Recommendations for trainer

Hi,

I live in Northern California in the Bay Area/Central Coast area – the city of Santa Cruz. I really want to work on building some muscle, but I don’t want to hurt myself or flare up my mind body syndrome.

Does anybody have any local recommendations or does anybody have suggestions as to what kind of certifications or specialties I should look for when searching for a personal trainer? Not every trainer can handle mind-body patients.

Thank you in advance.

 

There aren’t any “designations” or “certificates” to look for.
Your worry about something or someone else flaring you TMS lets me think you might be having some conflicting thoughts about what TMS is, and what fuels it.
The truth is, you fuel it. Not that it is in any way your fault, but it’s your thoughts, fears, emotions etc that fuel this normal and natural mind body connection to get your nervous system out of whack. The truth is, your body is just fine. TMS is benign.
Search for a trainer who listens, and is compassionate to your needs (fear, speed of progression) but will encourage you and push boundaries and listen to your stress about being pushed. My suggestion is to leave TMS out of your discussions and just say you have been dealing with fear of movement. State your goals, both small and overall. Let them know if you prefer a slow steady pace or want to push your limits.
See what they say. Have a few sessions. Move on if you don’t feel it’s a good fit.

Gentle Tai Chi, Qigong (most martial arts naturally do, but it depends on the instructor) and many styles of yoga stress the mind-body connection.

 

Perfect response from Cactusflower.

Your goal is to build some muscle, so focus on that and enjoy the feeling of movement and accomplishment.

Don't let the fear of flares stop you. You're only fueling the fire with your thoughts. Practice outcome independence.