Body as Therapy

Life can really compile on us, with effects showing in our minds, emotions, and physical bodies.The amount of reflexive bracing our muscles can do in response to life stress can be fast and uncomfortable, to painful and dysfunctional. My shoulders were up almost to my ears last year, well into this, even as I tried consistently to process all that was unfolding; I saw it play out physically in my clients as well. In the ongoing onslaught, who could actually keep up?

Attending to our bodies with self-care can definitely get us through tougher times, and is ultimately required for continued health and well-being. Processing average to acute life stressors through supportive manual therapies can be life changing. Getting body work, doing a trade with a friend or partner, or working on oneself, can turn the tide from sliding down a sand hill, to getting over the other side of things and feeling stable. We can keep it simple, starting anywhere, noticing where and how the body braces. Feeling in the muscles if there’s a guarding, a holding pattern, a constriction. I do this throughout the day as a check-in with myself. If we release some of these patterns, even simply a fraction of an inch of less bracing for a while, it allows us to stabilize, breathe more deeply, and actually be more functional to move forward, both in form and spirit. “Baby steps” are actually big steps, after all.

Copyright 2021 by Lara Stillo

Architecture of the Body

I’m always amazed by how keeping muscle tissue healthy and balanced can keep the architecture of the body operating well and feeling good, even with strong structural imbalances present. I work on an 80 year old great-uncle of mine every couple weeks, helping rebalance his neck muscles with the cervical stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal) that gives him pain. And when I say neck muscles, I mean: neck, shoulders, arms, pec muscles, spinal muscles, etc. Meaning, having a chat with all the in-roads to the area, locally and from afar. Once we get any hypertonic/too-tight muscles more in balance again, my great-uncle can hold his posture better, allowing the bones to sit right; then that stenosis issue gets a little breathing room and pain levels go down or go away completely for him.

We all get pulled off-course, by life events, strong emotions, historic contexts (e.g., global pandemics), and muscle tissue imbalances. All these things will continue to happen, life being an ongoing flow of movement. Letting the architecture of our bodies shift, adjust, give feedback, and then responding to that movement flow by seeking rebalancing, over and again, is part of being an organic human animal; present and aware, knowing self-care is necessary and normal, and that it can have greater rewards than we ever realized.

Copyright © 2021 by Lara Stillo

The Body As Enjoyable Homework

I love learning a new subject I’ve chosen. But that’s the key, when we choose the subject, something we’re excited about. It’s the difference between taking a required class versus an elective one. Care of the human form is both:  a necessary class, yet a super interesting one we can find new ways to be engaged by all along. In our lifetimes, we don’t graduate from this class; it’s ongoing learning. If we allow ourselves to get into a mindset that’s curious and open, this required class and subsequent homework can be a huge, creative world.

Because we’re living in the homework we’re constantly working on, a certain level of detachment helps to keep good perspective. A challenge, but not so different from all the topics in school we’ve managed. And with this homework, it’s completely personal. The results are felt and seen by us daily.  It’s more than well worth investing in this class, staying creative in the homework, and remaining alert to our results. Simple example, stretch just a few minutes daily, but do every day and be very in the feeling of it, rather than rote, repetitive action. Time in front of the TV is a great space for this. 5, 10, 15 minutes of stretching – whatever we can manage – is time put back into our class, our homework, our ongoing learning. Using the foam roller, full body, a couple minutes a day; while a meal is cooking, a movie is playing, family/friends are doing with us, or anywhere we can organizationally attach it to another aspect of daily living. Remember, we’re in school; projects and homework are normal. We just need to organize when and where to do them.

Being able to enjoy our ongoing learning about the body, the creative energy that goes into homework, and the positive results we achieve all feeds right back into supporting and promoting growth of more of the same. So for this lifelong class on living in and taking care of the human form, let’s keep finding ways to enjoy the homework.

Copyright © 2020 by Lara Stillo

Bodies Are Like Plants?

 

I often tell clients that bodies are like plants. Organic matter needing continued, consistent care:  water, food, fresh soil, sunlight, air. Plants poorly attended to, don’t thrive and will remain off-balance, usually resulting in steady decline. Bodies, too, need continued, consistent attention and support: hydration, good nutrition, movement, stretching, strengthening, aerobic exercise. All support us physically, while also affecting other aspects of our humanity (emotions, mind, and spirit).

A straightforward way of looking at self-care, part of why I use the example. Two other important reasons for the comparison. One, you can always buy a new plant, but the human body we’re motoring around in is not to be replaced, even if it may be repaired, retrained, and rebalanced. Two, most of us view things from an intellectual standpoint; we see ourselves as an ego, a personality, a set of emotions, a set of thoughts. The physical reality of needing to tend well, consistently, and in multiple ways to a human body – like caring for a plant – usually gets our attention only when we’re in discomfort or pain.

