It was a regular Wednesday afternoon till my regular auto driver stood me out and I had to pick my kids up. Standing on the street corner, my eye caught sight of an auto with heavy Ferrari stickering. The driver a chirpy young lad in his early 20’s got talking about his love for fast cars and why his auto had become his Ferrari. I laughed it off little did I know that he had meant it literally.
A middle-aged person with no appetite for speed I felt my heart flutter every time we negotiated a bend. After the initial shock, the movement nerd in me took over and wanted to note my physical response.
This is what I found
Anticipatory core bracing
As we neared any vehicle I would involuntarily tuck my abdomen in, lift my diaphragm up, and push all the air out of my lungs. Lift my chest, shoulders, and neck up. This reduced the blood supply to my brain making me feel more nervous and lightheaded. My ramrod rigid back was amplifying the sensation of the shock making me feel like a brick being thrown around. A few rounds of this and I had had enough and now it was time for the correctives.
When under stress, free up the belly. Allow the breath to flow in and out-of the belly, this will loosen your back and allow efficient shock absorption.
when under stress, free up the breath to free up the brain
As my journey came to an end I learnt that we may not be able to change the circumstances of our lives but can surely choose our response which will change the effect the circumstance has on us.