Transition are a Bi*ch. You know you love them.

I just finished Brene Brown's netflix show. 

If you don't know Brene Brown, get on board like yesterday. Her talks on vulnerability, courage, and shame are extraordinary and potent.

As I was watching it, so much of it hit home. I am currently in the throws of spending way too much to transition back, afraid of how I am going to make it all work, and all the while feeling extreme joy and passion for life. 

Transitions are a son of a bitch, but I know deep deep deep down in my heart, I love them. I love the courage they build. The resiliency they stack upon your muscles of life. The heartache that may come with not having it all at once and right now. The exhilaration of your wants and needs being fulfilled. You can't take that away from someone when they find it. 

See, there is this odd aversion to transition. But be honest with yourself. How the hell are you gonna get what you want without transitioning THROUGH to a new space of reality? Magically thinking that nothing will shift as you expand and communication your wants and visions and realities is utter bullshit. 

Giving yourself permission to allow for courage and vulnerability to be there in the same place is vital to the things you aren't saying but want to say so badly. Because you know it means leaving the world you are comfortable in behind. It means the potential of failure, of rejection, of anger, of confusion. 

It isn't your fault to fear them. It isn't your fault that you avoid them like the plague. 

The cliches around Transitions are that they are awful, bound for doom, and will eventually lead to you being paralyzed for the rest of your life. 

The reality of it? They won't. Sometimes they lead to marriage, they lead to the dream job, they lead to you waking up with a true sense fo vitality and aliveness. 

Transitions may just become your new best friend, if you let them. That, however, is up to you . 


Happy Transitioning

Lee

Why disagreement matters

We all want a perfect world where everyone gets along and it’s always positive and there is never a problem right?

Sorry, but fuck no. I don’t. I love disagreement. I love dissonance. I adore discord. I think that critical decision making and healthy conversations on opposing viewpoints can be like porn. 

Why am I so passionate about diverging opinions? Because it means that you are using your knowledge and your own experiences to shape your actions and habits. 

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that you should go kill a person or rob a bank or take an action that causes ill will against another person. 

What I am speaking about is the use of your critical noggin skills with research, instinct, experiences, and intuitive guidance to shape your world. 

Real life example:

If you know anything about me and my dad, you’ll know one thing: It’s been a fuckin riiiiide. We have butted heads so many times, times to the point where my dad has told me to pick a bible and a letter from an ex gay, to me completely disowning him in the Gatwick Airport callling him out as judgmental and homophobic. 

Fast forward to a year later and we talk every week. We listen to each other’s viewpoints. We understand we are not on the phone to change each other or force each other to agree. We are there to love and upport each other’s wants and needs, regardless if we like or agree with them.

That’s what we are creating with each other. 

Some of our family may not agree with me or my dad. They may say he is being homophobic. Some may not agree with me taking the time to get to know my dad more. They may say it’s a waste of time or that it doesn’t make sense? 

I honestly don’t give a shit. Why? Because my father is my father. He’s the one I got. and I am gonna do my dang best to treat him with courteously, love, and respect. 

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So, my little hope and lesson for the day is to not judge a book so quickly by it’s cover. Open the pages. Even if you don’t agree with all the pages, take the time to read it sometimes and create your own experencial and sanctified opinions based on submersion, not omission. 

Happy Disagreeing Y’all.

Copy of Breathing: the silent crusher of performance and mood

Today I am going to talk to you about breathing. Well, breathing and how that can impact everything from gut function to anxiety levels in the body. 

But how ? You might be thinking, "how does my inhale and exhale affect more than just oxygen in my body?"

“The article explains the scientific reasons for the diaphragm muscle being an important crossroads for information involving the entire body. The diaphragm muscle extends from the trigeminal system to the pelvic floor, passing from the thoracic diaphragm to the floor of the mouth. Like many structures in the human body, the diaphragm muscle has more than one function, and has links throughout the body, and provides the network necessary for breathing. To assess and treat this muscle effectively, it is necessary to be aware of its anatomic, fascial, and neurologic complexity in the control of breathing. The patient is never a symptom localized, but a system that adapts to a corporeal dysfunction.”

— https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731110/

Your diaphragm muscle can impact not only muscles of the pelvis, but all the way up to the jaw as well as your organs.

On Anxiety and Breath

“Recent evidences support the presence of subclinical changes in respiration and other functions related to body homeostasis in PD patients. The fear network, comprising the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala and its brainstem projections, may be abnormally sensitive in PD patients, and respiratory stimulants like CO2 may trigger panic attacks. Studies indicate that PD patients with dominant respiratory symptoms are particularly sensitive to respiratory tests compared to those who do not manifest dominant respiratory symptoms, representing a distinct subtype. The evidence of changes in several neurochemical systems might be the expression of the complex interaction among brain circuits.”

— http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462012000500004

In short, anxiety levels can be impacted by the capacity to breath fully and breath effectively. 

Well, how can we help facilitate our breathing patterns to be more effective?

As I am not a doctor or a physician, these suggestions are to be taken at your own precaution. they are simple and non invasive. However, if symptoms do worsen, please do not use these and find a certified health practitioner in your area to further diagnose.

Exercise 1- 

Counting Breath. A simple exercises you can do anywhere to modulate breath. Take a few easy inhales through the nose (KEY!) and out the mouth to start. Then on an inhale through the nose, count to 4, and as you exhale (either out the mouth of the nose), count to 6. Repeat 8-10 times. Assess yourself to see how you feel.

Exercise 2 -

Belt Breathing. I used to do this as a singer, and does wonders to help re proprioception the area. Taking a belt, or a theraband, gently wrap it around your lower ribcage. As you inhale, visualize and focus on your inhale filling up the band, and as you exhale, repeat. Taking about 5-10 rounds of breath and re assess. 

Exercises 3 -

Straw breathing. Either lying, sitting, or standing, use an inhale through the nose, and slowly, with control, exhale through the straw. This one can be harder than you think! Use patience and practice to build stamina up. 

Your breath can do wonders to help facilitate or be a detriment to your movement and life goals. Which one it does is up to you. 

Also, speaking of, I actually made you a little something. 

I made a little 10 breath tutorial on how to breathe and create influence in the nervous system and function of breath and breathing patterns. 

here is what people are saying about it:

"I’ve watched the first two and i’m so grateful you sent them. Thank you. Building an anxiety awareness and management workshop and your evident interest and knowledge in neurobiology and the human body are totally enlightening this experience for me."

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"Not only was it informative from a scientific standpoint, it was physically informative. This is absolutely approachable for any level. I think most people realize breathing is important and impacts us in ways we cant imagine, but when you're actively trying different breathing techniques and feel/see a change it all just clicks. This is so cool!!!"

 

 

 

You can buy the video here

Happy Breathing Y'all

-Peak Body Integration