Consistency in an Inconsistent World

Consistency

Awareness, Contemplation, Action, Outcome
 -REPEAT

Do you feel like the change you desire is out of reach?

Do you feel exhausted and defeated?

I have certainly answered YES to the above questions many times in my life. What I continue to realize is that creating the change I desire is based upon Consistent Personal Care Patterns. (CPCP). I certainly have been known to lose my way and my own personal power. I may look for someone to blame, wallow in self -pity or just sit in a slump. In the words of Dr. Seuss- "Un-slumping yourself is not easily done."

The only thing you can truly change is yourself

This is the Lesson!

STEP 1- Awareness
What personal care patterns help you be more aware of your emotions, behaviors, thought patterns, desires? Are you ready to "un-slump" yourself?
STEP 2- Contemplation
Do you set aside time and space to contemplate how to create what you desire?
STEP 3- Action
What helps foster motivation in you? Who is part of your support team?
STEP 4- Outcome
Have you achieved the change you desire? If not, be patient and forgiving with yourself and repeat the process starting with awareness. Strive for a Growth Mindset- be curious, explore, open your perceptive lens.

"You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting
So.....get on your way!
-Dr. Seus

What Personal Care Patterns are consistently part of your regular routine?

Services at ReLeaf Bodywork Therapy are designed to help support you in establishing consistent, personal, healthy, care patterns. Checkout the offerings listed below to learn more or schedule a FREE Discovery Call.

Finding balance with seasonal and life changes

Finding balance with seasonal and life changes

The photo above was taken in Canyonlands National Park in Utah.  I love the dichotomy of the mighty Juniper finding a way to obtain the resources it needs to thrive in the harsh, high dessert environment by reaching its roots down into the rocky earth while stretching its branches to the sky.  The tree has found the balance it needs to survive. 

The season of Spring is represented by the Wood element in Five Element Acupressure. The Wood element is symbolized by the tree, rooted in the ground and reaching up toward the sky.

Excerpt from Archetypal Acupuncture- Healing with the Five Elements by Gary Dolowich, M.D. 

"In observing nature, we can appreciate that a tree needs to maintain flexibility and be able to yield in the wind.  The tree that becomes rigid and hollow, unable to bend, is the one that gets blown over in the storm.  Especially true when young, even in the case of the mature tree, the branches need to retain this characteristic.  This, then, provides insight into the process of growth, showing us that all living things need to be adaptable and change with the times.  And yet, throughout its life, the tree stays true to its inherent potential, thereby striking a balance between an inner directive and the outer environmental forces as it struggles to carve out a place in the world".

 

Here are some key words that can help you explore the Wood Element in your body,mind and life this spring:

leadership, self-esteem, self-respect, integrity, optimism, commitment, self control, self motivation, organization, planning, decisive, willing to change and take charge. 

___________________________________________
Taking time for reflection:
Grief and Gratitude

January into the end of March was a time of increased grief and sorrow in my life. I experienced the loss of our family dog, death of a dear friend's young daughter and the death of my father-in-law. I did my best to allow time to feel the grief and sorrow while also tending to self and family needs. There is a beautiful quote from Kahil Gibran from The Prophet-

"The deeper the sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain."

Gary Dolowich states that the symbol of the tree is a call to wholeness, encouraging us to embrace the darkness as well as the light.

I have begun to explore grief and gratitude. I realize how grateful I am for the time spent with our furry, friend Ziggy who taught me many lessons over the time we shared together. I am so very grateful for my dear friend and for knowing her daughter. And I have gratitude for the gifts my father-in-law shared with our family.

I am reminded that finding balance in life is about having an awareness of how we feel, acknowledging our feelings while exploring a feeling, attitude or thought pattern that provides a more heart based feeling. As HeartMath ® teaches- acknowledging a more depleting emotion such as grief and inviting in a more renewing emotion such as gratitude to help us find balance. With practice and time we can move from the ability to survive like the juniper tree. We can continue to grow and explore how to thrive in our body, mind and life.

Wishing you health, growth and balance in your life this spring season and always!

Lisa

What if it was EASY??

Personal Reflection and Exploration

What if it was EASY??

As we enter 2022, I have been reflecting on patterns in my life.
What feels good, true and aligned with how I want to be and live in the world?

What components are not as aligned as I desire and how can I creatively explore ways to grow towards my desired intentions?

How can I set intentions for what I want more of in my world while factoring in a variety of life dimensions such as: personal life, family life, social life, career goals etc.

During this process I have discovered a myriad of feelings I don't find pleasant to experience, yet they all are periodically part of my body mind experience. Frustration, resentment, sadness, anger, anxiety and of course I would be remiss to not mention fear.

