Blog

Key Takeaways:

• Self-awareness through Inquiry
• Embracing emotional healing
• Practical Strategies for Coping

Today, I want to dive into something that many of us with ticks can relate to—the curious way our ticks seem to intensify when we're around other people. Have you noticed this pattern in your own life?

For me, it's been a constant observation. When I find myself in social gatherings or even just surrounded by a few friends, my ticks become more pronounced. It's not just a physical response; it's almost like my body tunes into a different frequency of movement, responding to the energy and dynamics of the people around me.

It raises a fundamental question: does this happen to everyone in all social contexts, or are there specific triggers? This self-inquiry is crucial because it leads us towards greater self-awareness. Understanding these triggers isn't about finding a quick fix but rather about becoming more attuned to the subtle urges and tensions within our bodies...

A self-care journal is more than just a diary. It’s a focused tool where you can track your symptoms, emotional state, and the effectiveness of various management strategies. It also serves as a therapeutic outlet to express feelings, which might be difficult to articulate otherwise.

Benefits of Keeping a Self-Care Journal

Keeping a self-care journal offers several benefits:

•  Enhanced Awareness: Regularly writing in your journal helps you become more attuned to the patterns and triggers of your tics. This awareness is key to managing symptoms more proactively.
•  Stress Reduction: Journaling can be a great way to relieve stress. Getting your thoughts and feelings out on paper can reduce the intensity of emotions, clearing your mind and easing your body.
•  Better Management of Tics: By tracking what works and what doesn’t, a self-care journal can guide you to more effective strategies for managing your tics. Over time, this can lead to better overall control....

Over the years, I’ve explored various strategies to help manage tics, especially for those of us navigating the complexities of Tourette Syndrome. Today, I’d love to share how essential oils have become a key part of my toolkit, offering not just relief, but also a delightful sensory experience.

Living with tics is like having an unpredictable companion who occasionally takes the reins. Whether it’s involuntary motor movements or unexpected vocal sounds, tics can disrupt life in unexpected ways. My journey with tics began in childhood, and finding ways to coexist peacefully with them has been my mission ever since.

My first encounter with essential oils was at a wellness workshop that promised natural solutions for everyday health challenges. Skeptical but curious, I ventured into what I now consider one of the most transformative experiences of my life.

Through trial, research, and plenty of patience, I discovered three essential oils that significantly eased my...

 Key Takeaways:

• Motor Tics as Signals
• Self-Awareness and Healing
• Shift in Perspective

Now, you might be thinking, "How can a motor tic possibly be a compass?" Trust me, I used to think the same thing. But hear me out. Think of your motor tic as a signal—a signal that something isn't quite right in your environment, your thoughts, or your emotions. It's like an internal alarm system, guiding you to pay attention to what's happening within and around you.

I've found that tuning into my motor tic patterns has been instrumental in my healing process. By becoming more aware of when I tic more or less, I've gained valuable insights into my own inner workings. You see, motor tics are often just a symptom of deeper issues bubbling beneath the surface—issues that we may have been ignoring or suppressing for years.

In my case, I discovered that my motor tics were closely tied to my emotional state. The more I pushed down my feelings or avoided confronting difficult...

Key Takeaways:

• Avoiding facing tics increased their shame/mystery; hiding didn't help
• Viewing video with self-compassion built acceptance of this long-rejected part   
• Facing discomfort brought unexpected healing after years fruitless fighting

As someone who has struggled with constant, embarrassing motor tics for over 20 years, the idea of videotaping my tics and watching them back fills me with dread. Like many dealing with Tourette's, I tend to avoid facing just how uncontrollable and pervasive my tics are on a daily basis. Out of sight, out of mind has been my coping mechanism.

But recently, I've realized that hiding from my tics has only increased my shame and isolation over the years. The more I pretend they aren't there, the more power and mystery they hold over me. I've decided it's finally time to turn towards this longtime foe with self-compassion as my tool.

So I set up my phone's camera, took a few deep breaths to calm my anxiety, and hit record....

