Movement as Medicine

Movement is medicine. When I was a little kid, I would process the stress of living with an abusive mother and disassociated dad by riding my bike for hours and banging a basketball against that old backboard on the barn. In the cold, in the rain, moving, running away from that scary house, trying to make sense of the dysfunction.
As an adult, I found that I could continue all kinds of movement to free the angst in my soul, to unwind the twisted feelings that came from my emotionally destructive marriage, and find some modicum of relief.
Unsurprisingly, this fascination with movement as a way to heal has influenced my massage therapy and fitness instruction practices. I’ve discovered that the body is a healing machine. There are many ways to move that release our bodies, give us ease and freedom to think more clearly and allow our spirits to calm and settle.
I have so much I want to share with you! As I learn and grow, I want you to have every possible tool to learn how your body was designed to bring shalom and healing to your mind and spirit. Here are a few restorative movement tools to get you started:
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Neck and Shoulder Pain Routine

Neck and shoulder pain are some of the most common pain points for clients that come to my massage table. I recorded this video which includes full-body dynamic stretches to help you to release tension.

The other resources I swear by to get out of pain include the  Essentrics Psoas Routine. This 14-minute dynamic stretch work helps your hips to move like butter!

I am also finding so much joy with Body Groove. This dance and dynamic stretch routine is something I’m incorporating into my daily fitness routine and it is restoring a sense of freedom with movement that I haven’t experienced before.

The Power of Barefoot

Did you know 25% of all the bones and muscles in your body are in your feet?  Another 25% can be found in your hands.  Your hands and feet are precision instruments.  We acknowledge this about our hands because they are busy all day long: creating, typing, pruning, weeding, cooking, chopping, and on and on.  Most verbs are connected to hands- many more verbs than are with foot movements like stomp, slide, dance, etc.

This video will help you to revitalize your feet, and the Power of Barefoot article I hope will give you the push to let your feet wander free.

Rib Rescue Reset

This Rib Rescue stretch and self-massage routine is excellent for relieving tension after strenuous physical activity, such as snow shoveling, yard work, or weightlifting sessions. These movements, derived from Core Transformation and inspired by dynamic stretching and Core Alignment Therapy, are particularly beneficial for realigning the ribs and soothing sore muscles caused by repetitive movements.

Happy Head

This movement routine is a true crowd pleaser.  And it will get your neck and shoulders a total reset on so many levels. Check it out!

When you try the Happy Head Stretch you will:

  • Completely vascularize every muscle in your face and upper shoulders and arms from the top of your head down to your fingertips.
  • Open up your spine from the top of your head to the tip of your tailbone. This is a truly amazing experience!
  • Reset your breath and release endorphins into your system.
  • Learn how to mimic a 50’s boy band member.
  • Reset the brain’s awareness of how you are holding your neck in space, settling the neck above the spine instead of letting the head drop.
  • Relax your trapezius and levator muscles so they can do the jobs they were designed for… not for holding the weight of the skull and brain.
  • Enjoy fewer headaches.
  • Upgrade your body awareness.
  • Calm the central nervous system.

Movement as a Mixtape, Not a Mantra

I’ve been doing bodywork for over 25 years and teaching for over a decade now. I so love getting to know the rhythms of healing and I am so grateful for the honor of connecting with thousands of bodies. I’ve learned so much.
I’ve just started to compile the many principles that the body teaches us about the mind and spirit.  This article I’m sharing with you is basically about neuroplasticity. We were not designed to be in a rut. We were designed to keep pressing into faith: the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.  When we choose childlike movement and to vary our routines, we are giving ourselves the chance to heal and develop our brain potential at the same rate that we did when we were toddlers.
I hope you enjoy Movement as a Mixtape, Not a Mantra and keep mixing it up.