Let’s talk about the mind/body connection. We use this a lot in Pilates. You will hear me and other Coaches referencing the mind and body connection with movement and breath. In my opinion we underestimate the connection, because it is MASSIVE!
As you read this Newsletter, you might also have in your mind thoughts about your day, thoughts about what has been said to you, or what you have said to someone else, thoughts about what you are having for dinner ... and as you have these thoughts your body will be responding in different ways.
Perhaps you have had a few cross words with someone. How does that make you feel and what are the physiological symptoms of this? A knot in the stomach, shoulders raised towards ears, short or shallow breaths, perhaps even a headache starting. A physiological reaction to an emotional experience.
Some of our general aches and pains can be the result of an emotional experience. Perhaps you have found yourself waking up with backache that you wouldn’t normally have, and this might stick around for a few days and then you wake up one morning and it has gone. What we don’t tend to think about when this happens is what’s happened over the last week in
my life that has affected me emotionally? Because it could be this that is the cause of the backache … thinking about the problem or the experience and how it has affected you emotionally and then with a physical pain.
When listening to a podcast with Sir Tom Jones, he talked about experiencing a physical pain when his wife died, and he believed this was what heartbreak felt like — the emotional thoughts of sadness, loss, overwhelming grief was being reflected in his body and became a physiological pain.
So working on our mind and body connections is really something to practise. Recognising that anxious thoughts can create tightness and stiffness in the body, while when we are feeling more relaxed, more content, our body responds by moving more freely.
If the mind/body connection is a challenge for you, then start with the breath (see my Exercise Of The Week below) — take time to connect, be conscious about the breath, it helps to calm and centre the brain and the body and it will result in you feeling stronger.
Classes Timetable — Week Beginning 21 June
Face-To-Face Classes
Please can I remind those of you who are attending these classes, that ALL absences need to be reported to me. PLEASE DON’T JUST TELL THE CLASS COACH — sometimes they may not remember, and it's NOT their responsibility... it’s MINE. As manager/organiser of those classes I have to keep records of attendance and absence for Test and Trace
purposes with the NHS for Covid-19 regulations. This was part of the Terms & Conditions that you agreed to when wanting to return to face-to-face classes, so I would very grateful if you could remember to do it, either by email or a simple text message is all that it takes.
Wednesday 23 June — Rosebery Street Medical Centre, with Mary
- 9.15am
- 10.30am
- 6.00pm
- 7.15pm
Thursday 24 June — Rempstone Village Hall, with Jenny
Friday 25 June — Rempstone Village Hall with Jenny
Friday 26 June — Old Woodhouse Community Hall, with Traudi
