Many of my patient-clients start with me because they love to exercise, and yet the way that worked in their 20's is no longer "working".
"Lexy, (they ask) is it normal to wake with a stiff back? " Hmmm
"Lexy, don't you have to walk the soreness off after a stint of sitting?" Well....
For those of us in our 40's, 50's and 60's, we were enculturated into the "no pain, no gain" mentality toward our bodies. The voices we've internalised include our parents who exprienced rations during their childhood developmental years. The voices we've internalised include our teachers and coaches in who were also raised to survive war.
Ours is the first generation to have experienced life beyond survival. Ours is the first generation with the "luxury" to address gender imbalance, global poverty and intergenerational trauma. Ours is the first generation to refute the "no pain, no gain" mentality.
I say this only to highlight that Rest, as a form of wellness, is a revolutionary concept. Perhaps pain is not a sign to "push through" but a sign to "listen in" (read more on this Somatic approach here)
For many of my clients, they are physically forced to rest due to chronic injury and pain. Thankfully, the body has a remarkable capacity for regneration, however this capacity significantly drops after aged 60, so get cracking, if this is you.
Worth noting, too, that unless you've been immersed in a yoga or dance community, you're unlikely to have come across restorative practice as a contributing influence. In a world which reveres hyper-driven stimulation, symptomatized by deprivation of the very qualities which give life (sleep, nutrition and breathing), relaxation is rarely understood and even more rarely applied. Here I touch on a little of the science. In the clinic we focus entirely on the art.
Here, I outline just a few of the benefits of Restoration which we pracitce weekly at The Burnout- & Trauma- Care Clinic (aka Restoration Station, aka 20:20:20)
Primary benefits of the Restoration Station include:
Balance Your Neuro-Hormonal Biochemistry
Resource Yourself Psychologically
Meet Needs You Didn't Know Existed
The 20:20:20 Practice is this:
20min Meditation (use your breath as your anchor point for soothing an over-active nervous system)
20min Stretch & Breathe (enter a state of flow: continuous responsiveness to your physicality)
20min Trigger Point Release (applied pressure using a trigger point ball to stimulate actin- myosin- and associated acetylcholine release)
20min Journalling (a rare chance to reflect on what you've just experienced)
10min Relaxation (quieten and calm your whole experience)
How would you be different if you gave yourself a 20:20:20 once a week?
Can you imagine discipline being easy? Even sustainable over time?
"Reverence with Consistency" is how Libby described it this morning.
"Self-Cleaning" was Carissa's description...."Like a washing from the inside-out"
"Easy Familiarity" was how Lisa described it. "Reliable, accessible & authentic"
Some of the group responses, I've captured here:
"I've been to other classes and I can't relax into it because I don't fit into it. This is the "real-world practice", it's not judgie or manufactured"
"This is the first time I've found it really easy to keep a practice. It's peaceful, easy to park, accessible in every way...it's authentic"
"The time and place really work for me. I can disconnect from work, bills and things, and spend an hour a half focussing on me."
"It's totally true that when I'm topped up on self-connection and trust in even a few other people, I'm less likely to reach for a false sense of security"
The goal of your first 6-weeks of practice, is to grow so familiar with the format, that your body does it automatically. Sustainability, as a core value underlying Burnout & Trauma-Care, is built-in at the individual- and group-levels.
Below are the three main benefits of bedding in the 20:20:20 Rule and a little of the evidence behind it.
Balance your Neuro-Hormonal Biochemistry
Did you know reducing cortisol has a positive effect on oestrogen and testosterone for both men and women aged 40-60?
Resource yourself Psychologically
Did you know practicing Trauma-Informed Yoga can change our responses to triggers?
Post-grad research in the area of Trauma taught the subtlties needed for dealing with trauma complexes.
Meet Needs You Didn't Know Existed
Sometimes we don't know what we need until the need is met.
Have you ever had that experience?
I'll never forget the time in a mothering moment of arguing with my son, a neighbour walked in and gave me the most perfectly-timed hug. The loving suprise completely and immediately melted my anger into the relief of deep grief which was really underlying my despair.
Most weeks I experience it when my partner, who has a way of cooking a meal just right, hits me with the vitality of the veges and the char of the fatty protein. The moment I taste it I'm instantly aware my body has been craving such good nutrition.
Have you ever had the experience of a need being met that you didn't even know was there? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.
If you'd enjoy the easy discipline of a shared 20:20:20, this month we've made it even easier.
Enjoy your FREE TRIAL by booking your place here
Then join us at Taringa Rovers Clubhouse Saturdays 8:30 for an 8:45am start and a nourishing 90-minute session.
I’m Alexis Dennehy, post-grad trained in trauma and women’s health with 25+ years clinical experience in integrative- & somatically-focused health care.
Join me Saturday mornings in-person at The Burnout- & Trauma- Care Clinic, (Sign-On Day: 18th January) Book in for a Private Treatment (click Book Now at the top of this page) or Follow my Podcast "In Flow and On Form: The Psycho-Physiology of Somatic Practice" to be notified about future episodes.
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