A little glimpse into my life:

Over the past 20 years, I have experienced numerous barriers to achieving the life work balance I desire. I find myself complaining about not having enough time to fully build the business I desire. Family commitments frequently pull me off track from doing all the tasks needed to successfully run my own business. I focus on my immediate client-based tasks and not on future marketing, networking and business development. I find myself hesitant to jump into these additional business development areas as I am often unable to find the time and energy available to fully dedicate myself to these endeavors.

My husband and I have 2 daughters who are now in their early to mid 20s. In 2015 we were beginning to feel like we were rounding the corner in terms of the more time intensive years of child rearing. We were beginning to look forward to a return to a more individual and couple focused time period in our life.

Then life took a little detour when we became grandparents as our youngest daughter entered her freshman year in high school and our granddaughter's mom turned 20. It soon became apparent that my husband and I needed to step into a place of support for our granddaughter that went above the traditional role of grandparents. We love our granddaughter dearly and cherish our time with her. AND we also have to acknowledge that we are once again in the time intensive stage of child rearing.

I recently pulled out an Inspiration Card set based on the work of John F. Barnes authority on Myofascial Release. The deck was given to me by my oldest daughter for Christmas.
The card said:

WHAT IF IT WAS EASY?

Such a great question, one that leaves me a bit speechless and perplexed. I have to admit that if IT was easy, I would not be the person I am today. I would not be challenged to grow, to explore my full potential, to be more compassionate, more grateful, more understanding, less judgmental.

I invite you to explore your own answer to WHAT IF IT WAS EASY?
What do you discover within and about yourself?

Connecting With-IN while Living With-OUT

I reflected on the title of this article for weeks and then decided YES, this is the title that captures the theme I wish to share.
Our experiences navigating life can be filled with smooth waters as displayed in the photo above. Our life can also be filled with ups, downs, rapids and stormy seas.

There are many factors to consider when navigating waters or should I say LIFE. I have chosen to use the following water analogy to assist us in reflecting on our navigational experiences and patterns.

1) External factors (outside of our tandem kayak and paddle board)
The water is calm, the wind is calm and it appears that there are no sudden storms are on the horizon. If these conditions change each individual will be influenced by these conditions and need to decide how they will respond.
Will it involve panic or a calm return to safety?

2) Group dynamic factors- (behaviors, thoughts, emotions within the group of individuals floating on the water)
At any moment one watercraft could bump into another causing the paddle boarder to fall into the water. The person on the paddleboard and the rest of the group has to decide how to respond to what they are experiencing.
How do we play off of or respond to others surrounding us?

3) Internal factors- (behaviors, thoughts, emotions within each individual)
At any moment one of the paddlers could decide to splash another, lean too far to the side of the boat or start fussing about being hungry (I am not known to display any of these behaviors...ha!)
Are we aware of our internal environment, what is occurring within ourselves- our physical alignment/position (proprioception), our internal sensations (pain, strain, comfort, hunger, thirst, energy level), feelings and emotional state (happy, sad, frustrated, anxious, feeling mischievous, content etc.)
Are we aware of and responsible for ourselves and our behaviors?

As the saying goes, we only have control over how we react to life.
Start connecting With-IN before living With-OUT.

How do we respond to life's experiences?

How do we respond to moments of smooth sailing and to moments of stormy seas??

Over many years I have found mindfulness to be my compass. To connect with what is inside- my physical sensations, feelings, emotions, thoughts and thought patterns. To my belief system, values, goals and dreams.

It is from With-IN that I begin to discover deeper information, wisdom and discernment about how I want to be in the world and how to move forward.
Once I truly connect With- IN, then I can begin to live With-OUT. Not in the sense of depriving myself of something but in a way that allows me to connect with the outside world with greater integrity, meaning and presence.

I find it interesting that many times I fail to practice mindfulness when I need it the most. I also struggle with prioritizing a daily practice of mindfulness even though I know and feel the benefits ripple throughout my life. Mindfulness offers the rewards of relaxation, insight and an expansion or slowing down of time. Each week I recommit to my mindfulness practice and attempt to be forgiving and compassionate with myself for not fully embracing this life changing and life enhancing practice.

If you wish to learn more about mindfulness practices I use, I welcome the opportunity to talk with you during a free Discovery Session call.

Wishing all of you smooth sailing as you navigate your life this summer and beyond!!

Growing from Foundation to Flow

Uncovering the Magic between Foundation and Flow

In my work I am intrigued and amazed at how the human body, mind and spirit is able to shift from a state of rigidity and chaos to ease and clarity. Our neurological system can learn to be wired for fight, flight or freeze based on our past traumas, injuries, experiences, limiting beliefs and thought patterns. It can also wired for ease, clarity and functional flow based upon our practices, experiences and thought patterns.

