A New Beginning

It's been years since I've posted on this blog and lots has changed (as it should)! What's interesting though, is that I find myself in a similar place that I was in 4 years ago: I re-injured my SI (sacroiliac) joint, was laid off and am currently unemployed, and am making ends meet by living in my parents basement at 31 years old. Although life is different and I have had so many more experiences that have shaped my perspectives on the world, like a spiral, I have been brought back to the beginning - a new beginning.


Allow me explain the reason I bring up spirals. 10 years ago I traveled to Australia on a spontaneous trip in search of adventure and fun. The 5 quick weeks I spent exploring the beautiful country didn't disappoint. I still look back on that experience with awe. It was a crash course in life full of amazing people from all over the world, broken down vehicles in the middle of the outback, learning to sleep in a loud hostel room with 10 others, sailing, 4x4ing, dingos, beaches, greyhound buses and kangaroos. About halfway through I found myself at Hervey Bay, and small town in the east coast. I'm not one who wears much jewelry, but I walked into a little store on the beach and found a spiral necklace made into the image of a medusa or jellyfish. The tag on it said that medusa's symbolize "bravery".  I didn't really get the connection then, but now that I think about spirals and where life has brought me, I have a new theory about it: life is like a spiral... we try to move forward along our path towards our dreams or goals, but life has a way of bringing us back to a place where we might have missed the lesson along the way. We are never truly in the same place because we have grown, but we are given another opportunity. It's in these moments when we feel like we've taken two steps back, or lost everything we have been working for, that we need to be brave. We need to have the courage to accept our best, and forgive the rest. We need to determine whether we're 'here' because we need to go outside of our comfort zone and do something different so we can go somewhere different, or whether it's a test of perseverance.

Perseverance is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but many of us don't really understand what it means. A couple years ago, I was presenting at the Manitoba Physical Education Teachers Association (MPETA) conference in Winnipeg as the representative of Action Schools! BC (where I used to be a Regional Trainer and the Physical Activity/Education Specialist prior to funding cuts and lay offs last March). One of the highlights of the trip for me was listening to Tim Hague Sr speak. Tim was the season one winner of The Amazing Race Canada. What made this win so special is that Tim has Parkinson's Disease and was a true underdog in the competition. Tim shared much wisdom and inspiration, but what resonated with me the most was when he defined 'perseverance'.

Perseverance: To continue on your path, even in the face of difficulties, with little or no evidence of success.

What a powerful concept. It reminds me of a plant that spends the winter unseen under the soil. When the winds are blowing and snow if falling, there seems to be no life. But the seed was spending that time growing roots and building a strong foundation, for when the sun comes in the spring it can sprout. And that's when we see it and appreciate it. Often, if we're not seeing progress we think nothing is happening and give up. One of the most difficult lessons I'm trying to learn in life is that the most important ways to grow are the ones you don't see, for without doing the hard work on the foundation we will never get to enjoy the fruit.

I decided to start writing again mostly for myself during a difficult winter season in my life. We all know how beneficial it is to journal, to get your thoughts out, find clarity and track progress. If my journey can help one other person struggling through similar circumstances, then it's worth it to me to be brave and share my experiences on here instead of keeping my insights and failures as secrets in my personal journal. I have to admit, the thought of the world having access to my thoughts (and less than professional writing ability!) during the ups and downs of rehabilitating a challenging back injury and finding a new career path, is scary. But sometimes we need to do what scares us, push the edges of our comfort zone and take a leap of faith. That's why I'm not going to over-think my posts, worry about grammar, flow and relevance, and just write. Maybe together we can create a community of support where we share our knowledge for the benefit of all... maybe we can create an online church of wellness.

The power of the Mindbody

We hear the words "mind" and "body" together quite often, sometimes along with "spirit". From my experiences practicing martial arts and yoga throughout the years, the concept of the connection to the mind and body are referred to regularly. The best cues I've ever received to help me perform a physical task are accompanied with a visual. In the case of board breaking, being told to "have the intention to strike a point beyond the board" allowed me to follow through instead of stopping at the board itself. In yoga, the cue to physically "lift the corners of your mouth" while holding a plank, actually makes it easier, and not only that, but the act of smiling makes you happy to be shaking with muscular exhaustion! Try it!

The connection between mind and body is especially evident to me when thinking about depression. A couple of the main symptoms of depression are "lack of motivation" (mind) and lethargy (body), and can be caused by emotional trauma (mind) or chronic illness (body). Regardless of how you become depressed, you will experience both physical and mental symptoms. And what is the best medicine for depression? Laughter of course.

I'm currently reading Dr Gabor Mate's book called When the Body Says No. Dr Mate is a world renowned medical doctor and author, and has spent much of his career working with addictions and in palliative care. In his book he speaks about the connection between stress and illness. I think we can all agree from personal experience that these do in fact go hand in hand (my initial thought is when you get sick the day after final exams finish).

