Our body has two survival based priorities: firstly to breathe and then to move. But its easy for these primary functions to be impacted and impaired by life: falls, sporting injuries, grief, asthma, illness, post viral fatigue to name a few. Once impaired our marvelous bodies insists on finding ways to carry on breathing and moving, they do this by co-opting other muscle groups to do their job.
Over time, these compensations bring their own problems. It might start with a reduced ability to move with ease and grace. Maybe we breathe less deeply and embed a shallow breath as our norm. Most of us don’t notice these changes, its only when recurring pain, or injuries that just wont go away, reduce our ability to move, have fun and engage with life, that they become apparent.
This is where Be Activated comes in.
I experienced a neck injury in 2000, with a few relapses after; subsequently I’ve tried all manner of therapies to get my mobility, strength and resilience back. A series of short and simple muscle activations I was shown casually by a physio friend proved to be highly effective. I did them daily, in bed for a year (along with a few energy medicine exercises) after I’d had Covid-19 and was so impressed with the effect on my body that I went on to study ‘Be Activated’ with its creator, Douglas Heel (South African physio, surfer and highly effective healer) in December 2021.
Essentially Be Activated is a system of muscle activations which are very simple and easy to learn. The process is based around ‘measure, activate, breathe, measure again’. The results are immediate and measurable, so you know what’s working for your body and what’s not. As we return our body back to functioning the way it is designed to, we increase our performance: building endurance; strength & flexibility; power, mobility and resilience; which in turn reduces the risk of further injury. Who doesn’t want all these things in their life, especially as we age?
Douglas Heel, who defined this system, is invited to work with world-class athletes all over the planet, to help them improve their game. Check him out here. My focus is to share its essentials, for self-care. I’m particularly keen to share it with those who have lost functionality and are ready to engage with their own healing process.
A group of physios in the south of England took this work to people with Parkinson’s Disease. The effects were very positive and powerful. If you know of anyone experiencing this disease, please pass this information on to them. Check out the powerful effects of Be Activated here: www.unlockingparkinsons.com
To book a session call me on 07776091439 or email info@jobrierley.co.uk. I also run 2 hour introductory workshops to this method, check out the Workshops page.
Reviews:
“Jo’s ‘Be Activated’ sessions profoundly transformed how I felt in my body. Not only physically; but also emotionally, mentally, energetically and spiritually. I can really recommend the sessions, plus learning some of it for yourself as well. Its a really powerful process and supportive. I still find it useful today and I’d go back for more sessions with Jo to continue the process.” Frances Goodall Sept ’22. 