota, impact how well your immune system does its job of fighting off the bad bacteria and other invaders. Keep it healthy and fighting well with probiotic foods like yogurt, kombucha, and pickles, and prebiotic foods like onions, asparagus, garlic, mango, and beans.

In closing, here is a day’s worth of meals and snacks incorporating the ideas above to fuel a healthy immune system:

• Breakfast: Eggs (omelet or scrambled) with mushrooms and asparagus, whole grain toast, mixed berries with Greek yogurt or cottage cheese
• Morning Snack: Banana with handful of mixed nuts
• Lunch: Seared salmon and a salad made with veggies of least 3 different colors, chickpeas, and an olive oil based vinaigrette
• Afternoon Snack: Parfait made with Greek yogurt, mango, and nuts or a crunchy fortified cereal
• Dinner: Stir fry made with chicken, beef, tofu, shrimp, or pork, red or orange bell peppers, onion, broccoli, garlic, ginger, and served over whole grain noodles or brown rice

Nourish well! 

Immune Function

The human immune system is incredible and complex.  In simple terms, the immune system protects the body from harmful elements.  It is your body’s defense system.  Amazingly, you possess the ability to strengthen or weaken your immune system.

Exercise

Exercise is a double-edged sword when it is associated with immune system function.  When exercise is performed in excess, immune function is weakened.  Alternatively, when exercise is performed in the appropriate amount, immune function is strengthened.

Will you join me in determining what is “excess” and what is “appropriate” for you?  Let’s work together to strengthen your immune system!

Excess

There exists the very real potential to exercise too much.  When  exercise is done in excess, the body experiences what is called over-training.  Common symptoms of over-training include decreased performance, chronic fatigue, weight loss, abnormally elevated heart rate during exercise, increased incidence of injury, and increased number of infections.  At the core of over-training is over-stressing the body and not allowing it the appropriate recovery time.

How do you know if you are over-training?  Are you experiencing any of the above mentioned symptoms?  Are you dragging yourself to your workouts?  If so, you may be experiencing over-training.  If you suspect over-training, please talk with your physician to discuss a recovery plan.

Appropriate

What amount of exercise is the proverbial “sweet spot” and will strengthen your immune system?  The scientific research shows that performing a moderate amount of exercise, at a moderate intensity is the key.  Moderate intensity, specifically cardiovascular activity, is defined as 55-69% of your heart rate max (HR_max), performed for 20-60 minutes, 3-5 days per week.

HR_max is calculated as 220-age.  For example, if you are 40 years old, your HR_max = 220-40=180 beat per minute.  Your heart rate training zone sweet spot is then 55-69% of 180 or 99-124 beats per minute.

Win!

Stress, excessive exercise poor nutrition, and improper hygiene are all associated with decreased immune function.  Would you consider choosing one facet of immune health to strengthen in your life this month?  Perhaps you are already exercising in the sweet spot, but you are curious about how your nutrition is affecting your immune health.  Our next blog is dedicated to nutrition and immune function.

Now is the time for the win!  A little preventive work for your immune system is going to set you up beautifully to ward off the next cough or sneeze.

Until next time, Bethany and Jordan

Coach with Us!

For an added challenge on the last mountain run, I offered my friends a generous head start. Half way through the run, a text comes in, “there is a bear near the trail, be careful.” 

I think, “Shoot.  I’ve never had a close encounter with a bear, what am I going to do?” 

I remove my headphones, stay “bear aware” and coach myself through the moment. “Don't panic yet, maybe it will be gone by the time I get there.”  Nope. There he is. I freeze. “Shoot. What do I do? He is right there.” 

Still frozen, staring at the happy bear grooming itself, the wind blows. He lifts his head, and I think, "Oh no! He smelled me and my snacks." I start back tracking, then stand there like a statue… for 20 minutes… (Feel free to poke fun at this recovering city slicker).

This type of acute stress response is primitive and is designed to keep us safe from lions and tigers and bears. Health problems arise when an acute stress response turns chronic, and stress hormones are not used to take action. 

