Mindful Chat with Dr. Amy Novotny PABR Institute

 https://pabrinstitute.com/


The PABR® method is a holistic approach to restoring the body to its full potential by using the body’s own nervous system.  It is a step-by-step process to change the way the body feels and moves.  This is not physical therapy which is a modality that’s applied to you externally.  Rather, the PABR® method transforms you through internal changes that you learn and can control.   We coach you through breathing and body awareness techniques that are customized to help you achieve what’s missing in your life.  If you want to return to a specific activity, movement or sport, then your sessions will be tailored towards those goals.  We take the time to get to know you in one-on-one sessions with only you and your specialist developing your plan to address your limitations and your goals.  

Transcript

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unknown 0:23

All right.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Hi, how are you? This is Demiris Maria Grossman. This is the Mindfully Integrative Show. And today we have a mindful chat with Dr. Amy Novatny. She is an amazing physical therapist. She owns the PABR Pauber Institute. And she will tell you more about that. And she does and has been working in the, shall I say, integrative health and transitioning to from traditional into a different way to helping heal others. So I'm so glad that you're on the show. Thanks so much, Amy.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Thank you so much for having me, Demaris. It's a pleasure to be here and such an honor.

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Dr. Amy, sorry, apologize. I know, Dr. Demaris. We're just like, oh, yeah, no worries. So how how are you? And you know, first, as I always tell people what's a little fun fact they don't know about you and like um that you'd like to share.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

Um most people don't know that um I used to play the guitar, electric guitar. And that's very against kind of or you know, it doesn't kind of fit my image or whatever that people think of me. So I used to play the electric guitar. I had my own amp, and I even had an acoustic one and I loved it.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

But what did you like to play? What was your favorite song?

SPEAKER_01 1:36

Um it was, I mean, this is 20 years ago, maybe longer or so, actually longer than that. Um, I can't even remember some of the songs I used to play.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Yeah, no, my husband plays all the time, so he's always like black bird, classic rock. And I I'm just like, all right, I can't play. And we're trying to get our son to play. Well, he we get we bring him the ukulele, so he starts drumming it. So he's a toddler. So we're all like, all right, eventually. That's cool. That's really cool. Music is always um, I mean, you're also a scientist, you know, you're a physical therapist. So, you know, science, I feel like science and music kind of come hand in hand sometimes with all the math and science there. So you probably already had it in you. I hope so. So um I really I'm glad that you're able to take your time and be on the show. Um, I love for uh the audience to hear and know about you. So tell me a little bit about yourself. Um, I know you have this P A B R Institute, which I'd like you to talk about, but let's let people know kind of more about you.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Sure. So I grew up in Arizona. Um I have uh two brothers and I grew up there. I went to college at Arizona State, studied abroad in France, then came back, finished up my degrees in biology, French, Spanish, and math, and then headed to graduate school in Delaware for my doctorate in physical therapy. And at that point, I was kind of like, okay, I just want to work, no studies. I'm done studying. And I started off working in a physical therapy clinic for about five years and explored marathons, triathlons, ultramarathons, and really got into photography. And then I started taking some coursework to look at um the body differently, look at asymmetries in the trunk and the muscles and how that affects our movement, but also our breathing. So I started diving more into our breathing mechanics, our nervous system, our fight or flight nervous system, and how that interplays with pain. And mostly it started with just looking at pain and movement, and then it's branched into other areas as well. And I became known for getting people out of various orthopaedic surgeries, joint replacements, disc herniations, those types of injuries that people were told they had to have surgeries, but we shifted their nervous system and they didn't. And so I was hired by a world-famous bird photographer to travel around the world, uh, literally from the Arctic all the way to the Antarctic, to coach him and keep him out of a couple surgeries. And when I came back, I decided to start my own business and I left the world of physical therapy. So I don't do that anymore. And now I help people calm down their fight or flight nervous system to alleviate pain, stress, anxiety, blood pressure issues, surgeries, those types of things.

SPEAKER_00 4:19

So beautiful. That's amazing. So do you implement um some of your physical therapy knowledge into your in into your work? I mean, not that necessarily you're seeing, you know, you're not in the physical therapy traditional sense, but you still use some of your techniques.

