LISTENING is one of the great acts of LOVE

Posted on January 29, 2011 | 1 comment

As a facilitator of developing listening skills, I was pleased to hear these two quotes in the following video Dialogue at Washington High:

  • “Listening is one of the great acts of LOVE.”
  • “An enemy is someone whose story you have not heard.”   Gene Knudsen-Hoffman

An exercise of listening the students take part in,  after the guest speakers in this video,  is similar to one I urge in my groups.  To witness the connection in the students,who are from different backgrounds and to hear their surprise at the outcome, verifies to me our need to begin to develop the, ” art of listening. ”

In the tools for learning I encourage, what I call  three parts of the dialogue;

  1. the inner story we tell ourselves (that no hears but us)
  2. expressing to another
  3. receiving expression from another

In this  clip I enjoyed hearing their interpretation for dialogue, as they refer to it.  They mention it  is not the following:

  • it is not discussion or ideas back and forth, as this isn’t listening
  • it is not social conversation
  • it is not debate with a winner or loser

What they suggest is that it is a win/win for each person and from this comes new ideas, new ways of thinking where everyone benefits.  The practice is simply listening.  The exercise is to listen to each other without interruption for 15 minutes and then switch and listen to the other.

This is the basic skill I focus upon in my sessions and we work towards learning how to build upon this so that we can develop it into our everyday experience of interaction.  Witnessing and hearing the sharing of the students experiences confirms the value of this technique.

Empathy from cultivating awareness from the inside out

The intent of this article is in the context of how  communication and movement can support the decrease of anxiety, stress & fear.

  • InTouch Communication:  Values & Empathy integration in communication for transforming disconnection into connection
  • Feldenkrais Movement: calming one’s nervous system.

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Natural World Empathy Support 

  • Natures Love plant essences blended by Renee: support body, and minds feelings that block emotions and self-confidence
Learn more
  • Eating Coloured Foods:  Metal, Emotional and Physical Support
Learn more
Find out more on how integrating the arts of movement, communication and space compliment your experience and encompasses a holistic approach to wellness.

Connect with Renee

Follow on Twitter, Instagram  Pinterest or Facebook for more tips

Renee Lindstrom, GCFP,
Feldenkrais® Practitioner since 2007, Value-Based Communication & Empathy Coach since 2004, Art of Placement  since 2000, Founder of Greater Victoria Peace & Intercultural Celebrations since 2010 & Greater Victoria Labyrinths since 2012, #yyj Peace Week Calendar Founder – 2014 & 2015

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TMJ – Why Feldenkrais®?

Posted on January 24, 2011 | Leave a comment

by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP @ Inside Awareness, Living in Natures Love Blog & Renee Lindstrom Live

2

 

Integration of Body, Mind & Spatial Awareness

 

Jaw Pain connected to Neck Pain

  • muscles in the neck run up into the lower jaw
  • tight  neck, neck muscle cramps, and neck muscle strains can cause jaw pain
  • problems with the jaw can cause neck pain

There are many reasons why jaw, shoulder and neck muscles and nerves one can antagonize the other:

  • The jaw muscles are controlled primary by the trigeminal nerve (C5) – Pressure on this nerve through the spine, muscle cramps, or inflammation can lead to poor functioning of the jaw.
  • Abnormal posture. The major muscles that hold up the head are in the neck and jaw.  These are assisted by smaller muscles at the top of the spine.  Fatigue of these smaller muscles places greater strain on the neck and jaw causing the neck to hyper-extend. The cause of most neck and jaw pain is the trapeze muscle which extends from the head to the shoulders.
  • Stress also causes the muscles in the neck to tighten, which can lead to many types of neck pain and jaw pain itself.
  • Fibromyalgia – Head together with the neck positioning creates chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction.
  • Whiplash – the disc in the jaw joint being pushed out-of-place, leading to severe neck pain and jaw pain.
  • Temporamandibular Joint Syndrome – Nerve inflammation and structural abnormalities.   Headache, shoulder pain, right-sided or left neck pain.

Nerves connect the muscles of the face, jaw and neck to the cervical spine.  If these muscles are tense pain can be felt in the face, neck and ears.

 Thoracic Outlet Syndrome – shoulder, jaw, and neck pain with sinus infections on one side.  Compression of neurovascular structures may lead to tense muscles and referred pain throughout the head and neck.

  • Muscular and Nerve Issues – Temporamandibular Jaw problems and anterior repositioning
  • Nodes, Salivary Glands, and Dental Problems and  Lymph Glands – grinding  teeth  abscess,  infection

Jaw and neck pain can be both acute and chronic and result from trauma or slowly with structural issues

WHY FELDENKRAIS?

Support healthy jaw function and break free from pain by cultivating awareness and experiencing:

  • Primary Movements of the Jaw
  • Shoulder, Neck and Jaw Connections
  • Head and Jaw Integration
  • Eyes and Jaw Integration
  • Cheek and Tongue Integration

Empathy from cultivating awareness from the inside out

The intent of this article is in the context of how  communication and movement can support the decrease of anxiety, stress & fear.

  • InTouch Communication:  Values & Empathy integration in communication for transforming disconnection into connection
  • Feldenkrais Movement: calming one’s nervous system.

new

Natural World Empathy Support 

  • Natures Love plant essences blended by Renee: support body, and minds feelings that block emotions and self-confidence
Learn more
  • Eating Coloured Foods:  Metal, Emotional and Physical Support
Learn more
Find out more on how integrating the arts of movement, communication and space compliment your experience and encompasses a holistic approach to wellness.

