Holiday Posture and the Habit of Stress

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Holiday Posture and the Habit of Stress

Here are two great suggestions for your holiday shopping:  first, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.  This clear and interesting read applies the insights of neuroscience to the mundane matter of changing our habits.  Our brains are plastic—bodies too!—so why not use that plasticity to our advantage? Duhigg says a habit is composed of a cue, a routine, and a reward. It only takes a little self-examination and some perseverance to unpack these parts and make a change. The other suggestion, of course, is my DVD, Heal Your Posture, and my New Rules book, which tell and show you how to change your brain’s postural mapping of your body…

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Posture and The Gift of Pain

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Posture and The Gift of Pain

This week I read an article about a young woman who does not experience pain.  The article contains messages of human generosity and connection woven through the story of a genetic anomaly.  It got me thinking about pain as a gift, as something to be thankful for in this season of giving thanks.  Pain can signal danger and the need for protection—we can’t ignore that kind of pain.  But I’m thinking more about the mundane, ignorable pain of getting up from the computer after sitting there too long, or of having to roll too gingerly out of bed in the morning…

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Posture and Politics

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Posture and Politics

What are you doing with your body when you find yourself at an edge?  Are there places in your life where your body defaults to a curl or twist?  Concealed at those same edges may be opportunities for changing habits, postural or otherwise….

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Relaxation: What IS it?

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Relaxation: What IS it?

Most of us rely on something outside of ourselves to achieve a state of relaxation:  a long walk, a hard workout, a massage, a substance, a person, a meditative practice, a TV show. But, by understanding what that state consists of, we empower ourselves to achieve it without a crutch, and to incorporate it into our daily living.  

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The Passenger Seat

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The Passenger Seat

What’s the rule? A car length for every 10 mph? I don’t always follow that rule, but my friend drives way closer to the car ahead than I like. We’re in freeway traffic that is crowded but moving. Several times the brakes are necessary when our lane unexpectedly slows. I sense myself applying brakes of my own, griping my calf and digging my heel into the floorboard. I’m gripping a phantom steering wheel as well–my traps (upper shoulder muscles) clenched in an effort to gain control. My tongue presses back into my throat in a half-swallow. My mother was a nervous passenger, too…

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On Feet

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On Feet

It doesn’t take long to lose the joy… Sitting on the subway I sense my toes curling, gripping inside my shoes, as I think about the upcoming hospital visit. My intent to stay open in my body has chased the tension down into the farthest corner. But I don’t want to hide; I want to feel. Yes, toes, it’s true: I feel anxious and afraid…

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A Day at Dallas/Ft. Worth

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A Day at Dallas/Ft. Worth

It’s not always easy to walk my talk. The truth is that my current situation here in Dallas challenges my own sage advice to replace compressive, destructive, teeth-gnashing tension with sincere and steady shifts in perception

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