Why We Need People

Why We Need People

Interview with Mandy Antoniacci

By: Patrick S. Cross, LMT, CPN, CET

Although in the midst of a grueling rehabilitation process after her second neck surgery in two years, Mandy Antoniacci projects a truly impressive vigor for life and an unshakeable drive for inspiring others.          

Antoniacci is a tech entrepreneur, sports and health columnist, author, marathoner, and TED Talks speaker. Her book, The Power Of Looking Up, [about breaking away from our distractions and connecting with people] is due to hit the shelf next year.

I had seen Antoniacci’s TED Talks presentation on empowerment in the midst of difficulty, but as she described her experiences to me in more detail I gained a deep appreciation for the fire she has managed to keep brightly burning through the intense mental and physical torrents that could easily have snuffed it out.     

PC:  Tell me about your process and what stage you’re in now.

MA: It’s been incredible and terrifying all at the same time.  

It was right when I accepted the TED presentation that I was going into my first surgery. It all started with my hand going numb. At first I thought it was nothing, but it just kept getting worse. Eventually the numbness and weakness spread all the way up and I found out I was going to need surgery on my cervical spine to fix it.

Rehab from the surgery was rough. It was completely physically draining, and I remember thinking to myself, as an athlete and a person who expects a lot from myself, “How am I going to get up in front of a world audience and present something valuable being this depleted version of myself?”

A year later I found out that the procedure didn’t take. My surgeon explained to me that I happened to be in the 1% of the population that this happens to. “Just bad luck,” he said. So I was going to have to do the whole thing over again. The first surgery hit me hard physically; the second hit me mentally and emotionally. I’m currently going through the rehab for that right now. 

Mandy, working on her book while tethered to a bone growth stimulator, post surgery.

PC: How is this round of PT progressing? 

MA: I’m doing well over all. My therapists are amazing. Some days I feel great, but other days it’s all I can do to get moving. Some days it takes me three hours just to be able to get out of bed. 

PC: Why have you chosen to put such a strong emphasis in your writing and speaking on the roll of connecting with others to reach the best quality of rehab, performance, and life in general? 

MA: That’s a big question. The first time I realized the profound importance of human connection was in regards to performance. I was running the L.A. marathon and at mile 19 I was crashing, hard.  

I remember feeling like I just couldn’t take another step when I looked up and saw a little boy holding up a sign that read “Free High Fives.” I pulled out my headphones, went over to him, and brushed my hand against his. Instantly I felt a rush of energy and was able to finish the race feeling a strength that I can only attribute to that connection with another human.  

That’s when I knew that closing off and going into my own head, just me and my headphones, didn’t make me stronger, it made me weaker. It took the connection with another human, even if only for that brief moment, to bring my strength back. 

L.A. Marathon,

finish line.

PC: It’s a common tendency for people to isolate when they are going through hard times. Did you feel that tendency yourself during your rehab process? 

MA: Oh yes. I felt that. So much of our strength is symbolic of our self-identity. When I looked in the mirror and saw this depleted, fractured version of myself I didn’t want anyone else to see that, especially not the people closest to me.  

PC: How did you break through? 

MA: I remember sitting in the waiting room at the hospital. There were all of these other patients, all going in for major procedures, and everyone was scarred. All of a sudden it hit me that no one was speaking with each other. Everyone was just scarred and alone even though there were dozens of people around. So I started sharing my experience with some of them. 

I was nervous at first, but the more I shared with them, the more they shared back with me, and something incredible happened. The tone in the room changed as connections were made, and things felt lighter. It was incredibly powerful. 

PC: It can be difficult to be the one to reach out and initiate those connections. There’s a lot of vulnerability there. What advice would you give to someone who feels nervous but wants to connect? 

MA: Start small. Just say, “Hi.” When we have fear, when we are anxious about connecting with another person, just remember it’s not about you and how you look; it’s about them. It’s a gift you are giving them, and oh by the way… It also helps you.

PC: What, in your view, is the number one benefit of pursuing deeper interactions with the people around us? 

MA: We tend to stay in our lane. Our identifications. If we talk to more people and actually care about what they say, we can expand our view, and ultimately ourselves. If we challenge ourselves to interact and find common ground we move past our smaller view and we open ourselves up to possibilities that we would otherwise miss. 

PC: I love that. So much of who we are and how we engage in the world is rooted in our viewpoints, and we absolutely need deeper interactions with others if we hope to expand, grow, and evolve those viewpoints.  