Harmful Effects of Chronic Stress 

Chronic stress can stem from various sources. Even the mere perception of physical or psychosocial threats (like an uncertain future due to a global pandemic) can have harmful effects. These effects can be prolonged through “anticipatory stress,” activated through memories, emotions,or thoughts. Here are a few ways chronic stress manifests:

• Physically: Frequent illness and inflammation
• Mentally: Poor concentration decision making
• Emotionally: Irritability, anger, nervousness depression, overwhelm
• Behaviorally: Unhealthy coping with food, sleep, drugs or alcohol

Not all stress is immunosuppressive. However, chronic stress, real or imagined, does compromise the immune system. When defending the body-mind from noxious invaders, the nervous and immune systems coordinate a cascade of electro-chemical events to prevent (or allow) injury or infection. 

Stress hormones enhance inflammation and exert major suppressive effects on the immune system. Research also suggests that stress hormones actively withdraw the parasympathetic nervous system¹, the part of the nervous system that kicks on the “rest and digest '' response. This “decreased vagal tone” has been associated with increased inflammatory markers. 

How to Stay Healthy

Become a coping rockstar!
How?
Start with a list or two:

1. Identify what daily behaviors promote a “fight or flight” response in body or mind. 
2. Identify behaviors that promote a “rest and digest” response in body or mind. 

Remember, what may be relaxing for some, could be overstimulating for others. Balance is the name of the game. What could be relaxing for your mind, could be taxing for your body. Take a moment to listen to what you truly need, and nourish yourself accordingly. You’re worth it! 

The Mind-Body connection is complex, dynamic, and filled with individual variability. Like the “butterfly effect,” a small change in one part of a body system can have large effects elsewhere in the body. Bringing balance, or homeostasis, to your body’s systems helps keep you healthy - mind, body and spirit.

While all the body’s systems work together to support homeostasis, we will highlight the relationship between the mind, immune and nervous systems. Spoiler alert! There is actually an entire field of study called Psychoneuroimmunology that illuminates how the brain and body work together to influence the immune system.

In the throes of a global pandemic, “boosting the immune system” has become a popular search term. Before dumping hard earned cash into the next antioxidant berry concoction, let’s revisit the basics.

The immune system defends homeostasis by warding off noxious invaders like parasites, viruses, and unfriendly bacteria. If initial lines of immune defense prove unsuccessful, immune cells intervene to clean up infection and reduce inflammation. 

These cells also communicate with the brain, part of the central nervous system. Signals from the immune system to the brain “potently alter neural activity, and thereby alter everything that flows from neural activity, mainly behavior, thought and mood.” -Steven Maier, University of Colorado.

As with most human systems, this relationship is bidirectional, whereby the immune system sends signals to the brain, and the brain sends signals out to the body. It's not just the noxious invaders, but also behavioral and psychological events that influence the immune system.

A quick overview of the nervous system illustrates how the butterfly effect takes flight. In brief, the nervous system regulates homeostasis through electrical and chemical signaling. This miraculously intricate system shapes the following, among a myriad of other precise electro-chemical processes: 

• Personal stress response
• Sensation, perception and interpretation of the world around and within
• Motivation and attitude
• Attention,cognition and memory
• Innate reflexes
• How movement is initiated and sustained

The brain and spinal cord, or central nervous system, interact with the peripheral nervous system to achieve dynamic balance, while providing access to higher order thinking, planning, decision making and behavioral execution. 

Supporting strong immune functioning during times of heightened stress requires healthy lifestyle choices and an adaptable, resilient nervous system. Up next, we’ll address controllable lifestyle choices that have a profound impact on the immune system: stress management, exercise, nutrition, and sleep. 

Until then, 

Jordan and Bethany

When you think of caring for your spirit or feeding your spirit, what comes to mind?  Hold onto that thought as we look at a few simple ways to practice spirit self-care.  Some may apply to you, others may not.  The key is to find and practice what resonates with you. 

Religion/Spirituality/Faith

Many of us hold deep roots in a faith system.  Perhaps you attend a weekly service, or perhaps you listen to a podcast with teachings.

Be in Nature

Does being outside rejuvenate your spirit?  Does sitting by lapping water soothe your soul?  Give yourself the gift of going outside.

Engage in a Hobby

When your mind is spinning a million miles a minute, is there a hobby that calms you?  Engaging in a hobby that feeds your spirit is wonderful!  Pick up the paint brush, break out the baking pans, dust off the piano, and dive into the world where you get lost expressing you.

