Stress Resilience Strategies

I rolled out of bed at 5:15am this morning full of aches and pains. My 6am class with Jafar Alexander at Beloved Yoga Studio, inspired this post. He reminded me that when we stress a muscle, we can gently find the sweet spot. The spot that needs extra attention; the knot that we’ve ignored. When we breathe into that sweet spot, when the muscle feels it’ safe, it relaxes and allows a stretch. Stretching comes only after recognizing the stress, holding and breathing into the stress, until it’s safe to release and let go.

Forcing a stretch will only lead to injury. Stretching comes after recognizing the stress, holding and breathing into the stretch to the point the muscle will relax and release.

How do we take this physical reality as a metaphor to create stress resiliency?

How do you look at stress, not as a negative, but as an opportunity?  An opportunity to stretch, to grow, and ultimately strengthen the body and the mind and spirit?

Isn’t it a lovely thought that to find optimal health does not involve the no pain, no gain” mentality? Rather, it’s about finding your flow. It’s not about swimming upstream or feeling like the waves are crashing all over you due to uncontrolled stress.

A savvy secret is to go with the flow. Find your natural rhythm. Find what your unique body is whispering (or sometimes screaming) to you.

We can gracefully grow and age without feeling the overwhelming effects of uncontrolled stress. We can create stress resilience at any age.

Three Stress Resilience Strategies:

·      Breathe, Relax and Stretch

·      Remember and practice the power of play. Allow yourself the freedom to fall and gain wisdom.

·      Move from ‘fear and overwhelm’ to curiosity. Come to yoga to reconnect with your physical body. Listen to the aches and pains. Ask yourself what message is being given to you. Ask what’s right with the body, not what’s wrong. Cultivate curiosity by breathing and relaxing into the space. This is a simple way to move from overwhelm to empowered. (Also step three from my Seven Steps to Optimal Health.)

Consider joining me Wednesdays @ Rise Wellbeing Center for the following classes:

1.     10am for Carpe Diem Dance, a fun joyful movement to music class where we practice play to stretch you in multiple ways.

2.     Or the 11:30am-12:00 Street Clothes Stretch Class. Come and stretch, then have lunch in the nature garden and feast off organic raw vegan prepared lunch. Rise has raw vegan healthy nutrient dense gluten free and dairy free sandwiches and salads. You can sit and enjoy lunch (Sign up now so you can be sure to have a spot and plenty of food).

3.     OR join me for a 45 minute vinyasa class at 12:15am- 1pm. This is a perfect amount of time for a practice, so you can return to work renewed, relaxed and refreshed. You can practice without sweating or if you like a more vigorous practice there are showers available. And if your body says, “Not today”, then consider a 20-minute nap on an organic bed in the napping room or practice meditation or breath work.

Carpe Diem!

Lisa

About Lisa Jackson, RN, CHC, RYT-500, AFMC

Lisa is an author, functional nutrition and function medicine trained health coach, yoga teacher, and retired Registered Nurse with the mission to "Inspire, Educate and Empower" individuals to heal from within.

Lisa's book, Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think & Thrive is a self health book offering her Seven Steps to Optimal Health.

When she is not coaching, or speaking, you can find Lisa joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance or playing with her two grandchildren. She is the mother of four adult children and believes, "Optimal health should not be a secret."