What's with all the eye exercises?
As you may know, I have an addiction to education. I love learning new stuff and building new techniques to share with you. Lately that has become adding a lot of weird eye movements;) Here's a little more detail about what I am learning.
I am currently taking courses with Z Health (you can find a bunch of videos on their YouTube channel) a training program for folks like me who work to help people feel and function better. The focus of the curriculum is understanding how the brain works to manage movement and pain. Ultimately looking at functioning from the brain out instead of from the specific body part that may not be working the way we would like.
Some key concepts I've learned so far:
The #1 job of the brain is to keep us safe in this moment. The brain is build to assess our environment and make predictions/decisions to keep us safe. If our safety is threatened, the brain sends signals (like pain, dizziness, fatigue) to make us slow down or stop what feels unsafe - even if the action is not creating harm!!
We have a brain based GPS (brain map). This system is how our brain works to create movement, balance, proprioception (knowing where our body is in space), and autonomic functions. Like any app and can get stuck in an old version with inaccurate information (like how we might move differently when injured, but keep those movement patterns even after the injury is healed).
Changing the input to the brain can change how we move and feel pain. This can be as simple as shifting the eyes, adding resistance, or changing temperature/touch (maybe why it feels so good to have a massage ;). When we change the input paired WITH ATTENTION we update the GPS in our brains, allowing more correct and integrated functions = less pain.
I actually got into this program because of some clients that came to me with complicated issues (Traumatic Brain Injury, vertigo, Parkinson's). So thank you to all who come to me with their list of aches and pains AND openness to try weird things. My wish is always to find some tools to feel better AND ways to empower, so that you feel like you can improve even without seeing me.
So if you come to see me for group classes or bodywork or private yoga or monthly workshops, you will be getting some new techniques thrown in to (hopefully) find ways to work from your brain out into your body.