Deep work, suggested reading, and upcoming events:

t is that wonderful time of year, where the evenings are long and the wildflowers are blooming. This time of year signals an awakening, and is frequently considered a time to renew, by getting rid of what is unnecessary and committing to the essentials. 

I am finishing up Cal Newport’s latest book, “Deep Work,” and this idea of getting rid of the unnecessary is highlighted frequently throughout, in a more mental sense, rather than physical. What causes mental distraction in our life? Are those things necessary for our existence? And what happens if we do without them? Would we be more productive, more focused? As you can guess by the title of the book, his hypothesis is yes, if we get rid of the things we don’t need, we would produce more, perhaps both in our work and in our personal lives. Ideas for improving our capacity for deep work include:

Check e-mail at scheduled times throughout the day, rather than periodically throughout the day.
Schedule chunks of time where you are offline.
Practice focused attention during walks or runs outside by using the quiet to think about things you are writing or problems you are working on solving. 
Reflect on what doesn’t work and consider why it didn’t work. What could you have changed?
Take the time to be “off the grid,” so to speak. Spend time in nature, away from electronics.
Embrace the quiet as a time to think, reflect, and perhaps produce something creative. 
Attention, like everything else, is a skill to be practiced. In a world where distractions abound, our ability to focus for an extended period of time is a skill worth honing if you have goals of developing a high level of expertise or creating meaningful works of writing, of art, or of something else. Similar to the first time you try meditating, 2 minutes feels like an eternity, but with consistent practice, the ability to focus becomes longer, and the lure of Facebook becomes quieter, until it falls away and all that is left is the work. 

Yours in health and wellness,
Jenn

Suggested reading:
Exercise and lower back pain: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/01/11/462366361/forget-the-gizmos-exercise-works-best-for-lower-back-pain?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160111
Meditation: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/18/contemplation-therapy/?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=2
Why you move the way you do: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/02/160228-motion-movement-locomotion-evolution-science-wilkinson-ngbooktalk/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20160229news-booktalkmovement&utm_campaign=Content&sf21694122=1
Healthy shoulders (good exercises): http://tonygentilcore.com/2016/02/5-strategies-for-healthy-shoulders/
Understanding mobility: http://deansomerset.com/understanding-mobility/
Body tension and self image: http://www.sethoberst.com/blog/body-tension-and-self-image
Empowerment through critical thinking: http://www.julesmitchell.com/whats-the-cue-for-that/
Why some humans are left-handed: https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/03/31/left-handedness-david-wolman/
Your movement system needs a re-boot: http://breakingmuscle.com/natural-movement/your-movement-needs-an-upgrade-how-to-reboot-your-system (Chandler is on a role with good material. If you are interested in the mind/body connection, check out his Facebook page Chandler Stevens coaching).
The science of pain (a nice, introductory overview): https://yogainternational.com/article/view/yoga-and-the-new-science-of-pain
Epistemic actions (motor control): https://www.bettermovement.org/blog/2016/epistemic-actions
Pain summit musings from Joletta Benton: http://www.mycuppajo.com/sdpain-2016-part-2/

Upcoming Events:
Title:                                               Date:            Registration:                         Location:    
Move Better class series
Finding ease in the squat           Sat: 4/2/16     www.bewellpt.com/$20    Be Well Studio
                                                     12-1

Connecting the hands                Sat: 4/30/16    www.bewellptcom/$20    Be Well Studio
to the shoulders                          12-1

Training clients with
non-specific low back pain         Sat: 4/16/16     www.move-sf.com/$75    Be Well Studio
                                                      1-4

Stress lecture                                TBA                  www.thetreadmill.com/free    The Treadmill

Body, mind, nature retreat           6/2-6/4/17        TBA, www.bewellpt.com         Mayacamas
                                                                                                                                  Ranch