Fun fact I never wanted to be a business owner. It wasn't something I ever saw myself doing. It was actually my patients in England who put the idea in my head. For this reason, I didn't have a clear picture of what I was trying to create when choosing it's name. However, I knew for certain what I was creating was definitely called Zephyr Movement.

Zephyr literally means a gentle breeze and Movement, whilst it seems a logical choice for the physio in me, was actually selected for a different definition. The intention was to create a group of people with similar beliefs who work together to do something. Whilst I'm still in the very early stages of business owning and the pandemic has been an interesting challenge in the infant stage, my goal is to offer a different choice for people.

I love the quote by Albert Einstein, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results." Burning out, quitting life and living overseas was my redirection. I didn't want to come back home, fall back into the life I had previously created and have to take a hiatus in a few years when it drove me insane... again. I want an ecological life. I wanted to choose a life where every aspect feeds into the other, creating a sustainable evolving unit. It seems to me whilst the world is changing, hustle and grind are still broadly valued highly. I myself valued hustle and grind throughout my schooling and into my early career and whilst that is a sustainable choice for some...

Zephyr Movement was always intended as a lifestyle change. It was an offering to choose differently, perhaps choose better for you, not to simply take a break, recoup, only to go back to the same path. At ZephM, we value comfort, gentle strength, feeling your feelings and the not so fancy, not so loud, small choices that turn into big changes. If you're ready to pick differently, see the subtle choices as the defining ones and join the Zephyr Movement as it continues to evolve, here is your starter pack.

I gift you:
*A bag full of increased awareness of your breath and of your thoughts
*A coupon to breathe a little more gently and soften your muscles just a little more (no expiration date needed)
*A free pass per day for stillness: to tune into your senses, feel all the feels without apologising or receive some inner insight
*An invitation to choose the most kind and compassionate thoughts especially when your first thought is less than kind
*Endless permission slips to choose your comfort over anyone else's expectations

What you will receive:
*A top up of resilience and a little slice of calm amid the chaos that is our brutiful lives
*A whole bunch of nerdy facts about breathing and the nervous system
*A place where space is held, you are included and being the full spectrum of human is expected

For those already in the Zephyr Movement, soaring, falling and living wholeheartedly, thank you. Your support in whatever way it arrives is always appreciated.  Follow us on IG: @zephyr.movement or send us an email to get involved and share how you're choosing to live the 'ZephM Way'.  Because the more strong, gentle individuals the stronger more gentle community we create.

Be kind ✌️

Working in wellness and as a physio in the area of acute respiratory, I was all about the 'deep' breathing...or taking 'big' breaths. Recently I underwent some professional development courses in breathing re-training and let me tell you what I learnt changed the way I will live and treat from now on!
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First up, what is breathing re-training? It is based in physiology. Basically, it is the process of training the respiratory centre in the brain to 'normalise' the rate and volume of breaths taken. In doing this it will effect your blood chemistry because breathing is closely associated with the pH of blood. It has everything to do with the balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen and the way the body compensates for keeping this balance. (Note: I put ' ' around 'normalise' because everyone is different with different medical histories/lifestyle factors that can affect the end result. However, the process will still move you closer to 'normal'. **It is for this reason that you shouldn't adjust your breathing without the guidance of a breath educator who knows your whole medical picture.

Secondly, what is normal physiological breathing? When I went to university we got taught a normal breathing rate for an adult was between 12-20 breaths per minute with a volume of air per breath dependent upon your body size. For example, someone my size would have a tidal volume of 500mls per breath. This volume would also change depending on whether you are sneezing, coughing, sighing, yawning etc. 

What I learned through Tess Graham's courses was that 40years ago normal was 8-12 breaths per minute. A comparison of the difference could be depicted in what breathing looks like during a panic attack with the paper bag vs when the person has calmed themselves down. Think about the symptoms associated with breathing that fast and big. 

