Life Lessons Learned

I've been on "sabbatical" for almost 3 months now, living in Barcelona, Spain.  Now, I am planning my return to "work". What is "work" anyway and how do I peacefully plan a transition from holiday back to work?  I have certainly had many eye-opening and thought-provoking experiences here in Barcelona. I'm hoping the following "take-aways" not only help ME adjust but you to learn from MY "life lessons learned":

1. "Work hard, play harder"....meaning, yes we need to get "stuff" done, but playing, laughing, NOT thinking but just experiencing something in your body....are all just as essential and GET the JOB DONE!

2. Stress:  reduce the mental and emotional or it will screw up your hormonal balance (which cascades to a hundred other things)! INCREASE the physical demand by conscious effort.  The body actually responds well to stress, it creates bone density, muscle fibers, reaction speed, endurance....our bodies were created to move in order to survive.  With today's technological advances, we are no longer physically required to DO very much in order to survive, we therefore need to CHOSE to MOVE.

3. What I DISLIKE and LIKE:  I have tolerance, which can be grown, I also have appreciation, which can be fed.  Where your thoughts lie your intentions go, or the Buddhist philosophy:  what you think, you become.  So, even if I'm in a situation that I don't like, feeling pain or discomfort, I CAN think of how this experience blesses me.  It makes me appreciate the opposite, know the good feelings and beauty, and in fact, guides me there.  I may not always have a choice about where I'm at, those/that around me, but I can choose where I place my thoughts, my intentions, and therefore my being.

4. Work Mindset: I can make my work more enjoyable, I have the POWER!  Through work, I can achieve many other things I value as well as gain money for other values (such as my children's' well being, a home, a car, a pet, a pleasure... a husband!).  Work itself is a benefit for me and through it I not only gain knowledge and skills, but self-improvement!

5. Pressure:  like stress (above), pressure can be wonderful....or harmful.   I've just completed a course to become a Corrective Exercise Specialist (specifically for pregnancy and postpartum). This might not seem terribly applicable to you, but the lesson I learned is useful at any age: how pressure moves through our body when we breathe, and how our posture and core support play a big role in feeling and BEING well! 

   Consider the lines of our body/fascia and management of intra-abdominal pressure. Think about issues like prolapse, incontinence, hernias, and muscles compensating for weak muscles/ligaments. Does it feel applicable now? Could you use a hand in assessing and correcting YOUR pressure management and movement patterns?  Loosen what’s overly tight, so there's room for expansion. Strengthen what’s weak, so the “tube” of our torso—from pelvic floor up through ribs/neck—works as a canister that manages pressure properly.  Might you be able to expand such physical body based knowledge to your life management?

I'd like to take what I've learned during my sabbatical to make my life more fulfilling, and in part, help you.  Give me the opportunity to help your body breathe better, improve posture, feel steadier, move easier and manage PRESSURE, STRESS, your WORK and THOUGHTS with more success.

Please respond to me at healinmotionpt@gmail.com with comments or requests!

Warm wishes from this beautiful city, Deanna