How to move freely with reduced or no pain
Do you feel your range of movement is decreasing? Do you find the time periods of pain are increasing for you? Are you starting to find that certain anti-inflammatory medications are creating unwanted side effects? Would you like to learn why you are getting stiffer and tighter? Would you like to know why your pain is increasing? After learning why, would you like to know HOW you can deal with your symptoms? If so, please read on….
Your amazing brain!
If you follow me on instagram (@total_somatics) or Facebook (@totalsomatics), you will know recently I posted a short video telling you about the amazing conference with Dr Norman Doidge in Melbourne. He has written the books, ‘The brain that changes itself’ and ‘The Brain’s way of Healing.’ His conference covered the subject of neuroscience and how movement is a powerful skill to excite and stimulate other regions of the brain to adapt and change according to the situation. This process is known as Neuroplasticity. It is sometimes termed as ‘the wiring’ in our brain. Neuroplasticity can work in our favour but also as we are about to discover, it can work against us. How?
Your brain is amazing! It allows unconscious or subconscious actions to happen 24/7, many of these actions help to keep us alive such as our regular heartbeat and breathing. However our brain can be too helpful at times! For instance when we develop a habit or posture such as being slouched at the computer on a regular basis, our brain will change the level of tension and tone in our muscles. The brain will tell certain muscles to stay constantly contracted to hold that posture.
After a while we start holding our muscles differently and this is all done subconsciously or unconsciously. Characteristics seen in a posture caused by poor habituation can be rounded shoulders, depressed chest and a head which juts forward. Due to neuroplasticity, the ‘wiring’ has changed within the brain due to this being a regular posture. The brain has told the muscles to stay contracted through the front of the body in order to hold this adapted pose. It has become ‘the new normal.’
Can a poor posture be changed or improved?
Posture can improve by using the process of neuroplasticity intelligently. If we know that the brain can adapt to poor environments or habits, then we know our amazing brain has the ability to change to healthy good habits. It requires EFFORT and TIME from us. Would you make time if you knew you were going to feel supple and relaxed in your body? Would you create time in your day if you knew it could reduce your pain levels? Would you make the time and effort if you knew your quality of life would improve? I am sure you would.
Somatic Movement will break this habitual behaviour or posture by using a 3 step process called PANDICULATION. Pandiculation breaks the neurofeedback loop which is a message sent from the brain to the muscles and back to the brain. The message is informing the muscles in that region to “stay contracted.” The receptors in your muscles notice it is still contracted and relay this information back to the brain to reassure it that the muscles are still tight. The action becomes subconscious, so we are no longer aware that the muscles are constantly tight…until we try to move in a different way and pain strikes!
Somatic movement breaks the neurofeedback loop, allowing us to become more conscious of the movement and behaviour in the muscles. When we pandiculate the muscles, we break the neurofeedback loop, allowing muscles to reset their length, educating the muscles when to contract and relax at the appropriate time.
As a result of using pandiculation within somatic movement, people notice huge changes and shifts. People commonly notice that their posture improves, pain reduces, range of movement increases and breathing can become deeper and slower. The principles taught within The Total Somatics Approach to Health & Wellness Online program (www.TotalSomatics.com) allows you to gain a greater understanding of how you move and more importantly how you can change old habits for healthy habits, resulting in a reduction of recurring injuries. The skills taught will educate and empower you to know how and when to self regulate or correct your posture and movement throughout your day.
Take advantage of the MID YEAR OFFER which ends at midnight UK time on 30th June 2018.
To receive 20% off the online program, enter the coupon code below:
somatics20mid
To learn more about Somatics, download my FREE ebook entitled ‘Somatics - what is it? How can it help me?’ You can read real life experiences within my book (including the client highlighted above) and gain a clear understanding of how it can help you reduce pain, improve posture and increase your mobility.
Click HERE to download your FREE copy.
I look forward to introducing you to Somatics and hearing how it has improved your health, decreased your pain levels, allowed you to move freely and enhanced your quality of life.
Take care,
Heidi Hadley xx
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