J Beamer's Empower Malibu Pilates and Personal Training Blog

This past weekend I stole away to remote beaches and mountains, immersing myself in astounding natural beauty to revitalize.  It is here that some of my best ideas come to life.  With a clear mind, playing in nature, I discover an open space to think, innovate, and assimilate complex concepts into streamlined strategies for optimizing health and human performance. 

Alongside my hikes and swims, I dove into one of my all time favorite books, Supple Leopard, by Dr. Kelly Starrett.  While at first glance, this appears to be a book for cross fitters and Olympic weight lifters, the concepts for creating stability and mobility in the body are extremely valuable for every human being. I highly recommend it to all. Dr. Starrett is a leader in physical therapy, coaching, and revolutionizing how athletes think about movement.   In this book, he teaches readers to breathe, stand, lift, push and pull with proper technique. Dr. Starrett takes one through fundamental principles that harness the power of midline stability and torque through the joints, thereby preventing injury and taking performance to optimal levels. 

I am teaching these principles as fundamental concepts to my pilates students, and use them daily in my own practice of weight training, pilates, ballet, and by extension, into my sports of rock climbing, hiking and swimming.  They are invaluable, and like gems that I have, at last, found after a life time of competitive sports, dance performance, and professional health studies. This work is never ending and ever expanding.  When I find a protocol that assimilates complex concepts into a streamlined strategy, I am compelled to teach it and share the knowledge. 

In Supple Leopard, Kelly teaches principles to optimize human performance that can be extrapolated to all types of movement.  These include; 

1.    Breathing

2.    Midline Stability (or Core stability)

3.    Stabilization of the Shoulder and Hip Joints by generating Torque

In my own practice, I enjoy teaching these principles and seeing students light up with new control and understanding of how to generate power in their bodies.   By teaching students to breathe properly, expanding lung capacity and activating the diaphragm, one also guides a student to shift from sympathetic “fight or flight” mode, to parasympathetic mode where deep stabilizers can be retrained.  Guiding students to identify neutral spine and pelvis, understanding principles of alignment, provides them with foundational points for navigating movement.  Muscle resistance isometrics lead students to activate their deep core musculature, (the ‘inner corset”) Tranverse Abdominus.

Adding Dr. Starrett’s ideas, we activate full body stability and then layer on movement.  Three pivotal concepts Starrett outlines are;

1. Torque/Hips; in Standing, feet parallel, screw the feet into the ground, as though the legs are screwdrivers, and reach into the floor as though one could spread it apart.  This activates the glutes and deep hip stabilizers, and brings the pelvis into a neutral position.

2. Abdominal Bracing/Core Activation; generating tension in the Tranverse Abdominus, creating a corseting action of the ribs and abdominals

3. Torque/Shoulders; drawing the scapula (shoulder blades) down the back as though into one’s back pockets; when holding a bar, screwing the hands into the bar as though one could snap it in two.  This spirals the eyes of the elbows and the armpits forward, and engages deep stabilizers of the shoulder and scapula on the ribs.  This also applies to weight bearing on the arms in plank/ handstand positions; think of screwing the hands into the floor in external rotation. Deeply stabilizing to the shoulders.

For me, this breaks down to three distinct zones to visualize in any movement;

1.    Glutes Activated

2.    Abdominal Rib Connection

3.    Shoulder Blades hugging the ribs and  reaching down towards the hips

This can be a tricky trio to teach, but it is like striking gold when one finds it.  By adding the two way stretch of pilates, lengthening up through the occiput, and down through the sacrum and legs, we set ourselves up for success in multiple dimensions and with all kinds of loads. 

Expect nothing.  Be ready for anything.  By training ourselves with midline stability, breath, torque through the hip and shoulder joints, and two way stretch, we can access incredible strength and enjoy a lifetime of healthy, empowering  movement.

To your health,

Jennifer

Do you want to feel vital, clear, and happy?  Who doesn’t, really??  The key lies in understanding how thought patterns are learned from experience, and how we can retrain the way we think, and hence, the way we feel.  Our nervous system is constantly learning from what we choose to focus on, and its plasticity allows us to create systems we can thrive with. 

