Self-Treatment Tips:
When setting off on your healing journey, it can be a little daunting. Some things that I do are to meditate and do yoga every day to help me stay in tune with my body.
You are not a hopeless case…
I was a mess at one point (more of a mess than I am today;). I was inflexible and my body was in pain most of the time and I did not know it because I was numbed out. Practicing yoga and meditation (along with MFR) has taken me into a world of increased flexibility and ease. These practices (and whatever you decide your practice is) need to be practiced daily for you to progress and connect deeper into your body and soul.
Treat your whole body:
You might be having pain in one specific area, but that might not be where the pain is coming from. For example, pain that someone has in their leg or foot can be coming from a pinched nerve in the spine or hips. The body acts like a teeter-totter. If one area gets traumatized or injured, that injury tightens down on the fascia, like a fly caught in a 3-D web, and pulls on other areas of the body and can cause pain and inflammation in a different area. The MFR philosophy is to look at the entire being, not to just focus on where the symptoms are. You can start where your symptoms are, but remember to explore your body and see where there is tightness, numbness, and pain. Treat all of these areas!
It takes time:
Remember it takes 5 minutes for our tissues to start to soften and even longer for them to fully let go. If you are self-treating for the first time, you may want to set a timer for 6 minutes to get a sense of the minimum length of time required for your body to begin to soften. To get a full release, it usually takes 6 or more minutes of gentle, sustained pressure in one spot for the layers of tightness to fully let go (I generally tell people 7-11 minutes because it is easy to remember). At first, this will seem like a long time to wait, but as you become experienced and practiced with self-treating and feeling the sensations associated with the release in your body.
Use your breath to facilitate release:
The more you are engaged in the process, the more you will benefit from the time you spend self-treating. One of the best ways to be engaged is through your breath. Therefore, breathing into the sore, tight, tender area, taking your focus and awareness there via your breath, and letting your body soften over your hands or therapy device (ball, foam roller, etc) will help your tissues to release and let go.
Keep the intensity low:
How’s the intensity? Do you feel like you can breathe into it or do you feel like you have to hold against it? It’s really important to be easy and gentle because even when we’re telling ourselves it is ok and telling ourselves to relax. If the pressure is too strong our bodies will just tighten up against it in protection and you won’t be able to relax into it. So, if you find a spot that feels nasty, just work around or beside it for a while before working on it directly.
Self-treat a few spots well:
Because it takes time for our tissues to let go, it’s really important to just work on a few spots thoroughly rather than lots of spots for 30 seconds each. Treating a few spots well will help with the tightness in other parts of your body. Read more about it here.
No protocol:
There’s no set protocol for self-treating. You can do it any time of the day for as long or as little as you like. Some people treat themselves periodically throughout the day, others once a day. Just explore whatever works best for you. The more time you invest in treating yourself, the fewer hands-on sessions, and reach your goals more quickly. Ultimately, the choice is yours.
No distractions:
Some people say, “oh great, I can self-treat while I’m watching TV or talking on the phone!” Know that that’s ok, but to get the real benefit, we need to be in an environment so we can be focused and free of distractions such that we can tune into the feelings and sensations in our bodies. When we truly listen to our bodies, we can tune in and melt into the tight areas in our body. It is like picking up a phone and listening versus ignoring what your body has to say.
Remember… It’s ok to fail especially if you learn from it
Sources: MFR Seminars
About The Author:
Scott is an occupational therapist and founder of Ascend Therapeutic Services. He is passionate about helping others intuitively connect with themselves and the world around them so that they can open to new possibilities and become their best selves. Scott has become an expert level MFR* practitioner as well as a health and wellness coach to achieve his passion so that he could better serve your needs. He is a certified yoga instructor, which he uses to practice mindfulness and meditation. Scott is a life-long learner and is constantly using new skills and techniques to improve his practice. His other passions include; hiking, camping, canyoneering, swimming, traveling the world, and eating brownies.
*MFR is a bodywork technique that works on the connective tissue of the body. It relieves everyday trauma at the root by applying gentle, sustained pressure. MRF also increases your body’s ability to hydrate and nourish itself, so you can live more of your life!
For more information visit: https://AscendMFR.com/
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