Free Energy Flow class Thursday January 1st at 6 pm
Join us from the comfort of your own home as we cruise through gentle tai chi type exercises. Can be done seated or standing. No equipment needed. All levels welcome.
Here’s a short video demonstrating some of our moves:
This is not your typical Tai chi class. My ladies are silly, chatty, and fun!
Last week several of them were on a cruise and they tuned in from the cruise ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We’ve been working on a balance exercise where you stand on one leg and take your sock off, and they were able to do it while the ship was rocking and rolling!
If you want a HIIT class with cardio sprint intervals and medicine ball slams please do not come to this class, as you will be disappointed.
If you’re new to or returning to exercise, you want to experience easy and fun movement, you want to kick off the new year with happy people who are warm and welcoming, this is the class for you!
Here are some of the responses I’ve received from you:
gentle stretching and relaxation
pressure with hands and feet to aid in releasing muscle tension
feeling lighter, more mobile, and with a lifted spirit
Rather than being on a massage table, you rest on a padded mat on the floor, supported with bolsters and pillows.
I use my hands and feet to press gently in a rhythmic, wave like motion. While the goal of this work is moving energy, you may also experience softening of tight muscles, as well as immediate reduction in your pain levels, reduced stress, improved relaxation, and better sleep.
Using my feet to massage you allows me to leverage my body weight, while giving specific detailed pressure.
My goal with this work is deep relaxation, we’re reassuring your body that it’s ok to be soft, to let go.
This is not “deep tissue” massage, or a painful session. This work can be “deep” in that we’re gently peeling back the layers of tension, allowing for deep relaxation, encouraging your body to relax.
This work is subtle. We’re not attacking your muscles with a sledgehammer, we’re nudging, waiting, asking the layers of tension to slowly soften. If you often feel that therapists “do not press hard enough” then this is not the style for you right now.
If you’re curious about what can unfold when you soften and allow for space, this work may do wonders for your body and soul.
Here’s a testimonial from a client I worked on this month, who was suffering low back pain and hip tightness. We spent less than an hour doing gentle compression on her legs and back, and passive range of motion for her hips and shoulders. Later that night she sent me this text:
“OMG I just twisted my back and got the biggest crack and release over my left glute so I definitely think the massage released a lot and helped it relax. It felt so good when it cracked!
I’m gonna pay attention tonight and see how much better it feels to walk and then foam roll a little. Thank you so much!”
Then later she texted again:
“I’m walking and I don’t feel it at all!!! You loosened up whatever needed to be loosened up and now I’m not in pain anymore. Thank you!”
Contact me today to see if were a good fit.
Anne@ FluidPortland.com
503-705-4762.
Here are my next available appointments at my Hazel Dell office in Vancouver.
Friday January 9th, noon or 2 pm
Friday January 16th, noon, 2, or 4 pm
Friday January 30th, 10:30 am or noon
If none of these times work, reach out to me about other options.
This week your challenge is to look for a daily delight.
For bonus points, send me your daily delight. Text me a photo of a bird you saw on your walk, or a cute baby. Email me something positive. Did you compliment someone, did a stranger hold the door for you? Share your daily delight with me or someone you love!
For inspiration on finding joy, I read Ross Gay’s book Inciting Joy.
He dismantles our false belief that joy is the opposite of what’s going on in the world right now. That joy is frivolous. Or the result of an accomplishment, doing, or achieving.
He writes:
“…we often think of Joy as meaning “without pain” or “without sorrow – which, to reiterate, our consumer culture has us believing is a state of being that we could only buy- not only is it sometimes considered “unserious” or frivolous to talk about joy (i.e. but there’s so much pain in the world!), but this definition also suggests that someone might be able to live without-or maybe a more accurate phrase is free of- heartbreak or sorrow.
But what happens if joy is not separated from pain? What if joy and pain are fundamentally tangled up with one another? Or even more to the point, what if joy is not only tangled with pain, or suffering, or sorrow, but is also what emerges from how we care for each other through those things?
What if joy, instead of refuge or relief from heartbreak, is what effloresces from us as we help each other carry our heartbreaks?”
Why joy is important right now:
If you watch the news you’d think were going straight to hell in a handbasket. Downtown Portland is under siege! The price of food is skyrocketing! Bad people are doing bad things!
Since I don’t watch the news (well, unless you count Reddit, my trusty news source) I do not believe that the world is a dumpster fire.
I believe that people are looking out for me. That good things are happening to me every day. I choose joy over fear.
You can choose joy every day.
You can find delight in cooking delicious food like Nona here. You can have fun moving your body like Miss Shirley. You can rest, nap, or stare out the window, guilt free, knowing that taking breaks is good for your brain, your soul, and your creativity. You can give over worry or anxiety because you have faith that good things are happening.
