Please welcome Dr. Theresa Larson to the Do Great Things Podcast! Theresa Larson (aka) Dr. T is an expert on movement health and a former Marine Corps Engineer Officer and Combat Veteran. With a doctorate in physical therapy, Theresa embarked on an entrepreneurial and personal “Hero’s Journey” into creating workout and therapy programs that help people reduce or eliminate suffering.
We’re talking about a variety of things in this podcast, ranging from Dr. T’s loss of her mother and how that affected and inspired her life, to serving in the Marine Corps as an officer with an eating disorder.
Dr. T ended up taking an early release from the Marine Corp and turning her eating disorder into a completely different direction for her life. She knew that she wanted more than what she was doing and she knew that she wanted to help people and now she had the space to really explore what that direction was.
The direction ended up being going to school for Physical Therapy, starting a solo business 6 months after she got done with her clinicals, and now running a thriving PT practice that helps adaptive athletes find their new normal.
IN THIS EPISODE OF DO GREAT THINGS:
Overcoming childhood loss and creating a resilient mindset
The challenges and rewards of serving U.S. Marine Corps as a female officer
How to recognize when you ought to seek help and support from your superiors
How suffering helps you start asking different and better questions
Starting a solo business after 6 months of clinical practice in PT
Entrepreneurship path as a way of getting to know yourself deeply
The importance of creating a culture before creating a product
Why you need a network of supporters in building the business side of PT practice
Direct contact with clients in mobile practice Vs. digital therapy practice approach
Albert Einstein is a genius…. The first law of thermodynamics, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energy can only be transferred or changed from one form to another. … In other words, energy cannot be created or destroyed.
This can apply to humans too. You do not need to make something more of a situation or try to fix it…sometimes the best solution is just let it be.
I was recently interviewed by the GracedByGrit Foundation an organization committed to providing young girls and young women empowerment by discovering their GRIT and through GETGRITTY events. In the interview I’m discussing a time in my life where I discovered my GRIT by walking away from a situation instead of engaging.
Check out the details from my interview below!
Tell us about a GRITTY MOMENT in your life that has forced you to learn what you are truly made of…
A friend, blamed me (not to my face) for something I did not know anything about. Essentially instead of confronting me she spoke to people close to me, blaming me, my character, all because of what she saw on social media. To me this hurt, as she was my friend. However, instead of REACTING to her, even though upset, I let go of the need to do anything. I disengaged my mind, my heart, and told myself that whatever this friend was upset about, was not about me. We truly only react based on how we view with the world and our past experiences.
GUTS: How did you “grow guts” and be brave enough to get through your “gritty moment”? Were you afraid? Where did you find your courage? How did facing that moment affect your confidence? Did you feel more confident afterward?
I was anxious for sure, as this person is someone who I have been close with for years. However, my interaction with this person always had a negative feel the past few years. I could never really put a finger on it, but kept in touch because we have mutual friends. However their actions spoke louder than their words in this case. Me not wanting to take part in the being a victim, blaming, explaining for something I did not know happened was an important decision. 10 years ago I did not know that I COULD do this. It was an incredible relief to let myself know…it is ok to let go, Theresa.
RESILIENCE: What did you learn from pushing through your “gritty moment”? What helped you “not give up” and persevere?
What helped me not give up and work through this adversity is remembering these few things:
Who I am. I know I am a good person and my truth is to help as many people as possible.
Looking up and seeing the world around me and smiling. There are so many wonderful people around me.
Strength can come from adversity especially if I chose to learn from it. Energy is neither created nor destroyed. So trying to “fix” it will not serve me, and trying to “destroy’” it by brushing it under the rug and not facing it will also not serve me or anyone else.
IMPERFECTION: How do you deal with failure and making mistakes? Did your “gritty moment” force you to learn and grow?
My gritty moment has given me mental freedom in a sense that I do not need to invite myself into other peoples realities -whether they are good or bad. It helped reinforce that some people close to me and far away will agree and disagree with me, however those who have the courage to face me (not online or through someone else), will merit my attention. And even then, I have a choice to let go, for my own well-being and the time and energy needed to care for my family. This is helpful in many aspects of my life, as I cannot take what anyone else does personally, or assume anything. All I can do is breath, know my truth, and keep moving forward being good to myself and others..
TEAM: What role did your support system play in helping you through this challenging time? What role has this “team” had in your life?
A HUGE role. I have friends who are like family to me. 5 sisters from other misters/misses who I can ALWAYS rely on. We have all had our ups and downs with each other but always FACE each other and voice it. I also have a beautiful husband and son (2 years old) who are my rocks. When I was going through this hard time, instead of grieving the loss of a friend, I looked up and saw these people I can count on one hand who I know will ALWAYS have my back.
And just for fun… What advice would you give to your younger “GRITTY GIRL” self?
I would tell my younger girl self. “Never take what anyone else does to you or what they say about you personally. They are coming from their own perspective and it is NOT you that is the issue but how they perceive their life. They are looking at YOU through their lenses which may be foggy. Keep your head up and know that you can control your breath, your attention on what matters to include believing your truth, how you treat others to include yourself, and always always keep moving forward.”
