Green Pill 006: #1 stress reducing breathwork | Deep dive on getting back to sports

Happy Friday, fitfam,

This week's resources to improve your life, and get you where you want to be.

1. Green Pill Stories: A tale of burnout and therapy

2. Weekly Quick Recs: (Meme, Quick Breathwork Hack, Book, Quote)

3. Deep Dive: Fascial Training & Preventing Sports Injuries

Written by Stacy Creamer, LMHC on my Green Pill blog featuring providers:

A woman in her late 40’s came to see me for pervasive feelings of being stressed out and overwhelmed. She was a powerful and accomplished executive in a male dominated field, she was the primary bread winner for her family of 3.

She was experiencing migraines, marked fatigue, insomnia, racing thoughts, and difficulty concentrating. She didn’t feel like herself anymore and she felt she was constantly chasing physical symptoms without relief. She was about to transition into a major promotion. We spoke at length about the enormous amount of stress in her life and together we carved out a path for her in her life, rather than a path of chasing a to-do list.

We integrated mindfulness, meditation, and basic breath work into her daily routine. We established a working list of controllables and practiced implementing a mindful letting-go of those things over which she did not have control. Slowly, her physical symptoms reduced and her satisfaction and sense of control over her life increased. I loved working with her. She made me sit taller in my chair because she was so motivated and engaged in the process, drinking in our conversations. I think of her fondly and often.

Meme of the Week:

Health Hacks I’m Testing: Physiological Sigh for Stress Reduction

I am always looking for tools to manage by stress levels. The deep inhale, short inhale and long exhale is called a 'physiological sigh. Dr. Huberman says, and I can confirm, anecdotally, that 1, 2 or 3 of those sighs brings your level of stress down very fast.

He says that his lab, and others, proclaim this protocol the best breath work exercise you can do instantly to bring your level of stress down.

Interestingly, on his longer podcast on the science of breathing, he explains that it is a two way street: being stressed will make you breath less deeply, but vice-versa, breathing less deeply will make you more stressed. Watch the 15 second gif below:

Breathing Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety | Dr. Andrew Huberman on the Physiological Sigh... GIFs with Sound - Click here to check out more GIPHY Clips giphy.com

What I’m Listening To: New Skillex Albums

What I’m Reading: Louise Erdrich - Love Medicine

The story is based on a Native American family, and group of families, in North Dakota. Each chapter is from a different person's lens, and in an advancing year (aka 1920, 1931, 1954, etc.). It is a good piece of historical fiction which touches on family dynamics & what Native Americans were still going through in the 20th century.

Quote(s) I’m Loving:

Sponsored by...me!

First, playing sports, dancing or performing in your 20s/30s is much better than in your 50s/60s. Generally, you have more time, energy, vigor. Try to take advantage of that. If you have knee pain or whatever, get it figured out & play. Do the work to do so, if you want.

By the time I was in my late 20s, I was totally afraid of playing basketball. Having had supine (outer) ankle sprains my whole life, every time I tried, I would twist it, badly.

In Jan. 2021, I moved into a building with a basketball court. So, chance had it, a PT/chiro center where I taught yoga, had a sports chiropractor on staff.

Dr. Ben Leong worked with me on two things - building a foot-to-glute connection, and helping with the psychological fear of re-injury (which itself was leading to injury).

Foot-to-ground & foot-to-glute: feet distribute force from impact (e.g., running) up the chain through the rest of the leg & spine. If your small muscles in your feet are not firing, or are cramped, that force will be distributed in a sub-optimal manner, and could lead to joint or muscle pain. We worked on getting my feet to grab the floor and engaging those muscles.

Psychology of proprioception & injury: a PT recently told me, "if you think you will get injured [playing sports], you probably will". I was really afraid, every time I landed from getting a rebound, that I'd twist my ankle. Ben had me jump, sprint, land, lunge & hop while catching a ball from different directions - successfully. This taught my body it would be okay to land while looking in other directions. The nervous system is involved.

I now combine Ben's methods + Knees over Toes to warm up & for maintenance.

Find more on Ben here: IG | Site | Movement Code At-Home Course

P.S. Just referring you to these resources - no commission or anything like that.  

Thanks for reading. Your feedback really helps! This takes me an hour to put together.

You may find out more about my lifestyle adjustment & coaching services at my site, or read a Case Study here.