The old expression “Practice makes Perfect” is unrealistic and unattainable. In today’s blog we are going to consider how creating a healthy daily Somatics practice will create a permanent habit with the help of Neuroplasticity.

Move Away From Perfectionism

If you are a regular reader of my blogs, currently using my online program or are partaking in the Total Somatics Free Challenge, you know how I encourage you to move away from perfectionism. Firstly practice will not make you perfect, it’s not possible because no one is perfect! Even the most skilled sportsmen and women who practice and refine their sport for hours on end, have their bad days.

When we strive to be perfect or have the ‘disease to please’ we will never be truly happy from deep within. If we switch the internal dialogue in our head to the expression Permanence, we know this is achievable. When we create a permanence, we are forming habits.

Neuroscientists have discovered that the brain is constantly adapting and changing to the environment, habits, behaviours, thoughts and postures we create. The more we practice a habit, either positive or negative, the more neural connections known as synapses in the brain will become deeply embedded. You may recall the first time you rode a bike. You were wobbling all over the place and internally questioning your ability to stay upright! However your amazing brain very quickly notices a new pattern of behaviour. As children we don’t often second guess our actions so quickly as we may do in adult life, we just kept going! We kept getting back on our bike and riding until one day it became second nature. Why? Because with regular practice, your brain had increased its communication (thanks to Neuroplasticity) to your muscles, balance organs and your mindset to say “look, I can do it!”

Creating a Somatic Mindset

If you are currently involved with The Total Somatics Approach to Health & Wellness Online Program at www.TotalSomatics.com or are currently enjoying the Total Somatics FREE challenge, you will know how closely linked our mindset is to our physical health.

Stress, tension, anxiety, limiting beliefs and other situations can create an increased level of muscle tension and tightness. This can lead to pain, limited mobility, poor posture and the reduction in activities we love to do. Yet when we become inactive, we allow stress responses and postures to tighten our muscles further. When we start to think of our mind and body holistically or somatically, we become very selective about what we think, say, do, behave, move and eat. We know that our mind heavily influences our body and vice versa.

So how can we create healthy yet realistic intentions to help us reduce pain, improve posture, increase mobility, develop a calm, centred mind and allow us to return to the activities we love to do?

If you haven’t already started, please check out my FREE challenge by CLICKING HERE. I guide you through a few areas of health which are discussed within my full on line program, The Total Somatics Approach to Health & Wellness Online Program at www.TotalSomatics.com.

Developing “the 4 Rs!”

In order to help us to develop healthy daily habits and create lasting changes to our physical, emotional and mental health, I would like to highlight “the 4 Rs.” The 4 Rs can help you to ensure that you are living intentionally rather than in a figurative Hamster’s wheel, exerting a lot energy and pressure on yourself, only to be going nowhere and wearing yourself out.

REST

Don’t feel guilty to stop and ask yourself through the day, “how am I?” We can be so busy and preoccupied caring for others first that we are at the bottom of our “to do” list. However when we stop and check in with ourselves we are developing mindfulness. This practice gets us out of ‘mindless’ actions. Mindless actions lead us to cram as much in to our day as possible, resulting in the feeling of being completely exhausted and overwhelmed. This habitual behaviour is not healthy for our physical, emotional and mental health. When we ‘check in’ with ourselves, we are developing self or somatic awareness. If we feel overwhelmed or anxious, acknowledge this feeling and choose to stop and take a few minutes to reset your central nervous system with a few deep rhythmical somatic breaths. You can learn the importance and techniques of somatic breathing within my FREE challenge by CLICKING HERE to access the audio.

However in our daily activities, we don’t have the luxury to practice a full 10 minutes. However, we can quite quickly reduce the physiological effects that stress can create on our body by closing your eyes and slowing your breaths down. Focus on Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly.

REFLECT

During this moment, have your eyes open or closed, whatever you and the situation requires. Notice your emotions and how they are making you feel. Don’t judge yourself for how you are feeling. Remember a belief is just a thought you keep thinking, so don’t hold on to that thought, allow it to pass. As humans, we all have feelings and thoughts which allow us to go through different types of emotions. Instead of ruminating on it and wondering what relevance it has in our life, see it as a character building or learning experience. It is allowing you to refine and grow under pressure. Think about an oyster’s shell. When an intruder, such as a grain of sand or a bit of floating food slips in between one of the two shells of the oyster, a process of irritation and refinement is happening. What eventually appears? A beautiful pearl. Use this illustration to remind yourself that how you are currently feeling and the events happening, are simply refining you. They are allowing you to continue growing and developing to produce pearls which can help you and others physically, emotionally and mentally. I know it is easier said than done, however when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. Consider how this current trial or feeling is teaching you to create better boundaries, strengthen your core values/standards for yourself and others. Then you know you will GROW rather than just GO through this challenging moment.

REFRAME

As I mentioned at the start, no one is perfect. We all slip up with self doubt, self sabotage and self worth issues. However when this happens, acknowledge it as a blip in your entire life. Dust yourself off and start again. Reframe your thoughts. Remember what we have discussed already about neuroplasticity? Your brain will wire connections and deeply embed the ideal synapses when we practice on a daily basis good, healthy habits. You can learn the power of your thoughts, how to retrain your brain and reframe your mind by listening to my podcast within my FREE Challenge by CLICKING HERE.

RECALIBRATE

When you feel low, in pain or disheartened, ask yourself “What would I suggest for someone else? Can I do or take that advice for myself?” Taking action doesn’t have to be earth shattering. It could be relaxing with a book, taking a bath, walking and enjoying nature, practising Mindful Somatics movement with deep rhythmical breaths or listening to an upbuilding podcast within The Total Somatics Approach to Health & Wellness Online Program at www.TotalSomatics.com.

If you feel guilty, stop and remember that guilt is an emotional response to a negative thought pattern, often about yourself. As we know from my blogs and podcasts, what we think about grows. So we don’t want to water and feed negative thought patterns. Rather by developing a mindset which allows for practising and prioritising self care, somatic movement, mindfulness and regular Somatic breathing, you will notice you feel better, are able to give yourself and others more. You will also notice you have created self care boundaries, so you no longer allow yourself to ‘crash and burn.’ By doing this the feelings of guilt diminish because you are creating a somatic lifestyle which is focused on balance and boundaries.

Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself.

So in conclusion, start applying the 4Rs into your life and you will find that you start creating a somatic lifestyle which is an intentional way of living, developing self care. As a result, you can give more to yourself and others with boundaries and The Total Somatics Approach to Health and Wellness.

To learn more about Somatic movement, Mindset, Mindfulness, Nutrition and developing a Somatic Lifestyle, go to www.TotalSomatics.com and check out The Total Somatics Approach to Health & Wellness Online program or sample the FREE challenge by CLICKING HERE.

I look forward to teaching your these amazing skills.

Take care,
Heidi Hadley xx
www.TotalSomatics.com