Ann Brode's Mini-Posts are designed to help you tune in & become body-wise. 

You can look forward to:  

• a featured body-mind topic with an engaging insight or scientific tidbit
• a simple body awareness exercise
• practical ways to apply your body-oriented perspective
   

Because I know your life (and inbox) are pretty full, these posts will be brief and practical with new ways to improve every aspect of your life.   

Let me know how it’s going, what you’ve learned, and how I can help fine-tune the process for your personal situation.

April 2018 Dry Skin Brushing

A simple way to get things moving again.

Nature is doing its thing outside – budding and buzzing and flowing.  But, after months of harsh weather and too much sitting around,you may be feeling sluggish and out of synch.  Following the principle of inertia, you may need something to break winter’s pattern of inactivity and get things moving again. My favorite way to do this is … dry skin brushing!

Over the past few months, you’ve probably spent more time indoors ruminating and less time outdoors moving around.  As a result, your natural process of sloughing off the old skin to make way for the new has slowed down and become less efficient.  This can result in a pasty, patchy skin with sluggish pores.  In order to refresh and reboot, you’ll need to give it a little extra rub and scrub to exfoliate the accumulated duff and get the circulation going.  In the spirit of spring cleaning, why not add a few minutes of skin brushing to your bathing routine?

Did you know that your skin sloughs off a million dead cells every day? Dry skin brushing helps this natural process by both loosening the top layer of skin and brushing it away. It also helps the regeneration of new cells by stimulating your circulation. Here’s how it goes:

You’ll need a natural bristle brush. The general rule is a firmer brush & touch for your body and softer brush & touch for your face.  Starting at your feet, work your way up your body, brushing in circular, up & down, and back & forth strokes. Don’t forget the back of your knees or under your chin. You can brush a little more vigorously on your arms, legs and back and a little more gently on your chest and belly. Use a softer brush or spa mask for your face. As you proceed, don’t let your mind wander.  Keep your awareness on your body and center your thoughts and internal dialogue solely on loving thoughts and appreciation. If self-judgment or negative thinking happens to surface, just brush it all away with everything else. Now, take a shower or bath and wash the old stuff away.

Afterwards, notice how your skin feels.  This is your circulation moving.  Notice how your skin looks.  The radiant, alive visage you see in the mirror reflects a healthy, functioning system. Notice how your general mood. Perhaps, that perky, alert feeling is the awakening of something new and intriguing. Radiant, resilient skin makes it feel easy to be seen and meet the future.  I was reminded of this recently when a young friend commented on how good I looked and I thought to myself, “Yeah, dry skin brushing!”

But, skin brushing isn’t just skin deep. Metaphorically, this simple routine, gets it all moving- body, mind & spirit. You jettison the old thoughts and stale energy along with the old skin.  You sweep aside the old emotional detritus and anchor awareness in present time. Doing this little bit of self-care with conscious intention delivers a regenerative message deep in the psyche.  Along with the new skin, you’re inviting new ideas and possibilities. It turns out, this skin brushing isn’t just doing something positive for your body-self, it’s doing something for your whole self.

Of course, it would be lovely if I had year around commitment to being aware and taking care. Like many people, even though something is good for me, once I start feeling on top of it, I forget and just cruise on by even the simplest self-care practice. The lovely thing about dry skin brushing is that it’s always there in my tool box when I need it. Any time I’m feeling sluggish, stuck, or discouraged, just a little brush of the skin gets it all moving again- inspiration, enthusiasm, and the momentum to follow my bliss. 

Resources:

Dry skin brushes can be found at your local health food store or on the internet.

Reveal Your Glow. This book by skin expert Donna Steinmann, creator of Sweet Bee Magic, describes a simple dry brush and skin care routine and the science behind it. Reading it will change how you think about your skin and transform the way you look and feel.   

Also, my upcoming book has a whole chapter on basic body care practices that will change the way you think about, relate to and live in your body. 
A Guide to Body Wisdom- What Your Mind Needs to Know About Your Body. Available in June through Llewellyn Worldwide.

February 2018 Fire, Mud and Blue Skies

 Why we’re still reeling and what to do about it.

Our community is finally settling down after being slammed by record-breaking fires, toxic smoke, devastating mudslides, and incalculable human loss. The freeway is open and people are returning to the evacuated areas. The sky is crispy blue and days are sparkly beautiful as Santa Barbara always is in the wintertime. Although there’s still a lot of clean up and healing to be done, there’s a sense that normalcy may be on the horizon. Then, why are so many people still feeling stuck, uninspired and slightly panicked?

