Have you ever wondered why you hold your breath when doing something new?

We often take our breath for granted, usually breathing in and out 12-16 times every minute without being aware of it. Most of us only notice our breath when something happens to prevent us from breathing normally. Others intentionally bring their attention to the breath as part of mindfulness practice.

You probably already know that walking is a great way to reduce pain, lose weight, and improve or maintain your overall health. But those are just a few of the many benefits that walking offers. I'm not going to go into all of the benefits here. But I'd like to encourage you to read through the two key points below and see if you can notice how the lessons and daily walks affect your personal experience.

This audio is part of the Conscious Movements Co-evolution private podcast within The Embodied Well membership. I'm sharing it here because I've seen too many people bypass moments that could nurture deep healing and profound growth. 

I can't speak for all Feldenkrais practitioners, but I'm not attached to someone reaching some arbitrary endpoint in a lesson. I'm far more interested in people befriending all of who they are so that they can understand the language of their bodies and expand their capacity to hold space, lead, and thrive.

The book, "The Elusive Obvious," was once only available in Hardback format — which brings me a special kind of sensorial gratification.

As I flip through the dense and fibrous pages, I digest each word of somatic wonder. My mind starts to bend towards a deeper realization that this work, The Feldenkrais Method®, is so much more than movement. What we discover about ourselves can change everything!

My own experience with becoming more mindful was genuinely uncomfortable. Every single thought seemed to echo in my physical being. I was amazed to discover how unconscious conditioning ruled both my perceptions and sensations. I decided very early on that working directly with my mind through mindfulness and meditation, was just as important as working with the history trapped in my physiology.

We all have a way to which we hold ourselves back. Ways in which we keep ourselves safe by settling for what is familiar. For example, try simply noticing that voice inside your head that gets very chatty whenever you are about to make a decision or do something new, especially something that could result in change. Is it telling you that you’re nuts to consider what you are thinking of doing? Does it say that you failed once before and will probably do so again? Or is your voice like a sly cat, sweetly seducing you to eat those fries and chocolate shake?

The Year was 1994, and I was a bicycling dread-head with a desperate urge to grow my consciousness, heal my body, and figure out why the holy heavens I was here on earth.

I had not yet entered my 20’s, and although I had lived in at least five states, all of them were in the Midwest — which by the way, is awesome for oh-so-many reasons. But none the less, my belly ached with a desire to find something different — to be something different.

Are you moving through your day without fully living? It is easy to pass through daily activities and wait for something to happen — to wake us up and grab our attention. I have fallen into this mindless trap, caught in a place where I feel as if my subconscious was always preparing for something else.

One way to fully live today is by being mindful and practicing a bit of everyday awareness. I realize this is easier said than done — awareness is a habit that’s not easily picked up.  So, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite mindfulness rituals to help you appreciate the mundane and to live more fully into the moment.

I am intrigued by how we develop our self-image over our lifetime and how we can consciously choose to shift that image.

I am currently on my fifth read of Awareness Through Movement by Moshe Feldenkrais. I read this book for the first time nearly fifteen years ago, and I am in awe as to what shifts in perspective and what stands out whenever I return to a great book.

The holidays are among us! And it's that time of year that's known for its busy nature that can lead to quite the load of stress. After all, you likely have invitations to gatherings collecting on your counter, a long list of people you need to send holiday cards to, and you're looking ahead at the meals to prepare and moments to spend with your loved ones. Not to mention the shorter days, colder nights, and extra prep required to meet the weather as you head out the door. All of this, on top of your everyday life. It can be overwhelming.

But the truth is, we are continually responding to the ebb and flow of life and the stress that life brings — both positive and negative. Positive stress motivates and drives us. Negatively perceived stress affects our physical and mental health and can rob us of happiness.