Turn Off Technology

While technology offers us many wonderful things - you are reading this blog online! -, it also can be a source of information overload.  Allow yourself the space to silence technology, to turn off being “on” at all times, and to simply enjoy the quiet.

Practice Forgiveness 

I was once taught that refusing to forgive is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.  We all experience hurt, and we all hurt others.  Holding onto the hurt and refusing to forgive, in the end, serves only to hurt you and your spirit.

Next Step  

I am unable to emphasize enough the importance of finding a practice that is unique and personal to you.  That practice/activity may not even be listed.  The list is simply a place to begin and to explore.  I began by asking you “When you think of caring for your spirit or feeding your spirit, what comes to mind?”.  Your answer to the question may be the exact place to begin.

Until next time,

Bethany and Jordan

You

In the last blog, we learned the origin of the word “spirit” is Latin and means “breath”.  Would you travel down a thought path with me for a moment?

Your breath is the essence of who you are.  Without breath, there is no life.  Without your spirit, there is no life.

Do you know your essence, what makes up you?  Rachelle Williams from the Chopra Center wrote the following:

“A spiritual self-care practice is any ritual that connects you to your true self, the real you.”¹  

If time is not taken to care for your spirit, you - the beautiful you who you are - will suffer.  

Again, take a little thought journey with me.  Recall a time you followed the path of the masses, despite knowing you did not agree with that path.  How did your spirit feel?  In that discord of you following that with which you did not agree, your spirit was being stifled.     

I boldly encourage you to not stifle your spirit; instead, develop and feed your spirit!  Taking care of your spirit is not selfish.  In fact, it is necessary.  In that care, you will learn what is sacred to you and how to honor the sacred.  

Please join me in the next blog as we walk through ways to not only care for your spirit, but to explore your spirit.  There may just be things in there that surprise you!

Until next time,

Bethany and Jordan

1 10 Spiritual Self Care Tips You Need to Know

The examination of spirit is a tale as old as time.  Cultures and religions throughout the world speak to the existence of spirit and offer multitudes of definitions.  At the very heart of spirit is its etymology.  The origin of the word is Latin (spiritus) and means “breath”.  

We are unable to live without our breath, our spirit.  Have you ever consciously thought about feeding your spirit?  As your body and your mind require self-care, so does your spirit.            

Spirit Self-Care

We invite you to join us for an exploration of gentle ways to care for your spirit.  We will look at why spirit self-care is important and realistic practices you can incorporate into life.  The key, no matter what we present to you, is to discover what works best for you.    

Encouragement

Our goal is never to overwhelm you with one more thing to do.  We know life pushes and pulls us all in a multitude of directions.  Our goal is to support you and to applaud you along the way.  

Until we meet again, would you consider your own definition of spirit?  Is your spirit healthy?  Does your spirit need care?    

With gentleness,

Bethany and Jordan 

“You began as a single cell bathed in a nourishing fluid.  As you became a beautifully organized, air-breathing body of trillions of cells, each of your cells had to remain next to water to stay alive.  Water brings to each cell the exact ingredients the cell requires and carries away the end products of its life-sustaining reactions.” ¹

Would you sit with those words for a moment?  Within those words is an amazing miracle - YOU!  Within those words is also found the weighty role of water to support that miracle.  

“Support” seems an insufficient word when you consider your body is approximately 60% water, and your brain is approximately 73% water.  Truly, water is the most indispensable nutrient in the human body.  Water does the following in your body:

• It first acts as a building block for every cell in your body and remains a vital nutrient throughout the cell’s life.

• It regulates your internal body temperature via sweating and respiration.

• It assists in the conversion of food into components needed for survival.  Water then also carries those components in the bloodstream throughout your body.  

• It assists in flushing waste, primarily through urination.

• It acts as a shock absorber for your brain and spinal cord.  

• It forms saliva, ultimately assisting in digestion.

• It lubricates your body’s joints. ²

When your body does not receive proper hydration, these processes deteriorate, and your body physically begins to suffer.  The physical deterioration collides with mental function and fatigue, tension, anxiety and difficulty concentrating emerge.  

How can you avoid that collision, and what does hydration self-care look like?  In other words, let’s look at the how, what, when, where and why. 

