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“Trigger” has become a commonplace term in our cultural lexicon, but few people know about the opposite of triggers: glimmers. Coined by Deb Dana, a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in complex trauma, in her 2018 book “The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy,“ “glimmers” refers to small moments when our biology is in a place of connection or regulation, which cues our nervous system to feel safe or calm.”We’re not talking great, big, expansive experiences of joy or safety or connection,” Deb says. “These are micro moments that begin to shape our system in very gentle ways.”So, what is a glimmer? Glimmers aren’t just tiny moments that bring joy or happiness, they can also spark ease, relaxation, safety, connection or a feeling that the world is OK even for a fleeting moment.Glimmers can be found in different places and senses….

“You feel something happen inside,” Dana says. “There’s an energy that happens around a glimmer, and then your brain then marks it as well.”

Glimmers – small moments of joy –  how about these?

Raise your arms above your head in the ELDOA arm position –  invigorating
After 5 cycles of the general ELDOA – calmness
New clients reaction after releasing out of a cervical ELDOA – a sigh
The look on peoples faces after L5/S1 at the end of a class –  elation 

 There’s more. Find them when you move with us…our Movement “Pharmacy” is just what the integrative medicine and healthcare mindset ordered.

Physical activity is good for you, there’s no arguing with that. But we want you to pay more attention to your relationship between movement and mental health. That’s because it’s not just a matter of if, but how, you’re moving that determines whether the connection is positive or negative.

Most of our communication is nonverbal and yet, when it comes to mental health, we rely on the 10 percent of our communication that is verbal to uncover, release, and rewire these huge mental and emotional issues. Pilates therapy and small group training is about using movement to tap into our body’s needs and get at the root cause of why we’re feeling what we’re feeling.

Here’s how movement—whether as part of exercise or daily life—plays a role in our overall mental and emotional health.

Taking a “bottoms up” approach to our mental health can build better thought patterns and behaviors

To truly comprehend how the way we move impacts our mental health, we have to understand just how deep the mind-body connection runs. This acknowledgement is often lacking in traditional mental health interventions that focus just on talk therapy, affirmations, or changing thought patterns.

While sometimes those mind-focused strategies can work well on their own, we content that this is taking a “top-down” approach, instead of the body-first, “bottom-up” approach that we have found (as well as thousands of clients over 20 + years of business more helpful. When our nervous system is stuck in a stress response, we can’t reason our way out of it—we have to feel our way. To really change our thoughts, we have to look at how our bodies contribute to and support those thoughts, because, believe it or not, that’s actually where they originate. It’s sensations, it’s experiences; taking in information through the body creates those thought patterns and habits.

The first step in this “bottom-up” approach is noticing how your body is responding when you feel a certain way: “Am I tense? Am I rigid? How much space am I taking up? What’s the rhythm of how I’m moving through the day? If we can start to notice that and then start to challenge it, or expand the way we’re moving in that moment, we can circumvent the mind patterns.

Exercise without self-awareness can negatively impact your mental health

This deep mind-body connection doesn’t turn off when you’re in workout mode—in fact, when we move more, we feel more—and that’s not always a positive thing. Take running, for instance. If I’m on the go, go, go, and I have a hard time slowing down, sprinting is not actually going to help me change that pattern. It’s just going to perpetuate the go, go go (some runners have, upon reflection, realized they were running away from something). The idea is not to give up the exercise you love but to approach it with more intention, and to implement other spectrums of movement—which for the “on-the-go” runner may be something slower-paced, like Pilates or yoga.

That’s not to say that how beneficial a form of exercise is to your mental health is correlated to its intensity level alone. Even yoga can lead to anxiety. It’s not the practice, it’s the execution.

How do you know if your current fitness routine is detrimental to your mental health? At Pilates Manitoba and MELT Method Winnipeg, we do a pre- and post-consultation, taking notice of how you feel before and after your workout. While exercise may leave you physically exhausted, she says, it should make you feel emotionally energized and recharged, or like you’ve been able to release something.Come and learn how to incorporate this in your workout life.

Movement can build emotional resilience

Just as changing up your exercise routine can make your body stronger, creating a “robust movement vocabulary” can also build emotional resilience. If you are used to moving all around; if something comes at you, you may not be expecting it, but you will be more able to get back on your feet to handle whatever is coming.

The same logic applies on an emotional level. It’s about trying new movement, or expanding the reach or the range of the movement you currently do, which could mean identifying if you are only using your lower body, or noticing that you’re often moving forward and backward but never twisting or moving side to side. We also suggest “expanding your definition of movement,” by incorporating more playfulness  in everyday life—like dancing while you do chores, or kicking a ball around the park.

We do these movements as kids, and then as we get older, we don’t have time for play when we need it most. We don’t have movement at our disposal, or we’re like ‘I’m not free anymore—I can’t do that.’ So having a robust movement vocabulary is literally building the embodied dictionary we carry with us.

Here are the top five, all-too-common workout myths that should have been retired long ago. But, most people and research does not understand Pilates…the ultimate Stability NOT Soreness WHOLE PERSON workout with your own mind-body feedback as the superior marker of success!

We think these five workout “rules” that just don’t hold water. Whether you think that you have to be sore for a workout to “count” or believe that 10 minutes isn’t worth the trouble, get ready for a perspective shift that’s sure to make you feel a little bit more free while doing the movement you love. And if you can’t do the movement you love, do Pilates to make your joints stable and aligned so you can!

