How much is too much?
Gao Yang
Dear Pot,
If I really took the time to listen to my body... what is my body telling me it needs at that moment? Day? Week? May it be emotional support, Z's, lethargic, achey, food intake, spiritual fuel and/or mental support/challenge... --Kettle
I get the question, "how much body work should I get done"? Take a moment to take inventory of what you do in your profession? If you're sitting "X" amount of hours at a desk, typing "Y" amount of minutes at a time, while holding your phone on your shoulder "Z" amount of times in a day... Did you get up at any point to stretch out the muscles you've been shortening by sitting down? Did you know that you lengthen your back muscles sitting, while, simultaneously shortening your hip flexors and if it were a real stressful day (whether home/work life), I bet those shoulders are almost reaching the bottom lobes of your ears!? Go ahead, give yourself permission to let those shoulders drop and while you're at it, bring them slightly back, so, you're not curling those shoulders forward. What you do professionally, you also train your body to hold the body mechanics of your profession (eg. a secretary who holds the phone by their ear with their shoulder, shortening their dominant side of their traps as they start to bring their anterior deltoid forward, straining their latissimus dorsi and if they're huffing and puffing with agitation, you can bet their serratus anterior is contracted from not deeply breathing).
Again, what you do professionally, you train your body to hold that profession as well. This doesn't necessarily mean you're creating balance between the muscles you use daily with the muscles you don't use as often or at all. Think about it, you're sitting/standing here, as you're reading this blog... How long have you been in this position (literally)?
Here's the thing my friend, in all honesty... what you do to your body 20..30.. 50+hours a week, working/at home/physical lifestyle, how much work can I or any other therapist really "undo"?
As a practitioner, I do 3-4 hours of yoga a week, walk at least 1-3 miles/day, do 2 hours of weight training a week. For me, I feel that I need at least a 2 hours bodywork session, every other week(preferably every week, when I've trained a little harder). This is not a luxury, it is a necessity to keep up with the toll put on my body. Take into account, I am also working on other folks and their bodies through my week. Filling my cup is essential!
What are you doing to fill your cup?