Our mental well-being is a full body experience.
Neurotransmitters like serotonin are present in the gut just as they’re present in the brain. Deep breaths are a simple, powerful way to manage anxiety. Movement, nutrition, sleep, hydration… all of these physical practices have major implications for our mental well-being.
Our minds and bodies aren’t separate at all.
Ten years ago, I trained as a yoga teacher so that I could help my therapy clients better tend to their holistic health. In recent years, I’ve taken up a side life as an aerialist. My aerial practice corresponded with the deaths of my father and brother. In the midst of grief, I needed something light and playful to keep myself from being fully immersed in the sad, heavy coldness of death. I could grieve and cope because I had something in my life that provided a counterbalance to all of the emotional weight that I was carrying, something that helped to keep my body strong and healthy even though my heart was in pain.
movement is one of the most powerful healing tools.
Whether you’re a busy parent, an entrepreneur growing a company, or someone living with the heaviness of grief, we all need a balanced, diversified brain. If one set of neurological circuitry gets fatigued, the connections between the neurons start to fray, or if we are flooded with the imbalanced neurological activation commonly associated with stress, trauma and grief, having a movement practice cultivates a robust, diversified brain.
And let’s not forget, moving, stretching, dancing, flying is FUN. Playful movement is good for the brain and the soul.
I now include movement in all aspects of my work.
If you join me for an executive retreat, there’s a chance you’ll end up on a flying trapeze. If you invite me to give a talk at your event, it is highly likely to include a breathing exercise or a mini stretch break.
Learn more about my approach to movement in this excerpt from my book, Touching Two Worlds.