SPEAKER_01 4:35

Um, I really don't do physical therapy. Therapy as a it's not no. I mean, I use knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Oh, of course, of course. Absolutely, but I don't do traditional physical therapy of like you would go and expect to be stretched or taught an exercise or balance. I don't do that at all. What I do is truly working on the nervous system and coaching people on how to change their internal wiring so the muscles release so they don't have to stretch or feel a muscle activate or deactivate. So any strengthening they do takes hold in their body.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

That's amazing. That sounds really very profound. And it takes it to another level, you know, beyond the physical.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

It it really does. And what I say is physical therapy is great, but it's an external modality applied to you. And what I would love is for someone to have a true change by changing their internal parts so that they can feel a difference. And then when you change that real connection, right? That real mind-body connection. Yeah, and when you change something internally, you own it. It's not just applied to you temporarily.

SPEAKER_00 5:51

That is very profound. But uh you you obviously have helped many of individuals. What kind of so I know kind of that what made you transition? I mean, physical therapy is a profound, you know, a very big and I know plenty of physical therapists that I've worked with and have been on the show. And, you know, they're still in physical therapy doing parts of it in some manner. What made you transition? I mean, I would love for you to talk more about the PABR and and and that inner self, but what made you personally say I need to do this? I mean, I know you were saying that you you traveled with this individual, but what made you say I should do this?

SPEAKER_01 6:30

When I realized that I was getting people better faster, much, much faster, and helping them get out of pain at a greater extent than traditional methods. When I realized that a lot of what I was taught in physical therapy school was keeping people in pain or exacerbating it, and I was considered a very good physical therapist, one of the top people in the Phoenix area. And I still was not helping people like in chronic pain. Um, people weren't getting out of out of those issues. They were still stuck. They may feel a little bit better. And then when I realized that so much of what we were taught to do was keeping them stuck and in that pain, I was like, I gotta switch. I can't keep doing methods when I can see as soon as I switch the methods and the person gets better, I'm gonna try applying it to everyone because I I couldn't morally and ethically stay doing the same things that I knew was really gonna keep someone stuck or keep having to come to physical therapy year after year after year.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

I I think that's really important for those listening to hear and to watch. Because I feel like I have some of these conversations with individuals about them being stuck in something. And the I mean, as I tell you, this this podcast came out of uh a passion of there's there's not one fix, right? Uh people you're you keep putting them in their pattern. So you were in a profession that you loved, so you probably still love it, but uh you've learned that you wanted to transition and and make them unstuck. So let's talk about that. How um what is PABR? Can you uh let those know what that is?

SPEAKER_01 8:12

Sure. So it stands for pain awareness, breathing relief. And you call it PABR, right? Call it PABBR, yep. Okay. And I did the whole trademarking and everything for that. Um, I don't know why I was told to do that, but you know what I mean. When you start a business and you start doing things and you come up with a technique, you have people recommending a lot. But so when when I approach someone, I want to get them from whatever their pain is, whether it's mental, emotional, physical, blood pressure issue, whatever it is, I want to get them out of that into relief. And so there's many steps in between those two ends, but awareness and breathing are huge components of where you need to go to find some help. So, one awareness meaning where are you holding yourself? Where are you guarded? Where are muscles grabbing you and holding you tight and you're not even aware of it? Can you sense a muscle release? Maybe you can't. Can you sense another one activate that was supposed to hold you safe and stable but wasn't doing it? So there's a lot of awareness in there and awareness of how you hold yourself, awareness of how you move. Do you move in a pattern of fight or flight mode? Or do you move in a pattern of relaxation mode? Most people don't know what those two extremes look like, and that's what I work with them on. And then what we do is we change the breathing mechanism so that it helps access the nervous system that calms you. But we can't change the breathing pattern until you get the body in the correct position. So there's a lot of types of breath work out there that are fabulous and they do different purposes. But what we have to look at is where is your body positioned? Are your ribcades set to put you in fight or flight mode, or is it set to put you in relaxation mode? If your rib cage is set to put you in fight or flight mode and you practice a breathing to try to calm you, it might help a little bit, but you're not really going to feel a great of benefit as if your ribcage was in a relaxation mode. And then you add in breathing. So we're kind of taking two aspects of your body position and your breathing, putting them together to help you sense your body relax since muscles let go, since other ones activate. So you move with this like body freedom to get you relief.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

Sounds sounds pretty awesome. So it's it's a combination. Well, I mean, you have to assess individuals. Are you um have you had numerous clients that you've seen on online and in person?