There’s a common idea that we shouldn’t need others to be happy; that it should all come from within, or it isn’t real happiness. What’s your take on that? 

MA: Great question. I’ll have to answer that in three different contexts.  

On the level of sports, being insular and just in my head ultimately made me weaker. It took getting out of my head and connecting to give me my strength back. 

In the scientific view it’s been studied and documented time and time again. When kids and adults progress in connecting with others, their own self-esteem rises, often dramatically. When people help other people through those connections many other health markers rise as well.

My personal philosophy is this: The difference is about reliance and choosing. If we can’t ever feel happiness without external sources, we are reliant. If we understand that we can choose to interact with external sources to enrich our internal happiness, we are powerful.  

It’s about having an open invitation for the outside world to be a part of our internal happiness and fulfillment.

Keeping The Mind Fresh with Eric Hinman

Keeping the Mind Fresh

A chat with Eric Hinman

By: Patrick S. Cross, LMT, CPN, CET

As Eric walks through the doors of Death & Co coffee house he’s got that look in his eyes like today is going to be an adventure.

An entrepreneur, angel investor, co-founder of multiple companies in multiple states, and a competitive athlete, Eric has a lot on his plate. He does not however have that tired, spread-too-thin look that afflicts so many of the extremely busy people I’ve met and worked with. His posture and temperament are energetic. He gives off the vibe of a kid who just ate a hearty breakfast and is ready to get out to the playground.

That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to interview Eric. When I see someone successfully managing a huge workload, engaging in creative projects, staying healthy, and having fun doing it, I want to learn that person’s secrets.

PC: So let’s start with a typical day. What does that look like for you?          

EH: I do the same thing every day. It may sound boring or repetitive, but I’ve worked to build a life around positive energy and mental clarity, and even though my life is repetitive the things I do over and over are exciting and fulfilling.

I eat the same things every day. I work out, move my body - movement is life. I go to the same places, and I make sure to create a routine that fits well with my lifestyle. For example, I know I’m not going to be home a lot and I won’t have time to cook or meal prep, so I go to the same restaurants at the same time and order the same things every day. Most people would overeat or eat the wrong things if they ate out every meal, but I’ve built a routine around healthy eating that fits with my lifestyle, and it works.

PC: As a performance nutritionist that strikes a cord with me. I tend to recommend that people cook more at home, which is generally healthier, but a lot of people simply don’t have time to cook at home. The solution you’ve come up with is simple, but effective.           

EH: I never look at a menu. As soon as I’ve figured out what the healthiest and most satisfying thing is at the restaurant, I never order anything else. It becomes the ‘Eric’ and all I have to say is ‘Bring me the Eric,’ and I know I have something that will be delicious and give me everything I need. 

Routine, routine, routine. That’s how we free up mental space and thrive.           

PC: In 2017 you were noted for having one of the top Men’s Health Instagram accounts, and in a post for Men’s Health Magazine you noted your top five mood enhancers (excluding diet and exercise as the obvious staples). Those were:

1.     Meet at least one new person every day, share your story, and learn something about their story.

2.     Expose your mind and body to something extreme or scary.

3.     Give without expectation of receiving. Give someone a gift, knowledge, or inspiration.

4.     Try something new. 

5.     Drink coffee (but not too much).

PC: Is there anything you would change or add to this list now. 

EH: Definitely! Get outside. That’s a big one. And do something, preferably outside, that keeps your mind in the present moment. Mountain biking is one of those things for me. It gets me outside. I get my vitamin D. I get an endorphin rush, and it teaches my mind to focus on the moment, which is something we’re losing as a society. We get all of these notifications constantly, we have instant access to anything on the internet, and it’s ruining our ability to focus on one thing at a time.           

PC: You’re very active on social media, does that make it harder to focus?          

EH: I create a lot of structure around content consumption. That’s the next thing I would add to the list. If it’s not going to help me, if I’m not learning something or being inspired, I’m not looking at it. I’m not wasting time or focus if it’s not quality.            

PC: When you talk about meeting new people, who are the most important people to put yourself in the room with on a regular basis?          

EH: Like-minded people based on the chapter of life that I’m in right now.          

PC: “I like that. I’ve noticed that the most important people to spend focused time with will change depending on where I’m at and what I’m trying to accomplish. There are the staple people in my life, my tribe so to speak, but I need to venture outside of that circle of friends and family and get in the room with people who are going to help me write that next chapter better.”         

