Slow Down!

Hello, resilient and capable humans!

I’m here with an important reminder: you need to slow down.

Every day, I work with people who are learning to move their bodies in ways they’ve never explored before. Stretching can feel intimidating—sometimes even overwhelming—because it puts you into positions that your body isn’t used to. This unfamiliarity often triggers sensory overload and anxiety. That’s why learning to slow down and focus on your breath is so essential.

When you breathe deeply while holding a stretch, you send your nervous system a calming signal: “This is okay. I am safe.” Breathing in a position where you’ve never taken a full breath before naturally increases your range of motion. Without it, your body might react with tension or a "danger" narrative, urging you to come out of the stretch too soon.

Here’s my advice: When you feel that anxiety creeping in, pause and take a deep, intentional breath. Fill your lungs so completely that there’s nowhere else for the air to go. Ask yourself: What do I feel? If there’s no pain, stay for another breath. If there is pain, that’s your cue to come out of the stretch.

The longer you hold a stretch with steady, deep breaths, the more those short, tight tissues start to release. And as those tissues lengthen, their opposing muscles begin to strengthen. If you feel a cramp, don’t panic. Cramps often signal that a muscle is finally able to engage and no longer being limited by it's opposing muscle (the one recieveing the stretch) which is a good thing—it’s your body adapting to new movement. Instead of fighting cramps, move with them, breathe into them, and view them as your body’s wisdom guiding you.

Slowing down during stretching also allows you to become more in tune with your body. Think of each movement as an opportunity to scan and observe what’s happening inside. Take the time to feel each stretch, capture every little moment in the movement with your mind's inner eye like a camera taking pictures and collecting all the data along the way. Observe how your body reacts, and get curious about other parts of your body as you continue to deepen your stretch.

Stretching isn’t just another item on your to-do list. It’s a practice—a chance to reconnect with yourself in this fast-moving technologically and productivity driven world. By slowing down, you’re not only creating literal space in your body but your also creating the mental space to observe, reflect, heal and grow.

So, take a breath. Stay in the moment. And stretch with intention.