How?  Sip water throughout the day instead of chugging it.  Sipping allows your body the space and time it needs to properly absorb water.  How much should you be drinking?  The researchers are a bit conflicted on the matter; however, a good place to start is to drink half your body weight in ounces.  For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, target 75 ounces of water per day. 

What?  Water.  Treat yourself to fruit infused water.  Simply add a slice of fresh orange to your water, or tap into your creativity and begin mixing fruit slices with herb leaves.  

When?  Sip water throughout the day.  Even as little as a 1.5% loss of body water can cause the aforementioned collision of physical and mental dehydration symptoms.  (Tip:  Monitor your urine color.  Dark yellow urine indicates dehydration, and very pale yellow urine indicates hydration.)  

Where?  Drink water wherever you are able.  If you know you are going to be away from a source of water, do try to take a full water bottle with you.  

Why?  Because the miracle of YOU is worth it!

Until next time,

Bethany and Jordan

1. Sizer, F.S. and Whitney, E.N.  (2000).  Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (8th edition).  Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.  
2.  USGS

Food is an intensely personal matter.  From the very surface level of food likes and dislikes to the deep level of how one views food, nutrition means something different to everyone.  To help us explore the mind-body connection with food, please welcome guest writer Stephanie Miezin.  Stephanie is a Sports Dietitian with a passion for helping others live happier, healthier lives through delicious food and nutrition education. She currently works as a Dietitian at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee helping fuel Team USA.

Please enjoy Stephanie’s wonderful insights! - Bethany and Jordan

In a Relationship with Your Food?

Would you say you are dating your dinner?  What if I told you that not only are you in a relationship with your food, but it is one of the most important relationships you will have throughout life?  

How we view food, consciously or not, has incredible impacts on our lifestyle and health.  The concept sounds simple - food gives us energy to thrive as human beings; however, I think we can each determine in our own ways how food is so much more than that.  Let’s explore together a few ways food is viewed.

Food is identity.  Food impacts how we view ourselves, links us to cultures and religions, and even connects us with groups of people.     

Food is comfort.  Food is often what we turn to when we feel sad or stressed, what we indulge in without realizing it, and what makes us feel better, if not for just a moment.

Food is social and spiritual.  With whom we choose to share eating, what those meals with others mean beyond the food itself, and how it makes us feel afterwards is unique to each individual.

Why do these views matter?  They matter because the first step in fostering a strong relationship with your food is understanding all the meanings of food to you and how it impacts your everyday life.  Ask yourself the following questions, and then think about how your answer makes you feel:

• Do you use food as a coping strategy to give you comfort when stressed out, sad, or anxious?

• How do you enjoy most meals? Do you eat while on your phone or watching a show, or do you try to be in the moment while eating a meal?

• What do you feel when you think about your next meal: excitement, anxiety, or indifference? 

• How do you plan or decide what to eat based on your schedule or activity? Do you plan ahead at all, or wait until you are starving and then find the closest yummy food you can?

There are no right or wrong answers to those questions.  There is no judgement around your answers.  You simply took the first step in examining your relationship with food.  Congratulations!  Just like a normal relationship, the relationship we have with food is something we need to foster each day to be successful for a lifetime. Part of that fostering process is understanding our mindset around food, what food does within and for our body, and the balance that needs to be achieved between maximizing food as fuel and food as an emotion driver. Once we hold a better understanding of those pieces, we can be more intentional in how we approach and incorporate food, meals and eating in each day. 

What now?  Continue to assess and be honest with yourself about how you view food and how you make it part of your life every day. What aspects are positive?  What aspects need a little tweaking?  Identify one small step you can take today to improve your food relationship and how that will benefit you once the habit change is made. 

Your body is the vessel that carries your mind and your spirit.  When you take care of your body, your mind and spirit are given space to be well and to thrive.  One way to care for your body is a practice called foam rolling or self-myofascial release (SMR).  

SMR is an amazing technique that not only helps the body recover physically, but it also positively impacts mental and emotional health.  SMR is linked to experiencing decreased depression and anxiety symptoms.  Scientists continue investigation of the exact mechanisms working to produce positive mental health benefits, but some hypotheses include a relaxation of fascia tissue, an improvement in “happy hormone” levels, a release of traumatic memories held in the soft tissue, and a stimulation of the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system.

