The Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex, or TLR, helps infants establish head control, leading to muscle tone, that supports their independent navigation, from rolling to crawling and learning to walk. Divided into two distinct reflex movements, forward and backward, TLR teaches the head to tilt into controlled flexion and extension helping us to build postural control. The ability to move the head in both directions equally, without flexion or extension playing a greater role, allows for movement with stability.

While running is my true passion, I’ve come to appreciate the practice of yoga for how it strengthens our mind-body connection. We inhale and exhale slowly to begin each class, drawing ourselves into the present. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of an outdoor yoga class, the instructor often calls upon the gentle sounds of the birds chirping, the breeze blowing or perhaps water flowing nearby at that moment. The meditative, intentional nature of yoga is a wonderful way to bring calm and focus into our often-chaotic lives.

The song “Let It Go” plays such an important role in the Disney movie, capturing Elsa’s character development from moments of isolation to soaring anthems that can’t help but make viewers cheer.

An infant is born with 86 billion neurons waiting to be linked. Through our reflexes, movement occurs and that in turn enables us to build and strengthen those linkages within our brain. Connections build and grow between the base of the brain upwards from our brainstem, the part of the brain fully formed at birth. As a baby develops, movement evolves from primitive reflexes to more advanced motor skills, sending signals that strengthen the neural network, creating connections that increase awareness and control over time.

Do you remember those stress balls that sat on every desk, offering a doughy outlet for a tough day at work? Today, you can’t miss the multitude of calming toys, fidget spinners and tactile strips on the market designed to quell anxiety and redirect our behavioral responses. In stressful situations, these may be acceptable coping mechanisms but provide only a short-term fix for a more complex challenge.