Feeling unmoored, uncertain, dazed, fazed, and numb is to be expected after nearly two months of hyper vigilance and elevated cortisol levels. Whether directly impacted or not, we’ve all been touched by these traumatic times. Closing your eyes, it’s easy to conjure images of crowded escape routes, eyes peering over the top of N05 face masks, and charred landscapes with cars & houses rammed into trees.  Tuning in to your body, there’s an imprint of anxiety in the viscera and tension in the muscles.  Listening to stories of loss and heroism, evokes a sudden flood of tears. And, attempting to focus and take care of business, feels impossible with a layer of impenetrable fuzz is sitting on your creativity.

During the crisis, your sympathetic nervous system went on high alert to help you make quick decisions, get the hell out, and save lives.  But, now, this geared up physiology is neither helpful nor healthy. Getting stuck in survival mode only results in hypertension, headaches, inflammation, shallow breathing, elevated blood pressure, fatigue and digestive problems. If you have any of these symptoms or feel slightly stunned, irritable, confused or depressed, now’s the time to be pro-active and do something about it.

Here are four steps to help your body-mind recalibrate and return to an everyday sense of safety and confidence.

First step…just sit quietly.

In order to shift from the habit of watching every bit of news and rehashing every trauma, you need to unhook and be present in this moment and this moment only. Turn it off the chatter and be in your body, in your breath, in the intimate space of right now. No past, no future, no agenda except sitting quietly. Feel your feet on the floor, touching base. Feel your breath move your bones, bringing healing. If you need some help with this step, check out biofeedback therapist Tina Lerner’s five-minute meditation.   

Somatic message= Your body connects you to earth and spirit in present time.

Second step…find tension and relax.

Put on some soft music & soak in a candle-lit bath. Do some yoga, take a walk, get an acupuncture or chiropractic treatment, call your massage therapist. Many people have told me they feel foggy, stuck, uptight, and/ or out of their bodies altogether.  Getting some good body work will help you relax, reconnect and rebalance. After a recent session, Judy wrote: “Thank you so much for regrouping me. Not only can I breathe again but I’m now out of pj’s & feel more inspired and focused.”

Somatic message= Your body is a safe and steady reference point.  

Step three…rebuild your confidence.

Be patient, take it slowly, cut yourself some slack. The impact of a disaster is all-encompassing.  Recovering your sense of self is physical, psychological, and deeply personal. Give yourself time to reconnect and put your life back in order again. Your body is listening to the words you use and thoughts you think so reframe the negatives into positives- even if you’re not quite there yet. FYI: coming together in a healing circle might be a good idea (facilitated by AHA, call 805-770-7200x5 for information).

Somatic message= Take all the time you need to heal and recover.

Step four…seek a larger context. 

The disruption of your world may be an opportunity to re-evaluate and re-prioritize. Feel the connection to all life, loved ones, and community. As you reflect on where you’ve been and what you’ve been through, invite insight from your deepest knowing. Let your perspective get really big and look for a place of calm acceptance. Open to the support of caring words, thoughts, and gestures from the people who love you. See your path extending to the horizon where life is back in order again and go there. Find the awe. In the words of psychologist, Don McManus, “Awe is mind-bending, somehow altering our understanding or experience of the world.”  Celebrating the Power of Awe. 

Somatic message= You are not alone.    

I hope this is helpful.

December 2017 Holiday Sensibility 

How to Indulge without Over-Indulging.

The holidays come around every year. And, each year, we have a chance to fine tune our participation. What if there was a way to indulge your pleasure without the distraction, weight gain and headache of over-indulgence? Here are some ways your sensible body can help you be conscious and enjoy the gustatory delights of the season:
Savor the flavors and scents. Ninety percent of the taste is sourced in the aroma. Ponder the qualities and nuances of each bite.

• Slow down- Linger a bit. Take time to chew thoroughly to maximize your pleasure and help your digestion.
• Less is more- It’s the first couple of bites that really taste good. Notice how palate fatigue sets in after 3 or 4 bites.
• Listen- When your belly says it’s had enough, pay attention. Don’t override your body and over-indulge because it won’t really be fun anymore.
• Keep an eye on sugar consumption-the AHA suggests that between 20 and 36 grams of sugar is the daily max.
• Take time to digest. The rule of thumb is to allow two or three hours before bedtime. Maybe an evening meditation recounting the many pleasures of the meal is in order.

As you approach the holiday season, tuning in and paying attention will help you partake of the many pleasures, enjoy them thoroughly, and back away when you’re satiated. Then, the next day, you won’t have to deal with the pains of over-consumption.
And, let me know how it goes!  I’d love to hear about your experiences and insights.
http://www.anntodhunterbrode.com/contact/ 

September 2017 A Good Night’s Sleep

When you sleep well, you look better, feel better, and function better the next day. Setting up your sleep situation so your body can relax completely makes a lot of sense. Check out the S. L. E. E. P. video I produced to help you get your body-mind in the zone where sleep can find you. 

And look for my book, A Guide to Body Wisdom- What Your Mind Needs To Know About Your Body (Llewellyn Worldwide) forthcoming in June, 2018.