Fix Your Plantar Fasciitis-Episode 7

In this episode we dive into some of the emotional or energetic undercurrents for plantar fasciitis.

Over the years of doing this work, I’ve found that there’s usually a top down approach over a bottom up in which the person approaches life. So, rather than being connected to the feet and the ground, the person is a heavy thinker and rationalizer.

A way to try to shift this mindfully in your body is to visualize your feet having roots that grow into the ground. Another suggestion is to connect to a place you can feel in your body and create new veins so-to-speak down each leg and into each toe. Then check in and see if it is easier to have a sensation of your feet in the ground.

Yet another suggestion is to purchase an earthing mat. The concept here is that we have chronic inflammation issues because we walk in rubber-soled shoes and concrete and that our bodies are unable to discharge negative ions. I know it sounds like a load of you-know-what, but I actually did find great benefit from sleeping on one of these for several years. My general sleep improved and I felt less allergies/illness. You can find ones that you can just have your feet on it, there are yoga mats and you can have ones that fit the entire bed as well.

Check out the video for the rest of my explanation on the mental aspect of plantar fasciitis.

Fix Your Plantar Fasciitis-Episode 5 Stretch & Release Tight Calves

If your feet are tight and/or you’re having heel pain, you most definitely have some tight calves and ankles. This episode of the Fix Your Plantar Fasciitis course follows the same structure of the other episodes. We start with self-massage/foam rolling, follow that up with stretching and then proper reactivation of the target areas that are often under working in this pain pattern.

Specifically for this episode, we’ll go over how to foam roll your shins as well as your calves—fun fact, shin rolling=core work. We’ll then get into some fascial unwinding you can do on yourself in the form of soft tissue release (aka massage). Then I’ll show you some stretches you can do with a towel, or one of my two favorite purchases for plantar fasciitis sufferers, the DCT Proflex. I love that thing so much I keep one at the studio and have one at my house so I have no excuse to not stretch my calves frequently.

I’ve chosen ankle stretches that really focus on the fascial component as well. Feel free to spend more time in these positions, particularly the achilles/soleus stretch as that tendon wraps around the heel and could be part of a heel pain pattern.

We’ll end with how to activate the different aspects of your calves in a simple home exercise. Thanks for watching!

The Body Keeps Score

Did you know that if you (or someone you know) have suffered through abuse, a traumatic event or upbringing that the brain actually shifted as you (they) attempted to process the pain? This book has rocked my world the past couple of weeks in learning how amazing the body is and how healing from trauma is a layered process.

What is trauma?

In short, something that was stressful in which you felt alone. Obvious examples here include abuse, natural disaster, loss, terrorism and war. In looking at the behavioral patterns that can arise from trauma, I can't help but think most of us could cite some form of traumatic event(s)/relationship(s) in our lives.

How does the brain shift?

Trauma can actually change the brain's alert system and responding hormones in addition to leaving a mark on the brain similar to a stroke. The author, Bessel Van der Kolk, conducted a study where he showed participants images to trigger their trauma while monitoring their brain hemispheres. When participants were exposed to traumatic images, the right side of the brain that impacts how we perceive the world around us was activated, while the left, organizational side deactivated. The brain itself is in response mode to the trigger without real context of time or place. Moreover, the brain's response to trauma is pre-verbal so this explains why recounting what happened in a logical or coherent manner may be difficult or garbled.

While one may consciously choose not to respond to a trauma trigger, the body systems are still reacting, including hormones, which don't return back to normal levels after being in fight or flight or freeze mode. Because of this there is an internal disconnect so one may suffer from addiction or self-mutilation as well as illness, adrenal fatigue, fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue, poor sleep, memory issues, autoimmune disorders and irritability. (If you're super geeky about this stuff, as I am, he spends a good 10 pages going into brain chemistry specifics...but does so in a very approachable way for the brain science novice.)

What are some symptoms of trauma?

Hyper-vigilance-Because of the brain shift, one can be in a perpetual state of hyper-vigilance. This goes back to the perception lens--the brain is constantly surveying for a potential threat. This also means that one may project past traumas onto current life events.

Social isolation-Not wanting to engage with others because this could set off a trigger, so it's better to avoid interaction. On the flip side, fraternizing with those who have suffered the same trauma may feel safe (e.g. other veterans) yet this can also be limiting over time as one's identity shifts.

Loss of identity-You may more commonly know this as survivor's guilt as well as confusion if the person who abused you was supposed to be your caretaker/loved one.

Emotionally numb-A way to deal with the trauma is to disassociate from one's body and feelings, leaving one devoid of feeling.