Connect with Renee to book Functional Integation Session for you Jaw, Neck & Shoulder Discomfort

Sign up for #yyj Feldenkrais Awareness through Movement Jaw Workshop

Follow on Twitter, Instagram  Pinterest or Facebook for more tips

Renee Lindstrom, GCFP,
Feldenkrais® Practitioner since 2007, Value-Based Communication & Empathy Coach since 2004, Art of Placement  since 2000, Founder of Greater Victoria Peace & Intercultural Celebrations since 2010 & Greater Victoria Labyrinths since 2012, #yyj Peace Week Calendar Founder – 2014 & 2015

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Intouch with Empathy and the Brain: Amygdale, Hippocampus, Prefrontal Cortex

Posted on October 28, 2010 | 1 comment

Amygdalus – Implicit Memory:

  • present at birth
  • includes emotional, behavioral, perceptual and possibly body memory
  • no sense of recollection (time) present when memories recalled
  • conscious attention is not required for encoding
  • does not involve the hippo-campus

Hippo-campus – Explicit Memory:

  • requires conscious attention
  • includes semantic(factual) and episodic(autobiographical) memory
  • develops during the second year of life and beyond
  • sense of recollection present when recalled
  • if autobiographical, a sense of self and time and present
  • if autobiographical, also involves the prefrontal cortex

Prefrontal Cortex

  • regulation of body systems
  • attuning to others
  • balancing emotions
  • modulating fear
  • responding flexibly
  • exhibiting insight and empathy
  • paying attention to the body’s wisdom
  • morality

When we are triggered beyond our window of tolerance our pre-frontal cortex function stops and we are left in responses of fight or flight.  If our reactions shifts into freeze, our brain response has moved from the area of the amygdala and into the hippo-campus with no sense of time and into helplessness.

I have come to understand empathy is an effective tool to balance out the responses of hippo-campus and amygdala.  Empathy allows one to recover and  calms ones prefrontal cortex.  As empathy develops it increases connections back and forth between our right and left brains therefore increasing ones windows of tolerance.  I have also heard that empathy may have a direct link in the amygdala’s ability to accelerate the vagus nerve.

This goes beyond simply a reaction and includes the activation of our  parasympathetic system through the vagus nerve.  See diagram below to get an idea of the areas that become aroused as when we are stimulated.

These reactions includes our motor control.  As we surpass our window of tolerance we begin to lose our fine motor control.  We begin to lose our ability for tracking,  to focus and mind-fully integrate. This involves our ability for self connection, to feel safe, grounded and to be present in the now.

There are  theories to suggest the Amygdala is the accelerator through the 3 channels of the vagus nerve that controls our fight, flight and freeze experience and the quickest tool to connect to the Amygdala is through empathy.

Find out more on how integrating the arts of movement, communication and space compliment your experience and encompasses a holistic approach to wellness.
Read more on:.

Book a personalized Coaching session for self, work, group or create a retreat – 250-361-7508

by Renee Lindstrom

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by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP @ Inside Awareness

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InTouch on the Brain – ‘Reactions to Stress’

Posted on October 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

Pixabay

Left Hemisphere Reactions

  • distancing, moral superiority, logic, sarcasm, denying, educating, judgments, blame, comparison, addictions, compulsions, mild derogatory self-talk, withholding privileges or resources, letting go of agreements, fantasizing about other partners, other lives, rigidity

 

Right Hemisphere Reactions

fight or flight

  • gossip, criticism of others behind their back, clinging, retelling our story, mild confusion, medium levels of derogatory self-talk, verbal attacks, asking for reassurance, chaos

freeze

  • shock, paralyzed
Find out more on how integrating the arts of movement, communication and space compliment your experience and encompasses a holistic approach to wellness.
Read more on:

Book a personalized Coaching session for self, work, group or create a retreat – 250-361-7508

by Renee Lindstrom

Follow the journey on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook

by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP @ Inside Awareness,  Living in Natures Love Blog
 & Renee Lindstrom Live

 

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InTouch with the Brain – Right and Left Hemispheres

Posted on October 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

by Renee LIndstrom, Founder of Inside Awareness Center of Integrative Somatic Learning

Qualities of Left and Right Hemispheres

Universally accepted qualities of the right and left Brain Hemispheres

The theory of the mind’s function suggests that the two different sides of the brain control two different “modes” of thinking.  It also suggests that each of us prefers one mode over the other.

Left Hemisphere Right Hemisphere
Awareness through Communication@insideawareness.com
LogicalVisual
LinearAttunement
LiteralVoice quality
Practical languageEye gaze
Making senseTouch and gesture
Social selfCircuits of attachment
Spoken/lived narrativeIntegrated map of body
Detail monitoringEffective experience
Analytic problem-solvingExperience of self
Fact accumulationBeginning of regulation
Chalkboard of the mindEmpathetic resonance
Working memoryImplicit memory
Adding to regulationI felt autobiographical narrative
Handling familiarIntuition
moderate levels of stressMorality
More defined neocortical columnsMetaphorical language
Rapid processing of novelty
Severe levels of stress
Integrated neocortical columns

Have you read The  Brains Way of Healing by Dr. Norman Doidge?

Listen to Dr. Doidge’s short introduction to the Brain’s plasticity. He shares the value of the Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education in supporting shifting the brain’s behaviour for enhancing functional abilities, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Find out more on how integrating the arts of movement, communication and space compliment your experience and encompasses a holistic approach to wellness.

Book a personalized Coaching session for self, work, group or create a retreat – 250-361-7508

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Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method®, Awareness Through Movement®, and Functional Integration®, are registered service marks of the Feldenkrais Guild® of North

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