Daily Maestroism

DM #87

Thursday, August 18th, 2016

DM #87: We’ve all treated THAT patient. Push harder. Harder. HARRRDDERRRR!!! ?….?? Slow your roll, my dude. To the patient who comes to see me and immediately asks for a super aggressive treatment, my response is always the same: breathe.

A request for such treatment tells me that his/her nervous system has had one too many Redbulls and needs to chill out. Often times, people ask for such intense work because their nervous system is in such a sympathetic (flight or fight) state that blasting it with the force of a jackhammer is the only thing that will provide enough stimulation that they can perceive.
How to improve this? Down-regulate that system so that it’s ready to listen, learn, and receive information. One of the best ways to tap into the nervous system and enter a more parasympathetic (rest and digest) state is through diaphragmatic breathing.
While there are a host of benefits afforded by diaphragmatic breathing (and a number of physiological mechanisms through which it affects change), the massaging action it provides to the vagus nerve directly contributes to getting you into a more relaxed (parasympathetic) state. There’s a physiological reason why yoga and meditation work so well! They focus on the breath.
So the next time Joe Smashmeup comes in asking to be steam-rolled, try focusing on breath-work instead of how hard you can go without breaking your thumbs.
Daily Maestroisms dropping every night at 7pm PST. Get yours.
Like it? Repost it. Don't understand it? Hit me up and get #Maestrofied.
——————————————–
Be sure to follow The Movement Maestro on FB, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for all things #movement and #mobility related. Come move with the Maestro.