He uses the term "psychoneuroimmunology" and mindbody to describe the connection between the brain and the immune system and speaks of the repressed emotions and tragic childhoods many of his patients with serious immune diseases have in common. The first chapter of this book is available to read for free on his website: www.drgabormate.com.

I do believe in the power of the mind and the body and the importance of honouring one to help the other. Life and sport coaches have been utilizing the power of the mind for physical performance for a long time. Focusing on what you're grateful for, visualizing your successes before they happen, looking towards the end goal in order to motivate for the present. We use mindbody all the time. I think it's essential to acknowledge the power of the mind over the body and the body over the mind when taking care of yourself or others. Making time to do the things you love, finding healthy outlets of negative emotions, and surrounding yourself with positive influences and love, can actually have a direct affect on your physical health.

‎"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Dr. Seuss

Stretching Do's and Don'ts 2.0

Stretching is a largely misunderstood term. People stretch for different reasons whether it's too rehab your body, prepare for exercise, relax, gain flexibility, or just because they enjoy it. There are also many different forms of stretching, some that are safe and effective, and others that are dangerous and outdated. Regardless of your reasons for wanting to stretch, stretching can be a really healthy activity if you are doing is correctly. In my previous stretching post Stretching Do's and Don'ts I talked about the difference between Dynamic stretching and Static stretching and how they are currently being utilized in athletes. Let's do a little refresher on that:

Dynamic stretching is when you move your body through a comfortable range of motion to help warm up the muscles, lubricate the joints, and awaken neuromuscular connections (get your brain involved). This is not to be confused with Ballistic stretching which is an archaic means of stretching were you swing your limbs past the point of comfort with the intention of increasing flexibility. Ballistic stretching is dangerous and ineffective. Dynamic stretching also won't increase flexibility.

Here, Nina demonstrates a popular dynamic stretch for warming up the lower body with focus on the hip flexor and hamstrings. This stretch is useful for many activities, especially those that include running, skating, climbing, and swimming.

Use a wall or a partner for support while you gently swing your leg forward and back 10 times. Switch legs and repeat. You can also turn to face the wall and swing your leg side to side to warm up your outside hip and groin.

Hamstring Stretch

Static Stretching is the most common type of stretching. You will find this style of stretching in many yoga classes, on sports teams, and prescribed by physiotherapists and kinesiologists. It is when you hold a position for about 30 seconds without bouncing or pulsing. The idea is to move your body to a place where you feel a gentle stretch and hold it there until the muscle(s) relax slightly. If you stretch daily after exercise you will notice increased flexibility in that muscle over time, and decreased
muscle soreness.

Hip Flexor Stretch

If you are stretching as a part of injury rehab or prevention, READ THIS next paragraph:

There is growing evidence to support that the most optimal way to static stretch is to hold the stretch, just at the point where you feel a gentle tension in the muscle but no sharp pain, for 30-60 seconds, rest, then repeat 5-10 times. By holding the stretch any longer or deeper (as in some types of yoga) you may overstretch your muscle which puts your joint at risk and may damage your ligaments, or it may actually cause the muscle to try to protect itself from overstretching by contracting and tearing.


Stretching should be an enjoyable experience and a part of everyone's exercise routine. Relaxing and breathing should be a big part of it. Having modest flexibility helps to keep your joints healthy by lubricating them and feeding them nutrients. As you age you will have less muscle injury and a lower incidence of arthritis. Stretching the muscles helps to flush out waste products from exercise and decrease muscle soreness. Technically you can just move your body into a place where you feel a stretch for it to work, but it is important to be aware of body mechanics to stretch safely. The body likes to move in specific directions so keep those in mind as you stretch, or you can take the guesswork out of it and have a professional teach you tried and true safe stretches. And be aware that having too much flexibility is not a good thing either.

If you want to know how to safely stretch a particular muscle or group of muscles please feel free to comment on this post or contact me directly.

Fun with Slacklining

If you've never heard of a slackline before, you're not alone. Slacklining originated with rock climbers and has since become a sport of its own. A slackline is basically a 4 inch wide line tightened between two trees. It is like a wide tightrope but can have some incredible applications. You can simply stand on it or walk on it. Or, when you get really good, you can start to incorporate crazy balance poses, or even bounce on it like a trampoline adding in flips and tricks.

Greg shows us how to get on the slackline in Penticton, BC.

Some people have even taken it to the extreme and created High-lining. This is when the slackline is strung up across a gorge or river high above the ground. It takes a high level of understanding in order set this up safely (I'm certainly no where near this). Most people will use a safety tether but there are some who will walk across with no protection at all.  Some of my favrouite youtube.com videos include appearences by "Sketchy" Andy and Dean Potter.

