Fall 2018 Newsletter - Embodying Resilience

Happy Summer!

Your Well-Being Newsletter

Paul Ciske, Ph.D.

Awakening Body Awareness

Drop-In, Tuesdays August 13- September 24, 6-6:50

East Bay Meditation Center
285 17th St, Oakland, CA 94612

Come on any of the Tuesdays that work for you. Offered by donation.

With an attitude of kindness, compassion, and curiosity, we will be using active range of motion to bring awareness to our body & joints. We will begin with self-explorative movements to awaken the body, followed by directed movements that progressively explore the available and unavailable motions of the joints. All the while we will have the intention of noticing the feeling tones of pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral that are present along with the thoughts and emotions that are arising. These explorations can be done standing, seated, or lying down.

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AWARENESS / ASSESSMENT CLASSES
(Registration required)

Vision
We will be assessing a number of functions of vision, besides just clarity/acuity, to detect any insufficiencies that could be affecting pain or performance currently, or that could have a detrimental effect down the road. Monday, August 26, 7:15 - 8:30.

Balance/Vestibular system
We will be assessing both the functioning of the vestibular (inner ear/balance) system and discovering your current "Stance Challenge for Balance" with the variables of open or closed eyes, and different head motions. Again the goal is to detect deficiencies before they become a problem. Monday, September 23, 7:15 - 8:30pm

Cranial Nerves
These are the 12 nerves that come off both sides of the brain itself versus the spinal column. Since they are so close to the brain they have a major impact on performance and pain. Discover if there are minor issues before they become major ones. Monday, October 21, 7:15-8:30pm.

Cerebellum and
other Brain areas
A major part of the cerebellum's job is Accuracy, Balance, and Control of movement. Through simple assessments you will detect if there are imbalances in the functioning of the cerebellum and other parts of the brain between the right and left sides. Monday, November 18, 7:15-8:30pm

CALL 510-832-5725 TO REGISTER & FOR LOCATION
(Assessment classes are offered on a donation basis)

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Leadership Embodiment
Level 1
(formerly Conscious Embodiment)

Through simple physical interactive partner exercises that are derived from the revolutionary non-aggressive martial art of Aikido and which represent life interactions, we are able to recognize our bodily patterns that arise when we are under stress. Once we are familiar with our patterns, we apply centering practices to help us shift to a state that accesses more creativity, compassion, and wise action.

July 27-28, 9:30 - 5 (information)

OR

October 5-6, 9:30 - 5 (information)

Value: Priceless, Investment $450

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Embodying Resilience -
Daylong and Series

Dated: TBA (September/October)

Develop greater capacity to relate to whatever arises, especially when under pressure, from a centered state which accesses “presence, confidence and compassion”.

***Call to be added to the notification list. 510-832-5725

Saturday, 9:30-5 followed by optional 3 Mondays of in-depth training from 7-9pm. Participation on the Mondays is optional but the daylong is required for the Mondays. Location: East Bay Meditation Center, Oakland.

BONUS - Centering Practice

Shifting the attention from a stressor to a state of presence, confidence, and compassion.

Inhale while creating a dignified uplifted posture. Exhale softening down the front of the body and think of something that makes you smile. Inhale the support of the earth up through your bones lengthening vertically. Exhale, expanding your sense of the space around you equally in all directions. Release into gravity settling into the space while staying expanded.

In this Newsletter:

Summer/Fall Classes
Quote
Article: Awakening Body Awareness
BONUS: Centering Practice
Gratitude

Call 510-832-5725 for your Body Tune-up

QUOTE:
There is deep wisdom within our very flesh, if we can only come to our senses and feel it.

Elizabeth A. Behnke

AWAKENING BODY AWARENESS

This article is about cultivating body awareness, which is the title of the series of classes I am offering at the East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC) on Tuesdays from 6-6:50pm from 8/13 through 9/24 (see notice under “Classes” in this newsletter). This class draws from mobility drills used in Z-Health Neurologic based training, corrective isometrics from Muscle Activation Techniques, and Mindfulness, Lovingkindness & Compassion practices from meditation.

Martha Graham said "the body doesn't lie". Signs and signals of changes in the body's many systems, including our mental states, show up in the body long before we are consciously aware of them. Often these changes show up as alterations in movement, muscle tone/tension, and posture. By having greater awareness of the body we may be able to pickup preliminary signals before they manifest into much bigger problems. The first step in correcting any malady is to become aware of it. We can not make a change if we are not aware of the problem.

Performing dynamic mobility movements is a way of exploring: limitations in range of motion; areas of tightness; mental states of fear and apprehension as well as joy and happiness; and arising thoughts such as judgement, pride and jealousy. Being aware of these offers many paths for working with them. For example, a limitation in range of motion may be addressed with isometric contractions that can activate the muscles that would take the joint in the direction of the restricted motion. The "problem" may just be a limitation due to the structure of the joint which requires acceptance of the way it is and compassion for the desire of wanting it to be different. There may be fear because of the sensation of pain or a history of feeling pain with the motion. This may call for some compassion toward the suffering we are experiencing or have experienced. Alternatively there may be the need for further investigation as the pain may just be a signal that the brain is perceiving a threat instead of there actually being a pathological deterioration.

By catching these early signs plans of action can be taken to make corrections through our own self care or by getting the professional help we need to make these corrections before there is irreversible damage or a need for traumatic interventions, like surgery,

I will be offering a series of assessment / awareness classes (see class schedule) that are aimed at detecting deficiencies in some of our primary information gathering systems of the body: Vision, Balance/Vestibular, Cranial nerves, and the Cerebellum & other Brain areas. As Benjamin Franklin said "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Or said in another way, early detection may head off severe consequences down the road.

Related to "Awakening Awareness" is the awakening to our habitual patterns in responding to stress and pressure. This will be explored in the "Leadership Embodiment" (formerly called "Conscious Embodiment") and "Embodying Resilience" offerings (see left column). This work offers training for shifting to a centered state once we recognize our pattern that is running in the body when under stress or pressure. Again awareness of our pattern is the key to making a shift.

As stated in the quote above, there is great wisdom in the body but it is only available if we have the sensitivity to feel the body's messages and know what they mean. Come explore and cultivate your sensitivity and awareness of the body in these offerings to better access the wisdom it offers.

GRATITUDE: I am continually grateful to all of my clients that support my work. I am also grateful for your generosity in paying in accordance to the relative value for healing based on your means which allows me to offer my services to a wide range of people with a diverse array of socio-economic status.
Thank you!