Stroke Recovery Group

It was my pleasure to talk with the Chilliwack Stroke Recovery Group a few weeks ago. What an inspirational group of people! And so ready to learn. Brain plasticity is becoming a common term and everyone agreed that change is possible. 

As I verbally guided them through a mini-Group lesson (called a TML), it was so interesting to watch the different stages of mindsets.

• Some embraced the concept of going SLOW and becoming AWARE of their movements right from the start.
  
  
• Some took a few moments to get comfortable with the idea of not pushing past their limits and to realize that the '"exercise" really had no hidden agenda of performing to meet someone else's arbitrary opinion, but for them to have a safe space to explore how their body moved.
  
  To have the time and freedom to just be and to just become aware of their bodies. 
  
  
• And some just wanted to get to the point and see if I could help them 'fix' their 'problem'. 

It's a difficult mindset to overcome. Today, society embraces fixing problems. That's what many of us type A personalities do best. We fix things. Things that are broken. We make them better. It's celebrated.  ​

But fixing something assumes that the something is broken. 
We are humans. We are not broken. 

What if... instead we have only changed? 
Or what if... instead we are only different?

Of course for people who have had a stroke, mobility and pain issues are real and the desire to go back to the way things used to be can be seductive and irresistible.

But what if... you choose to see yourself with compassion, acceptance and with infinite possibilities?
You are different now than 2 years ago.
You are different now than yesterday. 
You will be different tomorrow.

And the exciting part is that you can have a say in HOW you are different.

Your brain has the ability to adapt to changes. It's what it was designed to do!

​Give your brain quality information to work with. Slowing down and becoming aware of your movements, are simple and powerful ways to facilitate change.

Moving from fixing to connecting was certainly a journey for me and not everyone catches onto the idea right away. 

I encourage you to embrace your differences!
Connect with what's different about your body and how your movements are different. The more aware you are, the more information you give your brain, so it can organize your movements with more grace and ease.

Maybe you are frustrated with not being able to hold a pen (or put on your shoes or comb your hair, etc...) the way you used to. But by giving your brain lots of options and being open to different possibilities, you allow it to figure things out. Probably differently than before. But the exciting part is that there are many ways to hold a pen! 

Marvel at the small things you've accomplished so far. 

You have an amazing brain!
Connect to it by speaking it's language (slow and with awareness!) and amazing things will happen!