​A few weeks ago I posted about Wangari Maathai, the resilient and accomplished woman behind the Green Belt Movement which has planted over 51 million trees in Kenya since its inception in 1977. The Green Belt Movement created impactful change, not only by significantly improving the environment with the planted trees, but also empowering women in communities across Kenya by teaching them forestry skills and how to care for the seedlings so that they could earn a wage with each tree that survived at least six months. 

So I was fascinated to learn that the state of New York aims to plant “25 Million Trees by 2033,” an initiative launched by Governor Kathy Hochul in her 2024 State of the State Address. The initiative recognizes the vital importance of trees and forests in both community health and climate mitigation. And the New York State Dept of Environmental Conservation is utilizing the innovative Tree Tracker to document tree plantings.

Any tree planted since January 2024 goes toward the 25 million total. The Tree Tracker is a stellar way to engage the general public; whether a family plants one tree or a school plants 20, they enter the info in the Tree Tracker. The Tracker records locations, planting dates, species, and sizes, and a state-wide map is updated with each new planting. Progress of the trees can be shared and the website provides tips on caring for the planted trees to nurture successful growth. The website also offers a calendar of tree planting events all over the state so volunteers can be a part of a community that plants and cares for trees. In addition, the website includes links to obtain funding for tree planting projects. 

I realize this is not our state, and most of us reading this will not directly benefit from the 25 Million Trees project. I am excited about the project because of the resources committed, what it will accomplish, the community engagement, and the innovation of the Tree Tracker. The 25 Million Trees is a large-scale answer to a large-scale problem. It builds community by bringing people together for events, educates folks of all ages, and provides opportunities for time outdoors and beautifying parks, streets, and private lands. 

A brilliant solution backed by action and real resources. More of these, please.


Sources/Learn More

• The Optimist Daily: New York launches interactive Tree Tracker to monitor 25 million tree goal. 
• New York State Dept of Environmental Conservation: 25 Million Trees by 2033

​One of the reasons people come to Essentrics® class is to decrease pain or prevent pain from occurring in the first place. It is ironic that we are looking to reduce pain, yet when we experience pain during an activity or workout we have been well-trained (since birth it seems) to push through that pain. 

The problem with pushing through pain is that we usually cause ourselves more pain in the moment, which is unpleasant to say the least. In addition, pushing through pain continues to irritate already inflamed tissues so that the healing process doesn’t have a chance to progress. The resulting chronic pain pulls at your attention through the day, needing to be tended to - which depletes your resources of focus and energy.

As I often demonstrate in class, if you start to raise your arm overhead, and halfway up your shoulder sends a pain message to your brain - stop, pull your arm back to the position you were in before the pain started, and work in that place. Miranda Esmonde-White, the creator of Essentrics, calls this concept “working in a pain-free zone.” You can watch her Aging Backwards video (less than eight minutes long) detailing this and five other Essentrics principles. Aging Backwards challenges the inevitability of limitation as we grow older.

If your goal is to heal, to reduce or prevent pain, and to return to (or keep doing) the activities you love, your best strategy is to heed the pain message your body is sending your brain. That pain message is different from the discomfort of aching arms because you are challenging your muscles to do one more set. The pain message is very clear: “stop because it hurts in a bad way.” When you are conscious of working your injured or tight body part in a range where it can move without pain, you are creating mobility and allowing the blood to flow, thereby supporting your body’s healing process. 

When you demand that your body work through pain, you set up a fight between your brain and body. We get much better results when we see that our brain and body are on the same team, working for the common goal of pain-free activity, strength, and mobility. So rather than push through pain, work with your body, listen to its messages, and live and move well!

Originally published February 2023

​I stare at the screen and will my brain to spit out just one more meaningful sentence. Unfortunately, zombie mode has set in and nothing is forthcoming. Time for a break. The physical movement of scrubbing dishes until they gleam, water warming my hands, sudsy scent freshening the air, and a fun audio book all coax my mind to another track. Thoughts scurry behind the scenes, synthesizing and coalescing without my conscious control. And a few minutes later, voilà, I’m back at the keyboard, ideas morphing easily into concrete words.

Breaks are key. Breaks with physical movement encouraging blood flow, easing muscle and joint stiffness, and boosting oxygen to the brain can be helpful, as can simply sitting quietly for a couple of minutes and not doing anything. Doing nothing may sound impossible, since most of us live in a state of constant stimulation, but that stillness is incredibly healthy for our brain and mental state.

Regardless of age, we can all get overly locked-in to focused brain time. This article,
5 Research-Based Reasons to Use Brain Breaks in the Classroom, discusses how brain breaks enhance productivity, creativity, and learning. Brain breaks involving movement and play have the added benefit of fostering social bonds and teamwork. This could be anything from playing catch, to a group hike or snowshoe, to a group exercise or dance class. I especially love this teacher’s idea of Two Laps and a Nap, where after a few minutes of focused study, the students rejuvenate by walking around the room a couple of times, then put their heads on their desks for a solid three minutes of rest with soothing music. An actionable and effective tool for all!

If you take a deeper dive into the science, waking rest enhances the brain’s ability to replay and consolidate memories of what just occurred, crucial in learning a new skill. This also has implications for people recovering from stroke. In this article, NIH: Study shows how taking short breaks may help our brains learn new skills, the study participants hooked up to brain scanners  typed a code for ten seconds and then rested for ten seconds, repeating this cycle 35 times. During the rest phase, the brain repeatedly replayed the code typing. The brains that replayed the fastest and most number of times in the rest period made the most progress in learning the skill. The study also found that in addition to expected activity in the sensorimotor part of the brain, the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (both involved with memory among other functions) were also active. The study concluded that manipulating brain replay would potentially support faster learning of a new skill as well as aiding in stroke rehabilitation.

As a general rule of thumb, taking breaks gives the brain and nervous system some space. We might think we don’t have the time to step away for a few minutes. But the reality might look more like slogging away at a task for two hours versus that same task only taking a sharply focused 30 minutes after a ten minute walk to refresh the brain and body. Think, too, of the nervous system. Rather than operating in a consistently frazzled state, that short walk can provide an ease for the nervous system, resulting in less stress, enhanced respiration, digestion, and a calmer outlook. UW: Taking Breaks Is Good for Your Brain - Here’s Why.

Here I am at the screen once again. I’ve taken many breaks to research and write this short piece. My brain is starting to sputter and the words are no longer flowing. Let’s you and I both take a little break.