EH: Exactly.          

PC: So, what’s your why? What is the driving force behind all that you do and keeping a fresh mind to do it?           

EH: I want to experience as much as I can while I can. It’s people and places. Do epic shit with epic people. That’s what it’s all about.

Changing Charles' Story

Changing Charles’ Story

Emotions and The Body 

Part 2

By: Patrick S. Cross LMT, CPN, CET

In part one we discussed how our emotional states create physical patterns in our bodies, for better or worse (see part one below). In part two we look at one of the most interesting cases I’ve seen in my career. One that solidified the interest and respect I have for a well-rounded approach to health care that includes how we feel about what we feel.

            I met Charles (not his real name) at a cocktail party. In his mid 60s, Charles carried himself well, and was the kind of guy who brightened up the room with smiles and good conversation. Mid way into the evening I was listening to some of his stories about Denver through the decades when I noticed his right shoulder didn’t move very much. It looked stiff and every once in a while he would reach up and touch it with his left hand. It was subtle, but it’s my job to notice things like that.

            “Having shoulder trouble?” I asked him during a pause in the conversation.

            “Yes,” he responded, “It’s been bothering me for years.”

            “Was there an injury?” I asked.

            “A car accident.” He said. “Back in ’92.”

            “It’s been going on for that long?” I asked. “Have you had any therapy to try to resolve it?”

            “I’ve done everything.” He said, with a deep breath. “Chiropractic, acupuncture, PT, dry needling, massage, you name it. I always feel a little better for a few days, and then it comes right back. I even went the surgery rout at one point. None of it helped.”

            “I’d be happy to take a look, if you want another opinion.” I gave him my card.

“Thanks,” he said, and took my card, but I didn’t expect him to call since he’d already seen so many people. What was another massage therapist going to be able to do?

A week later I got a call from Charles.

“Alright,” he said, “Let’s give it a shot.”

He came in for a session and I went through all the assessing and treating I thought might do the trick. When we finished the session his shoulder had better movement, the pain was gone, and I was happy with a job well done, but it didn’t last.

I called him three days later to follow up, and sure enough the pain and stiffness were back.

I saw him for a second session, and a third. Each time he would feel great getting off the table, and then the pain and stiffness would come back within a few days.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, “This is how it always goes.”

But I did worry about it. I’ve always been a mildly obsessive person, and when I can’t figure out a problem I can barely think about anything else.

After the fourth session something interesting happened. When I followed up with him he said the pain had not come back, and a week later it was still gone.

“What did you do?” He asked, excited. “This is the longest it hasn’t hurt in years.”

I’d done some more work with his spine in the last session and I thought we might be on to something. Then he called me a few days later and said the pain was back.

“I just went to pick my car up out of the shop and by the time I got home my shoulder was terrible.” He reported.

I was silent for a moment, trying to wrap my head around possible explanations.

“Wait,” I said, “Your car has been in the shop? For how long?”

“Two weeks,” He said. “Bit of a hassle. I’ve been walking a lot more though. That’s been kind of nice.”

“So you haven’t driven a car in two weeks?” I asked.

“Correct.” He said.

“And today you drove for the first time and the pain came back?” I asked.

“Yep.” He sighed.

There was something there. I wasn’t sure what it was yet, but I was about to find out.

When Charles came in for his next session I asked him some questions I hadn’t asked before. Instead of focusing only on his physical shoulder I started asking him about the story of the accident.

“Why does that matter?” He said, when I asked him to recall the incident.

“Not sure yet.” I told him, “But let’s explore this a little bit. Tell me everything you can remember.”

“Alright.” He conceded. “It was late at night, maybe 11:30pm. I was on my way home from an event and out of nowhere this drunk asshole plowed into my car.”

As soon as he said those words the muscles in his shoulder tightened up. I worked them a little bit, and after a few minutes they calmed down.

“Tell me more.” I said.

“What’s more to tell?” He said. “It was just bad luck. Here’s this guy out there getting drunk and going out and ruining people’s lives. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I was the one that the son of a bitch got.”

His muscles clamped down more than ever, and he winced in pain as I moved his shoulder. I had to stop for a moment and think about what was going on. I’d been taking the Somato-Emotional Release training through the Upledger Institute, but I’d just started and wasn’t really sure what this all might mean yet.

“How do you know the other driver was drunk?” I asked.

