29 Jun 2015

Walk the Talk

Renewing my commitment to foot health looks like this.
I've had persistent foot pain over the past year and I am fed up with it. It started as plantar fasciitis last February as I adopted the new habit of running, which stopped that practice quickly in its steps. As with all chronic injuries, symptoms began to manifest in areas distant from the original source of pain due to my body's need to compensate for altered movement patterns. So what was once heel pain, became hip and low back pain and more recently, audible cracking in my ankle and knee joints.

Unfortunately, just understanding about orthopedic injuries doesn't protect one from them. I am however developing a deep understanding and empathy for the frustrations of seemingly minor injuries and the effects of not being able to move how I'd like to. 

So in light of this I would like to publicly declare my new commitment to healthy footwear and therefore one day healthier feet. I have a decent collection of semi-practical shoes in my closet, but very few of them are a perfect fit. The fashion-minded part of me who cares about my appearances has been struggling with finding the perfect pair of shoes. Apparently it's a tall order to find shoes that are a hybrid of practicality, class, and  quality. I walk a lot, work on my feet all day, and then usually play in some way during my time off that involves my feet. Given all they do for me, they deserve to be treated like royalty. 

Here's the good news: I actually found said shoes! I bought a pair of black leather Eccos and went back two weeks later to buy another pair in a similar model but different colour because they instantly brought joy to my tootsies. Buttery soft leather, a flexible sole that is as light as air, built with craftsmanship for durability, and I'd say that they look pretty darn classy too - in a casual high quality sorta way.  Dreams can come true.

Now it's time to make some space in my closet. I suspect it'll be an emotional event, taking my sub-par shoe collection to the consignment store. I'll be sure to pack tissues for potential the tear shedding that might occur from letting go of this part of my previous identity. 

Integrity is an important value to me, so walking my talk about putting my health first is a powerful motivator for this act. Thank you for making me accountable to you for the benefit of my health.
What are you willing to commit to for the sake of your health?

See you in the clinic,
Dana

22 Mar 2015

Grounded

Holding Space

People have told me that I'm grounded and that they benefit from the safe and courageous healing space I create and hold for them during massage therapy treatments. When I hear this I'm so pleased, not only because it's beautiful to know that they feel supported in my clinic space but also because I've had to work at it. I understand the vulnerability that is required to enter a healing mindset and I consider it a sacred act to offer an environment where people can enter this state. I don't consider myself a magical mystical healer, but I do see myself as a person who has the ability to help people access their own innate healing abilities with tools that I have learned. In order to provide this for people it is incredibly important for me to operate from a deeply rooted and grounded place.

But How Do I Do That? 

Forget skinny, I train to be bad-ass.
For me - one who has the tendency to be a bit flighty - grounding myself involves operating from a solid routine. It involves practicing my values daily to ensure that I am living from the heart and fulfilling my callings. I practice yoga,  I eat nutritious food, I connect and engage with other passionate people, I observe, indulge, and celebrate in the beauty of the world around me, I play in nature, I find stillness, and I lift heavy things. Yup, I pump iron. 

I gain strength and empowerment by pushing away from the pull of gravity. And sometimes I pretend to be a superhero while I'm at it, taking down the bad guys for the benefit of all mankind. This often leads to interesting sound effects and dramatic displays of strength and agility. Good thing my trainer has a sense of humour.
Could it be more blatant how gravity affects me - grounds me - than with 25 pounds of iron in each hand doing inclined presses? That's a pretty serious connection to the Earth I'd say.

Weight training reinforces the trust I have in myself to sustain and thrive beneath life's pressures. I know - and can feel it in my body - that that under the weight and responsibility of a load, I gain strength and resilience. And what a powerful metaphor to overlay onto my life. Who woulda thunk that weight training would be a spiritual experience? But that's just it. When you are attuned to the greater forces, using intention to sculpt how you see the world, everything can be spiritual. It's just a matter of looking for it.

No Gravity = Weak Bones

And aside from my spiritual musings, there are immense physical benefits to lifting weights. As a woman in her thirties, I need to consider my bone density. Our bodies typically reach their peak bone density in the beginning of the third decade, and without effort to maintain it, this bone strength will steadily decrease with age.

Are you familiar with Wolf's Law? This theory asserts that bones - which let me remind you, are a living tissue - will respond to the demands placed upon them by increasing osteoblast activity - build more bone - where lines of pressure exist. Depending on your activity, your skeletal system will increase bone density in regions where more force has been repeatedly applied. For example, the density of the bones in a runner's lower extremity would be greater than those of the bones swimmer, cyclist, or astronaut. Simply walking on this planet against the pull of gravity helps to maintain lower body bone density, so moving heavy things will only increase the effects of this force upon our bodies. Surely you've heard of osteoporosis by now. No gravity means weak bones, and that hardly seems like a good thing. 

