We have heard many times over in sessions people sharing how there is a busyness in their mind and that they are not enjoying the types of thoughts that they are having.These thoughts are often repeated ones around the past, the future and in the form of concerns around work, family, relationships or health issues.

Typically those thoughts develop into anxiousness, emotional upset, lack of confidence, uncertainty, doubt and/or worry. Ultimately the feeling is that these types of thoughts erode us, affect how we feel and have a direct impact on our body, health and wellbeing.

We have also heard people share how they “need” or try to “think positive”, change their thought patterns to be ones that are uplifting rather than the negative ones that can so often haunt us in the form of judgment, criticism or comments such as “I’m not good enough”, “I feel ashamed”, “I feel guilty”, “I feel not worthy” etc.

With much discipline, we may try to change our thoughts from negative to positive ones, but does this really work? We may be able to squash and silence the negativity, the erosion for a while, but those thoughts usually creep back in and it can become a battle within to try and push them away yet again.

What if there is another way to work with negative thoughts rather than battling them with another set of thought constructs supposedly more positive?

There is another way. 

We have discussed over the years how everything is energy and as a result how everything is because of energy. Well, a thought is an energetic expression. As such if we don’t like, feel affected by our thoughts and want to change their quality or not be impacted by them, we need to look at, consider and discern the energy behind them – first of all.

We have also shared over the years how everything comes back to or down to our movements, the quality of our movements and the way we actually live. As such the quality of our movements, the way we live in all aspects of our life generate the quality of our mental activity. Therefore to change our thoughts, ultimately requires us to change our movements.

As an example, try sitting in a chair and slump down into it, – taking a “depressive posture”-  rolling your hips backward, rounding your back and slouching. Notice how this makes you feel. It won’t take long for you to actually feel a bit low in mood. Then try sitting up straight with an elongated, open and lengthened posture and now notice how you feel. Alive again, right?

The first posture described above doesn’t feel so good whereas the second more upright posture allows for more of an openness to be felt in the body. In other words, both postures (movements) affect the body very differently and generate a different quality of thoughts or mental wellbeing.

We can start to change our thoughts by learning to be present with our body in all of our movements, being gentle, nurturing and caring and by committing to life (ie, not checking out) and bringing purpose to all that we do.

Next month, we will delve further into the topic of our thoughts, looking at how to develop and maintain our mental health and harmony with our thoughts.

At Yoga & Healing, we love to work with people and support them to develop a nurturing relationship with their body and their being, all in turn empowering them to have a more nourishing quality of thoughts.

To this effect, we regularly offer 4 week online Exercise Program (focussing on developing our physical fitness) and a 6 week online Esoteric Yoga course (focussing more on developing our physiological fitness, our relationship and connection with our being).

At Yoga & Healing we offer the services of Remedial Massage, Esoteric Healing, Esoteric Massage, Connective Tissue Therapy, Yoga, Exercise and Meditation. We offer live classes and online yoga and exercise classes. We are in the business of offering support for true health and wellbeing. Contact Us.

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At Yoga & Healing we regularly offer yoga classes (in Sydney – Northern Beaches and Balmain) live and exercise programs online.

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We often hear people say that they feel stiff as they get old. So what is actually happening to the body as we age and why is it that we lose the lightness that we knew as a child? Furthermore, is this stiffness a natural process of ageing or is there anything we can do to reduce the loss of flexibility?

The connective tissue is a system of tissues that runs throughout the entire body. It is everywhere and runs throughout all the muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, nerves, blood vessels and organs. It overlaps and envelops soft tissue structures like cling film. Every part of our body is connected to the others through this fascinating interconnected web of tissue.

The fluidity and moistness of the connective tissue allows for friction free movements and supports all our body’s systems from the inside out. Energy flows through our connective tissue and in its ideal state, the connective tissue supports our natural elongated posture and our organ systems to work together harmoniously. We can picture our connective tissue like a river that flows throughout our entire body.

The way we treat our bodies through the quality of our everyday movements and holding onto our emotions all affect the state of our connective tissue and hence how we feel in our bodies. As children, the properties of our connective tissue are free, flowing and hasn’t yet become hardened or stiff like it often is in adults.

The status of our connective tissue has a direct relationship with our levels of health and wellbeing.

So what happens to our connective tissue as we age and why is it that the older we get, often for many people we feel stiffer and equate it to old age? Could it be because we are not moving or living in a way that supports the structure and flow of the connective tissue in our body?

Let’s consider the following possibilities

• Is it possible that when we sit or hold a set posture for prolonged times (i.e at a computer), that our connective tissue can tighten and will restrict our open, rotational or dynamic movements.
• Is it just to do with lack of movement that tightens the connective tissue, or is it also associated with the quality of HOW we hold ourselves when we are stationary?
• Is it possible that when we get stiff and sore (i.e. a sore lower back or hips) from too much movement (a day of cleaning) but it’s not actually the movement that is the problem, but the quality of HOW we move?

Is it possible that the fragile and refined nature of our connective tissue requires very gentle, delicate and refined movement?

When we move or exercise in a very gentle way, the connective tissue is gently stretched, creating more space and length. This is different to moving or exercising in a way that is rushed, fast or pushed or done in a stressful or pressured way, where the connective tissue is put under strain and tension, resulting in pain or stiffness.

This example includes sitting at a desk; we can either sit with tension, with our shoulders shrugged up and our head leaning forward at the screen in a frantic or stressed manner to get the task done. Or we can sit back, with our shoulders back and chest open, spine lengthened and head completely on our shoulders and not stretched forward.

The connective tissue is very delicate and responsive, therefore when force is applied in our natural everyday movement, the connective tissue responds by hardening. If we move or exercise in a way that is hard or harsh, there is tension and hardness in the connective tissue and in the muscles, which makes it difficult for the muscles to contract and relax easily, and can cause pain and poor function.

The connective tissue responds when we offer ourselves a way of being in our body where we are gentle and tender.

So could the answer to feeling free and light like children be in considering our relationship with our bodies in our everyday movements, such as walking, sitting and exercise – feeling if we are holding ourselves in a way that is in line with and honoring the natural flow of the connective tissue in the body.

Donna Nolan works as an Yoga Teacher/Therapist, Esoteric Healing Practitioner, Massage instructor and Exercise instructor in Sydney. She can be contacted at donna@yogaandhealing.com.au.

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