Massage & Bodywork

JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2020

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WHAT'S IN YOUR SELF-CARE TOOL BELT? As bodyworkers, we routinely create power pauses for our clients to encourage them to feel more comfortable, spacious, and at ease in their body, heart, and mind. But how often do you create similar body, heart, and mind resets for yourself? Much like the tool belt of techniques we rely on in our sessions, we employ a similar tool belt of self-care approaches. No single self-care tool is appropriate in every situation, and this is why we advocate growing a cornucopia of varied power pauses you can rely on. Your self-care tool belt might range from solitary moments to family time, from a few mindful seconds to hours of leisure. Explore being quiet and still, or make space for when it feels nourishing to sweat, expand, and play. We rely on several structured and unstructured approaches that allow us to reset when we find ourselves in foreign lands, in the face of uncertainty, and when we are exactly where we want to be. We don't have to limit our self-care to when we already feel bad. We can savor, digest, and amplify all those feel-good moments in the pause too. Over time, practicing many power- pausing possibilities encourages an organic evolution and a resilient self-care lifestyle. What power pauses can you imagine trying that are so easy and irresistible that it would seem silly not to do them? THE NATURAL HARMONY OF POWER PAUSES Mother Nature reminds us that winter is the perfect time to deliberately take pause. Indeed, the surprisingly paradoxical effect of doing nothing yields priceless returns, as we recalibrate and harmonize with the world around and within us. We can create healing experiences for ourselves all day long by reimagining the in-between moments as opportunities to reset, refresh, and refuel. Power pausing gives us the space to catch up, integrate, and bring more of ourselves into the moment, especially when people, places, or things are feeling hurried. Self-care is a practice, not a permanence. Ideally, we infuse our lives with structured and unstructured self-care variations that can fit into any moment. And, with practice, we co-opt these moments in favor of our well-being. In order to prevent trouble before it arises and stay healthy with the seasons, consider interspersing your schedule with a few minutes per week of fun, simple, and deliciously irresistible power pauses. Notes 1. Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance (New York: Bantam Dell, 2003), 53. 2. Dan Harris, 10% Happier (New York: Harper Collins, 2014). 3. Daniel H. Pink, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing (New York: Riverhead Books, 2018). 4. Allison Aubrey, "Nappuccinos to Weekend Z's: Strategize to Catch Up on Lost Sleep," March 24, 2019, accessed November 2019, www.npr.org/sections/ health-shots/2019/03/24/705345481/nappuccinos-to- more-weekend-zs-strategize-to-catch-up-on-lost-sleep. Heath and Nicole Reed are co-founders of Living Metta (living "loving kindness") and want everyone in the world to enjoy the experience of befriending their body. The Reeds lead workshops and retreats across the country and overseas, including Thailand and Mexico, and have been team-teaching touch and movement therapy for 16 years. In addition to live classes, the Reeds offer massage therapy and self- care videos, DVDs, and online trainings, which may be found at www.livingmetta.com. Over time, practicing a myriad of power-pausing possibilities encourages an organic evolution and resilient self- care lifestyle. SAV V Y SELF-CARE Ta k e 5 a n d t r y A B M P F i v e - M i n u t e M u s c l e s a t w w w. a b m p . c o m / f i v e - m i n u t e - m u s c l e s . 25

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