A Healer’s Guide to Letting Go
I was talking with a healer friend of mine this morning about all juicy things related to healing, which means inevitably we talked about our own stuff. If you aren’t aware, a healer doesn’t actually heal you; they are simply someone to guide you so that you can heal yourself. In my experience that can only happen if the “healer” has done their own work. The inner journey isn’t the most important journey
Learn To Love Yourself Enough
Love yourself enough to self-treat everyday. As a physical therapist trained in the John F Barnes Myofascial Release Approach, I encourage my patients to self-treat everyday. What do I mean by self-treat? I mean taking the time out of everyday to take care of you. We’ve all heard “you can’t pour from an empty cup”. I get that you’re a busy mom and your co-workers are relying on you to get shit done day in and day out. You’re running your kids from here to there after school and there’s yet another dinner eaten in the car or while sitting on the bleachers during practice or games. You pack lunches and snacks and sign papers and manage to see that your kids get their homework done. You volunteer like you’re expected to. I also get that you’re a busy dad. You bring
Help, I Just Peed Myself!
Are you a mom who’s experienced the dreadful peeing accident during a workout? When simply coughing or sneezing? Or have you ever had a sudden loss of urine when trying to get to the restroom in time? I remember the first time this happened to me, shortly after giving birth to my first daughter more than 13 years ago. I was ashamed that I couldn’t even stop the flow of urine and peed my pants, right inside my home. My husband was sympathetic but I was so ashamed, and even worse, I was worried that it would happen again. What if it happened when I was out getting groceries or at a friend’s house? I started packing a change of clothes for baby AND ME inside the diaper bag. Things improved as my postpartum body healed, but the incontinence lingered long after
The Hidden Impact of a Simple Fall
Winter is just around the corner here in Colorado. With that, you may be gearing up for all the fun winter sports, like skiing, snowboarding, hockey, and ice skating. Even if you’re not an avid winter sports fan, you will likely encounter ice sometime in your life. This is true whether you’re living in beautiful Colorado or somewhere else blessed with the changing of the seasons. With winter comes the chance of falling, even for those of us who play it safe and don’t partake in these types of winter sports. Chances are at some point in your life you’ve experienced a fall, whether it be missing a few steps on your stairs at home, stepping wrong off a curb, wiping out on your bike as a child (or on your mountain bike as an adult), a slip down a river
Not Today, Fear
You don’t grow in your comfort zone. Think about that for a sec. Have you ever accomplished something by staying in your comfortable little box? It's easy to talk yourself out of taking action on something because of fear. Maybe it comes in the form of excuses or telling yourself you don't have the time or the resources you need. But if you quiet down the inner chatter and let the truth percolate, you may realize it's really FEAR that's holding you back. This idea that you have to get out of your comfort zone to grow became all too apparent recently as my teenage daughter swam in her first swim meet. She wasn’t the only one on her team that was there to swim in their first meet ever, and I'm sure there were other children on other teams in the same boat. As
Pregnancy, Post-Partum and Your Pelvis
by Justine Calderwood, MSPT Are you pregnant? Are you in the post-partum period and you're worried about how soon after delivery you should resume exercise? Are you a mom suffering from pelvic pain or weakness? Do you have questions on whether the back pain you are experiencing is normal following the birth of your child? Did you have a difficult birth and wonder if things will ever improve? This is for you! I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Amy Vander Linden, MSPT of Moment of Truth Physical Therapy in Phoenix, AZ on August 13, 2018 for a Facebook Live interview. Amy Vander Linden, MSPT has been a physical therapist for more than 18 years and specializes in John F. Barnes Myofascial Release. Amy has found this to be the most effective way of eliminating painful restrictions and restoring mobility. She
Wash Away Stress: Five Tips for Grounding
Feeling stressed out? Jittery? Spacy and unable to concentrate? Ungrounded? You know you need to do something about it. But what? Let’s talk about some ways you can reign in your mind and get yourself grounded again. 1) Go inward. Get down deep into what’s bothering you. “Without Awareness there is no Choice” is the mantra I’ve learned from my mentor John F. Barnes. That means if you’re not really aware of what has you in a tizzy you don’t really have the power to do anything about it. So, get aware! Find out what the hell is bugging you so you can choose what you want to do about it. Are you worried about the future? Ruminating over something in the past? Steaming over a conversation you had? Mad at yourself for how you reacted to your spouse last night? Got a full plate and
4 Ways to Ease Shoulder Pain
Here are four easy tips to improve mobility and ease pain in the shoulder using self-Myofascial Release. A small inflatable ball can be used to release restrictions in the soft connective tissue surrounding the shoulders, shoulder blades and chest. Coupled with some gentle myofascial stretches, these tips can help you feel better and move easier again. Remember to listen to your body; don't force anything and stop if you feel like you need to.