SPEAKER_01 10:52

Yeah, so I originally started in person and I was probably 90% in person, 10% online, and working with people in different countries and that. And then, of course, when when the pandemic hit, I shifted my focus into how do I help people online because then they're safe wherever they're at and they can learn this online. It's actually now I'm predominantly online. Um, I'd say probably 95% online. I travel and I still speak and I present. And so wherever I'm at, I'll see maybe a person or two in person. Um, but I'm typically online. And I find it's actually more beneficial to a person doing it online because it forces them to learn how to change their internal wiring. And we can record it if they're okay with that on Zoom, and then they have a recording and they know what to practice and they can progress each week. We work together so they feel and they can then have a visual recording of their transformation.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

That's really cool. That's that's so in a way you've kind of put it um to another level. I I can agree with you. I um when I see people in person and I do see people online, I feel like surprisingly, somebody people ask me at I don't know how you feel about it, but I actually feel I get more of a connection with them than I had. I was surprised. I have, I mean, of course, there's that touch, but I find that I get a connection with a lot of people when they're in their home. And I feel like they talk to me more. I don't know how it is for you.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

I think so too, because what you just said, and I hadn't hadn't really thought about that, but you hit it right on. When people are in their comfortable home environment, they can control the outside surroundings so they know they're in a safe space, they can tell you more. And never even thought about that way, but you're spot on.

SPEAKER_00 12:39

Yeah, it took me a while to finally get to that. And I'm I was just wondering if that's how it was for you, also, because then and then it could be even another place. Um so let's go into you know what more, let's talk more about your uh Tabber technique and and what what it's done for you and for others.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

Sure. So personally, when I was coming up with this and working through the process of developing it, I was running marathons. I was trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon. And I was on a treadmill three days a week, running eight miles, and I started experimenting with my own rib cage position and my breathing mechanics. And all of a sudden, when I did it a certain way, I got off the treadmill and I didn't have to stretch, foam roll, scrape, anything like that. It's like, wow, it doesn't even feel like I ran. I don't feel tight. I was like, what was it that was different? And so I started to put it in a process and my running speed just got faster and faster without any other changes in my running program. And I blew through the qualifying marks for Boston. I just kept getting faster and faster. And so I've used this to learn how to run marathons pain-free, 50 milers pain-free. And so for me personally, it's been very beneficial. Anytime I feel any type of ache or pain or something, I work through it and it's like gone in within just a couple of minutes. And so I've used this for other people too. And I can give you some kind of examples just to give you ideas of different cases, if that's okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:11

Yeah, I mean, it's up to you. And obviously, you know, keep it I know confidential and private, but you know, like whatever you like to feel comfortable sharing. Sure.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

Absolutely. And these are cases people have shared personally. I'm not going to use names or anything. Sure, sure. But I have a friend, she has turned into a friend, she's a retired psychologist who um I started working with her back in 2016 and she was scheduled for a knee replacement. She has bone on bone, been doing injections uh three times a year, daily anti-inflammatory medications, and she was scheduled two months out for a knee replacement. And she was like, Oh, what the heck? I'll give this a chance. I've never blown in straws or balloons before, but why not give this a try? And after one session, she came back and she said, How quickly is this supposed to work? I said, Well, I expect changes every time I work with you. And she's like, Well, the pain went away, but I don't really believe this is gonna work. And I said, Well, let's keep going. So we did another session, she didn't have any pain. And by the second week, she canceled her knee replacement, and that was August of 2016, and she has never had the knee replacement, even though x-rays and scans show that she's bone on bone, full arthritis. She should be having a surgery according to a scan. But all we, and I didn't even touch her knee, she wouldn't even let me touch her knee. But all we did is calm down her nervous system, the muscles released their hold on her, her bones could reposition, body went back to neutral, knee could move. And she's now able to climb in and out of zodiacs, travel around the world, she does photography, all these things. And so that gives you an idea of someone who's on the older side in their 70s, and it let has lasted since 2016. So it tells you this stuff can work. Now, for another case, like let's say a younger person, I had a naturopath in um Arizona who had a sports injury, ACL tear, MCL tear, and a small tubial um fracture.

