A Reflection on Changing Habits - My Experience in '21-Day Twisted Transformation' by Cindy Heidel

“It takes 21 days to make or break a habit.”

REALLY? I’ve heard this phrase used many times in my life. Amusing that it comes from a 1960s self-help book by a cosmetic surgeon! Quite a few years have passed since then and more research shows that at the minimum, 21 days in a row of ‘something’ allows for the creation of new neural pathways. These are composed of neurons, connected by dendrites, which are created in the brain based on habits and behaviors. As we participate in new activities, our brains are being trained to create new pathways (habits) which start to be developed in 21 days. The longer you continually practice, the more neural pathways. Thank you, Doctor Google!!

EXERCISES FOR SCOLIOSISGuest ContributorDecember 2, 2020scoliosis, Fusions, Exercise, Healing Journey, Learning, Back Care

VIDEOS: 10+1 Simple Exercises for Scoliosis and Fusions

Martha Carter has launched the FIRST of 11 videos that will bring her '10+1 Simple Exercises for Scoliosis and Fusions' to life. Each week, we will be adding a new exercise video to do at home.

EXERCISES FOR SCOLIOSISMartha CarterApril 7, 2020Video, Exercise, Learning, Healing, Scoliosis, Covid-19

Research on Scoliosis and Guppies!

In 2009, TOPS director Martha Carter and filmmaker Clancy Dennehy visited the Simon Fraser University Scoliosis Research Centre in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. They spoke with genetic researchers Felix Breden and Kristen Fay Gorman about their work with the 'curveback' guppy, with the goal of uncovering the many mysteries about scoliosis.

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENTSTOPS AdminApril 3, 2017Good News, Learning

Martha Carter Talks About Her Healing Journey - Part 13

Becoming a Yoga for Scoliosis teacher

One of the hardest things about scoliosis is that it is difficult to know what to do to make it better. People ask me questions like these all the time:

How do you cure scoliosis?
How can I make my back straight again?
How can I stop the curve from getting worse?
What can I do to get rid of the pain?

Though extremely understandable questions to ask, they are very difficult questions to answer, because every person and every curve is different. There is one thing that is for sure though: it is NOT possible to CURE a structural scoliosis.

STORIES & SUCCESSESMartha CarterMarch 13, 2017Yoga, Learning, Back Care, Supportive Care, Scoliosis

Martha Carter Talks About Her Healing Journey - Part 12

A 200-hour Yoga teacher training adventure of discovery on Salt Spring Island, BC.

Through attending Yoga For Scoliosis with Elise Browning Miller, I came to clearly understand that Yoga could really help me, but it also opened me up to the realization that I didn't know anything about Yoga — in the wider sense. When I first started studying Yoga, I was completely distracted by my own body fears and discomforts.

STORIES & SUCCESSESMartha CarterMarch 12, 2017Yoga, Learning, Back Care, Supportive Care

Martha Carter Talks About Her Healing Journey - Part 11

What happens in a Yoga for Scoliosis class

When I discovered Elise Browning Miller and her method, Yoga for Scoliosis, I finally felt confident to explore Yoga further. First of all, Elise had scoliosis! So, unlike other Yoga teachers I had worked with, her teaching provided insights that could only come from having personal experience with this condition.

STORIES & SUCCESSESMartha CarterMarch 11, 2017Yoga for Scoliosis, Back Care, Exercise, Learning

Martha Carter Talks About Her Healing Journey - Part 9

How dance and dancers have shaped and informed every step of the journey

I keep wanting to talk about getting into Yoga for Scoliosis — an eventual and integral part of my scoliosis journey following the removal of my Harrington Roads — but as I write this serial blog, and look back on all that’s happened, other memories get triggered and new understandings appear.

STORIES & SUCCESSESMartha CarterMarch 9, 2017Healing, Dance, Learning, Body Image, Physical Exercise, Scoliosis

Martha Carter Talks About Her Healing Journey - Part 5

Harrington rods removed - the healing journey begins

As I mentioned in Part 3 of this serial blog post, after the removal of my Harrington rods, I was eager to experience movement in a new way—without the restriction of metal implants. But because I still felt stiff and had muscle spasms, I decided to work with a massage therapist, Dawn, to help break up the scar tissue that had built up over the years.