Our bodies and minds thrive when immersed in a foundation of safety, security and stability. I frequently encourage clients to invite their bodies to rest back and feel the support underneath them to assist in shifting the nervous system into a more relaxed, embodied state. As the body begins to settle back and relax the body tissues begin to soften and the parasympathetic or "rest and digest" system begins to takeover and influence all body systems.

Recently I have been intrigued by the space between foundation and flow. The space between deep relaxation where the body feels grounded and calm and the feel of functional, neurological flow.

I believe this is the Space where POTENTIAL lies:
- Potential for rewiring the nervous system response.
- Potential for less pain and tension.
- Potential for less anxiety and depression.
- Potential for enhanced range of motion, greater strength and ease.
- Potential for a shift in belief and thought patterns.

From this Space we can invite in what we need and desire. More ease, more joy, more gratitude, more love, more deep and meaningful awareness and connection.

What is possible when we practice finding our foundation and resources that nourish our foundation?

What is possible when we tap into our internal sources of flow- our breath, our heart, our internal sensations and inner wisdom?

Lessons from Nature
From deep within the supportive earth flows the cool, bubbling spring water that nourishes the ecosystem it travels through.
I invite you to find your foundation, find your flow and explore what possibilities you wish to invite into the magical space that is within you!

ReLeaf Bodywork Therapy offers services that support the practice of discovering your Foundation and Flow.

• Body Mind Therapy

• Essentrics ® Movement

• Heart Based Mindfulness

Relax 

• Receive skilled touch therapies that allow your body to relax from head to toe! Therapies include: Acupressure, Craniosacral and Zero Balancing Therapy.  

• Learn how to relax tight muscles and joints while enhancing flexibility and strength through Essentrics ® 

• Learn simple, effective mindfulness techniques utilizing the HeartMath ® Inner Balance App & Sensor to find inner calm, support your practice and monitor your progress. 

Realign 

• Reset your body’s nervous system response and enhance functioning of every body system while receiving therapeutic bodywork.  

• Rebalance misaligned structural patterns that cause strain, pain, body imbalance and reduce mobility.  

• Deepen your internal awareness of sensations, thought patterns, limiting beliefs and expand your perspective. 

Revive 

• Experience a calm nervous system, spaciousness within your body and the increased energy of a more balanced system. 

• Experience more freedom, flexibility and fun in your movement. 

• Experience a deeper connection to the wisdom of your heart, mind and body! 

Letting Go and Opening Up- Fall 2019 Newsletter

Letting Go and Opening Up

LETTING GO
Autumn holds significant transitions for many of us.
Summer is drawing to a close, temperatures are cooling and the duration of daylight is slowly fading. Families are experiencing big changes as the more relaxed pace of summer shifts into structured days of school and evenings and weekends filled with extracurricular activities.

Autumn is the season of Letting Go. Seasonally the trees and plants "let go" of their leaves as they prepare for the winter ahead. (As I was drafting this newsletter a leaf fell gently upon my paper :)) So too, we must begin to reflect and discern what we are ready to "let go of " as we transition into this new season. We may view the process of letting go as sad or difficult. We may be grieving the loss of summer and the moments we have spent with those we love. We may be grieving the loss of a particular stage in our life that has been completed such as a child graduating from high school and moving onto college (yours truly :))

In Five Element acupressure the Element of Fall is Metal and the meridian organs are Lung and Large Intestine. The extreme emotional state associated with Metal is grief or sorrow.

Taking Time to Pause and Reflect on your Body, Mind and Life:

1) As you reflect upon what you are letting go of this fall, honor and recognize any feelings of grief associated with the process of letting go.

2) Take time to explore where in your body you hold patterns of tension. This may be felt as a sense of holding back or an inability to release or relax tension patterns. Where does your energy move freely through your body and where does it feel stuck? Awareness of stuck areas provides an opportunity for delving deeper into information that may be stored in this area.
For example: is there a fear of moving forward or letting go?
Ask yourself what would that body area feel like with less tension?


Self-care Suggestions

We can support our Metal element through breathing exercises that promote a full exhale or letting go breath pattern. We can support a healthy colon by eating some raw foods, minimizing mucous producing foods and exercising abdominal muscles. We can be mindful of clearing our lives of things that no longer serve us including objects, ideas, behaviors and relationships.

OPENING UP
As we begin to mindfully reflect on what we choose to let go of, we can begin to create space to open up to new ideas, opportunities and possibilities. We can explore how different we can feel in our bodies as we let go of holding patterns that create tension, limited range of motion and pain.

Our body can experience more ease and comfort,
our mind can be more creative in the discernment process
and our life can flow more smoothly.

Wishing you health and joy during these beautiful autumn days and beyond!

Lisa