Easy right? How hard could it actually be to stay right here, right now? How hard could eating right, stretching regularly and being balanced in all areas be…
Well, the thing is… it is easy enough to shift into the present moment simply by thinking about where you are right now and how you feel in that environment. However, the trick is learning how to stay there longer and feel comfortable enjoying and valuing the time you spend in the present.
Our human brain finds many reasons to travel back into the past or move into future scenarios that we would like to see for ourselves. Let’s look at that first to see what that is really doing for us and how that is leaving us feeling.
When we get pulled into the past, we are really seeking comfort from what we know we did and therefore survived experiencing. Its safe there. It is known and can’t be changed and that feels like certainty. We likely learned something from it then and developed a tactic to short-cut us for a similar future event that may come up. We can see our accomplishments in looking back, we can remember our growth from those experiences, we can feel confident in how far we came and we can see how much we are capable of conquering when we are faced with challenges. We can feel good about the gains of what we did. Now there is a dark side. There always is a dark side unfortunately. The people who look back and find reasons to stay and live there, well, they get trapped in a situation of feeling that was the peak of their lives. That was the safest place they will ever be and that may keep a person securely settled in the past. This is often why people feel depressed and lonely.
When we get pulled into the future, often its to goal set and plan for opportunities that take time to bring into fruition. When we need to work towards an education, plan for a wedding that is a year away, take a vacation, decide on a business venture; these all require future goals and planning. Being pulled into the future are necessary and good for the growth of our lives. But we also could so often lean too much in this direction that it will leave us forever shooting for the future that will feel like an Oasis in a desert. When we get closer, the illusion moves a bit further out of reach. Goal setting and never accomplishing is a real place people find themselves too. In fact, living in this future place, leaves us anxious and unsure and feels like we are always behind, unfulfilled, unsafe and eventually exhausted. Living in the gap space of having had before and wanting more.
So how we learn to be and stay more present is a practice like anything else. We choose to eat healthy, we practice that, we look to become fit, we practice that, we look to meditate or do yoga, we practice that too. It is not a one and done scenario folks. It is a practice for ever… but love that.
In order to live a balanced life, we really need to be ready to commit to consistent practices. This means that to be physically fit, we have to stick to activities we like to do and then see them become a valuable part of our day. When we have a chance to re program our brains with these new behaviours, we find that it becomes exciting and not dreadful or painful to do the physical exercise required to be fit. Psychology has studied new habits and have found that the more consistent we are, we see lasting change after 21 days straight. That means that after the 21 days most people don’t look to revert back to old ways, they just have learned new interests that support them being who they want to be. To eat healthier and make healthy choices, will always feel difficult to begin on that path, but over time becomes a way to see your body feel better and look the way you want it to look. When you feel confident, you act confidently. One aspect of your life changes and that will always affect other areas too.
Being able to give back to yourself in positive ways is always valuable to move yourself into better balance. After too much giving (at work, at home, in relationships, in time) we often feel empty and exhausted. It is sort of like on a plane when an emergency happens and the oxygen mask drops, we are encouraged to put our mask on first and then worry about helping others around us. This too is true for life my friends. We are not selfish when we give to ourselves in good ways. You deserve alone time, you deserve a massage from a skilled Registered Massage Therapist, you deserve that afternoon out with your friends in order to let off work stress. Don’t deprive yourself of the good things you want, simply because you think it looks selfish. It absolutely is NOT SELFISH. It is Balance for your life.
RMT’s are highly skilled therapists who having had years of training & are required to maintain continued education in order to be Registered in BC. The Deep Tissue Massage that most people are looking for is a specific series of techniques that a therapist will use in order to create a new response to the soft tissue. Desk workers, athletes, labourers, injury rehab patients and others who are just looking to get past the constant tension, discomfort, restriction, pain, postural changes and dis-ease with in their bodies will look to Registered Massage Therapist like us here at Cranky Knot Wellness Centre. We not only help isolate the issue bringing on signs and symptoms for the patient, but we are able to resolve and create a home care solution that may be implemented easily enough after the session ends. My staff and I truly believe that if patients knew more about their perfect bodies, they would absolutely do better and be better stewards of their perfect machines. The reason we RMT’s stand out as different, is because we care and will always share what we know. Education is a big part of why our success rate is high. People want answers and to know more.
