Brenda first came to the Happy Spine because she was carrying a lot of tension throughout her body. Some of that tension had started turning into real pain.
What stood out most about Brenda, though, wasn’t just the tension—it was how she moved through life. She would rush into the office like a whirlwind, almost stomping as she walked. She always seemed to be on a mission: strong, determined, and completely in control. After each session, the same thing would happen. She would immediately jump up, grab her things, and march straight out the door—just as quickly as she had come in.
One day, as she started to get up from the table, I gently stopped her. “Before you go,” I said, “sit for a moment and just notice.” For many of us, the brain’s autopilot is so strong that it overrides our ability to observe ourselves. We move, think, and react automatically, rarely pausing long enough to actually feel what is happening in our bodies.
When Brenda took that moment, she suddenly noticed how tightly controlled and rigid her movements were. She laughed when she realized it.
That small moment of awareness became a turning point. Over time, she began giving herself more space—after sessions and throughout her daily life. Instead of letting autopilot run everything, she practiced slowing down and paying attention to how she moved, breathed, and held tension.
Gradually, something shifted. The tension she had been carrying for so long began to melt away. Pain isn’t always just about a tight muscle or pressure on a nerve. Sometimes pain is the body’s way of asking for something deeper—more awareness, more coordination, and a higher level of neurological organization.
When we slow down enough to notice ourselves, we give the brain a chance to reorganize. We interrupt the patterns that keep tension locked in place. And often, that’s when real change begins. I invite you to sit after your session and notice what is. Ease, a change in posture, tension or discomfort, try something simple before rushing past it.
Pause. Notice how you are standing, breathing, moving, or holding yourself in that moment. Because sometimes healing doesn’t begin with doing more. Sometimes it begins with simply taking a moment and noticing.