What Happened?! Why do I feel this way?

April 1, 2023

Does how you feel day to day change randomly and unpredictably?

It may not be as random or unpredictable as you think!

Your body is constantly giving you feedback as it responds to your environment and activities:

Physical sensations
Energy levels
How strong or stable you feel
Whether you look forward to or dread something
Your thought patterns and emotions…
Etc.

All of these things are signs… hints… clues… symptoms!

This is the language your body uses to communicate with you.

This communication exists on a sliding scale, from subtle whispers to loud screams, to tell you how close or far you are from feeling your best.

It’s easy to brush off (or not notice) the early whispers, because they’re so subtle. But as things progress further towards pain and limitation, the ‘hints’ become more noticeable. Sometimes, your symptoms are still not inconvenient or uncomfortable enough to fully stop you from doing what you want to do or do some self care, but you’re definitely more aware.

It’s very common to put things off until things are so bad that quality of life is significantly impacted.

So if you’ve left things long enough that your discomforts have become quite intense, you’re not alone!

At times there IS a fairly obvious reason for your aches and pains… Some parts of life just put a lot of demand on your body.

You help a friend move and spend a day hauling a lot of boxes… you’re going to be sore from a repetitive action that isn’t part of your normal routine!
Spent all day on your feet… Your legs will probably feel achey and heavy and your feet may be a bit swollen!
You start hitting the gym again… Your muscles are going to have to readjust to the increase demand and effort until your reconditioned!
You were sick and spent a lot of time laying in bed sleeping and watching TV… You’ll probably feel pretty stiff and sore from lack of movement!

No one, not even the healthiest person alive, is immune from bodily aches and pains.

Today, I’m talking about;

The clues your body gives you that something is becoming a bigger, longer term issue.
The signals your body gives you when you’re recovering from an injury or surgery and you’re about to push your body just a bit too far.
The extra symptoms you may develop around a chronic illness or condition that just make what you already deal with even more uncomfortable.

Remember, your body doesn’t speak English.

Believe it or not, pain and other symptoms are actually meant to be helpful. Your body isn’t intending to punish you… even though it may feel that way!

If your body doesn’t feel heard when it’s ‘whispering’ to you, it’s going to start ‘speaking up’ – getting louder, and louder, until it finally has your attention.

The earlier you catch on to what your body is telling you and the sooner you take action, the less work it can take to feel better.

So how can you go about doing this?!

Registered Massage Therapy

Seeking registered massage therapy is a great way to get help answering your questions, achieving some relief AND getting some ‘next steps’ for taking action.

Getting even just a bit of pain relief can take a big weight off your chest and allow you to start trying gentle stretches, exercises or simply getting through your day with a little more ease.

Massage therapy provides another great opportunity: To observe what happens as that relief fades.

The hands on aspect of a massage appointment provides temporary results – your symptoms are gradually going to come back. These early changes – where you’re still feeling pretty good, just not as good as before – are some of the subtle signs your body communicates with.

Your RMT will also have some suggestions for things you can try at home to try to prolong your relief, and get back some of that relief as it fades. How well the homecare worked for you can be discussed at your next appointment, and modifications or different suggestions can be made.

Yoga Therapy

Now, if it sounds overwhelming to do that observational work on your own in between appointments, Heather offers Yoga Therapy!

In Yoga Therapy time is spent exploring positions and movements alongside a professional so that the things you feel or have questions about can be discussed in real time.

It cuts down on time spent in trial and error – movements and other self care methods can be tried, discussed and modified in one session. When you go home, you will know exactly what you are doing, how to do it, and what to pay attention to. Heather often provides a short video of herself reviewing your movements as well so that you can replay it at home!

With Yoga Therapy, you can:

Create relief for yourself at home, whenever you need it.
Build on your progress consistently.
Turn things around and fast-track your rehab from injury or surgery.
Go into an upcoming surgery as strong and mobile as possible for a better recovery afterward.
Prevent injury by going into activities with a supple, mobile and receptive body.

Want the best of both worlds?

A massage therapy appointment must include assessment and home care recommendation, and that’s what Yoga Therapy!

By borrowing concepts, movements, constructive rest and breath work from Yoga Therapy to incorporate into your massage appointment, you can have it all! Get the relief from manual therapy and the real-time guidance around your body’s response to movement in one session. Leave your appointment feeling better and feeling confident about what you can do for yourself at home!

This is very customizable. How time is split between massage and movement will be based on your goals and needs. Plus, since all aspects of a massage therapy appointment are covered, we can still bill to your insurance.

If you’re ready to learn your body’s language, you can book a massage with any of our Registered Massage Therapists, or you can book 1:1 Yoga Therapy and Massage/Yoga Therapy blended appointments with Heather!

This blog entry was written by Heather and is based on what she has seen resonate with, and work for her clientele for over a decade. She is a career student who keeps her massage and yoga therapy training current, and does her best to keep up with the newest research and evidence.

Offering Registered Massage Therapy & Yoga Therapy in Courtenay BC