If I could wave a magic wand and grant every newly diagnosed person one essential skill, it would be this: the power to intentionally shift out of stress. To do that, you need to understand your body’s control center: the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). đź’ˇ Here’s the essential takeaway: Stress is Sympathetic. Peace is Parasympathetic.Continue reading “Peace is Parasympathetic: Learn the Essential Skill for Your Cancer Journey”
Category Archives: Anxiety
Navigating Scanxiety: 5 Tools to Find Peace Before Your Test
Almost every cancer patient I’ve ever worked with talks about scanxiety—that intense anxiety that arises when they have an upcoming medical test, be it a CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound. It’s completely normal to feel this fear. After everything you’ve been through, it makes sense that you’d feel triggered and reluctant to face another potentialContinue reading “Navigating Scanxiety: 5 Tools to Find Peace Before Your Test”
This too shall pass.
Things have been heavy for me lately, not gonna lie. My mom passed in December. Grief is thick for me right now, but there’s more going on . . . There’s a kind of spiritual maturation that happens as a result of living through a crisis. We sometimes call these life chapters the dark nights of theContinue reading “This too shall pass.”
For Troubling Times . . .
Taking in the news can be perilous. When we hear of tragic events – bombings, earthquakes, shootings – it’s easy to become overwhelmed with difficult emotions like sadness, grief, fear, rage. Feeling powerless in the face of these heartbreaking disasters, we often don’t know what to do. What CAN we do? Firstly, taking any actionContinue reading “For Troubling Times . . .”
Rapid Restoration – Napping 101
You may think napping is just sleeping. But there’s so much more to this afternoon rest! According to Arianna Huffington, in her book, The Sleep Revolution, research shows that napping boosts your learning power and lowers your blood pressure. Huffington also reports that older adults who take a thirty-minute nap and engage in moderate exerciseContinue reading “Rapid Restoration – Napping 101”
Breath-Centered Meditation
Using Your Breath as the Focus of Your Meditation Breath-centered meditation is one of the most common forms of meditation. In this sequence below, I point out aspects of the breath to pay attention to. Focusing on these subtle sensations will pull your attention inward and help to keep you from wandering off. Notice theContinue reading “Breath-Centered Meditation”
Slow down, you move too fast.
One of my yoga class participants recently said that she’s never still – she’s always busy doing something, gardening, cleaning, community projects, etc.. This is all great, but it left me thinking about our cultural programming around stillness and busyness. We’re taught to value constant productivity. It’s not okay to just be still. What IContinue reading “Slow down, you move too fast.”
Sleep is a Beautiful Thing
Sleep is like the secret sauce. It affects everything – mood, focus, mental clarity and your general sense of well-being. So why are so many of us not sleeping well? For many, the culprit is the dreaded BUSY MIND! How do we fix that? It might help to understand some brain science: when your mindContinue reading “Sleep is a Beautiful Thing”
Can You Feel Your Feet? Thinking vs. Feeling
Many people have difficulty quieting the mind when they settle into meditation or savasana, the resting period at the end of yoga class.     What do you mean, “watch the breath?” Really the intention is to feel the breath. If you have a mind that is constantly in overdrive, try noticing the difference betweenContinue reading “Can You Feel Your Feet? Thinking vs. Feeling”
For Those with Breathing Challenges
If your lungs have been compromised by treatment or other conditions, here are a few ways I can work with you to improve your ability to breathe. First, work with your diaphragm. Your diaphragm is your main breathing muscle and the first area I check. What you want to notice is whether your belly expandsContinue reading “For Those with Breathing Challenges”
Michelle Stortz 