“It was in the incident report.” Charles said.

“Did you ever meet him or see him in court?” I asked.

“Never even saw the guy.” He said. “All I know is that he was driving around drunk, ruining people’s lives. I can’t believe anyone could do that. I mean, how could you go around getting wasted and causing people so much pain?”

Charles’ muscle tightened back up. He was angry, and it was affecting his shoulder in a powerful way.

“How drunk was he?” I asked.

“Why does that matter?” Charles shot back.

“Just curious.” I said, calmly.

“Well,” He said. “I don’t really know. It didn’t say specifically what his blood alcohol levels were in the report, just that he was over the legal limit and received a DUI.”

“So how do you know he was wasted?” I asked.

Charles paused for a moment. “I guess I don’t.”

“And you never met him, even that night?” I asked.

“No.” He said. “The accident was pretty bad. I went straight form my car to the ambulance. Never saw anyone but the paramedics.”

“Just out of curiosity, have you ever been over the legal limit after a dinner with friends or an event, and gotten into your car to drive home?” I asked.

“Well,” He said, “Sure. Who hasn’t? I’ve never driven drunk before though.”

“Is it possible that this guy was just slightly over the limit?” I asked.

Charles paused for moment. Then something very interesting happened. His breathing deepened and his facial expression shifted. Charles’ voice softened, his brain was reworking itself, and he started to tell a different story.

“I guess so. Yes.” He started, slowly. “I guess that’s possible. Maybe the guy was having a really hard night. Maybe he’d just had a fight with his wife and went to the bar to have a drink and think things over. I’ve done that before.”

He paused for another moment.

“Maybe he’d had a drink or two and figured out what he needed to figure out, and was heading home to his wife. He would have been distracted driving home. Maybe they’d been fighting about money or their kids, so there could have been a lot on his mind. I guess it could have happened to anyone.”

In awe at what was happening I held my hand on his shoulder, feeling the muscles start to loosen up as he spoke. Then the next thing Charles said completely blew me away.

“God, I hope the guy ended up ok.” Charles said. “A DUI can really screw things up for someone.”

Then Charles let out a deep breath, like he’d let go of something very heavy that he’d been carrying around for a long time. His muscles loosened completely, and his shoulder started moving smoothly again.

Charles was a different guy walking out of that session. He’d always been positive and cheerful since I met him, but now he seemed peaceful. When I followed up with him he said the shoulder pain was gone. He noted that he still felt the muscles start to tighten up when he would get into his car, but that was starting to go away as well.

I’ve thought a lot about that session over the years. The power of the stories that we tell ourselves, and the emotions attached to those stories can be intense. It is an aspect of health care that often goes unrealized and unresolved.

What really gets me though is that we can’t be sure if either of the stories Charles told himself were actually true. But does it really matter? The first story created anger, frustration, hatred, and a victim mentality, resulting it physical tension and pain. That is not a productive story. The second story produced feelings of empathy, understanding, and forgiveness, the result of which was release and a sense of peace.

The power of our emotions should not be underestimated, and we would all do well to examine the stories we tell ourselves, and the emotional patterns they provoke. If we can’t know the full truth in a certain situation, then can we dismantle the damaging stories we tell, and weave new stories that ultimately serve us better and provide for a more thriving life?

Emotions and the Body

Emotions and the Body

Part 1

By: Patrick S Cross, LMT, CPN, CET

It’s oddly one of my favorite activities; watching people’s emotions control their bodies.

As I sit at the coffee shop I notice a guy across the room holding an impressively upright, strong posture. He’s young, maybe a student, a cup of black coffee close at hand, and he’s looking down the bridge of his nose at his computer. His head is perfectly balanced over his shoulders.

Then something interesting happens. His mouth drops into a frown as his head juts back. Then his eyebrows crinkle together and his head pushes forward until his nose is about five inches from the screen. What was impressively perfect posture only a moment ago deteriorates into a hunched back, forward folded shoulders, and a very tense face.

I don’t know what he sees on his computer that’s so confusing and concerning, but what I am acutely aware of in this moment is the powerful effect our emotions have on every muscle in our body.

It is well known for example that a large portion of our communication is non-verbal. We feel something and our body reacts accordingly conveying a message. This is deeply ingrained, and very useful.

A facial expression can convey caring and friendship when we may be at a loss for words, or well-timed hand gestures can spice up a story we are telling. On the other hand, when we try to hide our feelings from others, acting brave when we are actually scared, engaged when we are completely uninterested, or angry even though we say there’s nothing wrong, our bodies tell the truth to anyone who knows how to see it whether we want it to or not.

