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Finding balance

The fall equinox, when day and night are equally long, reminds me of the rich role balance plays in our lives. 

Every day, in so many ways, we discern what we need more of and what we need less of, seeking and hopefully finding an experience of ease and flow in which we feel well and whole — satisfied, fulfilled, realizing our best self.

And then…something emerges to attend to, and we go through the process of balancing all over again, with more experience. 

Challenging, isn’t it? I wonder if someday I’ll have my balancing act down pat and what that would be like. 

Would that be boring if it happened to you? It would to me. I like the learning that accompanies the flow of experience through my awareness…but sometimes I’ll take boring over begging for mercy when overwhelmed! 

My attention often goes toward balancing my structured time and free time, connecting with others and solitude, comfort and adventure. Having my sun in Aquarius and my ascendant in Virgo, I often find myself balancing the big sky picture with the earthly details. 

In what areas of living do you seek balance? 

Our bodies constantly seek balance, mostly unconsciously. It’s called homeostasis, the tendency to seek a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life, keeping body temperature, glucose, blood pressure, fluids, pH, and more within a healthy range.

Our autonomic nervous systems are major regulators of balance in our lives, swinging between sympathetic fight-or-flight and parasympathetic rest-and-digest depending on whether we sense threats or safety.

On a less activated level, we swing between being alert and being calm. We need both

To me, the perfect balance of my ANS is a state of calm alertness.

How about you? Do you tend to be more alert, anxious, tense, stressed? Do you have ways to find your calm state? Can you find it when you need it? 

As I'm sure you know by now, balance is big in my line of work. Balancing bones and membranes, releasing strain patterns, encouraging deeper health in your system...all in a day's work. 

If finding more balance in your life appeals to you, please check out my services. I’d love to see you in my office. If you have questions or would just like to chat, I invite you to schedule a freebie phone call. 

The 2022 fall equinox falls on Thursday, September 22, at 8:03 pm CDT.


The photo above is of early morning sun on Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, where ancient skywatchers marked the movement of the sun and the changing of the seasons with sun daggers passing between rocks onto a spiral petroglyph. 

Imprints

I recently attended a retreat for practitioners and fans of Craniosacral Biodynamics taught by Christian Current, my officemate and a gifted practitioner and teacher. We learned about imprints, the patterns we develop to manage life. 

Yes, we all have them! They show character and can drive us to self-realization. They protect us when we experience overwhelm. When our systems have enough presence, protective imprints can discharge, and the energy they held returns to flow, vitality, and presence. 

What roles have these imprints played in your life? 

birth

physical trauma
emotional trauma
illness
nutrition
environment
stress
habits
beliefs
heredity
life events

Summer highlights

It’s not often that you meet someone, get into a good conversation, and they just happen to mention “I have a temple,” and invite you to a group meditation there. That happened to me this summer! I met a Tibetan Buddhist monk from Bhutan named Jigme, while enjoying myself in a heated soaking pool in Hooper, CO. 

He likes learning better than teaching. Me too. He became a monk at age 12. 

I went to the temple for meditation several times. It was baffling (chanting in Tibetan?), and the energy was awesome. I’ll visit again, after I read the book on mind training that Jigme recommended. 

At Chaco Canyon, one day I was the only camper until late in the day and had the whole national park to myself, other than staff. I headed out to some remote ruins, internalizing the vast quiet spaciousness of earth and sky and reflecting it back out. Deeply restorative! 

Then, the north road into Chaco Canyon flooded, a car got stuck, no one could get in or out, and the park closed. I left a day earlier than planned, with guidance from rangers on how to navigate the deep mud in my Outback. More to explore on my next visit.

I didn’t work as much as I’d hoped to in Taos, but it worked out well, because I needed to rest and recuperate from a difficult travel experience in June when stressors kept piling on with no downtime to rebalance. I've taken some lessons from that. 

I did make some good connections there! I met some ngoni players there. Ngonis are African stringed instruments made with gourds. The music is wonderful, and the musicians get into flow states — an African jam band! I’d love to get this band, Sanji, to play some gigs in Austin. Hit me up if you have ideas! 

Reasons people got Craniosacral Biodynamics (summer 2022)

Every season I summarize why people scheduled sessions with me. Here is my summary for summer 2022. This time I specified whether people sought to address specific physical issues (i.e., ailing parts of the body) or whole body issues, since Craniosacral Biodynamics can address both. 
 

TMJ News

If you've seen me for jaw issues, do you know about the TMJ Association? It's a nonprofit patient advocacy organization that seeks to improve the quality of health care and the lives of everyone affected by TMJ issues. The TMJA works to advance research (sorely needed, no pun intended), public awareness, and safe and effective treatments. 

Click the link to learn more, including how to donate, subscribe to their newsletter, and learn about clinical trials. 

The TMJ Association has spurred research that confirms that several disorders often co-occur in TMJ patients, especially those with chronic jaw issues. These disorders include irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, headache, and Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes. 

The TMJA is also collaborating to provide a guide for dentists and other dental care providers on how best to provide care for those with TMD. 
Copyright © 2022 MaryAnn Reynolds, LMT, All rights reserved.


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