You can know that by taking good care of you, you are doing good in your little part of the world and that your positivity is rippling out, impacting everyone. Start by noticing daily delights.
I’m not asking you to stick your head in the sand. I’m asking you to rise above the bullshit. Walk away from anything and anyone who is trying to drag you down. Let it go. As the swifties say shake it off.
While I’ve been leading y’all through a fall program for several years now, this was the first time I focused on these themes of protein and produce, walking and weights, rest, faith, and joy.
I’d love to hear how this went for you. Which week felt easy, which week was challenging. Did you learn anything new about yourself?
How could I improve on this in the future?
One of my favorite things to do is dress up in costume. I’ve been volunteering at Camas First Fridays since we moved to East Vancouver three years ago. Each month there’s a new theme (which means a new costume for Anne).
I’m also a board member of Cascade Zydeco, a local non-profit whose mission is to promote Cajun and Zydeco music and dance. We have monthly dj dances, lessons, and live music events.
I prioritize going to these events because they bring me so much joy!
If you need more joy in your life come the next Camas First Friday (pie theme) Friday November 7th, or meet me on the dance floor at the Cascade Zydeco Halloween party (costume optional) Wednesday October 29th.
This week, think about what faith means to you. Have you overcome hardships in the past? Do you have faith in yourself? Do you believe that good things are happening?
If your faith needs a boost, you CAN strengthen the muscle that helps you build resilience, mental toughness, and have reassurance that you will get through difficult times.
One way to do that is by daily writing.
This week I challenge you to write for five minutes every day.
Set aside 5 minutes today and write this down (not typed into your phone, or talk to text, or voice memo, but actually sit down and put pen or pencil to paper):
I seek now a clear vision of what I am to do today. I control the things I can, and let go of the rest. I do all that I can, then let go of the outcome. I have faith that my higher power is looking out for me and wants the best for me. I live in a world of abundance. I let go of fear, anxiety, or a scarcity mindset. Today, I have faith that everything is working out for me. I have everything I need.
If these words don’t resonate with you, write what makes sense to you.
Maybe something as simple as “I have faith that everything is working out for me”.
Keeping a gratitude journal is another way to remind your brain that good things that are happening right now. Write down one thing you’re thankful for today. This could be something simple like hot running water, comfortable furniture, a roof over your head.
If you already have a daily practice that includes prayer, meditation, or journaling, keep it up!
If you try any of these suggestions and they help you feel calmer or more centered, please let me know. I’d love to hear from you!
To prep for this week, I read Jimmy Carter’s book “Faith”.
He talks about the meaning of faith, and how it impacts our lives and the world. While there are many types of faith, his is based in Christianity, and God’s love.
In his book, Carter describes navigating the duality of politics and Christianity. He believed that it was his responsibility to inject the moral and ethical values of his faith into the processes of government. At the same time, he said, “there must be an absolute prohibition against granting any control by government over our religious freedoms.”
My Grannie Mattie was a big fan of Jimmy Carter. In fact, on more than one occasion the “Primetimers club” from her Methodist church packed everyone on a bus and carried them up to Jimmy Carter’s church in Plains, Georgia to listen to him lead a bible study.
My Grandmother would have been 99 years old this month, so I’ve been thinking about her a lot. She was a shining example of faith, hope, positivity, and overcoming hardship with grace.
Here’s my story about a time my faith was tested:
While I look pretty healthy, I’ve been through major medical events, including multiple surgeries. I had a back surgery 11 years ago, and lately (right on schedule for a dicscectomy it turns out) my back and hip have been painful to the point where often sitting or walking causes me pain.
As I look into the possibility of having another surgery, I’m remembering how terrified I felt before my last surgery, and how grateful I felt after. Back then, I was living alone, I did not have health insurance and was in severe pain for months. I was doing all the things in an attempt to stay calm – meditation, stretching, yoga, resting.
I was seeing a chiropractor and acupuncturist who provided me with temporary relief, until even they could no longer help me. Pilates had helped with my back pain when I was in my 20’s, but now I was 40 and the nerve pain was so severe I knew I was not going to Pilates my way out of this one.
I felt terrified and fearful. I imagined having to close my business and going to live with my mom in Florida and no one wanted that (love you Mom :).
What surprised me the most about going through this experience was the massive amount of support I received. I’m not one to ask for help, but I had no choice, I was helpless. I had to accept help from my people. (if you are stubborn like me, here’s a tip, people WANT to help you!).
I had a successful surgery, and every day clients and friends came over to my house with food, or just to check on me. One of my ladies even cleaned my bathrooms!
