Cultivating Ease

Over the past two months I've used this space to describe the principles I use in movement, coaching and my book to become more resilient and respond more skillfully to the inevitable challenges of life.

(If you need a refresher, look through the past posts here)

Each principle is a lens or filter we can use to look at whatever it is we're facing - an uncomfortable conversation, physical pain, a difficult decision, or the slow train wreck of something that replays in our life over and over again, but that we want to react to differently.

You can try to look through one lens at a time, but it's likely that as you start to look through these lenses, they will complement and inform each other. Choosing to be in your body and being curious can create the awareness needed to create change.

Looking through the less is more lens might create the awareness that rest is needed, or help you identify the next small step toward sustainable change.

There's one more principle, and it's the foundation of all the others:

Cultivate Ease.

It's not just that Ease feels - well, easy - there's a neurological reason for this principle.

Stress isn't just in your head. It affects your whole body.

Your connective tissue (fascia) reacts to stress by getting rigid and tight (back, neck and shoulder tension, anyone?). Reduced blood flow to your digestive system slows absorption of nutrients and stops passage of waste. Your heart rate increases. Breathing rate also increases, and auxiliary breathing muscles in your shoulders and neck are recruited to help (more neck and shoulder tension).

Chronic (ongoing) stress reduces your immune system's ability to fight disease and repair tissue and can contribute to autoimmune disease. Connective tissue tightness limits mobility and can become chronic pain. In your gut, chronic stress can contribute to IBS or IBF, or overactive bladder. Chronic stress also contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease, decreased kidney function, and increased blood sugar.

Oh, and one more thing - stress impairs executive function. Memory, attention and decision-making are affected when you're stressed.

How do you feel reading that?

Cultivating Ease isn't about eliminating the stress response - your stress response is how your nervous system keeps you out of danger and alive. Cultivating Ease is about becoming more skilled at regulating your nervous system so you can work more effectively with mind, body and spirit.

Think about a recent time when you were stressed.

How did you react?
How do you wish you had reacted?

Think about a change you've been considering, or an uncomfortable conversation you've been avoiding.

How does your body feel as you think about it?
What might be different if you were able to create ease in your body?

We don't get a do-over. There's no time machine we can step into to go back and do things differently, say the right thing, bring more ease into our bodies, minds, relationships...

But there are choices we can make to support ourselves as we cultivate the ease that goes hand in hand with resilience.

The Power of the Pause is a course in learning how to cultivate ease and grow resilience.

Mindful Movement Classes teach how ease can be the foundation for increased mobility and stability, and decreased pain and tightness.

Embodiment Coaching helps you cultivate ease, so you can move into the new and unknown territory of your goals with clarity and purpose.

How do you want to Cultivate Ease? I'd love to support you on your journey. Let's talk about what that can look and feel like - book your conversation today - no pressure, I promise!