SMR, like any self-care practice, is unique to the individual.  While there are general technique principles that apply to all, what body parts you choose to address are completely up to you and your current health needs.  

Basic Principles

Equipment.  Choose the foam roller (SMR tool) right for you.  There are a myriad of products available.  If you are new to SMR, choose a foam roller that is less dense, typically white in color.  If you are a more advanced student of foam rolling, choose a dense roller, typically black in color, or a more specific product such as a one with ridges.

Bottom up.  Begin SMR at your calves and move systemically up your body - calves, hamstrings, quads, gluteals, mid-back.

Breathe.  Breathe throughout the SMR process.  Resist the urge to hold your breath.  Instead, imagine “sending your breath to” or “breathing into” the muscle(s) you are currently rolling.  (Jordan has written extensively on the benefits of breath and created wonderful breathing practices!)

Hydrate.  After you roll, treat your body with a fresh glass of water.  SMR can release waste products into your bloodstream.  Hydrating simply helps your body clear out the waste.

With those principles in mind, are you ready to try SMR?  I share with you the instructional wisdom and expertise from the professionals at TriggerPoint.  Enjoy and have fun!

Deep Breathing & Stress Release    Calf Release    Hamstrings

Quadriceps    Gluteal Musculature     Thoracic Spine

Until we meet again,

Bethany and Jordan

Your mind, body and spirit are beautifully intertwined.  The interwoven relationship holds powerful potential for your well-being.  I ask you to recall a distinct moment when you were incredibly happy.  How did your body feel?  Did you feel alive, energetic, awake, or butterflies in your belly?  Now, I ask you to recall a distinct moment when you felt ill.  What emotions were you experiencing?  Were you sad, depressed, or anxious?  Are you beginning to see how intermeshed the mind, body and spirit truly are?   

Holistic Well-being

Over the next few blogs, we will be exploring multiple ways to care for your physical body in a way that positively impacts your mind and spirit.  Specifically, we will discuss self-myofascial release (a form of self-massage for tired muscles), nutrition and hydration.  Each of these topics speaks to your holistic well-being.  

Encouragement

Health and well-being are a lifelong journey.  No matter where you are in your journey, I urge you to remember that you are worth it.  Taking care of you is paramount and is more than okay.  We are here to encourage you, to offer helpful tools, and to sometimes challenge you ☺

I offer a small challenge.  Until we meet again, continue thinking about how your thoughts impact your physical health and how your physical health impacts your thoughts.  You may be surprised!

In health,

Bethany and Jordan 

Building Resilience

May 2020. The world is united on at least one thing: COVID-19 is challenging our very way of being. Change may be difficult for some people. For others, change inspires growth. 

What makes some grow and others crumble, in the face of challenges? One reason for thriving in the face of obstacles is a characteristic called resilience. The term was actually borrowed from the field of physics where it originally meant to “spring back” after being held down. As a psychological skill, resilience refers to one's ability to overcome setbacks, adversity or trauma.  

The good news is resilience is learnable. As the world continues to meet novel circumstances, both personally and professionally, now is an opportune time to embrace the malleability of our future, and create conditions to thrive. 

Diane Cotu, journalist, Harvard Business Review senior editor and former scholar at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, cites three overlapping themes in her research on resilience theories: 

• A staunch acceptance of reality. 
• A deep belief that life is meaningful and based on strongly held values. 
• The ability to improvise. 

Gaining perspective, the ability to build relationships and sense of humor emerged as other prominent characteristics of resilient people. 

Let’s digest the ingredients, and take a moment to assimilate them into your own life. 

Accepting Reality. Remember your mindfulness practice, especially in the difficult moments. Consider the following analogy:  

In order to produce a clear picture, a camera must be still before pressing the shutter button.  When building resilience, your mind is like the camera. Practicing mindfulness enables you to stabilize the camera, sharpen focus, and produce a clear picture. 

Learn to recognize distorted thinking patterns, which might sound like minimizing or 'catastrophizing' personal circumstances. After recognizing unskillful mental habits, return to the felt sense of the present moment. This simple practice of recognizing when the mind wanders, and bringing it back to what is happening in this present moment stabilizes the mind.  A stable mind allows you to embrace reality. 

