SF Mission Chiropractor | Trans* Affirming | NeuroDiverse Savvy

Author: doctorsamz (Page 3 of 5)

Foot squeezes and stockings

This practice is great for shifting the brain from fight-or-flight back into our default rest-digest-connect mode. The goal is not to soften the tissue of the feet and calves by rubbing or working those tissues, but to let the brain check in, reactivate self-healing mode, and soften those tissues itself (when your brain is good and ready to soften safely!)

Give us a call to schedule a consult if you’re having trouble with this.

415-735-1778

Seated Seaweed

You can use these simple movements to start shifting your brain from fight/flight/freeze back into rest/digest/connect (our natural baseline, and the place our self-healing kicks into gear from!) in just 2-3 minutes of slow, small practice.

Try it out. If you have any trouble give us a call to schedule a consultation to trouble shoot!

Tech Neck

Tech Neck has been making the news lately. The chronic postural problem caused by using our phones too much (or incorrectly), or spending too much time at a computer setup that isn’t ergonomically ideal can lead to headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, even tingling and numbness in the hands and fingers. Here are a couple of resource videos that give you some simple solutions to implement at home now, to reduce symptoms. If you’re having any of these problems and they don’t go away within a week of diligently practicing these tips, give us a call at 415-735-1778 and schedule an appointment to see if we can help!

 

Posture Study

I was hesitant to even post this posture study, because this patient was in such bad shape when he came in that it almost looks fake. He had a lot of back and hip and glute pain, couldn’t walk for more than a few minutes, and couldn’t play with his niece. He’s come a long way!

Are you surprised to learn that this patient isn’t just in less pain, but happier and more motivated about reaching his goals than ever?

Posture in the Tarot

I have been reading tarot for over 25 years. It’s been both a fun hobby and a useful lens for understanding people and life processes for me.

Tarot is many centuries worth of people thinking about people, how we are, how we feel, the circumstances in which we find ourselves. For me, it’s a set of symbols that are meant to point to processes and experiences in a human life. It’s just a map for navigating the terrain.

The Tarot is full of images of people. The people on the cards are meant to embody and represent  different experiences. If you know me and my work at all, you know I’m pretty much obsessed with how we make meaning out of our experiences,  and how our bodies reflect those experiences and that meaning. Hence my emphasis on posture and body language.  And hence the new workshop I’m offering mid-November, Postures of the Tarot. 

Here is a teaser video for some of the ideas we’ll be talking about. Check it out!

 

For your mid-back!

We all know deep breathing is good for us. Making it easier to take that full deep breath is exactly what this video is for, as well as alleviating tension and loosening up the rib-cage and shoulders. Try it out!

 

BONUS! This second video requires an elastic exercise band, but takes this exercise to the next level. You can reduce tension and increase the range of motion. I like these exercise bands, but any you like are great.

Loosen up your hips and back

Simple isolation exercises can be really powerful tools for creating a feeling of looseness and ease in your body. This simple practice can be used daily (or even hourly!) to open up the low back, hips, and pelvis. It also helps you look great on the dance floor! 😉

Open Your Whole Spine LEVEL 1

This is one of my favorite exercise sequences. I got this sequence from my friend and colleague Dr Satya over at Resilience Artist. Check out the rest of her offerings there, she’s frankly brilliant.

This sequence is a great daily practice that takes no more than 10-15 minutes, and really improves range of motion of the spine, more importantly, it reduces the fight-or-flight response in the brain. The effects are cumulative over time. If you have any questions, just drop us an email at [email protected] 

After practicing this video daily for 2-3 months, try advancing to Open Your Whole Spine Level 2

Chronic Stress, shaking and seaweed

When the body goes into “stress mode,” we lose the ability to think clearly. Ever tried to do math while being chased by a lion?

Kidding aside, the brain under stress is really good at staying alive, but not so good at focusing on what brings greater joy, meaning and connection. To get out of stress mode and back into rest and play mode, this video offers some simple practices and a framework for understanding why movement, even small and frankly silly movements, can be powerful medicine for shifting gears and building resilience.

Burning Man Resilience Building

Hey Burners!

As you’re getting ready for the Burn this year, remember that you’re about to do something incredibly stressful. Your skin takes a hit. Your lungs take a hit. Your brain (even if you aren’t using mind-altering substances) takes a big hit, from the stress of adapting to the climate and the stress of adapting to the very different culture! These practices are a great way to build into your body some extra resilience, so you can bounce back faster, get yourself out of the stress response quickly, and build a big reserve, to better handle the intensity of being there and returning.

Have a great burn!

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