The simplistic act of a weight training regime, pushing and pulling in response to gravity's pull, keeps me in touch with the greater forces of life. In this act of mindfulness, as I strengthen my body's muscles, bones, nervous and circulatory systems, I also reinforce that I am a strong woman. Believing that I am strong permeates how I conduct myself in the world, allowing me to act with bravery, trust, and confidence. Leading from those places makes me a bad-ass, which helps me embody some of my values, making certain that I am able to stay grounded for my patients.

See you in the clinic,
Dana

19 Feb 2015

How About Live Better Instead of Longer?

Have you noticed how longevity is such a buzz word these days?

I have and I don't like it. And the funny thing is that I didn't realize this until I was in conversation with a very dear friend of mine yesterday. We are developing some very exciting new ideas - which you will be filled in on eventually - and happened to be brainstorming about health and wellness topics.
"What about nutrition? Gratitude? Longevity?..."
"No! Not longevity, I despise that trend."
"What do you mean?" she asked, truly confused why I would be against living a long life.
"I don't like this idea of living longer lives when so many aren't even living high quality lives. I want nothing to do with longevity if it means my quality of life is diminished."

But this view and comfort with the ending of life, I'm starting to realize, isn't one that most others share.

I don't fear death, I never have.

I'm not certain how I gained this outlook. Perhaps my open-minded upbringing, where discussions of mortality would be a perfectly normal dinner conversation. Or witnessing the comfort my own mother exemplified while helping and caring for her family members pass to the next place. Or recently being with my own father as he took his last breaths and heart beats.

It all seems so simple to me: you are here in this body and then you are not. But the atoms and energetic spark of a person are interconnected with a greater force that we are all part of. So when a person dies, their body is gone but the magic that made them exist and emotionally connect with us is forever present. That whole "we are one" concept really works for me. This perspective allows me feel confident that those who don't share this incarnation any longer are still with me. I can still feel how they made me feel, remember how they conducted themselves, and how they left their mark in the world. This comforts me and gives me the confidence to trust the natural process of life and death.

We die and are reborn over and over in our lifetimes. We practice this when falling asleep at night and then rising in the morning, observing the dark drawing in of the Earth as she settles into autumn then spring forth when the days grow longer again, or finishing one phase in our lives and moving to the next. The recognition of this repeated process prepares us for facing the actual death of ourselves.

It seems to me that this desire for a long life and this hot topic of longevity in health and wellness pop culture stems from the fear of death. I think the distinction that needs to be made is that a long life is only worth living if you can actually live it. I'd rather live an active, healthy, and happy existence for the time that I have than strive and stress for more time to live a not entirely fulfilling life. Quality over quantity as the old adage goes.

On that note, my weekend plans involve receiving acupuncture, practicing yoga, and eating my greens all to better enjoy my life, connect with those I love, and ultimately influence the world in a positive manner. I invite you find what makes you feel alive and actually do it, because striving for better is immediately more awesome than longer.

See you in the clinic,

Dana

22 Jan 2015

The App for Optimism

It's been an eventful several months with my clinical practice, personal growth, and conception of new and diverse business directions.

The fall is always notoriously busy for massage therapists, as our patients scramble to use up the remainder of their extended health benefit allotments, and this certainly was the case for me. Then came the winter holiday season, bustling with its own sort of busyness and merriment. January landed softly in my lap wrapped in a two week vacation and therapeutic yoga learning intensive on the island of Maui. Not a bad reward for a full-on fall and early winter.

Nonetheless, I've let this blog take a back seat  - not for lack of want - but for preservation of my creative energies. There's only so much output this person is capable of at any given time. It is my preference to dive into my projects fully, as opposed to thinning my attention into too many streams, losing potency in the end product. Hence this deliberate stepping back from writing here. 

I have however, found a daily outlet for blog-like sentiments in the form of photographic observations of my world. Yes, Instagram has become my very good friend. It's exciting connecting with people, building communities, and sharing insights and perspectives. Oh, and the photos! Communicating through visuals has always been a strength for me

Please follow, like, and comment on my Instagram profile @sparkwellness.ca to help me build an empire of optimism, health, and wellbeing. I've been compiling some fun collections of sunrises from my balcony, scenic headstands, smiling inanimate objects, and loads of examples of positivity sprouting around me as I wander through this life. Join me!




See you in the clinic and online,

Dana