Tips to get you started:
1) Getting on - I have found that the best way to get on a slackline as a beginner is to stand next to it with one foot on the slackline. Make sure this foot isn't weighted or you will find that it will shake uncontrollably! Hop up off the your other foot on the ground and reach your arms up high. Keep your knee slightly bent and your upper body tall. Also, look forwards, not downwards (I find looking at where the end of the slackline meets the tree works best for me). Make sure you breath and maintain a postitive attitude.

2) Staying on - I promise that you will be shaking in the beginning. This is normal. Don't get frustrated. Try to balance on one foot for 5 seconds. If the line is shaking a lot, you can also try to make a T with your feet, bringing your heels together to settle the line. After you feel balanced, take a step forward onto your other foot and try balancing on that one.

3) Walking - Once you have gotten comfortable balancing on one foot at a time, you can eventually start to quicken the time between each foot and before you know it you'll be walking.

I'm looking pretty shakey here. Notice my right arm is down. I would have been more successful by keeping both arms overhead and making small adjustments for balance.

Even something as simple as walking on a slackline will take a long time so keep up the positive self talk and enjoy the journey. Other basic moves you can do are: walking backwards, turning 180 degrees, jumping on the slack to mount, tree pose, and sitting on it.

What is the meaning of life?

This is a picture of my friend Bianca and me heading out to climb in Red Rocks, Nevada, a couple years ago. She is currently on an amazing personal adventure in Europe and sent this picture back. The message is so profound yet so simple, and answers that big question I sure we've all asked ourselves at one time or another: "what is the meaning of life?"

I've attempted a good ole fashioned "soul search" on many an occasion. Sometimes there is an "aha!" moment when the world becomes translucent and in that instant it all makes beautiful, inspirational sense. As I've grown up and formed more and more opinions about people and the universe, those "aha!" moments became more and more elusive. Perhaps this is a part of being an adult and losing the magic that kids seem to see so easily. It is when you grow up and realize that Santa and the Easter Bunny don't exist, and that you're not going to be an astronaut or a superhero in your lifetime. It is when you accept that your journey of life is going to be a similar, more modest (due to current economic states and housing prices), version that your parents had.

It can be depressing to think about it. If you've ever let yourself believe that what you are doing now in life is the best it's going to get, then you're sabotaging what it could be. I've been struggling with my self-talk in absurd amounts recently as I'm still battling the problems in my pelvis and back, and the uncertainty of my (hopefully) future career. I can honestly testify that having and injury or an illness that prevents you from seeing hope in doing the things you love to do, that bring you joy and inspiration, and lift you up when you fall down, is the hardest obstacle to overcome. I crave running through a shady forest on a hot, sunny day, climbing a mountain to see the view, dancing without limitations in my room to loud music, and playing a game of catch on an empty field. I can't do any of these right now and it brings me to my knees. I feel trapped in a prison and only half living.

But I'm not the only one with problems, and feeling lousy really sucks. Focusing on the negative of what I can't do is turning me into someone I loath to be with, but unfortunately I am stuck with me. Back when I was 17 years old, I was pretty sure I had "found" myself and knew who I was. I seem to remember thinking I was smart and strong and capable. Now at 27 years old I realize that those traits don't really belong to us, they are merely what we want to be. And the fears and limitations we put on ourselves determine whether or not we possess those qualities we desire. If you want to be strong, choose to be strong. If you want to be smart, choose to be smart and take the appropriate actions towards it. All the obstacles in your way a week, a month, a year down the road looks impossible now. So take it one day at a time. Focus on what you can do today to move forward and be proud you're not standing still. Most importantly, have faith you can do it.

"Fear knocked at the door.

Faith answered.

No one was there."

-Unknown

My old martial arts instructor had a saying: "whatever you can conceive and believe, you can achieve." The hardest part is believing. Because I can't do the things I love to do now, the logical step is try to love the things I can do. I looked back into my memory banks and realized that there were in fact, many things that I thought about trying but gave the backseat to. Maybe it's time to let those ideas drive for a while. A change of scenery is never a bad thing, right? Maybe I'll learn a new language or a new instrument. Maybe I'll learn new cooking skills or start a book club. Maybe I'll do all of those things and more. Most importantly I am going to learn about my injury and devote my time and energy every day to take steps toward bettering my health. If you're thinking, "hey, I'm in a similar situation and would like to start moving forward, I just don't know where to go or how to get there", then I'll be your point you in the right direction:

Step 1. Gather resources (family, doctor, friends, google...).
Step 2. Make an Action Plan (set simple, measurable, achievable goals).
Step 3. Determine what obstacle lie in your way and brainstorm ways to overcome them (remember your resources).
Step 4. Wow, you've already taken 3 steps forward! Keep on walking and creating possibilities.

"Today, be more brilliant than anticipated, more courageous than expected, and more human than is commonly seen."

