A focus on cultivating awareness of behaviour through environmental stimulus meant an opportunity to have students of all age ranges. The following PDF titled 3 Steps to Combat Depression and Turn It Into Self-EsteemUsing “Personal Growth Techniques” for Aging Well after Retirement would have been stimulated by students in that stage of life. By viewing the examples of my personal goals it suggests this was written 8 plus years ago. This handout is still relevant today, if not more so. When one’s focus of attention abruptly shifts from 9 to 5 there can be a shock from the level of organizational needs to manage work and home to the expansiveness of home, and no-work focus. It seems that this is particularly difficult for those in an academic or professionally focused career with little somatic focus integration. It is quite an adjustment or transition and if not focusing on transforming internal patterns for shifting into a new lifestyle it can create experiences of unwellness, mentally, emotionally and physically.
Here is a downloadable PDF for those seeking a guided exercise to consider aging well in retirement.
Connect for inquiries about coaching to improve the quality of your retirement or check out Somatic Movement classes that are guided patterns of movement that can increase flexibility, balance and vitality.
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Sometimes the greatest gifts are unexpected. While testing some oil mixtures for my face I had left overs in the bowl and decided to put them on my hands, wrists, and lower arms. Then I read about how an inexpensive face mask could hold the moisture during the facial. I decided to try it and remembered I had vinyl gloves. Wearing the gloves over the oils made a significant difference in the effects of the absorption of the oils.
When taking the gloves off and rubbing in the oils there was a significant felt sense difference in all the joints and soft tissue. This is when my Feldenkrais Practical mindfulness kicked in. Working with students in chronic long term pain in these areas has been a huge focus of attention in teaching Awareness through Movement Lessons and in personal Functional Integration sessions. This little hack could have the potential to soften the connective tissue that has become habitually inflamed and hardened. This harden and stiff tissue becomes the environmental influence of how the bone and joints are used. As it softens the bones and joints have more range potential in their movement patterns and this reduces the pain.
The bonus is the oils also reduce the look of aging in the skins appearances. One of the oil I use in this combination is Caster Oil. It removes, lumps, bumps and supports scar healing. The other oil is Sea Buckthorn which I have successfully used to remove pigmentation spots. The other ingredients is what gives it the aliveness and luxuriousness effect.
Here are the ingredients:
Caster Oil
Sea Buckthorn Oil
Aloe Vera Gel
Facial Mask
Vinyl Gloves
I added a small amount of Aloe Vera Gel, 1 teaspoon to tablespoon, with a teaspoon or less of Caster Oil and 6 to 8 drops of Sea Buckthorn Oil. Mixed together and applied. Remember the Sea Buckthorn Oil is orange. Don’t wear good clothing. It may appear orange on your face however doesn’t stain your skin orange, unless you lave it on. I usually do this in the evening or on a day off for self-care.
It takes less than three minutes to mix the ingredient and I leave on for twenty minutes. It’s the best 1/2 hour you’ll spend. I wouldn’t wait until later in life to take action. I would begin early in life. My mother-in-law had be start paying attention before I was 21! I would say you can start at any age, however the habitual behaviour is important. It’s easier to follow a habit than it is to start something new.
Castor Oil
This is a versatile oil. It is used as an antibacterial moisturizer, to reduce scars and skin spots, and bumps of all sorts. It reduces scar marks and supports major organs when used as a poultice. Also used to regrow hair.
In the space between my eyebrows I have some developed muscles from squinting. These muscles have created up and down grooves. You an see the fine lines in this picture and the grooves in the one below.
As a Feldenkrais Practitioner of Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education one of the learning points is the build up of muscles from repetitive use. In this situation it is deep grooves that are being created were I don’t necessarily want them. What I have begun doing to shift this is learn to let go of the habit. When I sense that I have contracted these muscles and hold them, I release it. The use of the silicone patches has supported this ability to consciously notice it.
Even though I was suspect of these at first these silicone patches are shifting the muscle memory that hold the contraction giving the appearance of the grooves. Instead of using fillers like Botox, I am changing the habitual behaviour of engaging these muscles. The other step I am taking is using Caster Oil. I began testing Caster Oil at the same time as using these silicone patches. I have read the benefit’s for skin using Caster Oil and find that it is making a noticeable difference in the quality of my skin.
I used the silicone patch on my forehead between my eyes for three evenings and it flattened the up and down groves creating a face surface. This lasted for a week. One morning I woke and the muscles had returned to the former shape that created grooves. It is a worthwhile hack in my opinion.
Here is a link to getting some inexpensive silicone patches to experience with.
