Sarah Rusnak Yoga

Unfortunately, chronic pain is not simply tissue damage.

This means that, often times, the standard care that is offered through the western medical model will not lead to a relief in pain symptoms.

Sometimes the western medical model does help, and that's great!

Sometimes it doesn't. Then where do you turn?

I am passionate about helping people get in the driver's seat of their own health and wellbeing. Wellbeing becomes more tangible and within your grasp when you define it for yourself and set out to find tools and resources that allow you to experience curiosity & hopefulness while believing that a different experience is possible for you and your body.

What something that you've discovered about chronic pain that nobody told you?

Learning about my nervous has been an incredibly helpful tool along my healing journey. I like to think of my body as my "creature body".

Have you ever seen a skittish cat?
Or a dog who's protecting itself?
Or a mouse scurrying across the floor, looking for cover?

Each of those examples are "creatures" within a nervous system response. The human nervous system can be just as sensitive as these other creatures.

Learn how to regulate your nervous system through mindfulness, yoga and studies of human anatomy + physiology.

Whether you're a busy mom, or you have a full time job, or maybe you don't think you're THAT busy...

If you want to develop a new habit, it's so important to prioritize your strategy for how the the new behavior is going to fit into your life.

Try strategies and test them. Find the sweet spot where you can get yourself to do the thing you want to do.

Do you relate to this? What behavior do you think/know you'd like to be doing more consistently? Let me know in the comments, or send me a DM if you're shy.

❤Learn to tolerate your imperfection.

❤Learn to tolerate needing to do something that you don't love.

❤Learn to be a compassionate caregiver and mentor to yourself.

❤Take care of your body so that your body can keep taking care of you. It's the only home you'll have your entire life.

Life is full of hard things that cause stress and overwhelm.

The result of contemplative practices such as yoga and meditation is that we help ourselves become less reactive.

✅ We cause less harm to ourselves and others.
✅ We get ourselves out of self-destructive, habitual patterns with our thinking.

❤️ All of this adds up to more peace and resilience in the midst of life's challenges.

🌊 We can't stop the waves but we can learn to surf.

Medical research estimates as much as 90 percent of illness and disease is stress-related.

Self-awareness and self-compassion are important tools that can lead to sustainable change in habits of stress.

Would you like help learning how to have more self-compassion and self-awareness so that you can reduce your stress levels?

I have a goal to interview 200 women for marketing research. In exchange for a 15 minute interview I'll give you 15 minutes of coaching - I can help you create strategies for resilience and sustainable wellness.

Click the link in my bio or send a me a DM to schedule your interview.

Many women tell me that they would like to exercise more consistently.

They think that they need to be more disciplined.

While I understand their desire, I don't think that they need to be better at time management or self-discipline!

My suggestion... they need a strategy.
For example:

👉 Make exercise part of your already existing morning routine
👉 Start NOW
👉 Start small

Examples of starting small:
✅ 10 push ups
✅ A 15 minute walk
✅ 5 Sun Salutations
✅ Listen to one song while dancing or moving

The key is to link your new activity to something that you already do each day.

🧐 After you brush your teeth?
🧐 After you drink your coffee?
🧐 Right before you need to get in your car to leave?

A new habit is like a seed, if it's planted in the right spot it will grow with less effort.

Make exercise part of your morning routine - this is a good strategy for many people because you're fresh, motivation tends to be higher and it will give you energy for the rest of your day.

Would you like help creating your unique "best strategy" to exercise consistently?

I have a goal to interview 200 women for marketing research. In exchange for a 15 minute interview I'll give you 15 minutes of coaching - I can help you create your exercise habit strategy.

Click the link in my bio or send a me a DM to schedule your interview.

It's challenging to "start small" with change because often people think that a small change won't make a difference. When in fact, a very small change is how you get your foot in the door to bigger changes that are sustainable.

Celebrating small wins is beneficial to your mind, body and spirit!

It's particularly helpful for those of us living with chronic conditions such as auto-immune disorders, persistent pain and persistent anxiety. Why? Because it's regulating for our nervous system.

What does it mean to regulate your nervous system?

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls our involuntary bodily functions, including heart rate, digestion, and breathing. Celebrating small wins can help regulate the ANS, promoting balance between its two branches: the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the "fight-or-flight" response) and the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for the "rest-and-digest" response). Celebrating small wins can activate the parasympathetic branch, which promotes relaxation, lowers heart rate and blood pressure, and supports overall physiological equilibrium.

Who wants some of that!? 💪

If you would like to:

✅Boost your motivation
✅Give yourself a sense of progress
✅Create stress reduction
✅Form new neural connections and fresh ways of thinking
✅Improved cognitive function
✅Enhanced immune system function

Then create a daily ritual that gives you a little bit space and time to celebrate your small wins. Feed yourself some sweetness, which makes it easier to overcome obstacles and continue forward with your goals.

Settle pain and struggle by celebrating small wins.

Setting goals is tough for some people. Part of the reason it's hard is because we then have to hold ourselves accountable to follow through.

The thing that's tough about following through is that you may not have learned how to set reasonable goals that you can systematically work towards. But this is something you can learn! Once you learn it's easier to set and achieve goals.





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Joy is a strengthening element for your health, it feeds mental and physical well-being. Joyful experiences are linked to better physical health, including lowered blood pressure, strengthened immune system, and reduced inflammation.

Joy activates the relaxation response in our body. It fosters social connections, enhancing a sense of belonging and support. Additionally, joy motivates and inspires.

If you're not generating that much joy with your day to day wellness rituals, you have an untapped wellspring of potential goodness. Get it!

If you like my content you're going to love my coaching!

👉I have a goal to interview 200 women for marketing research. In exchange for a 15 minute interview I'll give you 15 minutes of coaching - I can help you identify and begin daily routines that will change your life for the better.