A bigger problem comes when we have certain emotionally driven muscle reactions so regularly that they begin to solidify into a chronic tension patterns. Clenched teeth, tight shoulders, and abdominal churning are some common examples. These emotionally driven tension patterns can easily go un-assessed, and the discomfort they produce is often treated with muscle relaxants, painkillers, or both.

I was about five years into my practice when I ran into a bit of a problem surrounding this issue. I began noticing that a portion of the people I was treating for tension patterns and associated pain were simply not improving. The relief would last for a short time, and then come right back again with no real progress.

At a loss I started to pay closer attention to the things people would say while we worked to release certain muscles. It might be about traffic, deadlines at work, certain family members or other people in their lives, politics, or even household appliances that were acting up. These seemingly unrelated topics became the focus of deeper detective work.

I saw that the clenched muscles would release, and then I would ask about the emotionally charged topic and they would tighten right back up.

I was not yet equipped to dive into the emotional realm in an educated way, but I knew I needed to learn. Thanks to one of my early mentors I was introduced to Somato Emotional Release training. I learned how to ask the right questions, and not overstep my bounds while helping people uncover the emotional triggers that drive their tension patterns, and then provide some tools for resolving those patterns. The results have been profound.

Since then it has become a hobby of mine to observe people at coffee shops, restaurants, at the movies, walking down the street or running in the park, watching their emotional states control their movements in all sorts of interesting ways. It’s obvious now, but it wasn’t always, and I’ll never again underestimate the power of a deeper awareness of our emotional states.

Mysteries of Massage

Mysteries of Massage

By: Patrick S. Cross, LMT, CPN, CET

For centuries people have believed in the profound benefits of massage therapy for health, performance, and longevity. 

Almost 5,000 years ago in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic Book of Internal Medicine, Chinese doctors and monks were described practicing massage methods to ease ailments of all kinds. Native shaman from around the world rubbed smooth stones on the aching muscles of their tribe members after long treks or big hunts.

Native shaman

from around the world rubbed smooth stones on the aching muscles of their tribe members after long treks or big hunts.

Even the ancient Egyptians felt massage therapy was important enough to leave depictions permanently etched into the walls of the tomb of Ankhmahor, one of the most important of Teti’s officials, which has come to commonly be called the ‘physician’s tomb’. 

In more modern times, clinical massage therapies are found in hospitals to aid in pain relief and post surgical recovery. Sports massage serves athletes from the weekend warrior level all the way up to the shimmering glory of Olympic contenders to enhance performance. There are even applications to supplement sleep patterns, help with brain development, and relieve social anxieties.

Through the ages there have been countless myths and theories about the different methods of massage, and the reasons massage therapy has such a potent effect on health and performance.  

Some explanations are simple and straight forward, such as the use of massage therapy in combating osteoarthritis. When a joint is chronically compressed it eventually wares down and becomes painful. A skilled massage therapist will loosen the tension around the joint, decompress it, and then coach better movements so that the joint is less likely to get compressed again. 

Still, the mechanisms behind many massage therapy methods have remained a mystery, and have been a source of great controversy in the medical world.

            One aspect in particular that has eluded explanation is the ability for certain massage techniques to reduce inflammation, and speed up recovery after an injury. Many therapists and scientists have asserted that inflammation and lactic acid can be flushed out of the tissues by squeezing them, which is why soreness is decreased and recovery speeds up. That theory has been officially disproven.  

Due to more current technology and innovative scientific minds we now have new insights into the powers of massage, and may finally have some real answers to that riddle.

            Mark Tarnopolsky, a cellular biologist and avid athlete in Hamilton, Canada has shed light on this mystery in a way never previously explored. His team went beyond the normal research methods and started looking at gene expression in subjects before and after massage, and what he found was nothing short of incredible.

            He discovered that after a massage the gene known as PGC1-Alpha, which is responsible for cellular metabolism and repair, was ramped up, while the gene NFkB, which is responsible for inflammation, was significantly inhibited. That means that simply getting a massage increases heeling and repair while simultaneously decreasing inflammation because it turns some of your genes on, and it turns other ones off. So we respond to massage therapy not just on a mechanical level, but also on a genetic level.

