It’s official, winter is definitely here! brrr…

Have you been giving yourself the cold shoulder?

You know, that thing that we do when we start to feel a chill?

We hunch our shoulders and round our backs, trying to trap heat around our organs hugging our middles in tight. It’s not so bad at first – but after a couple of weeks or months of shivering and bracing against the cold, our bodies can get “stuck” in this position. It becomes normal and we forget to straighten ourselves out.

Not sure if this is you? Try this:

From wherever you are…

• Check in with your lower back– is it arched, rounded or neutral? Try moving through a few gentle back flexes from arched to rounded, rolling your pelvis forward and backward to see if you can find a neutral and loose spine.
• Check in with your chest- is it caved in or expanded? Rounded shoulders lead to caving in the chest- which reduces our physical space for the lungs to expand to breathe deeply. 
• Check in with shoulders– where are they? In the winter we tend to carry our shoulders high and rounded forward. See if you can roll them back and down, letting your shoulder blades move down your back. Breathe some space into this area.
• Check in with the neck– where are you carrying your head? If your head is forward, the weight of it is pulling the rest of your spine out of alignment. Try repositioning the head, moving it forward and backward and side to side until you sense a place of balance.
• Now BREATHE. Take a deep breath and let it flow through your body, does it feel more open? Is the breath more free?

AND? What did you find?

You don’t have to answer, we already know.
 

Here’s what you can do to about it:

1. Book a massage. Massage therapists are trained for bodies just like yours. They know the patterns of the season and how they manifest in the muscles of the body. Regular time spent on a massage table can help your body relearn how to hold itself. 
2. Try a Yin Yoga practice before bed. Yin yoga offers a gentle invitation to slowly stretch the ligaments, muscles and joints. It helps create more space and ease in the body and will likely improve your sleep. Try one of Carrie’s classes for free on Youtube.
3. Book an appointment with a Physiotherapist. If you’ve had an injury or have recurring back pain, a physiotherapist may be able to help you find relief. Physiotherapy is covered by most insurance plans and we may be able to do the direct billing for you!
4. Teach your body to relax through building a meditation practice. Meditation can help you develop your ability to be more aware of your body and give you the tools you can use to release tension. You can book a free call with our meditation/alignment coach to explore what tools might help you loosen up.

See you soon! We’re looking forward to welcoming you.

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