I was recently invited to share my thoughts with a young reporter of one of our local high schools about movement and health as part of an article about creative ways to cope during the pandemic. She asked some good questions, I enjoyed going through the process and I was impressed with the end result, so I thought would share both the article and the full interview with you here.
Here is the link to the finished article: Creative Coping during Covid19 pandemic
The full interview:
Why is it important to stay active during the COVID-19 pandemic?
It is important to stay physically active during the Covid-19 pandemic for the same reasons it is important to move your body, in general. Movement is life. Our bodies recognize themselves as living systems because of the dynamic relationship between the relative stillness and the movement of our parts.
Like all natural systems, we stay healthiest by balancing exertive and recuperative activities throughout the day. If we make daily choices to consistently limit our movement repertoire we, in turn, send messages to our brains that there is no need to create new neurons and, as a result, our brains slowly die. If we do not move our bodies regularly our immune systems stop functioning properly.
Although most of us understand the importance of the brain, we may not understand the importance of the immune system, which is that part of our bodies that help us fend off illnesses and dis-ease. To defend us the immune system needs to be able to move toxins out and nourishment into our cells; however, our immune systems have no pump like the heart that transports blood through our circulatory system, so the immune system is dependent upon us to move our bodies in ways that support the fluids of the immune system to do their job. In addition, our immune systems can get overwhelmed by the toxins of stress and become less effective at protecting us. Because of this it is especially important to find ways to reduce the stressors we can control, especially during times when the stressors we have no power over have increased.
Self-care choices of how we eat, sleep, think, and act have affects on our immune systems. Emotional states like fear, worry, anxiety, frustration, impatience and anger release chemicals into our body that can be toxic to our health over time. To consciously decrease your stress load and increase the capacity of your immune system - in general and during this pandemic - it is important to have a daily pattern that includes eating healthy foods, drinking adequate hydrating beverages, maintaining recuperative sleep habits and regularly moving the whole body, in big and small ways.
In what ways can people stay active?
The ways people can stay active is as varied as the people involved.
Staying active is not simply a case of performing "right" actions, although some of the types of actions I invite my clients to practice in their daily lives include conscious breathing, walking, running, dancing, wiggling, humming, jiggling, yawning, singing, laughing, hopping, moaning, meditating, self-compressing, more breathing and generally contracting and expanding different body parts in ways that are interesting and satisfying to their bodies..
I suggest to my clients that while there are actions that may in itself be valuable, it is also important for them to be actively present and aware while they are doing the action(s). This is especially important if your intention is to do actions that decrease stress, lift mood and support the immune system.
I will share an example of this might play out: imagine two friends walking at a brisk pace for five miles on the MKT trail. While this action has many benefits to the body, including the cardiac, skeletal, respiratory and muscular systems and also has the potential to decrease stress, increase mood and support the immune system, it does not guarantee the latter. If these friends spend the entire five miles focusing on exchanging stories of fear, anger, anxiety, sadness, irritation, and confusion, then they could feel less refreshed and more stressed after the walk because they stayed in connection with and actually focused more on the stressors. On the other hand, if these friends spend their time walking together, sometimes sharing their stories about their life affected by Covid19 while also choosing to focus on being present with satisfying experiences of the moment - of the sounds, sights, smells of the world around them, of their breath, their bodies being supported by the Earth, and the sensations of their bodies moving in space - they will find more recuperation in mood after finishing the action and will have probably boosted their immune systems by releasing hormones of satisfaction and pleasure.
For whom might the pandemic be stressful and why?
I think that the idea of the pandemic is stressful for everyone because it is the first time in the history of the humans living that we have dealt globally with a threat that has so many unknowns attached to it. I think that the effects of things like the stay-at-home orders that we are doing to try to ameliorate the effects of this virus, while important for our community's health, has also created added stress, especially on those who had strained resources prior to this pandemic such as folks without a financial buffer, especially those in minimum wage and/or part-time jobs and anyone without a physical or mental health buffer due to lack of financial security or insurance, pre-existing health conditions and/or limited family or social support. These folks are going to experience more stress than those who have access to those types of resources to buffer them during this time. I think that the people who have the highest risk of stress during this pandemic are those dealing with the reality of the virus - those living in highly affected areas, like NYC, and those working in professions where they are in close contact with people who actively have the virus, like healthcare workers. The folks living in these conditions have less space and time in which to take a break from the realities of this situation, and that can increase stress.
What do you do at Kindred Collective?
I am a registered somatic movement therapist and educator (RSME/T) with a Masters level certification in Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis (CMA) and a licensed professional counseling (LPC).
As a RSME/T-CMA I use a framework of movement fundamentals that supports my clients in finding harmony and integration in all life activities. Whether exploring movement one-on-one with an individual or leading one of my various movement classes, my goal is to support the participants in safely exploring and developing more awareness of themselves so that they expand their capacity to make more informed choices of how they move, think, act and interact with and in their lives. The business "vessel" for this part of my work is called Embodiment LLC.