Changes on an epigenetic level

One more piece of the puzzle

            This of course is very excited for me as an evidence based practitioner, but also as someone who is constantly realizing how deep the story goes, and how mysteries as old as time are just now being understood on a level humans have never been able to see or understand before.       

Self-Talk. A Curse or a Cure.

Self-Talk

A Powerful Tool or a Terrible Curse

By: Patrick S. Cross, LMT, CPN, CET

“Our emotions are not always the trustworthy friends we like to think they are. They’re more like a really moody friend who can be totally supportive one minute, and really unpleasant the next.” Said Guy Winch, psychologist and author of Emotional First Aid, during his Ted Talks presentation in February of 2016.

            He then told the story of a woman he worked with who, after a 20 year marriage and a rough divorce, was finally ready to start dating. The man she was so excited to go on a date with was successful, handsome, and most importantly was really interested in her. They met for drinks at an upscale bar in New York. Ten minutes into the date the man got up, informed her that he was not interested, and walked out.

            She was devastated. So much so that she could barely move. All she could do was call a friend. And here is what that friend said.

            “Well, what did you expect? You have big hips. You have nothing interesting to say. Why would a handsome, successful man like that ever want to go out with you?”

            We can all agree that would be absolutely unacceptable for a trusted friend to say, but then we find out that it was not a friend who said that to the woman, it was what she told herself.

            Does that seem more normal?

            We have all told ourselves things that, if coming from any other person, would be good cause to not speak with them anymore. But from ourselves, the terrible things we say seem less worrisome, even normal.

            Conversely studies noted by Alex Hutchinson in his book Endure published in February of last year said that self-talk was able to boost performance and decrease perceived effort and pain in athletes during demanding physical training and performance.

            What do you think those athletes were telling themselves? Exactly the opposite of what the woman in Dr. Winch’s story was telling herself.

            “You can make it.”

            “This is not as bad as you think.”

            “Keep going. You can do it.”

            “You got this!”

            When these types of phrases go through our heads they produce a cocktail of endorphins, hormones, and neurotransmitters that make us stronger and more resilient to extreme difficulty.

            The problem is that it’s not easy, especially if our reflex reaction is to self-talk more like the woman in Winch’s story.

So what’s the trick to making the switch?

            The trick is that there is no trick. No simple method for easy transformation will yield long-term results. No book or blog about positive mindset or better self-talk will solve the problem. They are good for introducing the concept, but like any other skill it must be worked at and practiced, probably for long periods of time under specific circumstances, before we get any good at it.

            It’s also ideal to have a good teacher. Usually that teacher will come in the form of a skilled, insightful therapist. Dr. Winch puts a lot of emphasis on better self-talk habits in his practice. In my own practice I use modified Cranial Sacral and Somato-Emotional Release techniques to discover the self-talk and thought patterns that need to shift, and then set up exercises to accomplish that. There are many other therapy based avenues to explore as well.

            These teachers can also come in the form of good friends who are willing to really listen, and offer some accountability and support.

With a real desire to make the shift, a willingness to find the right information and people, and then buckling down for practice, practice, practice; it is possible to halt the self sabotage, to lift the negative self-talk curse, and harness the powerful tool that self-talk can be.   

Proud Posture

Proud Posture

Why it matters and how to achieve it

By: Patrick S. Cross, LMT, CPN, CET

It was some ungodly hour in the morning and the coffee hadn’t fully entered my blood stream yet. The gym lights were offending my still sleepy eyes, and as the class was warming up with high knee walking, our instructor was focused on one thing — “Proud posture!” 

            It was not the first time I’d heard this. Just a few weeks prior I’d been in a swing dancing class, my first crack at west coast style, and in the middle of class the instructor stopped everything and walked over to me.

            “Why are you staring at your feet?” He asked, in a thick accent.

            Before I could respond he flourished one hand high in the air and said, “It looks terrible! We are dancing here. Stand proud!”

            At first I was annoyed by the not so subtle reminders that my posture was terrible, but I had also just started taking advanced courses in posture and movement at the Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado, and I knew that something important was lining up.

            I’d had poor posture most of my life. Looking back through old photos of myself I realized that I had a strong tendency towards rounding my back and jutting my head forward. I’d even been referred to as ‘the turtle’ by some of my friends.

            The more I learned about posture and the problems associated with poor alignment, everything from chronic headaches and back pain to diminished mental focus and mood issues, I realized I needed to make a change.

