The Cold-Weather Clench
October 13 — The Cold-Weather Clench
Has the cold found you yet? ❄️
You know the feeling… you step outside into that first properly crisp morning, and before you've even registered it, your shoulders have crept up toward your ears, your jaw has tightened, your fists have curled, and your breath has gone shallow and quick.
I call this the cold-weather clench, and here in Alberta, we get very well acquainted with it this time of year!
The trouble is, as the cold weather let’s know it’s coming to stay, this cold-weather clench often doesn’t melt away once we're back indoors... it lingers in our muscles, quietly building tension in our shoulders and jaw. What’s more, we often don't even notice until our neck and upper back are aching by day's end.
Well… as always, there is good news? 🎉
Your breath is the gentlest way to undo this cold-weather clench, and here's a simple practice for the next time you feel yourself clenching against the chill:
#1 ~ Breathe.
Pause
Inhale deeply, allowing your belly to fill
Exhale slowly for as long as you can while consciously giving your shoulders permission to melt down away from your ears.
Continue to inhale deeply and exhale long… imagine breathing in warmth, and breathing out tension.
#2 ~ Observe.
Scan gently through your body and simply notice where you've been clenching.
Your jaw? Your hands? Between your shoulder blades?
No judgment… awareness alone can begin to allow your body to loosen.
#3 ~ Apply.
Apply a remedy as needed… a hot compress, an essential oil, red light therapy or whatever else represents comfort for you.
#4 ~ Love.
This is the step that teaches you to be kind to yourself and to be curious about your process 🧡
This This 4-step process is the beating heart of what we lovingly call Our Healing Method. This simple four-part approach will help you catch these patterns of cold weather-clenching and release them before they settle in for the season⛄
You can grab Our Healing Method freebie right HERE, and keep it close at hand through the chilly months ahead. If today's little practice brought you some relief, I'd so love for you to have it… completely free of charge. 🧡
We’re also right in the middle of our annual Fall Launch of the Functional Healing course! 🍂 When you enroll, you’ll receive lifetime access to the course plus a spot in our 6 weeks of live classes, beginning November 9th. Every Monday for six weeks, we’ll gather live with our students — and we would so love to have you with us.
Curious to learn more? Click HERE for access to our FREE Mini-Workshop, where you’ll find all the details about the course — including an extra $40-off coupon. 🧡
The cold may be coming, sweet friends, but we don't have to brace our way through it. Let's meet it presence and awareness instead, one sweet breath at a time 🙏🏼🫶🏼
Love,
