Lynchburg Living

Body

By Megan Norcross

It’s no secret that the holidays bring about headaches, stress and growing to-do lists. With countless hours of gift buying, decorating, wrapping and get-togethers filling our holiday calendars, it’s easy to forget that we need to take care of ourselves before we can take care of others.

As the season of goodwill approaches, treat your mind and body to some goodwill of its own. As Lao Tzu once said, “The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

Find Your Inner Balance

All throughout the year, but even moreso during the holidays, our minds are constantly a step ahead of our bodies—What am I going to fix for Thanksgiving dinner? What am I going to get my crazy aunt for Christmas? How am I going to pick my son up from practice and drop my daughter off at a sleepover at the same time?

In this fast-paced, chatter-filled world, our minds could use a little quiet time. This winter, as many of the world’s creatures go into hibernation and months of silence, take a queue from them and practice some silence of your own through yoga and meditation.

If you think that yoga and meditation is only for those who visit ashrams, wear billowing cotton outfits and practice veganism, your mind and body will be happy to learn that assumption is wrong.

According to the Mayo Clinic, yoga is an optimal choice for relaxation, stating, “In general, relaxation techniques involve refocusing your attention to something calming and increasing awareness of your body. It doesn’t matter which relaxation technique you choose. What matters is that you try to practice relaxation regularly to reap the benefits. Common relaxation techniques include yoga, tai chi, listening to music, exercise, meditation, hypnosis and massage.”

Give Yourself Some “You” Time

While you can practice yoga, tai chi and meditation at home, as well as listening to music, sometimes it’s best to get away from the hustle and bustle of your everyday routine for 30 minutes to an hour of uninterrupted massage therapy.

“Massage therapy does many things,” said Karen McGuire, CMT, NCTMB (Certified Massage Therapist, Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork) for Tuck Chiropractic and Sunset Therapeutic Massage, both located in Bedford, Virginia. “It can increase dopamine, which is a pain relieving chemical involved in voluntary movement and clear thinking.”

In addition, McGuire says massage therapy can:

-          Increase endorphins (our natural pain relieving chemicals)

-          Increase serotonin, which diminishes pain and appetite, and regulates mood and sleep patterns

-          Decreases cortisol, which is a hormone produced in response to stress, contributing to many illnesses and diseases

-          Increases cellular and chemical waste excreted through the lymphatic system

-          Brings about body awareness that often goes unnoticed in our busy schedules

If you’ve ever had a massage, you know how incredible you feel afterwards—but there may just be another piece to the proverbial puzzle when it comes to getting you in tip-top shape (mentally and physically) for the holidays: chiropractic care.

“Most chiropractic doctors would agree that it is important to treat soft tissues, such as muscles and tendons, to help prevent and correct subluxations (dislocation of joints),” McGuire said. “Therapeutic massage before the adjustments helps to warm tissues and relaxes tight muscles, reduces negative effects of stress and anxiety and improves circulation. The adjustment can yield greater movement and with more ease. With regular therapeutic massage, chiropractic adjustments may last longer.”

It’s often difficult to find an ounce of time during the holidays. Menu planning, house decorating, gift buying and the like fill our already busy schedules. If you’re finding it difficult to get away during the holidays (or any other time, for that matter), McGuire suggests learning a few relaxation techniques to practice at home.

“Most of us are shallow breathers and chest breathers (termed paradoxical breathing), meaning we’re not utilizing our diaphragm,” she said. “When we take a deep breath, we should feel our abdomen expand before our chest, and reverse the process with expiration, with the chest collapsing first—allowing the contraction of the abdomen to push the remaining air out of our lungs. Learn proper stretch techniques for any tight areas where you feel tension.Yoga or meditation is very helpful in gaining ways to learn relaxation techniques we can do anywhere, anytime. Of course, our diet and sleep patterns greatly influence how we function and at what level. Always drink plenty of water! Fatigue during the day is often a sign of mild hydration.”

Don’t Sweat the Petty Things

After you’ve found your inner balance and taken some time for yourself, it’s important to remember what the holiday season is all about.

In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown said, “I shouldn’t have picked this little tree. Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I really don’t know what Christmas is all about.”

Don’t let yourself have a Charlie Brown moment this holiday season. So what if your Thanksgiving turkey burns to a crisp in the oven? So what if your homemade decorations resemble that of a pre-schoolers’? And maybe you can’t fit in the caroling, hand-crafted cards and Norman Rockwell-esque holiday feast all into one day—or one week for that matter. Everything may turn into a disaster, like our friend Charlie Brown’s Christmas, but when you take time to step back and look at it all, you’ll remember spending time with your family and taking the initiative to help the less fortunate have a memorable holiday.

Let the season of goodwill be just that—a time to help and love others.