Treat Yourself II

How can you help yourself with MFR...
Time is the key to helping yourself!!!
Not only do you need to give yourself the time for self-treating, you need to wait for your body to relax, soften and open up.
Helping yourself with MFR is so simple but I get that it can be kinda complicated.  I say "complicated" because from my own experience I didn't really know where to start in the beginning of my self-treating journey nor what to do and how to listen to my body. 

So, where do you start and what do you do?  Honestly, you can start anywhere you feel you need to relax, loosen tension, feels uncomfortable, etc.  Taking a few deep breaths can guide you in finding that area to start with.
If you took some breaths, what did you notice?  Staying present with yourself is so important to assist your body in healing.  I hope you have figured out a starting place, but now what??!!  Do you stretch or use a small tool or a foam roller or a gym ball or something else?  This is such a good question to ask yourself because the more you listen to your body the better you will begin to feel.
So, if you know where you are going to start and what you are going to do...go it!!!  If you are not sure what to do pick from the list above and just try something out because you have to start somewhere.  Try a stretch or use a small tool if you have one or do something else that calls to you!  Next, what exactly are you going to do to the area, for example low back, of your body.  
Most of us know stretches and other options to help relax and soften our body.  Try something you already know or if you want another option there is so much information online do a simple Google search for more ideas.
The key is to experiment and find what works for you.  And through experimenting comes listening to what your body needs which I will discuss next month.

***If you need a bit more guidance with this lets focus on the example I gave of the low back.  Lets stretch and use child's pose to help open up your low back.  And remember you must wait for your body to soften, relax and open up.  Waiting at least 3 minutes in this pose is a starting place to start a myofascial release and aiming for 5 minutes or longer is the goal!