- Robin Sharma

Remember, life is about creating yourself.The only limitations are the ones we place on ourselves. And even though life brings many challenges, every hurdle in your way is in opportunity to create something powerful to jump over it. Never, ever give up. And never forget how powerful the tools of imagination and perseverance are. As children we naturally used those tools all the time. Can you believe that you ever learned how to walk or talk or tie your shoe laces? Those were mega accomplishments back then. It might be time we learn from the children we were and keep dreaming big. Maybe I'll never be an astronaut, but I heard somewhere that it's OK to dream big and fall short. This is because if you aim for the moon and don't quite make it, you'll still land among the stars, and that's pretty rad too.

Active for Life

I was at a wedding a couple weeks ago when a stranger asked what I did to look the way I do (appearently I gave off a "I'm fit and healthy" kinda look). It was a major compliment for me, but what was strange was that I didn't know how to answer the question. In my past I have been committed to training for my black belt, second degree black belt, ringette nationals, and high school sports, but for the last near decade I haven't really trained for anything specifically. Eventually I was able to say that I didn't really do any routine but I just enjoyed doing active things. The more I thought about it the more I realized that I do actually exercise at least an hour every day without even trying to. I simply need to exercise to be happy. And it's not in a crazy, health nut, addictive way. Instead it's more because my favourite things to do involve moving, interacting, and being outside.

It's interesting to think that if everyone felt the same way they did when we were kids, when we were playing tag in the backyard, riding our bikes, and playing road hockey all day long, we could eliminate a huge amount of health problems. What happened between being kids and growing up? I've heard a lot of excuses from a lot of people: "I don't have time anymore", "I have less energy as I get older", "I've lost my imagination".... Excuses or results people!

I don't know if there is anything I could write right now to help people get off the couch and out for a walk. I just hope that in an ever-changing world people will be able to hold on to a sense of appreciation of their bodies and choose the relaxing walk, past a garden, under a clear sky, over the zombie-eyed couch marathon.

Back and Better than Ever!

I apologize for my long absence from posting but I was highly enjoying some travelling. I spent a month rock climbing in Thailand, and a week enjoying my BC coastline on a sailboat. There is something very enlightening about travelling; expanding your awareness and experiencing new stimuli. Both of my trips were very different yet both offered me one common feeling: appreciation. Appreciation for what I have, appreciation for where I live, appreciation for good friends... it would seem that the feeling of appreciation overpowered any negative emotion and still continues to.

People travel for different reasons, whether it's for business, for vacation, or for the pure joy of exploring the world. The one problem people tend to face is usually they either have the money to travel, but no time, or they have the time, but no money. My advice... say screw it and just do it! I met someone recently who has lived in the city of Vancouver their whole life, only to leave the concrete jungle to go snowboarding on the local mountains. This person, although highly successful in life, has never travelled further than the lower mainland, never to see the beautiful holiday destinations in the Okanagan, or the world renowned BC sunshine coast, or even visited our neighbours only 45 minutes to the south. Yes, he is smart and is going to earn a high paying, satisfying career, but has he really lived? By never exploring outside the bubble that is a city, are you ever truly going to understand communications, economics and trade, history, or feel harmonious with our natural world? BC is a province built off of harvesting resources, filled with booming or busting communities, all sending their efforts to the big cities of Vancouver and Victoria. If you live in the heartland you will never understand the hinterlands. It reminds me disturbingly of The Hunger Games trilogy where the Capitol controls the poor surrounding districts that supply the food and fuel for the its greedy needs.

So what am I trying to say here? Get out there and travel! See the world. Meet the people. It would be a pity to live an entire life blinded by sky scrapers and local media. Travel for a reason and expand yourself in ways you never thought possible. You don't need to go far though. You can take a walk near your home and notice all the beautiful things that tourists see but you typically overlook. You can jump in your car and drive an hour to a lake, a mountain, a park, a museum, or a statue. And when you do have the time and the money to do something spectacular, plan a trip worthy of your bucket list and cross it off.

I went to Thailand with my brother purely with the intention of spending time with him in a strange environment. We experienced complete culture shock, found ourselves in unusual places, and met incredible people who I hope to be friends with for the rest of my life. Our trip definitely did not happen the way we expected it to, but it was perfect none the less. I'm happy to report that we didn't just go to famous monuments and towns just to take a picture and say we were there, but we stumbled upon a personal paradise and stayed there. We took a 12 hour overnight bus south out of Bangkok, a 3 hour bus from there, and a longboat ride over to Ton Sai Beach. This nearly empty, low rated beach, became our home for a few weeks, and I couldn't have asked for anything better. We met like-minded travellers, enjoyed local food and culture, and rock climbed nearly every day! This may not be your idea of paradise, so all I have to say to you is... go out and find Your paradise.

My brother rappeling down a route overlooking Ton Sai Beach