This last Micro Pause on the lower back program is a lesson in self compassion. It is also a lesson in giving your self an inner massage, a very practical form of self compassion. Why being kind to yourself matters the most: its all about the nervous system. A common misconception is that muscles become too short and that we need to stretch them out into their full length. Instead, muscles can be contracted or extended, and sometimes they get “stuck” in contraction. Stretching the muscles wont make them longer, what they need is for the nervous system to believe that its safe to extend the muscles. When we do the inner massage, we gently stretch muscles, then release them and in doing so we tell the nervous system that it’s safe to extend the muscles, resulting in greater relaxation.


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Body Intelligence – Dive deeper, 8: full relaxation

Use that body scan to help your body relax. A common consequence of focusing on a body part is the relaxation of that body part, you may have noticed in the previous lesson. Now we take it a step further. Having the ability to fully relax is so valuable! Make this lesson before bedtime to improve your sleep duration and quality!

Body Intelligence – Dive deeper, 7: body scan

Turn on your inner torch and search through your entire body. You may be amazed by what you discover. Or you may not. Either way, you get a tool that really allows you to become present in your physicality. This is very useful whenever the mind gets overwhelmed or when you need to zoom out of whats going on in your head.

Body Intelligence – Dive deeper, 6: breath work

View your breath as a friend, and as an indicator on how you respond to different situations in life. If you know your breath you will also instantly know how you feel about something, how your body responds to different stressors, and so on. Learning to breathe deeper, longer and fuller is also learning to control your parasympathetic nervous system response. Breathing consciously is a very accessible way to calm the body down and allow space for reflection on any given situation. Now, let’s breathe together!

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