All bodies need a lot of care to thrive. And just like plants, each body is completely unique from any other of its kind. Caring for them as irreplaceable and totally individual is life changing and life enhancing.

 

Copyright © 2020 by Lara Stillo

99 Good News Stories You Probably Didn’t Hear About in 2019

My own version of practical optimism lies not in pink clouds – hence the “practical” aspect – but in seeing and seeking that which is good out there, taking it in, and continuing to turn my attention towards noticing good things. Maybe this comes from me having always been very body-oriented:   being aware of a full range of that which is great and healthy, to that which is off-balance or painful. Looking at our physical state and our outer world can be similar in this way. And while I’d never say we should ignore the challenging or darker aspects of life and living, if we don’t give attention to the great and inspiring things that can be present simultaneously, then how can we ever feel balance, in our lives or our bodies?

In light of the year turning, here is a link below to an amazing list of good news stories that occurred in 2019. Categories fall under conservation, global health, living standards, peace/safety/human rights, energy/sustainability. I hope you will read and be amazed and uplifted, body and soul. 

Copyright © 2020 by Lara Stillo

via 99 Good News Stories You Probably Didn’t Hear About in 2019

Soothing via the Senses

 

While everyone’s needs are uniquely individual, to be soothed, calmed, and thus supported, is something we feel both emotionally and physically. We stroke our children’s hair, lay our hand gently on someone’s shoulder, and pet cats or dogs; all gestures of caring and support for the recipient, usually felt by the giver as well. It always amazes me how much unspoken content is conveyed through this kind of touch, as well as how sensory oriented it is. How much volume and depth is communicated via the senses, one individual to another, no words used, and none often needed. 

If working as a massage therapist, this can be a continual exploration, good boundaries in place, for learning how to do soft tissue work while still conveying a sense of soothing, calming, and caring. Beyond the massage world, anyone can continue to grow in these depths with loved ones, including oneself. So often we direct impatience and irritation towards our bodies; overworking, judging, fearing, and rejecting them. During these times, consider doing the opposite: apply lotion with care, appreciating that skin needs this support; use rollers and sports balls on tight muscles with the focused intent to help ease the area; or a bigger challenge, simply apply the light touch of your own hands holding your face as you proffer compassion back to the self, back to the body, and back into life.

 

Copyright © 2019 by Lara Stillo

Focus and Presence in Physical Touch

Focused attention and being truly present can sometimes feel far-reaching in our fast-paced, distracted, contemporary life. Yoga, meditation, and spiritual practices often come up alongside these descriptions, but in this blog about the human body, health, and touch, I’m thinking of how these states work in massage; a physical communication from one body to another, where presence or the lack of it can make all the difference. 

When you focus in on a small area within a muscle needing support and relief, giving all your attention, intention, and presence to it, a “dialogue” without spoken language happens and a huge world seems to open. There is a feeling that time is suspended, and the physical, tangible, animal world of the human body seems deeper and more expansive than one could have ever imagined. Language is a beautiful art, but it does not always require actual words. In this example, touch and sensation are the language; no words in any created language are complex or broad enough to cover all they can convey. Whether you have a massage practice, work on family/friends, or do self-work, experiment even for just a few seconds with this level of presence and focus. Switching from the world of mind, thoughts, and words, and moving instead into physical body, feeling, and sensing. It can be a mysterious, beautiful journey where good growth and deeper healing can happen.

 

copyright © 2019 by Lara Stillo

Body Sensitivities? You’re Not Alone.

Everyone has physical imbalances, sensitivities, pains, and fears about the aforementioned. Many years experience has validated this to me over and again, doing bodywork full-time on pre teens to mature adults well into their 90s. Often the sensitivities and imbalances are very similar; we all slide off balance with muscle strength and weaknesses, on and off throughout life. This is a part of being organic. And our bodies are not suits we can take off at night for repair and reset, either. We’re in them 24/7, feeling the repairs in progress, or feeling the need for more rest so repairs can happen. I often tell clients, a spare “suit” would be great, but it’s not the reality. Another reminder, no one is alone in this.

Keeping in mind some have far more challenges than others and some can be life threatening, we all need to work on refraining from comparison, seeking instead to maintain empathy. Comparison is a pointless exercise, usually leaving us in misery. Empathy is crucial, for ourselves and for others. Recognizing bodies as organic, plant-like structures, unique to each individual yet with much overlap in how we experience them, helps foster empathy and further our understanding. Another challenge, seek to grow beyond concepts of ageism around the body. We all understand death exists for organic matter and have varying levels of fear around it. But all stages of human life are important, otherwise they wouldn’t exist. Extend this to yourself and others, and the body has room to re-bloom again in a different way.

 

Copyright © 2019 by Lara Stillo