#LiveWholeHealth

Have you ever heard the saying, “the issues are in the tissues?” Stress is something that we all face, and often when that stress builds up, we can feel it in our muscles and throughout the whole body. When you feel stressed, does your body feel relaxed and at ease? Or does it feel tight and tense? I tend to feel tighter and more tense when I’m stressed, and I often feel this tightness and tension in my shoulders and neck. This can even lead to pain.

As we enter spring and see signs of the earth blooming, we should think about ways we wish to grow and bloom in our lives. Spring is a great time to bring to life our vision and to set goals for our health and well-being. Taking time to pause allows us to consider the ways.

When was the last time you paid attention to your right big toe or thumb? Like really paid attention to it? We often move throughout our day without really noticing our body or its various parts unless we are dealing with acute pain, it’s almost like we are on autopilot. When we really pay attention to what our body is experiencing in the moment, we can be more present, and we can notice how our physical experience is often connected to our emotional experience. This is called body scan.

You may think of yoga as a practice only done by the young and flexible, but all of us can do it. After a recent knee surgery, I was unable to get around without crutches, but I was still able to do breathing practices, meditate, and even do some yoga postures in a chair.

We often forget about our bodies until something starts to hurt or stops working. Have you thought about the miraculous way that your body functions?

Does focusing on your daily challenges lead to stress? Thinking of your challenges in this way can cause you to feel fatigued, with low energy. The mind can gravitate toward stressful thoughts without us even realizing it’s happening. The good news is that we have the power to change our perspective by refocusing on gratitude; we can train ourselves to focus on those things we are grateful for in the present moment. 

Our posture - how we sit or stand, can make a difference in how we feel. Try this short exercise to help improve your posture.

Did you know that human beings are born with the ability to practice deep breathing? Between your two lungs are five sections called lobes. The left lung has two and the right has three. The right lung is shorter than the left to accommodate your diaphragm, which rises higher on the right. But, we rarely use all five lobes to breathe. Do you know who does? Babies.

What do you think of when you hear the word "yoga?" If your image of yoga involves headstands and pretzel twists with a group of women in a studio, then it's time to reimagine yoga.

The thoughts and images from your imagination can impact your physical body, your emotions and your mood. During guided imagery and visualization, you use your imagination to promote positive effects and relieve symptoms.

There are many different styles of meditation – some are yang and some are yin. Yin meditation encourages being open to what might unfold during the experience. A yin meditation helps us to be curious, open, and gentle towards our inner experience and can support self-compassion.

Mobility exercises can help maintain healthy joints and increase or maintain range-of-motion and flexibility which support our daily routine and athletic activities.