When in a negative spiral, look for the simple shifts…

I received this text from my friend just the other day: 

“And you are magic, man! Just stretching quads has alleviated knee pain. So simple!

I am now on a complete path toward healing all my ankle, knee, lower back, and hips with mobility and strength.

So, We can tackle Alta Via, Dolomites!!”

I share this message because it encapsulates so much of what I believe we all can do - sometimes with just a little perspective shift and guidance… 

Sometimes the unconscious patterns of how we’ve been using our bodies can contribute to over- or under- use imbalances - which can result in excessive tension or pain. That pain affects how we move, which may lead to other compensation patterns - hence more discomfort. And all that might lead to a mindset of avoiding the activities we love or putting off the dreams in our minds. 

A simple imbalance can start a negative spiral that narrows our life experience. 

However, sometimes a simple stretch or a new way of moving can reverse the whole spiral - the pain in one area lessens - we start moving better - we gain more confidence and we begin to dream bigger once more. Enthusiastically diving into life’s next adventure. 

The mistake many of us make is to make things too complicated. Or we try to use the wrong tools for the job at hand.

 A classic metaphor used in ACT is as follows: Imagine you fell into a hole in the ground, and all you had with you was a shovel. You know you don’t want to be in the hole, and so you take the shovel and start digging. You’re putting to use the only tool you have, and you’re using it correctly… but you find the hole is only getting bigger and bigger and you are going deeper and deeper. Finally, someone lowers a ladder… but you’ve only experienced using the shovel! So you grab the ladder and try to dig with that! Totally inefficient, it doesn’t get you where you want, and you end up supremely frustrated. 

All that analogy is trying to get us to understand is that sometimes to find the simplest solution, we have to stop, put down the tools and habits we currently have, and assess - what would be the simplest and most effective solution to get us going in the direction we desire. 

So, if you’re feeling like you’re starting down a negative spiral, and life is feeling like you’re moving away from your larger dreams (or maybe you can’t even remember what those dreams are right now..), consider booking a Free Alignment Wayfinding Session and let’s chat. 

In this conversation, I’ll ask you some questions to help us pinpoint where you are, where you would prefer to be and what are some salient blocks in the way of you moving forward. 

If I can help you create that path forward, I’ll let you know and you can ask any questions you may have about working together. Likewise, if I feel I’m not the right fit to work with you, I’ll let you know that as well and would be happy to suggest some other options so you can find the right steps to living out your dreams.