How empowering it is to understand how our nervous system works and to be able to drive it towards our goals and well-being!  And to realize that we can shift our own chemistry through the way we eat, move, sleep and think.

We are not passive recipients of the chemical orchestra inside our bodies.  Rather, we are the captains of this ship, and have profound influence over the physiology of our bodies by the way we choose to interact with our environment, other people, and how we take care of ourselves. Indeed, our hormones, the chemical messengers of the body, are up-regulated or down-regulated by the stimuli or information we subject ourselves to.  The science of epigenetics tells us that where we live, what we eat, how we move, sleep and think cause chemical modifications around genes, and effectively switch genes on or off.   In essence, how we choose to live our lives influences how our genes are expressed. It pays to choose well!

A fascinating and inspiring book, The Science of Positivity, by neuroscientist Loretta Breuning, PhD, and founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, explains the keys to creating positive mindsets and thriving.  Breuning teaches us how negative thought patterns form in our mammalian brains, to heighten our survival as a species, and how we can rewire and create a new model of positivity.  Simple exercises lead to permanent shifts in neurochemistry, rewarding us with a flood of “happy chemicals”:  serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Yes, we can change our chemistry by what we choose to think about and focus on.  No pill required. 

 She outlines a fantastic exercise for permanently rewiring the brain;

*Three times a day, stop and spend one minute thinking of your positive responses to something you are experiencing.  It is important to note your personal agency in the given experience.  By trusting your own ability to navigate, rather than feeling the frustration of the world spinning around you, especially in the face of negative feelings, you shift the neurochemical soup flooding your brain and body. 

Some examples include;

1.     When I feel aggravated by someone, I think about my personal power to choose how I respond.

2.     When I feel underappreciated, I think how this drives me to develop my innovation instead of resorting to the status quo.

3.     When I feel anxious, I pause, note the emotion (shifting it from my primitive fight of flight brain center to my higher cortex) , think of a positive action to take, and then reward myself with a fun activity.  This might be taking a walk in nature, listening to inspiring music, meeting up with a friend, dancing, or any healthy activity that floods my brain with rewarding feelings.  Science tells us the reward chemicals teach our nervous system to repeat this method of responding to a stressful experience, in a more progressive way.

Breuning’s recipe calls for repeating this three times a day for one minute, over a period of six weeks straight.  This teaches the brain to scan for positivity and empowering thoughts, effectively shifting the way you view the world, and therefore, the way you feel.  New circuits will build if you give yourself a regular stream of new impulses.  

This approach, noting a positive response to a situation (particularly a stressful one), shifts the chemistry flooding the brain and body form cortisol and stress hormones (which in excess can lead to inflammation, breakdown and disease), to the feel good chemicals, dopamine, seratonin and oxytocin.  Not only do these make us feel good, but they teach us to repeat the behavior, shifting the way we think and respond in the future.  Essentially, we can rewire our brains to positivity and happiness.  And this leads to thriving health.

By instilling regular positive habits, we create mental grooves, or new boulevards in our neural pathways.  In so doing, these new ways of thinking become speedy super highways.  According to Breuning, “Prior pathways were built by chance experiences in youth.  You can build new boulevards.”

Be thre driver of your own experience.  Want to feel great?  Build the pathways you want to follow and use them frequently!

To your health,

Jennifer

What an incredibly inspiring weekend!  Together with budding Primal Health coaches from across the world, I was honored to spend a weekend intensive learning with the masters, Mark Sisson, and Christine Hassler.  Masterminding with brilliant, dynamic coaches from various cultures and regions, I am ignited with inspiration and drive to propel my mission forward: to empower and educate people to lead themselves to vibrant health and vitality through healthy movement, nutrition, mindset and recovery.  