Key Takeaways:

• Integration of Practices into Daily Life
• The Power of Breath
• The Continuous Journey Towards Peace

Today, I wanted to share something that touches on a common thread among many of us dealing with motor tics, chronic tics, or Tourette's. It's about the profound impact of our mindset and lifestyle on our condition and the real, tangible possibility of healing.

I received an email recently from a student of my course that struck a chord with me, and I believe her experiences and questions will resonate with many of you. She's been applying the techniques I share—finding peace and calm through yoga, meditation, and physical activity. Yet, she finds herself grappling with the resurgence of stress and, consequently, her facial tics, once the tranquility from those practices fades in the face of daily life's demands.

Her struggle is a vivid illustration of a challenge many of us face: maintaining a state of inner peace amidst the chaos of daily responsibilities and...

Key Takeaways:

• Tics knot muscle tissue; massage slowly untwinds decades of accumulated tension 
• Self-massage is embodiment; tending rejected areas fosters integration
• Loving touch transforms cries for attention into healing invitations 

As someone who struggled with constant full-body motor tics for over 20 years, I know firsthand how much pent-up trauma gets locked in the muscles and fascia where the spasms occur thousands of times daily. The areas around my tics have been knotted up for so long, they feel like concrete.

I’ve found regularly massaging and pressing into these tense spots helps break up that accumulated tension in a way nothing else can. It’s painful yet profoundly healing - like wringing toxicity out of my own body.

I recently had a massage where the therapist skillfully found each knotted muscle group associated with my various tics. Using fingers and elbows, he patiently worked out the layers of tightness with the perfect amount of...

Key Takeaways:

• The Cycle of Frustration and Tics
• The Importance of Emotional Neutrality and Release
• Integration of Physical, Emotional, and Energetic Dimensions in Healing

My battle with motor tics wasn't just physical; it was deeply emotional. The involuntary movements—be it a twitch of the arm or an unexpected jerk of the neck—were as much a part of me as they were foreign. The frustration that came with these uninvited guests was palpable. Each tic felt like a betrayal by my own body, a relentless reminder of a battle I felt I was losing.

But here's the pivotal realization that changed everything: the frustration, the anger, and the annoyance I felt towards myself and my tics were fueling them. It was a cycle—my emotional turmoil fed the tics, and the tics, in turn, deepened my emotional turmoil.

I want to share something crucial with you, something I wish I had understood earlier: feeling frustrated with your tics, while a natural response, is...

Key Takeaways:

• Acknowledging Emotions is Crucial for Healing
• Releasing Emotions Breaks the Cycle of Frustration
• Inner Peace Comes from Understanding and Releasing

Having a motor tic for 20 years was an experience filled with frustration, confusion, and a quest for stillness. The involuntary movements—be it my arm twitching, my nose wriggling, or my neck jerking—were not just physical manifestations but also emotional burdens. The constant motion was a stark reminder of my struggle for control over my own body, leading to a deep-seated frustration with myself.

The pivotal realization on my journey was understanding the importance of not getting frustrated with my tic. It sounds counterintuitive, doesn't it? How do you not get frustrated with something that's so inherently frustrating? This was the crux of my battle. The frustration, anger, and annoyance at my inability to remain still were not just emotional reactions; they were fuel to the fire, intensifying the tics.

Key Takeaways:

• Modern medicine failed; ancient modalities succeeded helping heal holistically  
• Tools like yoga, meditation and chanting meet needs for mind-body integration 
• By honoring ancestral wisdom, I created inner peace once lacking  

As someone who struggled with constant motor tics for over 20 years, I tried every modern conventional treatment available to no avail. No pill or medical procedure could provide lasting relief from the thousands of daily spasms erupting through my body.

In desperation, I started exploring more holistic healing modalities from ancient traditions like yoga, meditation, and Qi Gong. And they have helped me achieve what medicine could not.

By dedicating time each day to simple breathing exercises, mindfulness practices, and movement rituals passed down for generations, I've learned to come home to my body and find an inner stillness that eluded me for so long.

When I take a moment to tune into my breath, rather than...