The healing process has three phases:
Radical Rest comes first, and while it becomes less necessary as you recover, it’s still important to recognize when you need to return to rest as your primary focus. This portion of the course will explain how Radical Rest differs from what you’re accustomed to thinking of as “rest” and will give you some techniques to rest deeply and effectively.
Active Recovery aims to help the body re-regulate to a state of healthy autonomic function – that is, that all your automatic body functions, like hormone release, heart rate, and digestion, are working mostly the way you usually do. It’s based on the observation that maintaining a small, appropriate amount of activity can help you recover faster than total rest. This portion of the course will help you recognize what “appropriate” activity is, and how to avoid debilitating post-exertional malaise.
You can start to think about Reconditioning to rebuild lost strength and stamina when you have returned to your pre-illness state. It’s very common – and dangerous – to begin reconditioning too soon. This portion of the course will give you tools to monitor your activity and know when it’s ok to start easing back into regular levels of exertion.