I am very proud to be in Mark Sisson's Primal Health Coach tribe, moving his own mission forward: to change the lives of 100 million people,  empowering them to take full responsibility of their own health and enjoyment of life by investigating, discussing, and critically rethinking everything we’ve assumed to be true about health and wellness.

From the time I was a teenager, I have been intensely curious about optimizing human performance and life experience.  It is obvious to me why I so quickly gravitated towards Mark's work.  

Indeed, we both shared early pursuits towards a medical career which then diverted into professional athleticism. My own path entailed a journey to dance in Paris, France during my third year at UCSF Medical School, and evolved into a thirteen year career as a professional contemporary ballet dancer. 

Like Mark, as an elite athlete, doing everything I thought was "right", according to conventional wisdom, to optimize my health and performance, I was deceived and sustained major health setbacks.  Only five or six years ago, while I appeared to be the epitome of health on the outside, inside my body was deteriorating; I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, severe arthritis, pre-diabetes, anxiety, and more.  I was a wreck,  my brain was in a fog, and my body was so unstable, I could barely walk across the room in the morning.  

I was blessed to find incredible mentors, such as Mark, and Lenny Parracino, who guided me to re examine what I had learned about health. I was forced to do a complete mindset transformation, and to discover that the pillars of my health lay in a high fat, whole food diet, void of grains, and prioritizing quality sleep and balanced movement.  Through primal living, I felt my own body rebuild itself, reversing all my diagnoses, and boosting me to thriving levels again.  To me, nothing short of a miracle!

Elegant, powerful movement is the greatest gift in the world to me. And therefore, I feel it is the greatest gift I have to give. I am now devoted to combining the art and the science of intelligent movement, guiding people to thrive with power and elegance in their bodies.  And as a Primal Health Coach-to-be, to educate and empower people with the pillars of health found in Primal living; whole nutrient dense foods, quality sleep and recovery, balanced movement, and positive mindset. 

Health and vitality to all!

Jennifer

Last week, a friend greeted me at the gym with the news that she was in pain, with shooting pains through her right arm.  She was distraught and was asking if she should get an MRI, and if it was ok to move the area.  I invited her into the pilates area and we did a simple joint stabilization exercise for her upper body, including head, neck, shoulders and ribs, involving isometric contraction with efficient alignment, core engagement and breathing.   Within five minutes she was radiantly beaming.  She could not believe the relief she felt.  Her pain was highly diminished, and she said she felt connected in a way she never had.  I taught her to do this exercise on her own.  It is incredible to teach people to connect to their bodies and control their pain and function, through movement. These tools are invaluable and so rewarding. 

I was elated to find that one of my favorite mentors recently spoke about the science of pain in a podcast on the Summit for Wellness. Lenny Parracino, a leader in the field of optimizing human function, has a talent for distilling key principles of health from a complex array of disciplines, and strategically applying them to get people out of pain and into optimal function.  He has taught me principles that have been transformational in my own freedom from pain and performance optimization.  I am compelled to share a few of them here.   I hope this may guide others to move themselves into health and out of pain.  

Did you know there are no nerve receptors for pain in the body?  Pain is an output signal from the brain, in response to perceived threat.  Pain is a danger signal the brain chooses to create, in response to a perceived threat or imbalance (tissue damage, stress, inflammation, body position, etc.) in the body. The intent is to protect the organism from harm.  

INFLAMMATION

TISSUE DAMAGE      ----------->  BRAIN----------> PAIN Signal

STRESS

COMPROMISED BODY POSITION

The brain is like a supercomputer, assimilating data coming in from nerve receptors throughout the body. 

Once a threshold is met, the brain essentially decides, “I perceive a THREAT to my body’s well being and must protect myself.” It does so by sending an ALARM signal of PAIN.

This alarm signal is intended to cause one to STOP the triggers of pain. Amidst the disturbance of pain, we tend to forget its efficacy.  It’s a highly intelligent system designed for self-preservation.  The brain is communicating, “Stop that! I want you to be healthy and stable!” 

We are lucky to have a highly advanced medical system to turn to in times of extreme pain or trauma. However,  in terms of pain management, chemical medications are far from effective in the long term, and often have detrimental effects. 