As I was recovering, my mom came to stay with me for a few weeks. At the end of her visit she said how she’d been worried about me, feeling like I was out here all alone, and she was so happy to see how much love and support I was receiving.
I felt so much gratitude for all the medical staff. After the surgery I found out my surgeon had done thousands of these surgeries, even written books about it. I still remember the sweet face of one of the nurses who prepped me for surgery. She had beautiful, clear, blue eyes and she got right in my face and spoke to me softly, telling me they were going to take good care of me and everything was going to be ok.
This experience taught me a lot about how to treat clients who’ve had surgeries or are dealing with chronic pain. Watching myself and my clients’ recovery processes gives me renewed faith that bodies and hearts can heal.
I have faith that good things are happening.
So, what does any of this have to do with fitness or massage? While I do help my clients get stronger physically, I also take into account the whole person. How are you sleeping, who do you spend time with, when do you take rest breaks?
If you’re not tending to your mental health, you’re missing a big piece of what it means to be truly healthy. If you need help this fall, reach out to me today. I’m booking in-person and zoom appointments for October. We will discuss your goals, and how I can help you succeed. Weekly text check-in? Twice a month phone call? How can I help you stay on track?
This week your challenge is to rest for thirty minutes every day.
I know, I know, you’re busy. You don’t have time to rest. It’s all on you to get everything done. If you don’t do it, who will?
Maybe you were raised in a culture that views rest as a waste of time. Being “lazy” was a bad word. A no-good layabout. Being busy was valued and rewarded.
Let me ask you this: have you ever had the flu or a bad cold where you’re not “go to the hospital” sick, but you’re too sick to lift your head off the pillow? Everything you had planned – work, school, fun stuff, travel, was cancelled. Remember how the earth continued to rotate on its axis despite your not having done any of those very important things?
Can you view a scheduled rest from this lens? You can pause. It will be ok.
By rest, I mean nap, close your eyes, put your feet up.
Meditate, sit and stare out the window, watch the birds and squirrels. Yes you can read a book, or listen to music. My definition of rest would not include watching t.v. or scrolling on your phone.
Give your mind and body a rest.
To prep for this week, I read “Rest Is Resistance” by Tricia Hersey AKA The Nap Bishop. She writes about rest as a form of protest against our capitalist culture. Want to stick it to the man? Take a nap!
“All of culture is collaborating for us not to rest… We are sleep-deprived because the systems view us as machines, but bodies are not machines. Our bodies are a site of liberation. We are divine and our rest is divine.There is synergy, interconnectedness, and deep communal healing within our rest movement. I believe rest, sleep, naps, daydreaming, and slowing down can help us all wake up to see the truth of ourselves. Rest is a healing portal to our deepest selves. Rest is care. Rest is radical.”
~Tricia Hersey
Maybe you view rest as something you do once a year on vacation. Or rest is a reward for working really hard, not something you deserve, just because.
I’m sure you’ve experienced this – you have a big deadline at work or a project or event you’re in charge of. You work and work, staying up late, putting in long hours. Then the second it’s done, and you can finally relax, you get sick. Your body has been running on straight adrenaline and caffeine and the exhaustion has you plum wore out as they say.
This idea that we have to be busy is an illusion. When you give yourself rest breaks, you’re actually more productive than when you pull an all-nighter. You deserve to rest.
You are worthy of rest, right now. You don’t have to earn it.
Rest allows your mind to soften and open to creativity. Ever been in the shower and thought of a brilliant solution to a problem, or just the right thing to say to someone? Thats because you weren’t actively chewing on it. Your mind was resting.
Rest is not a luxury, it is your right!
Now that I’ve convinced you of the benefits of rest, how and when do you actually do it?
Schedule it. Book a blank spot in your calendar and treat this as a sacred space. Despite your or anyone else’s efforts to fill it with something, don’t! Protect it at all costs!
Get it when you can. Don’t have 30 minutes to nap? Take 5 deep breaths before the start of your meeting. Savor your coffee or tea in the morning, feel the warmth of the mug, notice the flavor. Close your eyes for 5 minutes after lunch.
Attach it to something. Rest after you complete a task. Rest after a meal. Rest after your workout. I’ve been doing this version of constructive rest with my legs on the ball after every Pilates class.
How do you feel about being asked to rest?
Please reach out to me if I can help you this week. I am here for you!
503-705-4762
I’m now booking in-person movement and or massage sessions here in Vancouver on Fridays and have these times available in October:
Friday October 3rd at noon
Friday October 10th at 1:30 or 4:30
Friday October 17th at noon
Anne McCranie is a Vancouver, Washington-based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She shares lifestyle tips with you so that you can look and feel your best.