These two videos visually support learning points that I support my students to integrate through movement using guided micromovements in a particular way of exploration. I encourage my students now to watch both of these videos to imprint the visual stimulus for growing envisioning techniques with a focus on transitions of the body’s moving parts.
Why is this important?
Watch this video again, however this time, raise your gaze up towards the hip joints at the top outside of the legs. Notice the weight being dispersed equally side to side with no effort. The movement appears to be dance like in the flow of easy counterbalance motions.
If you continue to observe the video again you may begin to view how lite the legs are with each step. With each separate step the legs response in a similar way as the feet. Using the ability to shift weight this way with through the bone the also shifts forward and back, and side to side. This is why bones have rounded ends into rounded joints.
Remember that the individual leg bones shift weight differently, in any given moment, as a response to the pressure in the foot. For example, the standing leg that bears ones weight is locked at the ankle, knee and hip when the other leg bends at the ankle, knee and hip.
Mentoring micromovement patterns in community learning groups I have observed that one of the biggest culprits to mobility is the loss of this natural counterbalance. In an earlier post I write about the hidden influences in our environment that are silent systems of learning interrupting these natural movements. I believe it started with sitting for long periods of time having a locked focus of attention in one area of function only. I have discovered the outcome to sitting for long periods creates a gap in one’s brain of the natural movement patterns through the bones of ones pelvis, hips, upper and lower legs, knees, angles and feet.
You will see the differences in how these people walk in this second video. In this video they are mostly picking up their feet and not using the ground to push off like the person in the first video.
Begin watching this video with a focus on noticing how both people lift their feet up and hold them in a straight blank like way. This takes an extreme amount of muscle effort which becomes more difficult to continue as one ages.
On second viewing begin to notice their hips. Both people do not have any sway that demonstrates counterbalance through their legs, hips and pelvis. Both of them have one side where the hip seems to bounce hard in the socket of a locked pelvis. Almost as though wearing an artificial leg. As a Feldenkrais® practitioner I observe a stumble like action.
Watch one more time and lift your gaze upward to observe turned heads. Each person is looking at the other in a state of intent focus on mental processing. There is no evident counter balance through the upper body. What I see is a locked torso that begins at the base of their neck. It is a much different pattern of walking than in the first video.
I would describe the first video as effortless and the second one as having tremendous effort.
In the first video the pattern of movement reflects what each toddler has learned in order to roll over, sit up, stand, walk and run. In the second video the pattern of movement reflects what happens through the silent learning patterns in institutional learning systems – sitting in a chair to focus on tasks and memorization. Both these learning systems reflect right and left brain activities. They are both relevant to a healthy and productive life, however there is no balance of both systems. The silent organic and inherent one each of us was born with was replaced by the non-organic one created by our ancestors.
Models of learning are around us starting at birth and continuing into old age. One never stops learning from the influences surrounding us. These boards are an example of a learning model that imprints rotations patterns of movement for those who are having chunky movements and balance issues. Using these boards at set times throughout the day can enhance integration of the movement pattern, especially if one cultivates awareness of different shifts in weight. This pattern of micromoving can reduce inflammation and pain, and increase circulation.
Prior to COVID I would introduce new patterns of movements in ones facial features using touch to ease pain and or anxiety. Due to COVID and masks this is not available now. This has sent me on on a quest to discover ways to engage students to focus attention on these areas themselves. One solution has led to testing an aventurine stone roller for the face. I chose this natural stone for it’s qualities. If you are interested in the metaphysics of stones, this one is associated with the heart chakra and calming thoughts. However physically it is associated with calming the skin and being a natural anti-inflammatory.
After only a few days I am noticing a difference in the tone of my muscles along my jaw, in my cheeks and inner eyebrows. At first I was surprised to feel the tension and size of these muscles through the rollers feedback. The muscles along the inner eyebrow seemed inflamed and achy. This was important feedback to my own muscle behaviour.
The stone is cool to the touch and these is surprisingly enjoyable. As it warms up through rolling the skin and muscles become more pliable. For these reasons I strongly recommend this product to my students who are managing pain and anxiety, and for anyone managing TMJ and/or teeth issues, migraine headaches, eyestrain and ear and throat issues.
Researching this roller took some time as these past years the quality of stones being marketed look questionable. I found many inexpensive aventurine stone rollers being marketed as Jade yet they do not look in appearance to be Jade nor do they look authentic. The colouring, depth and weight of this roller is aventurine. Find it on Amazon (affiliate link) if you are interested in giving it a go.
Inside Awareness Center for Integrative Somatic Learning 