An effective approach to treating pain includes; 

1.      Identify and remove the root causes/triggers.  (Tissue damage, stress, compromised body position, unhealthy inflammation caused by Standard American Diet, imbalanced movement, negative stress response, lack of sleep/recovery time, and other causes of inflammation).

2.      Load the organism in a safe, controlled manner.  This desensitizes the system and teaches it to function without pain. 

Identifying the prime cause of pain can be complex and difficult to determine.  However, following a primal health approach with a focus on balanced movement, high quality nutrient dense foods, sleep and healthy mindset will support any pain management program.  I am happy to guide people to make these shifts in their lives, and am currently on my way to being a Primal Health Coach (created by health and fitness guru, Mark Sisson), to enhance this optimization.  Speaking from my own experience, it is an invaluable gift to move out of chronic pain, and into optimal living once again.  I am overjoyed to help guide others to make this shift in their own lives. 

Pain is the result of oversensitization and for this reason, progressive, strategic loading of the tissue (within safe limits) can be used to desensitize the system and reduce pain signaling.  This is illustrated by the effectiveness of pilates; when students come in with pain, they find that by working against the gentle resistance of the springs, in healthy alignment, PAIN IS DIMINISHED.  A sense of joy is experienced as one realizes they can move without pain. The effect is enduring, as the individual reprograms their brain, nerves, and body to rebalance through the loaded pilates movement.  This is an important difference between the active work of pilates and movement, and the passive work of massage/body work.  Active movement integrates information between the nervous system, the tissues, and fluids in the body, rebalancing the tension patterns.  This integration leads to enduring results. When the nervous system senses stability in movement  (“Oh yeah, I actually can do this without pain!”), the brain no longer perceives a threat, and pain signals stop.  This is essentially a REBOOT of one’s internal computer, resetting the patterns for healthy, pain free movement.  Intelligent movement is the most enduring pain reliever I have experienced, and the science explains why.

Pain naturally drives us to move, another self-preserving response. Imagine the last time you hurt yourself.  Let’s imagine you hit your hand against a sharp corner on a counter.  You were probably motivated to shake it.  Movement increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the damaged tissue, and carry toxins out of the area. Immobility is generally damaging.  A healthy organism is in perpetual motion to some degree.  Nature is in constant motion. As we breathe the lungs expand and contract, our heart is pumping fluids through vessels, contracting and expanding, cells are constantly regenerating. Movement is essential to life.  Disease is the product of stagnation.  

Another excellent tool is isometric exercise.  Maximal contraction of tissues in static positions, followed by relaxation, causes a flood of fluids and nutrients to the area, and can serve to recalibrate tension patterns.  This can be highly effective in releasing chronic tension patterns in areas of the body.  By activating deep stabilizers in the area, the nervous system senses stability, and as a result, may decrease signaling for local areas to “hold on”, or guard with tension.

Understanding these concepts empowers us to modify our own pain experience, and optimize our health.  We can use pain as a tool to guide us to know when the system is out of balance.  Pain signals generally arise when our body’s needs (often oxygen) are not being met, and the system is, therefore, feeling threatened.     We can address the root causes of pain and work to reduce or stop them, which in turn, will lead to more optimal health.  We can also modify our PERCEPTION OF THREAT, and train our nervous system to become more resilient, and less sensitive to stimuli.  This can be done through progressive exposure to higher challenges, loading, and mindset training such as mindfulness and biofeedback. 

One of my favorite books on this topic, that Lenny referred me to, is Explain Pain (Mosley and Butler). A must read for anyone seeking to understand the science of pain. Another is Todd Hargrove's, Better Movement, The Science and Practice of Moving with More Skill and Less Pain.

It is sheer joy to see people light up with the power of movement, to learn to stabilize, connect and move without pain; powerfully, efficiently, gracefully.  To see them regain connection with their bodies, restoring vital energy that had been drained by chronic pain, is fuel to my fire for teaching. This renewed energy can then propel one to connect vibrantly with others, devote oneself to service and community, and live with joy and optimism.  I have lived that journey and seek to share empowering tools with others to help them to do so as well.