Loss of imagination-If raised in an unsafe environment, all of the body's systems are in self-preservation (hyper-vigilance) mode so there's no room for imagination or exploration.

Risk-taking-The body releases endorphins which are like morphine, so one can become addicted to risks or even find pleasure in pain. The body seeks this out to overcome anxiety.

How does one heal?

The author suggests 3 approaches to be used in tandem as needed.

1. Top down with talk therapy, specifically EMDR, Internal Family Systems and Neurofeedback. If you're in Austin, there's a great clinic that uses these approaches. Find out more about them here.
2. Medications that will turn off the body's alarm systems.
3. Bottom up through the physical so that the body can experience something other than helplessness and rage which gets held in the viscera (i.e. having a broken heart, stomach in knots). He suggests this in particular for those who suffer from musculo-skeletal pains that may have an emotional root. Since that is my bag and this is my blog, I'm going to spend a bit more time on this and his suggestions.

Heal trauma with mindfulness.

Ki Hara Active Stretching for mindfulness and flexibility.

The first step in releasing the past is reconnecting with and establishing ownership of the body to feel, find peace and focus so that when things trigger the past, one can maintain internal calm. When we can connect with how we feel, we can begin to change perspective. If we can't feel, we are incapable of figuring out what our body needs and how we can best take care of it. By being present in our bodies, it is safe to revisit the past without being overwhelmed by it. We can start to have words for things we may have hidden from ourselves and reintegrate the pieces of ourselves that we've lost along the way. A way of coping with trauma is disassociating from our bodies, so mindfulness and breath work reaffirm who we are as a whole being.

The author recommends yoga as an avenue to mindfully connect with the body. A former client of his specifically cited that Pilates helped her heal from a traumatic event to her pelvis. I love both of these modalities, yet I don't think I learned to be deeply connected to my own body until I encountered Ki Hara Resistance Stretching (aka yoga on steroids). It has been amazing for helping myself and my clients reconnect with areas of the body that have been forgotten and then integrating them to the whole. It's particularly effective because when I'm working with a client, it becomes a partner effort to rediscovery. In other words, it's not someone alone in their own stretching practice (though this is another component for establishing ownership of one's body). I can be an objective pair of eyes for how your body is moving when there could be a more efficient way. If you haven't connected to a part of your body in a long time, how are you even supposed to know it's there?

I found this book to be incredibly insightful both for my own understanding of some areas I need to work on and to have more compassion for others who have are trying their best to heal. If you're one who is better with video over books, here's an interview with the author with some similar themes.

Start Loving Your Job Today with Career Zen

While writing my post on the Book of Joy, I was struck by the simplicity of the generosity pillar of joy. If we have a sense of purpose, we want to share that with others, which gives us joy. As we begin a new year, many of us may feel frustrated that we're still doing that job/profession that doesn't make us happy. If this sounds like you or someone you know, I'd like to introduce you to my wonderful friend, Dr. Lynn Chang. She helps people shift their perspective in current job while uncovering their life's passion, so you can spend your time sharing something you love and receive joy!

You help others discover their life's purpose, how did you determine this was yours?

At The University of Texas at Austin I taught a class called "Career Planning," which is ironic because you can't really plan a career. Just like you can't plan how life is going to happen, you can't plan how careers are going to happen. It's a delicate dance between knowing who you are and what you want, with what the world needs and what the universe provides. The correct title of the class should have been "Career Unfolding" because it's in the step-by-step decisions you make along with the twists and turns of life that actually chart out your career path.

The clues to one's Life Purpose are all there in front of us. My job is to teach people how to listen from within, how to address the self-doubts when they arise, and how to use their gifts to lift all of us up. When I finally discovered how this life purpose thing actually works, it was like learning a magician's best-kept secret. I couldn't wait to tell everyone!

What makes your approach to career consulting unique?

I'm grateful for all of my years working as a university career counselor at UT. It taught me the fundamentals of helping people discover their path, as well as notice the nuances that each individual brought to the table. Over time I was able to quickly spot patterns and make predictions with pretty good accuracy, which is probably a product of the 10,000 hours rule. Additionally, I was diving more deeply into my yoga and spiritual studies and learning how everything was interconnected. I could intuitively see where people wanted to be in their careers and what was holding them back. Using yoga philosophy I began teaching people how to transcend barriers and reach their purpose more quickly and effortlessly. Unlike counseling or coaching, most people only need one consultation with me to gain insight into getting unstuck and a healthy dose of inspiration to follow their dreams.