Dr. T from Movement Rx is here to talk about downregulation! Dr. Theresa Larson (Dr. T) is the founder and president of Movement RX, a physical therapy and wellness center based out of San Diego, CA. Her drive to inspire change has led her to help people help themselves.
She defines downregulation as,
“The biology of calm. More specifically it is a system of creating a more parasympathetic aka “rest digest state” in the body that is an aspect of the autonomic nervous system. It is a focus on helping your nervous system, specifically the sympathetic part, or “fight or flight” of the autonomic nervous system to flip to a more parasympathetic state: to relax, find calm in the mind and body, improve digestion, improve respiration, improve oxygen intake, and less mental scattering due to less tension in the body.”
At Movement Rx, we understand that those suffering from mental health issues, physical ailments, and pain do not always have the information needed to find solutions for these issues. Pain causes the body to tense up, while your mind and heart rate start to race. The source of the pain is not always where you might feel the pain occurring. According to Dr. T, “We have to heal you from the inside out.”
We do this using the following 5 steps:
Breathwork – Dr. T will guide you through proper breathing sequence as you start to breathe through your belly first and then breathe through your chest, followed by releasing your breath in the opposite direction. The target goal is a five second inhale with a five-second exhale. Instead of breathing shallow into your chest (upregulated), you should use your lung space at the diaphragm and pelvic floor, fully. This protects your lower back, making breathwork one of the most powerful tools.
Mobility – Mobility is about how your joints and soft tissue move. Dr. T shows you techniques focused on joint space and movement. She also presents tools to help relieve tension, such as the use of a ball on your shoulder while performing breathwork. Soft tissue work should be done a few hours before you train, or after. Joint work should be completed prior to your training session.
Stability – This is all about control of your body. By activating the right muscles using external rotation to gain stability before a squat, for instance, you gain controlled motion.
Retraining Movement Patterns – Stabilize your spine by bringing it to neutral, while focusing on the way you load your joints, and how you apply torque.
Sleep – A speedy way to heal mental health, fatigue, and your mood. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7- 9 hours of sleep per night. The way you sleep also matters. Dr. T shows you how to decompress the spine for proper alignment. She also suggests a cool, dark room to remove all stimulus and give yourself a cave-like environment.
Are you ready to try downregulation? Check out the video below!
Please welcome Dr. Theresa Larson to this episode of Hylete Live! Today we’re talking about her book, Warrior, which covers her story as an athlete/marine/woman who struggled with an eating disorder.
Dr. T knew that she wanted to get her story out, but writing it was a whole different animal. She was in grad school, tackling speaking engagements, and had a very busy schedule. But she was speaking at an eating disorder conference when she met a ghost writer who finally made up her mind.
The actual book writing process took Dr. T and her ghost writer a couple of years. They started writing the book in 2014, but before that Dr. T had to do interviews with publishing companies to pick up the book. A lot of the publishers wanted to bring out pieces that Dr. T didn’t want to, so she had to stand up for herself until she finally found one that just wanted to take her story for what it was: a strong woman, dealing with, and overcoming mental health issues.
While the book Warrior touches specifically on eating disorders, it’s a very relatable story. It covers addiction and how Veterans struggle with it and most importantly, how they can speak up and get help.
In our society there’s a huge stigma surrounding addiction, specifically eating disorders, and especially in the military. You’re supposed to be strong and not have struggles, but yet the book shows how you can be a strong woman and struggle internally, but also show strength by asking for help.
The process of asking for help is hard, no matter who you are. And not everything makes sense once you do ask for help. But as the book shows, if you can step outside of your comfort zone and trust the process and have hope, the despair will go away.
We’re honored to have Dr. Theresa Larson, author of Warrior: A Memoir, Physical Therapist at Movement Rx, Podcast host, and former Marine Corps Engineer and Combat Veteran, on episode 261 of Wellness Force Radio!
We’re talking about strength and how it shows up in so many different ways, Dr. T’s struggles with an eating disorder stemming from the loss of her mother, boundaries, and practices that help her stay healthy, balanced, and centered.
Topics we cover on this episode:
Why a true warrior is someone who is open to being vulnerable, asking for help, and taking ownership for yourself.
How her bulimia began and how she transitioned out for it when she finally asked for help and received the outside support she needed.
Her childhood and the story she told herself after her mother’s death that to be loved, she had to achieve.
The words of advice and love from her mother that have made a lasting impact on her own life and wellness journey.
Why there’s always a way out if you’re struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts.
The need she had to win and be noticed by everybody as a young athlete which then led to her struggling to take care of herself.
Why the more pressure people face, the more it exasperates undealt demons.
Why eating disorders aren’t about food but an addiction that begins in the soul and the lack of belief in oneself.
The judgment she felt from other people when she went on medical leave during her deployment in Iraq.
The various tools of distraction we face today in modern society and how they affect our health, relationships, and wellness journey.
Steps she takes to set up healthy boundaries to stay true to her purpose, take care of her health, and be there for her family.
What skills we can focus on obtaining to learn how to live in and embrace the present moment.
Why multitasking is taking away from your self-care practice and attention to life.
The toll that invisible wounds like eating disorders can take on people and why you should never compare your issues to other people’s.
