Proaction or Reaction?

Camping in the Pacific Northwest, especially in Spring, means you expect rain. In addition to preparing for rain, spending an extended period of time outdoors highlights the importance of proaction.

The cumulative benefit of being mindful of small tasks and taking action before you need to cannot be overstated. Things like washing your dishes after dinner so you have clean plates for breakfast, putting the fly on your tent before it starts to rain, bringing dry wood and keeping it dry, and storing food safely to prevent or deter wildlife from noshing your lunch are examples of being proactive. Sometimes you can get away with neglecting these tasks, but how much more stress and effort are experienced when you have to react to predictable events that could put a damper on your trip?

I think, in fact I know, that the same rules apply to self-care.

Doesn’t it make more sense to consistently promote health, to position yourself to be as adaptive as possible to current stressors, and to employ measures now that prepare you for strains that will challenge you in the future?
 

In my line of work I often encounter folks who are reacting to signs and symptoms, which accompany an interruption in their ability to perform the tasks they need to or want to do. This is the functional definition of pain. I understand this and it is usually the entry point for people to seek help from a healthcare provider. There is nothing wrong or bad about this approach. If, however, you value being able to live a full and healthy life, reaction as a strategy is simply not as effective as proaction - action that initiates positive change.

My work focuses on helping people reorganize the neural patterns that govern whether they react or respond to stress, and how efficiently they can do so. This approach to health and wellbeing is incredibly effective to help people reacting to pain, but it is even more powerful as a proactive tool to add more life to your years.   

In closing, be proactive, get outside, and take care of yourself...now.

Why The Tortoise Wins

Aesop’s fable about a tortoise who challenges a boastful hare to a foot race has several interpretations. Some consider the negative consequences of overconfidence, others the virtue of perseverance, and others still that speed and haste do not always yield victory.

I was recently in the Columbia River Gorge on a trail that was leading up to the mouth of a waterfall. There is an epic beauty to the glacially carved stretch of that river and a deep sense of geologic time. Being there affords a natural shift in perspective.

At one point I stopped along the wall and watched a tiny caterpillar effortlessly descend a vertical route that would be impossible for most other creatures. As it moved, every segment of its body unfurled like a wave in perfect coordination, each point of contact from its many legs perfectly positioned to continue the descent. There was no haste.

It reminded me of the Somato-Psychic Wave of Network Spinal Analysis and also of the tortoise, but with a new interpretation. The tortoise wins the race with the hare because by moving at his natural pace he has already won. His competition is not with the hare, who he cannot possibly beat in a race, but rather with himself - “because he competes with no one, no one can compete with him.” I believe the tortoise wins because he knows his true nature, lives in congruence with it, and because he undoubtedly stops to smell the succulents.

Brushwork

How often do you brush your teeth? Once a day? Twice a day? Floss, mouthwash, perhaps a coconut oil pull? It is widely acknowledged that brushing your teeth routinely is an important aspect of dental hygiene. I, however, am not a dentist. I’m not here to critique your teeth.

I do have a particular interest in how the brain works. The brain thrives on novelty. One of the most important elements of learning is based on this concept. Is the brain excited to make sense of some new idea or information that doesn’t fit neatly into what it already recognizes? Brain health depends on constantly learning and learning is stimulated by novelty.

I am using “learning” in a very broad sense. You can learn from books, or from podcasts. You can learn from conversations with interesting people or gain knowledge from an experience, especially if it’s not part of your normal routine. On a biological level, the definition of learning neatly summarizes the major role that the nervous system plays in the body - “the acquisition of knowledge and skills”. In a literal sense, your life depends on the ability of your brain to acquire knowledge and develop skills. The quality of your life also depends on whether and how much you choose to learn.

One of the best ways to introduce novelty to your brain is by adding creativity to your life. You don’t have take painting classes with Bob Ross or consider yourself “the creative type” to make this happen. You do have to acknowledge one very simple, but very profound fact:

being creative is a choice that can be made with every thought, every word, and every action.
 

Piece by piece, choice by choice, and day by day, you have a chance to create something for yourself, of yourself. Remember, it’s on you: no one is going to live creatively for you.

So start small. Take a different way home, try cooking without a recipe, cross your legs the other way. Read some poetry, tell the truth, or see what happens if you pay attention to your breathing for 10 seconds. Have you ever tried brushing your teeth with the opposite hand?

Brushing your teeth lefty might not change your life overnight, but it’s a start.