Directing and sustaining focused attention, while maintaining compassion for vulnerability, gives rise to resilience.

Life is meaningful and based on strongly held values. Spend quality time contemplating the following:

What do you value most right now? What gives your life meaning and purpose? Write down elements that fuel your life with a sense of meaning, purpose and value. 

Can you link current challenges to a larger purpose? What is this momentary challenge teaching you about yourself? Your values? Your needs and desires?  What is the gift?  

Improvise. In order to pivot in an ever-changing “reality,” staying grounded in an internal locus of control is essential. When you meet the next challenge, maintain an internal locus of control by asking yourself: 

What is within my control?  What parts of this situation are out of my control? Write them down. Redirect your attention back to the elements that lie within your control and start taking action. Choose actions that enhance feelings of hope and optimism. 

In summary, mindfully accept the present moment, find value in whatever is happening, and improvise to create a future that inspires you to take action. One tiny thought from Tigger, before signing off, “Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb but how well you bounce.”

Until next time,

Jordan and Bethany

P.S. I really love this resource from Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center  for other practical ways to build resilience https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_science_backed_strategies_to_build_resilience

Resources

Coutu Diane. “How Resilience Works.” Harvard Business Review 10 Must reads on Emotional Intelligence. (2015). Boston, Massachusetts.

Kabat Zinn, John. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. New York, NY: Random House.

Taleb, N. N. (2012) Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder. New York, NY: Random House. 

http://www.VIACharacter.org

https://resilienceresearch.org/files/2006_reports/mainreport.pdf

Mindful Attention and Difficult Emotions

.

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.

meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

— Jellaludin Rumi

April 2020, you’re staring at your device. A COVID-19 news briefing flashes across the screen. How do you react? What physical sensations accompany the news update, if any? While this unbidden reaction may not be a pleasant experience, it is normal. Your body is trying to tell you something.

In that moment, you do possess a choice. You can ignore the reaction, or you can explore the reaction. There are arguments for both choices. Let's talk through, first, why exploring physical and emotional reactions are beneficial. 

How you interpret feelings and sensations influence emotions and mood states. Mood states shape behavior, both reactive and intentional.  As Rumi writes, it is possible to meet difficult emotions, the “unexpected visitors,” at the door with a sense of gratitude for what they bring to light. Regulating difficult emotions just takes a bit of time and deliberate practice. 

Deliberate Practice

Begin by collecting mindful attention, a tool that helps you unravel the aforementioned response, and work with it. Bring your total awareness to the present moment, then gently transition your attention to the internal landscape of sensations, thoughts and emotions. Mindful attention is characterized by non-judgmental curiosity. Make no effort to change your present experience, simply acknowledge what you are feeling. 

When difficult emotions arise, and you choose to stay with the experience, remember the acronym RAIN, a practice developed by Tara Brach, psychologist and meditation teacher. It stands for Recognize, Accept, Investigate, and Nourish. 

• Recognize Research points to “labeling” as an effective way to create space for emotional regulation. “Name it to tame it,” is helpful phrase to remember amidst an emotional hijack.
• Accept which emotions are present without trying to fix, run away, or stuff down what you are feeling. 
• Investigate physical sensations, thoughts and emotions with a sense of curiosity. According to Judson Brewer M.D, investigating what an emotion feels like versus why it is present, is an effective strategy for breaking the anxiety - worry habit loop. Stay curious.
• Nourish. Kindness and self- compassion are a critical piece of the puzzle after sitting in the fire of challenging emotions. 

Tools to nourish your precious attention and choose self-care

• Pare down the amount of information you are consuming and stay selective with news sources. Set limits on social media or other numbing content.
• Bring acute awareness to pre-slumber rituals. Remember 3 things you’re grateful for.
• Mark your calendar frequent doses of inspiration. Short, simple and sweet doses are effective: Reading an inspiring passage, breathe in nature, intentionally connecting with loved ones.
• Extend copious amounts of grace and self compassion during “unproductive moments.”
• Plan Ahead. Set routines, boundaries and work spaces that prioritize moving, eating, resting and connecting well. Visit archived blogs for guidance!
• Balance DOing and BEing. Set time aside to check in with your emotional status. 

