Master the Basics

There’s something refreshing about going back to basics. We tend to always want to skip ahead… ok, got it, next! But without mastering the fundamentals, we can never truly create and maintain progress.

We are all a product of our habits – work, sport, daily activities, and predominant thoughts. When we travel a neural pathway over & over again, it becomes a habit, an automatic pattern. Unfortunately these patterns are not always ideal and may cause injury or illness. But with practice we can re-wire and create new neural pathways.

Breaking down complex patterns into their basic components is something I do everyday as a Physiotherapist. To correct an issue, we get to the root of it, understand the basics, master them, and then GRADUALLY build on that ideal foundation.

SIMPLIFY -->  retrain the basics in an ideal way --> form a new habit / pattern / neural pathway --> build on this foundation

This applies to the body, i.e. mastering ideal posture, and to the mind, i.e. training ourselves to pause & re-center regardless of our external environment.

The first step is awareness. Over the next week, I invite you to try this exercise:

Posture setting (mountain pose in yoga): in standing, imagine there is a string gently pulling you up by the crown of your head- chest up, shoulders down & back, rotate palms out so you feel the bottom of shoulder blades tuck in together, lengthen tail bone down and neck upward, activate abs and glutes (subtle movements and gentle muscle contraction)

HOLD 10 seconds every hour throughout the day

Try adding a few deep breaths while feeling your foundation… an opportunity to pause and re-center physically and mentally.

Most people are happily surprised with the positive impact this simple habit has on their day, their pain & tension. Try it for yourself and see :)