Stress, rest and the body

While away camping last Sunday, I woke at 4.30am. Seeing clear skies through the window, I couldn’t resist getting up for an early walk. The sunrise was so beautiful that, for a moment, I found myself wishing I could simply keep walking into it.

The previous week had been emotionally demanding, with some family matters unfolding in difficult and unexpected ways. I continued supporting others, but if I’m honest, I hadn’t given my own self-care the attention it usually receives, and I could feel the effects.

Almost immediately, I became aware of a gentle fizzing sensation through my legs and pelvis before drifting into a deep, dreamy sleep.

When I woke, I removed the Buttafly, rolled onto my side and slept for another hour. I felt so completely out of it that even then I had to prise my eyes open.

Although I’ve experienced, and witnessed in others, how the body responds when it’s finally given the right conditions for deep rest, I was still struck by how much I had been carrying without fully realising it. It wasn’t simply that I was tired. Something had softened enough to let go, and only then did I appreciate just how exhausted I really was.

In the early days of developing the Buttafly Technique, my focus was on the structural aspects of posture and spinal alignment. Over time, it has become increasingly clear that what unfolds is about far more than structure. The way we respond to the joys and stresses of life, the way we rest, and the way the body finds its way back towards balance all become part of the picture.

Perhaps this is why I now think of the Buttafly Technique as supporting far more than the spine. Sometimes the greatest change begins when the body finally feels safe enough to rest.

It’s from this understanding that I created a guided practice you can use at home. If you feel drawn, you can find it here here.