You can listen to Lenny’s brilliance in his Podcast with Bryan Carroll.

Thank you Bryan and Lenny for bringing this insight and inspiration to us all.

Move out of pain and into optimal living!

Best to all,

Jennifer

Graduation Week!  I have just completed my Certificate of Applied Functional Sciences with the Gray Institute, (Go me!!) and am honored to be a part of this innovative community.  Directed by Dr. Gary Gray, the "Father of Functional Movement, the CAFS program is one of kind with its approach to the three-dimensionality of movement, embracing the importance of entire body efficiency, and the upregulation of function through variety.  I have been very lucky to be mentored personally by a rockstar roster of Gray fellows, including Lenny Parracino, Brandi Marshall, O'real Cotton, and Tina Johnson, alongside Dr. Gary Gray himself.  I have been astounded by the generosity and openness with which these individuals share information; their passion for teaching, and for guiding others to optimal health, is remarkable.  

Last weekend, I was honored to amongst the first graduates of Brian Johnson's Hero Training. Brian, a highly successful entrepreneur and devoted philosopher, is is a world class Optimizer, strategically combining wisdom of the ancients and contemporary masters with the rigors of modern science, to create strategies for highest success in life. His articulation of the science behind how simple daily practices lead to optimal health and human performance is unparalleled.

You might know of Brian's prolific work, Philosopher's Notes, or www.Optimize.Me, where he presents summaries (PDF's and audiofiles) encapsulating the highlights of books on health, peak performance, mindset, psychology, philosophy, and more, and connecting the dots on how to implement key elements into one's life. I am a huge fan!! 

Brian and I share a common goal of creating a movement of individuals committed to being a little bit better every day; in mindset, physical health, and purposeful living; cheering each other on as we take consistent small steps towards empowering ourselves and those around us to live to our fullest potential, and to feel the vitality that ensues.  

Critical to this is getting rock solid on the fundamentals; moving well, eating nourishing foods, sleeping and recovering optimally, and practicing positive mindset techniques which allow us to use stress constructively rather than destructively.  Eating, moving, sleeping and thinking optimally ensure that we satisfy our primary needs (consider Maslow's hierarchy of needs beginning with food, shelter and safety), and this give us the foundation from which we can pursue higher goals, extending our energy towards lives of service to the world (Maslow's self actualization).  These higher needs then become as essential to our lives as breathing, eating and drinking water. Fulfilling these higher needs generates feelings of value, purpose, joy and love.  The equation is clear; Healthy people are happy people, and love giving doing great things for the world. Getting rock solid on the fundamental pillars of health--moving, eating, sleeping, and thinking optimally--- is the first step in creating joyful, fulfilling lives.  

One of my favorite ideas inspired by Brian is turning fear into excitement.  

FEAR---->EXCITEMENT.  

We have all experienced the feeling of a racing heart, sweaty palms, and anxiety as we face a stressful event such as public speaking, performing onstage, or going on a first date!  Based upon the work of Alison Wood Brooks, a researcher at Harvard Business School, Brian explains that viewing fear as excitement is a powerful way to harness the power of a high arousal state (sympathetic nervous system driven) and use it to inspire success. Get excited about getting stronger, rather than be stifled by fear!

I used this technique last year, right before my first major surgery, and can attest to its power!  I have faced many pulse racing situations in my life, particularly as a professional dancer feeling the surge of adrenaline every time I go onstage, scrubbing in on surgeries in medical school, traveling solo around the world, or scaling to the top of rock walls.  I have learned to use this heightened physiological state to enhance my performance. I know how to prepare myself with mindset, physical training, and research to attain optimal outcomes.  Yet, I had never been faced with the unknown inherent in trusting my body and life to a surgeon, and all the variables of hospital conditions, staff preparation, and others that go along with it.  These were out of my control.  That made me more than a little anxious!  I chose to channel all my fear into excitement, getting myself fired up about being in top physical condition again, moving powerfully, the way I love to, and begin able to direct my energy outward towards others again, using my own experiences to help guide others to health and optimal living. This kept my arousal state high, and propelled me to do all the work necessary on my part (research, physical and mental conditioning), to set the conditions for a great outcome. 