Today my business CAREER ZEN is more about teaching people how to listen from within for the answers. I come from a long line of professors and feel a resonance with educators. I love teaching people how to stay open and curious to the answers that are already within them. This is how we ultimately move confidently towards our destiny. People are often curious what a session looks like. I tell them it's a balance between Eastern and Western approaches. It wouldn't be unusual for me to offer an online career assessment and talk about core motivation models, while also infusing meditations, Buddhist and yoga philosophy, and angel cards into our meeting!

What do you love most about your 'job'?

"Choose a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life," Confucius.

It's true! My colleagues and friends have often asked me what my secret was to being so happy and fulfilled at work. My entire professional life I have practiced what I preach, which is to follow your curiosity. Your internal guidance system is set up to help you navigate your path. Whenever I felt excited and alive with curiosity, I knew that was the right decision for me. I didn't have to have the next 5 years all mapped out, it didn't have to make practical sense-- t just needed to be clear on how I felt. Each step of the way, from my doctoral studies to my university job to opening my business, I felt divinely guided and supported. I have absolutely no regrets and know that my work has made a positive impact on others. Following your curiosity is the best way to use your talents for the world, and also how to live a juicy life!

I am honored to work with my clients and love briefly sharing our journeys together. What I'm essentially doing is helping them open up to a fuller, more authentic version of themselves. I can feel the world becoming brighter with each person I meet. That glorious feeling is how I know I'm on my path.

What's next for Career Zen that you're excited about?

I'm really excited to be writing my first book! The book is entitled "The 10 Day Career Cleanse." I believe that you can begin today to love your job, regardless of where you are. It's about the moment-to-moment choices we have throughout the workday to choose joy, balance, and fulfillment. It walks people through 10 days of different techniques, all based on mind-body-spirit principles that I've personally found helpful along my journey. The book is an invitation to incorporate wellness principles from the personal development realm into the professional development world. The more we place our attention on joy at work, the more joy we will feel at work.

I'll share with your readers one of my favorite techniques based on neuroscience called the Brain Dump. If you've ever taken work home with you or even had dreams about work, then this one is perfect. At the end of your work day, take a minute or two to observe the contents of your day like an outsider. Close your eyes and imagine watching an old silent black and white movie of your day. Beginning from the start of your work day until this very moment. Watch yourself go through the course of events without narration, judgment, or analysis. Just allow your brain to process what happened. Even place a "The End" sign at the end of your movie. This helps to wipe your slate clean from your work day and leave the rest of your day for you to enjoy!

Dr. Lynn Chang is available for individual meetings, donation classes, workshops, presentations, and retreats. Check out career-zen.com for more information.

What can you let go of in 2017?

As we begin another year, many of us take this time to reflect on our health. Wellness resolutions are made and often not adhered to after a few days or weeks. If we start to look at what we're ready to let go of over adding another thing to the list, those resolutions stick and we have longer-lasting health benefits.

When you start to see your physical health is also your emotional health is also your mental health, you'll have more profound results in your overall wellbeing. When life stress happens, we can mentally acknowledge what's going on, we emotionally feel a response, and the physical body goes into self-protection mode even if we don't consciously realize it. Mindfully connecting to your movement gives you greater dexterity in your physical body, while showing you which stressors and emotions you hold where so you can let that old stuff go!

I had my own journey making these mind-body connections after I had a stabbing pain in my left hip so intense (10 out of 10 pain) that it locked out my lower back. I wrote about this more here. I studied and figured out the muscular imbalances, but that didn't fully eradicate the pain. Unfortunately, it wasn't until more than a year later that I started to notice when my hip pain increased. It initially surfaced when my father unexpectedly died of a heart issue. So, anytime I felt threatened or afraid of losing someone, those muscles tensed. As I addressed this duality of emotion (fear) with my muscular imbalance, my hip got better. It has since reared its head a few other times, most abruptly and intensely when I had a miscarriage. So, same death and loss trigger.

Each time the pain has returned, it has been less instense or has not lasted as long because now I'm working through the root triggers. We often don't realize how much we're internalizing minute-to-minute until something hurts. In my case, the grief was so overwhelming I couldn't even process what I was or was not internalizing. Now when my hip starts to 'talk' to me, it's my reminder to take stock of what is going on in my life...what am I afraid of? Is there another emotion my body is responding to? Can I shift my mental perspective?

In my work with clients, we try to explore which emotions you're experiencing and holding onto in your injured and chronically stuck spots. You may not completely let go of something you're holding onto, there are layers to process, particularly for intense or tragic life experiences. At least in letting go, we allow more space for healing and more of us is freed up to be present and more authentic. We have more ability to create the life we want over physically carrying around the past.

What are you ready to let go of this year?

For the month of January, I'm offering a New Year's package for new clients. For more information, click here.