1. Only modify exercises if you want to make them easier

People often equate modifications with less intensity; however, choosing a modification may be the most-effective option to maintain proper form and the full range of motion for the body. Taylor Bogenschuetz is director of training and development at Solidcore, a high-intensity, low-impact workout performed on Pilates reformers and says “Every workout should meet you where you are. For example, you may think that modifying a push-up, either by lowering your knees to the floor, or elevating your hands, is less “effective” or “impressive” than completing a full push-up. But the truth is that the modified version will also work your triceps, core, and shoulders. Then, when you gain the necessary strength, you’ll be able to perform a full push-up safely”.

2. You have to use a fitness tracker to get good feedback

If you’re working out to seek the approval of your smart watch, Bogenschuetz says there’s another way. “From the moment you begin a workout to the second you end it, your fitness tracker measures your heart rate and displays an estimate of calories burned. These numbers alone are not a strong indication of the efficacy of your workout,” she says. The superiority of the way you FEEL is key here and MUST include joy and happiness in a measurement of good feedback.

The reality is, the stats on your fitness tracker are good—but they don’t paint a full picture of the mental and physical benefits you reap. The lesson here? Make sure your wearable isn’t the only way you’re measuring your progress. Consider keeping a fitness journal or clocking how you feel before and after a workout, as well and notice the energy and sensorial feedback increases and benefits.

3. You haven’t worked hard enough if you’re not sore

According to Bogenschuetz, many factors play into soreness including how hydrated you are, how much sleep you got the night before, and how well you’re recovering. In other words: It’s far too variable to use as a metric for a successful workout. Luckily, we are big fans of focusing on how your muscles and breath feel throughout the workout and always preach to listen to your body and make that mind-body connection when training. It can become a more efficient way of training, and it’s eye opening when you can truly understand your body and how it moves. We are also big fans of fascial hydration BEFORE the muscular workout, to prep the fascial continuum and flow, and some AFTER to restore the cellular hydration used up.

4. Always opt for long workouts over short

You don’t need to work out for 60 minutes straight to reap the benefits of exercise. If you only have 10 minutes, do that. If you have 10 minutes, five times a day, that is 50 minutes spread throughout. We have time for what we want to have time for, and sometimes you need to prioritize yourself. Short-and-sweet workouts are also a great way to manage stress, improve your overall health and build health habits.

So whether you have two minutes or a full hour today, make time to stretch, walk around the block, stand up and stretch and breathe, or move in another way that feels good to you.

5. Consistency counts, so don’t take rest days

“‘No days off’ is another ‘motto’ that could be more harmful in the long run. Your body needs rest in order to function properly and to its full potential. Exercise is stress on your body, and if you are constantly putting your body through stress, there will be a point where it could lead to overuse and injury.  

Instead of pushing yourself to exercise every day, listen to your body: If you feel tired, try active recovery like soft foam rolling or fascial flossing with the MELT Method or the Pilates “bubble-gum” balls or stretching. Or, opt to skip movement altogether with a smile in your eyes and heart…no inside voice saying mean things!

Read more about Pilates therapy and feel-good treatments for ADHD

We offer private lessons for children, teens, and adults with ADHD as well as small group classes for schools and learning centres.

This holiday season, fill a standard-sized, decorated Shoebox with approximately $50 worth of gifts and essentials that any woman might enjoy, and include a warm greeting or message of support. Our volunteers distribute these gifts to local women’s shelters and community agencies serving women impacted by homelessness across Canada. Whether you donate a Shoebox virtually or in-person, it is more than just a gift. It is a rare and powerful reminder that we all matter.

We are so happy to be drop-off location for the Shoe Box Project that is re-starting Nov 21 – Dec 12, 2022.

You can bring them to class with you or text 204.999.9984 to arrange big drop-offs with me.

BEGINNER REFORMER PILATES
Mon 11:45 am – 12:45 pm
Thurs 7:30 – 8:30 pm

BEGINNER Pre-Hab Before Rehab (Adaptive & Integrative Fascial and Joint exercises)

Mon 8-9 pm

Health guidelines recommend adults get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. Which activities you choose don’t matter as long as they get you moving.

But what if an injury, illness, health condition, disability, or even normal aging makes being active hard for you? In those cases, adaptive Pilates could lend a much-needed hand.

Adaptive Pilates is for  people with disabilities or physical limitations. They often run parallel to traditional exercises but are modified to support people’s specific physical abilities.

MELT Mornings (Fascial Foam Rolling with Integrative Joint Stability exercises)

Tues & Thurs 7:45-8:45 am

ELDOA

Thurs 6:30 pm

Performing ELDOA Fitness movements will help increase your flexibility, improve muscle performance and tone, reduce stress, reduce joint inflammation, delay disc degeneration, improve posture, relieve chronic and acute back pain, relieve neck and shoulder tension, and improve the longevity of the spine and your overall wellbeing.

ELDOA’s active use of reinforcement exercise movements, myofascial stretches and posture techniques which aim to increase the space between joints and lengthening the spine.

Olesya is a ballet teacher with the RWB and our Classically trained instructor, the work closets to the original work by Joseph Pilates. It is not slow or “rehabby”. It has lots of core conditioning and spine stretchy goodness. Try out her Intro to Classical Pilates Mat & Reformer Mix class every Monday starting Oct 17 11:45- 12:45.