As Victoria Day LPC LLC, I use this same framework; however, I use it as it applies to a clinical, trauma-informed, resiliency-focused mental health therapy setting.
Have your services changed since the COVID-19 pandemic? If so, how?
My services have not changed; however, the way my clients and I inhabit the Space is different. Instead of meeting at my studio at Kindred Collective, we either meet on-line using teleconferencing software or we meet with masks on, outdoors with 6+ feet of space between us to sit or walk in nature.
How do you incorporate movement into your daily life during the pandemic?
The ways I incorporate movement into my daily life during this pandemic are much like it was before - with the caveat that I am more consistent in my practices. I have noticed a direct relationship between my mood and overall feelings about myself/life and how I have chosen to be in my body during the day. A day that is spent with lots of sitting in front of a computer without breaks is a day when my back muscles will hurt from overuse tension, my capacity to soothe will be depleted and I will be unable to sleep restfully, which can then set up a cycle of overwhelm. Regular movement throughout the day and a 30 minute walk, bike ride or yoga session in the evening will transform all of that!
When do you incorporate movement? Where? What types of movement?
I incorporate movement in my personal life from the moment I wake up then throughout my day until bedtime.
Upon waking I invite myself to notice the quality of my thoughts and the sensations in my body, checking in with my breath, inhaling deeply into the belly and exhaling with an audible sigh to waken my internal tissues, stretching and flexing slowly to get my joints prepared to support my weight once I am standing, and then shifting from lying in bed to standing next to the bed in whatever way that I find satisfying. My daily intention is to practice embodied meditation for 5 - 10 minutes every morning followed by 15 - 20 minutes of movement on the floor. The movement is usually inspired by the Bartenieff Fundamentals (which is a piece of the framework of integrated movement I mentioned before); however, sometimes it is also inspired by modalities like authentic movement, contact improv, modern dance and yoga.
My intention throughout the day is to notice and CHANGE something about the way I am in my body at least once an hour, especially if I am sitting for most of that hour - this change could be as simple as checking in to my breath, pushing into the floor with my feet, stretching my limbs and noticing what is happening in the world outside the bubble I have been in or it could be something more complex like walking around my yard, dancing to a short piece of fun music or biking around my block. Since I also offer online movement classes four of the five weekdays, I always move consciously in some way mid-day which is also a great break for my body. The key point is that I check-in regularly with my whole bodymindspirit and change something to help my body recuperate and balance from the exertion of whatever I’ve been doing.
In the evening, I have found that for me a short 15 - 20 minute walk, bike ride or session of yoga is very helpful to ensure a quality night of sleep.
How long should a movement session be and why?
I'm not sure if you are asking about one of my Embodiment sessions, or just in general. If the latter, then I think I addressed this above. If the former, the initial session is 75 minutes and then a standard Embodiment session is 45-50 minutes, at least every other week.
What types of movement are most effective for managing mood/mental health? Why?
There are basic movements that can be helpful for self-soothing and regulating our mindbodyspirit as we negotiate our body's experiences of uncomfortable thoughts, emotions, sensations and desires for actions. These movements are all based on human development and are often done quite unconsciously by many of us in times of stress. By bringing awareness to the ways you use (or restrict) these types of movement in your daily life, you can more consciously manage your whole system’s health. Some examples of these basic embodiment “moves” are humming, rocking, swinging, wiggling, bouncing, and laughing. These are all simple actions based on moving breath and shifting weight.
Irmgard Bartenieff who developed the Bartenieff Fundamentals once said, "Breathe and be ready to change. Change is here to stay." If any one reading this article wants to know what I would suggest as the one “movement” that they can do regularly in their daily life to actively create space for more health, it would be for them to consciously breath for 3 - 6 breath cycles once an hour during their waking day and to notice the subtle, organic changes within their body as they breathe and then to allow movement of whatever body part(s) they notice in whatever way increases their overall sense of satisfaction.
Besides movement, what are some other ways people can manage mood and mental health during the pandemic?
Above I mentioned basic self care because basic self-care is key.
I will also suggest this as something to consider: Remember that you are free to choose where you put your focus. And consider that what you focus on comes into your body and becomes a part of you! As you consider this, notice where you are putting your focus right now - visually, mentally, energetically. Ask yourself whether what you are focusing on is affecting your mood and mental health. Inquire gently with yourself whether the thing you are focusing on is something you want more of in your body or not, and if the answer is "no" then know you are free to put your focus on something else!
If you notice that you would like to say "no" and shift your focus but are unable to do so, then I suggest getting support to help you learn and practice this skill. One way of doing this would be to contact Erica at Kindred Collective to see which of our many practitioners can help support you to make this change!