            The first time my instructors at MTIC put me into FDP, or functional design posture (basically standing up straight) I felt a pulling in my knee and compression in my low back immediately. Another minute and a hot pain developed in my mid back that quickly spread up into my neck.

            “The roll of the therapist is to clean all this up.” My instructor told me. “We are here to make sure you can actually get into proper posture without pain. Your job is to practice that posture so often that it becomes reflexive and you don’t have to think about it anymore.”

            After receiving my first ten session series the pulling in my knee went away, the pain in my back was significantly decreased, and I could hold better posture for far longer. One of my best friends even pulled me aside at a party and asked if I was somehow getting taller. I was excited with the results, but I was also becoming acutely aware of how often I still fell into old patterns of turtle posture while driving, reading, speaking with certain people, and carrying out other tasks.

            I started searching for other key factors in postural patterns. I went through the Cranial Sacral and Somato Emotional Release training through the Upledger Institute and learned about how mental and emotional patterns play into postural habits. I trained under therapists who place major importance in building a sense of how people engage in work and hobbies; coaching clients in those aspects of their lives. And I studied with personal trainers who showed me how to get strong enough to actually hold the posture I was looking for, especially in physically demanding situations.

            Today I look at pictures of myself and am happy with the results of the work I’ve put in and the therapy I’ve received. I stand at my desk when I’m writing, studying, or painting. I take frequent breaks to stretch and move my body. I don’t feel fatigued when I do six or more massage treatments in a day at my clinic or with the athletic teams. And when I see pictures of myself dancing, running, or just hanging out with friends I am pleased to have shifted out of turtle mode and into proud posture.       

Carving Out The Grand Canyon

Carving Out The Grand Canyon

What it Actually Takes to Build a Better Habit

 By: Patrick S. Cross, LMT, CPN, CET

“Depending on what they are, our habits will either make us or break us. We become what we repeatedly do.” — Sean Covey

“Maybe I should do the Whole 30.”

“I think I’m going to join a six week boot camp class.”

“I’m going to do the Master Cleanse for 14 days.”

“I should really get into that 30 day yoga thing at that one place.”

            Heard anything like that recently?

            It’s January, a brand new year, and it’s time to reinvent ourselves. The gyms are packed and nutrition books are selling.

            The problem is that by March the gyms will be back to the normal flow of regulars and the coffee shop pastry sales will start going back up as people complete their crash diets and start falling back into old patterns.

            Why is that?

Working in health care I’ve racked my brain over this conundrum for years. How do we take the mentality that drives us to accomplish fantastic things January through mid March into the rest of the year, and on into the rest of our lives?

The thing I keep coming back to is the law of facilitation. This, I believe, is one of the most important concepts in success, health, and a thriving lifestyle. The law of facilitation is not esoteric or metaphysical, it does not require any understanding of quantum theory or deep meditation practices. All it requires is the simple understanding of a common cliché — the Grand Canyon was not formed in a day.

More specifically the law of facilitation is about how the nervous system functions. The law states that when a nerve impulse passes through one pathway it is very likely to take that same path again, and every time it takes that pathway it becomes easier and easier to continue repeating that same path. Simply put, the more you do something the easier it gets to continue to do that same thing over and over again. The law is simple, but profound.

The issue is that it takes a lot of energy to override a solid neural pathway (existing lifestyle habit), and a lot of consistency to build a different one that eventually flows easily (new lifestyle habit). If we want to create a healthy, thriving lifestyle it’s not about what we do for those 14 days during our cleanse, or toughing it through that six week Fit Blast workout challenge. Real change is about what we do the other 46 weeks out of the year, for the next five years.

I’m not discouraging a cleanse, short term fitness goal, or resolution to finally get that massage our body has been screaming for. These things can be a great way to kick ourselves out of a rut. But the norm is what ultimately makes us who we are, for better or worse, and the only way to create a true shift is slowly but surely developing that new norm. Eating healthy six days a week, every week. Exercising at least twenty days a month, every month. And scheduling regular massage, chiro, and self care sessions before our bodies feel completely broken.

It’s time to shift away from focusing primarily on short term intensives with an end date, and start carving out a norm that lasts the rest of our lives, bit by bit, step by step, day by day. Let’s not focus on the next four weeks, and instead focus on the next 52, and then the 52 after that.

This year let’s think differently. Let’s think long term. Let’s think like we’re saddling up to carve out a new Grand Canyon. The results will be just as fantastic, and unbelievably beautiful.