Genuine Movement

11/22/2024

So good!

07/31/2024

06/10/2024

I’m loving this new option! Group sessions with an individual focus. Embodying your unique needs , empowering agency and ownership of your goals, and learning while moving with others!

I’ll be there to coach you if you get stuck, give ideas on how to plan your time and will also be offering targeted manual therapy.

If you need adaptive modifications or support moving around the space caregivers and partners join for free!

DM me with questions or head to my NEW link in bio to book in!

03/27/2023

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

"[Colleen is] guiding me to meet, claim, hold onto, and care for my body as never before. That is a priceless gift."

03/24/2023

"Conscious breathing is the best antidote to stress, anxiety and depression."

- Amit Ray

03/22/2023

Regularly giving yourself a breast massage can help support lymph flow. In my diving into the reasons for breast cancer I've come across the idea that stagnant lymph flow due to constriction of sports bras could cause cancer.

There is NO evidence this is the case. But we do know that lymph drainage and flow is a positive in healing and part of a functional immune system. We can utilize breast lymph massage to support healing after surgery and as we introduce movement.

Key elements of a lymph massage of any kind are to keep our pressure light (most of the lymph channels live under the skin and we are trying to promote movement), compression of the tissue or digging in is not working at the level of the lymph channels.

03/17/2023

5 daily post-mastectomy exercises to regain mobility and strength. These exercises are for when you’ve been cleared for movement, about 5-6 weeks out.
Take them slow, find your edge and ALWAYS let the scar tissue and fascial tension be your guide.

Want to see the full videos? I'll email them to you, click on the link in the bio.

1. WALL CRAWLS. As you crawl up the wall meet the edge of your resistance and then back off just slightly. This will ensure you're working in a way that doesn't irritate the healing process.

2. ELBOW CURLS. When starting elbow curls after a DMX, you might find it easier to do one side at a time.

3. PEC ACTIVATION. Activating the pecs and chest is key to getting full range and strength back. Before you pick up weights, make sure you can activate your chest.

4. H/K MOBILITY & STABILITY. These small mobility and stability exercises will prep you for getting back into your planks and more complex bodyweight exercises.

5. REVERSE PULLS & HINGES. Stretch from wrist to chest with these reverse pulls and then check in with hinges on the dowel to passively work your overhead mobility.

03/16/2023

How are shoulder pain and breath related?
The Phrenic Nerve.

Our phrenic nerve, the motor nerve of respiration AND the sensory nerve for the organs below the diaphragm, has two main functions.
Telling our diaphragm to contract and transmitting information back to the brain about what is happening inside the body.

Sometime after injury or cumulative stress on the nervous system, the brain can start to confuse messages. So if a liver isn't gliding and sliding or there is fascial restrictions between the liver and diaphragm the sensory information can travel back to the brain and the brain might interpret that as shoulder pain.

This video is part of the SCI Breathwork Program. Check out the link for information about the SCI Online Learning Portal.

03/15/2023

So many factors go into breathing - the autonomic part of the brain controlling breath , without conscious thought, our bodies regulating oxygen and CO2, and layered on our ability to control breathing. That’s a lot!

And then we add that our Phrenic nerve the motor nerve of respiration AND the sensory nerve for the organs below the diaphragm- the body and brain are phenomenal at sorting out all this information.

Sometime after injury or cumulative stress on the nervous system, the brain can start to confuse messages. So if a liver isn't gliding and sliding or there is fascial restrictions between the liver and diaphragm the sensory information can travel back to the brain and the brain might interpret that as shoulder pain.

This video is part of the SCI Breathwork Program. Check out the link for information about the SCI Online Learning Portal.

03/13/2023

After mastectomy single or double with expanders placed there is a pretty strict regiment of not lifting your arms over head, no lifting, no cooking, no cleaning. You're in the acute phase of healing, more than likely with drains still in.

And if you are a mover or wanting to find some way to know you're supporting lymph and blood flow- and wanting to avoid the tightening that scar tissue can bring, it is still possible to find gentle supportive movements.

My biggest cue when moving while healing from surgery- KNOW your edge. This can change day to day. Moving while healing is NOT about pushing yourself. You are in the ACUTE phases of healing and want to encourage fluid movement to bring nutrients and fresh blood to an area.

Rocking, rolling, swirling, figure 8's are all great movement cues to help enrage movement without strain. You might have numbness and altered nerve sensations, like every time you take a drink it feels like it's spilling down your chest. (That is the weirdest!)

If you are looking to test your range in any plane. Find your edge and then back off. Some days it will be more than the day before, some days less. What ever it is- honor the tissue that is healing.

Your goal is to get supple scar tissue as you heal, that isn't facially pulling into itself, but can translate movement and force. This will take time. You can't rush healing, but you can support it.

I know this is the most painful, challenging time and it is fu***ng hard. But you will heal and your strength will return, but right now remember that your body needs you to listen and support where it is in this healing phase.

03/10/2023

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

This was a really interesting session. It took us down an unexpected path. And it was the body that guided us to the answers. When I listened to the tissue, nervous system and assessed movement I could not have predicted where we ended up.

My client had been experiencing pain in the left hip, left low back and was having trouble putting on his L sock- which highlighted his pain.

My visceral listening took me to the Right side of the abdomen. Local listening took me to the ascending colon. When assessing the tone around the area there was an increased tone in the abdomen and obliques compared to the left.

After treating the ascending colon I checked in with the descending colon and left side which had then tightened up. After treating the left side the right tightened back up. Ultimately addressing the hepatic and splenic flexure and transverse colon , the listening subsided.

Due to the ping pong of tightening, I was curious about his movement routine and he mentioned that he was doing a lot of criss cross obliques in his core routine and was rowing daily.

After the visceral manipulation I wanted to activate and then challenge his body- and recheck his listening to make sure his nervous system didn't return to tightening or hugging his large intestine.

We did 3 exercises:
Stomach Massage on the Reformer
Lunges on the Chair
Reverse Tower

These exercises where all to rebalance the deep hip flexion and core activation. Diving deeper into their rowing routine we talked about how they didn't really think about the push through their legs while rowing, and how by doing so we could activate and reflexively integrate the core into their rowing.

The client's left hip and low back felt better upon leaving and checking in a month later was still feeling great!

03/08/2023

"Cancer doesn't care, so you have to."

Cancer doesn’t care how healthy you eat, what your diet is like, if you’re active or not. I know that we can address these risk factors by being as healthy as possible, but that doesn't gauntee that cancer will stay away.

The rise of breast cancer , and endocrine cancers, in the younger population isn't doesn't have a conclusive researched answer. My guess is a combination of variables, from the products we use, the endocrine disruptors, to the stressful lifestyle many lead. Yes we can reduce our risk factors but even the healthiest folks can get cancer.

I was 39 when I found my original lump. Get to know your body, your breast tissue and how it feels. So that if you do experience changes you can catch it early.
While we don’t know exactly why cancer forms in some bodies and not others we do know early detection is key!

It's so important to take care of yourself and regularly check for any signs of breast cancer. Getting annual mammograms if you're over 40 years old and paying attention to changes in your breasts at any age.