This simple technique, shifting one's perspective, is life changing; using high sympathetic drive for constructive outcomes, rather than being inhibited by them. Practice saying, "I am EXCITED", in the face of fear, and observe the results for yourself. Feel how fun it is to get great at operating in high arousal states!

Other favorite key ideas Brian conveyed over the weekend include;

1. Be Committed to Being Committed!  (Whatever the commitment, just do it!)

2. Create Masterpiece Days; Determine keystone habits for your mornings and evenings which set the day up to be fantastic. You are the master.  Create the days that fire you up!

3. Determine Deep Work time blocks; Set aside key time for the tough stuff, requiring creativity and innovation.  Set yourself up for success by honoring your most innovative time of day, and blocking out distractions.  

4. Be a Thought Warrior; Inspired by Pema Chodron, pull the weeds of toxic thoughts from the garden of your mind.  Acknowledge negative thoughts for what they are and bid them farewell.  Being a consistent gardener of a vibrant mind, or pour concrete on your blooming garden.  What do you choose?

5. Prioritize Your Life Force.  Know what fuels it, and what drains it.  Choose activities and relationships that fuel it.  Let go of those that do not. 

6. Identify your desired Identity first thing in the morning.  I AM A WORLD CLASS .......... (athlete, teacher, wife, whatever drives you).  Envision yourself being that, and what it feels like.  This plants the seed that directs all the decisions you make during the day, and the feelings that will follow. 

IDENTITY ------> BEHAVIORS AND THOUGHTS----------->FEELINGS (which then reinforce the identity!)

So many more great ideas to share! Get ignited about actualizing your potential, and check out Brian's work at www.optimize.me. Join the tribe.  Get fired up about actualizing your potential! Here's to the best May ever. 

Jennifer

Happy Spring to All!

May this find you enjoying more time outdoors, walking by the ocean, hiking trails blooming with color, and appreciating the wondrous environment we are blessed with. This month marks the one year anniversary of my hip surgery, and I am deeply grateful to you, my community. Your support has inspired me, as I have progressed little by little, to now to be dancing, rock climbing, hiking and enjoying being strong and fluid in my body again. The joy cannot be explained in words, and drives me more each day to share all I learn with my students; from optimizing the healing power of the body, to healthy joint biomechanics, and key techniques to awaken the core/powerhouse--the foundation of all healthy movement. It is incredibly inspiring to see students awaken their power to move with efficient strength and grace. And to know the impact this has on one's entire life experience.

Wishing you a month filled with the joy of moving forward to all your goals, and realizing all you choose to be.

Thank you,

Jennifer

Although long neglected in medical research, fascial health is now understood to be a critical element of human movement and structure. Indeed, when I was a medical student at UCSF, our anatomy lab cadavers were cleared of all fascia before we even got into the lab.  Fascia was deemed to be "filler", and its functions had not yet been realized.  Fascia is intriguing.  It is the connective tissue matrix running through the entire body, investing itself like a giant web around organs, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bone. It even has its own nervous system and is a superhighway of signaling in the body. Stress (psychological or physical) can lead to "stickiness" in fascia and resistance to the flow of movement, energy, and electrical signaling. One may liken healthy fascia to a springy elastic band, strong and supple. Youthful movement quality depends on this healthy, springlike action in well hydrated fascia. Pilates is an excellent vehicle for restoring and maintaining the healthy quality of fascia. With its three dimensional movements in full joint range, deep breath work and gentle oscillations, pilates targets key aspects of fascial health. Join me at Malibu Fitness for pilates on the mat and equipment classes and feel your fascia spring back into youthful action!

To your health,

Jennifer