If humans have been around for 100s of 1000s of years why would the physiology (the chemical and physical makeup have changed so much?) Ms Graham hypothesised that it was the change in lifestyle. We live more fast paced lives and stress is at an all time high, juggling all the different areas of modern life. Plus, our diets. Yes food has an impact on breathing. Now I am not a dietician or nutritionist, just a physio and breath educator, so all I will say is that complex carbohydrates can increase your breathing rate too. 
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So what does correct breathing look like? --->​

Breathing re-training is intrinsically safe when performed without ANY discomfort. However, because breathing is so closely linked with this inherent balance in our bodies. Changing your breathing without supervision or too quickly can result in a healing response whereby you may feel more emotional, have changes in your gastro-intestinal function among other symptoms.

Think you may be over breathing?
(**Think about the following question during exercise and/or sleeping not just during resting breathing...)

• Can you hear your breathing? 
• Do you mouth breath?
• Do you breath with your upper chest?
• Are your breaths irregular eg) frequent sighs, yawns, snorts, coughs, breath holds

Curious to start your own breath re-training? Well to celebrate a year since Zephyr Movement opened its doors! You can receive 10% off any breath re-training initial consult for the week starting Thursday 23rd July (because Thursdays are my favourite day!) ending Thursday 30th July!! Enquire here to claim :)

Enjoy your day and nurture your lungs by simply breathing a little more gently from now on. 

Let's talk mindfulness...before I had a persistent pain condition, studied hypnotherapy and struggled with my anxiety I had no idea what this word meant! I knew it was kind of in the meditation realm (which I found incredibly intimidating) but that was about it.

Mindfulness simply means directing your attention toward the present moment. Now why would you want to do this? In practicing bringing your mind back to the now no matter how many times the mind tries to distract you. This can be with what you're going to cook for dinner or what time what meeting is on. This teaches you emotion regulation. I often describe this as creating space between the situation and your reaction to it. Meaning, instead of yelling at the person who took the last toilet roll from a place of lack and fear (couldn't help myself #soznotsoz)  having another couple of seconds to realise that person is wearing a nurses' uniform and it may have been the only chance she had to get supplies before another string of shift work. Perhaps that person would have been able to observe the uniform in that moment if their thoughts weren't on trying to remember what meals they needed to prep, how much the shopping was going to cost or whether they'd run out of toothpaste? In other words focused their attention on the present moment. Wait wasn't that mindfulness? :) I can hear you asking but how?!? Where do I start? Ok ok ok here are some great ways to start.
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1. Breathing!! Try focusing on how you are breathing in this moment. Is it slightly difficult or effortless? What body parts move on the in and/or the out breath? How could you alter your breathing in this moment to relax the most muscles? Would it help if you breathed into the areas of tension? Breath is a great anchor because if you are alive you will continue to breath and each breath will be different moment to moment keeping you PRESENT!! 

2. The Senses!! Pick a sense; sight, sound, scent, taste, touch. Now take a minute...how many orange objects can you see right now? What are the background sounds you have been zoning out? (For me it's this pesky fly!!!) What smells can you detect...perhaps a tree or candle or flower? What does this inside of your mouth taste like and is it different between each swallow of saliva? What do the different textures of your clothes, the chair beneath you feel like? The pattern embedded on the back of my legs says I should definitely get up from this chair soon.
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Breathing, as long as we are living we will be doing it all day, erry day, one way or another! 

As a physiotherapist you need a wide range of knowledge on different body systems. Thankfully uni break it down for us into regions. So I learnt about the physiology of the lungs and circulatory systems. I learnt the anatomy of the trunk muscles and biomechanics on getting air/mucus in and out but it wasn't until practicing physio, my interest in breath became a whole lot more holistic.
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Basically our nervous system drives breath at the most organic source. Lots of things can change the speed at which we breath, the size of the breaths and the muscles we use to do it including dis-ease, pain, activity, input from the senses, skeletal structure or even emotions.