Some habitual patterns of thinking and behaving are skillful, some are not. If the very thought of sitting with your own vulnerabilities makes you cringe, or you're not ready to investigate those potentially murky waters, we've got another tool for you. It costs nothing and lives right under your nose, your breath!

We all know the power of a nice deep breath. Try it now: Inhale deep, hold for a moment, then ahhh exhale. If you would like to take this practice a bit further, try box breathing, a simple too to help balance your nervous system. Follow along <HERE>.

There does exist the real option of choosing a distraction, and ignoring difficult emotions. While that may be the best way to nourish yourself in the moment, the stick point is that eventually, they will return, and typically at an inopportune time. Would you be willing to take one step closer to mindfully exploring difficult emotions? 

Yes, the dive can be scary, but it can also be incredibly freeing! And maybe, just maybe the next time news flashes across your device screen, the reaction may be surprisingly welcomed! 

Until next time,

Jordan and Bethany

Mindfulness 

Mindfulness has become quite the buzz word over the past decade, and for good reason. As research on mindfulness meditation builds, the benefits for mind, body and emotions appear undeniable. By training subsystems of attention, mindfulness meditation has been shown to:

Reduce perceptions of stress and pain
Help manage chronic disease
Improve sleep and GI function
Mitigate anxiety, depression and addictive behavior

The applications are just as extensive as the benefits. Mindfulness training has been implemented among military, youth, aging and healthy populations. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at University of Massachusetts medical school, highlights key components of mindfulness to be intentional, non-judgmental attention, applied in a particular way, in the present moment as if your life depends on it. 

Throughout Jon Kabat-Zinn’s heavily researched Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, participants gain first hand experience on how the quality of your life depends on how you pay attention.  

How to Build Your Foundation

Mindful awareness can be applied anywhere and  anytime; however, it is helpful to have a structured practice so that when faced with stressful events, you have some well worn tools in your toolbox.  Formal practices include mindful breathing, sitting and walking meditation, body scanning and yoga. 

Learning how to embody mindful attention through these basic exercises provides simple opportunities to practice creating space between stressful stimuli and automatic reactions. Mindful awareness is the foundation for behavior change and performance enhancement, enabling you to learn more about your personal reactivity patterns; both skillful and unskillful. Please be sure to visit the Resource Page HERE for access to our growing library of mind-body practices. 

Until next time,

Jordan and Bethany

Philosophy and Scope

While a more in depth discussion on our philosophy of Mind-Body Medicine lives Here, the relationship between mind, body and emotions is quite complex. as all they interact to shape well-being. How you care for one has a profound influence on the others. In our journey together, we will approach the topic of self-care through the lens of mental, physical and spiritual practices. 

As we peer through the “Mindset” lens, recognizing a need (in yourself or others) for clinical support is critical. Your employer’s EAP (Employee Assistance Program) is a valuable place to start. For those who do not have access to EAP, we also recommend NAMI as a reputable resource for dealing with mental health states that interfere with daily living. Practices contained in this site are meant to promote health and well-being and should not be substituted for clinical assistance where necessary.  

Self-Talk 

Imagine you have a teeny tiny memo recorder in your mind recording the things you say to yourself, your self-talk. If you replay the last clip, what do you hear? How did you treat yourself? 

Think back to your last memorable success. What would that replay sound like? To what do you attribute your success? Your character strengths? The circumstances? A little of both? 

What does the replay sound like after your last perceived failure? To what do you attribute your so-called failures? Personal flaws, vulnerabilities, or your surroundings? Would you choose to provide the same feedback to your best friend? Is there room for self-compassion?

Truthfully, all humans are pre-programmed with a negativity bias, instilled to protect you from harm. Left untamed, that bias can wreak havoc on inner life.  With practice, your mind can actually be your greatest ally. Once physical, mental and emotional perceptions of safety become the norm, mindful acceptance of the present moment emerges, no matter how difficult the emotion or circumstance. You develop mental strength from which to bounce forth and grow resilient!

Mental Skills Development Plan

Up next, expand your healthy mindset tool box with us:

1. Build a mindful foundation and cultivate awareness
2. Learn to work with difficult emotions, like fear and anxiety
3. Sow seeds of resilience, converting obstacles into opportunities 

Be Well,

Jordan and Bethany