A deep tissue massage will always be within your comfort level. It will feel like it is a bit sore in the tight areas where tension has built, but it will feel like “sweet relief” in how it is releasing what has been holding tension for far too long. We don’t ever take it beyond your threshold of pain. We absolutely give patient centric care. We always find that people are amazed with the specific, focused work we do with out if feeling like too much pressure. Its about using our tools to gain the best results with you being able to stay relaxed in order to facilitate that treatment. I pride myself on having one of the most relaxing environments in our city, that before treatment starts already has patients moving toward a Zen state. Things we love to help with as RMT’s is:
- Frozen Shoulder/Rotator Cuff Impingement
- Plantar Fasciitis/Foot pain
- Piriformis Syndrome/Psiatica
- IT Band pain/Runners Knee
- Tennis Elbow/Golfers Elbow
- Bursitis/Tendonitis
- Postural Issues/Muscle strain
- Headaches/Neck spasm
- Pregnancy related pain
- so much more as well
I love my career as an RMT. Being able to see the problems that people come in with and knowing that my 20 plus years of experience has me being the best option for anyone dealing with pain or discomfort in their lives. We have the solutions, We are committed to helping solve the issue and we are always excited to educate others on how best to move away from pain and toward a beautiful future. So make massage a part of your balanced life and another new practice. Find a therapist you feel has all your best interests in mind and commit. New practices take consistency and time.
The first day or even week that you begin a new practice, it feels Unbearable. This is just the psychology around habits and rewiring our brain to accept new habits. The key is to keep at it and push past it just knowing that that will calm down. Have grace with yourself and feel good about how brave and rewarding this step is for you. You want better and now you are showing that you are worth more. In week two this new start to your routine will become simply Uncomfortable. I know what your thinking… that doesn’t sound good either, right? Ok, so then simply stay focused on the new habit forming in this uncomfortable place. You can feel a new habit and routine has begun to take hold. You feel more focused and find improvement in your day at this point. You’re climbing the hill of change and you’re sticking with it to get to the top and shout out success. So week three is the beautiful place of Unbeatable… yes… Unbeatable. This is the moment that you feel excited to wake up and get to your new routine. Your focused on getting the day started in the right way, with power, confidence, growth and remaining present enjoying everything about your life. You Can’t change the past, so you are not trying to. You can’t be so far in the future that that feels like you’re often missing out on things currently happening in your life.
Actually, at this point in this practice of being more Present, you wouldn’t dream of time travelling anywhere. Your life is happening with or without you and right now you choose to be in it, not away from it or avoiding it. That is all it is.
I have lived a long life with no tools, stumbling around making costly mistakes, being stuck and overwhelmed more than not. Life then was hard and a struggle. I wish I had learned the tools I did when I took my Life Coaching training and Certification sooner, but it is often the case right. Hindsight is 20/20. I love sharing the bits of information that I have learned as a Registered Massage Therapist, a CEO of Cranky Knot Wellness Centre and as a Certified Life Coach.
“The secret of health for both mind & body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely & earnestly”.
Buddha
A Take-Home Message
I hope you enjoyed this piece & learned something that you can use in your own life. If you take just one thing from reading this, make sure that it is this: Being mindful is easy, staying there is hard and takes some practice. At any point in your day, you can take a pause and be mindful and present. The breathing deeply for three breaths, the positive affirmations that you can run through in your mind or out loud, the smile to a stranger or noticing the breeze can all be simple to apply. The more you do it, the better you will get at being mindful and soon it will become your go to practice. Give to yourself, its not selfish its smart. Be regular with exercise, stretching, massage and therapy, its the least you could do for how hard your body and brain work for you. Have grace when you slip. Be able to get back on track and know we are all human after all.
What are your thoughts on living in the present? Do you have ways you honour yourself and want to share? I would love to hear from you. Thank you for reading!