unknown 16:11

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

And he came in, he was in a brace and he didn't want to have surgery. And he's like, I'm gonna do I tap into all my resources, I'm not gonna do surgery. And so first time I worked with him, we got his knee straight. He walked out of there without his brace on, barely limping. Five sessions later, he was able to walk pain-free. A couple sessions after that, he backed playing tennis, all with a full ACL rupture.

SPEAKER_00 16:34

And that's pretty profound coming from a PT, you know, with your background and and then being able to put them in. That must make you feel so good. That's I mean, you know, be able to help them in that way. It's gotta be awesome.

SPEAKER_01 16:45

It is because you know really well, there's a lot of things that happen when you have surgery. Maybe there's a time off work or the amount of pain, just the recovery, the risks. There's a lot of family involvement or friend involvement. A lot of lives are affected, and not to mention the expense or medication. So anytime we can get someone out of surgery, it's like, wow, what a win. Just painfully. Total win.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

I mean, just off of minimal medications, then to not have to put them under the knife would be is phenomenal. So great. That's that's really cool. I mean, I I I would love to, you know, um, for people to know more about you and to reach out to you. I mean, you obviously have thousands of clients, but you know, um, at some point, um is there a way I'm gonna have in the show notes for those to reach you. Um, but would you like to share one more kind of um moment or just one I say mindful way, uh short tip before those uh can reach you and listen?

SPEAKER_01 17:45

Yeah, so one thing I tell people is throughout your day, check your belly button. It's gonna seem weird. Are you holding it up and in? I want you to use a mantra, ribs down, belly out, ribs down, belly out. When you are going through your day, I want you to relax your belly button out, let your ribs drop down. You can do it as you exhale. So as you exhale, let your belly out, let your ribs drop down. It's gonna feel very counterintuitive for many people, especially all you high-achieving people.

SPEAKER_00 18:16

Oh, because like up and in, it's like, oh, it's gotta be.

SPEAKER_01 18:19

So I'm allowed to have a pouch. You're allowed to have it, enjoy it, embrace it. Because guess what? Then you're creating more space for your digestive tract to work. Amazing. So um tell people sit back in your chair, ribs down, belly out. If you can do that, you can feel your stress levels just drop because you're giving your body permission to start to shift into parasympathetic relaxation.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

Very true. Uh, we could talk about breathing in many of ways. Um, I I'm so glad that you were able to be on the show and to be part of this community. Um, how can those reach you? And um, and then I know you were we were briefly talking that you do like uh weekly um live sessions too. So talk to me about that and how we can reach you and how they can get connect with you.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

Sure. Easy way is through the website pabberinstitute.com, P A-B-Rinstitute.com. You can go on there or send me an email, Amy at Pabber Institute.com, and I do free 15-minute consults and just say that they heard on your podcast, mindfully integrative, so that I know what I've shared and I like to connect with people. So I do the consults to see what is a person's issue, what's going on, and do I have free resources to give them or do they want a one-on-one session, whatever that looks like. Um, and then the weekly thing. So I do a weekend wellness hour show. So in that I interview people like you, Demaris, um, to share various aspects of health and wellness that is a little bit more outside of the mainstream. So, like this past weekend, I had someone come on and talk about the subconscious mind and hypnosis and how you can shift your conscious mind this weekend, and the lady's coming on to talk about human design. So, just looking at different ways that we can learn about health where people are having success in impacting others.

SPEAKER_00 20:19

Got it. That sounds really cool. Well, I thank you so much for your time. Um, is there anything more you'd like to share before we go?

SPEAKER_01 20:28

I just say thank you so much for having me on. I really appreciate that. And I just tell people find your team, find your health and wellness team, love on them and keep them in your back pocket and use them as a resource because they're gonna be the best way you navigate through life and all the you know turns that we get.

SPEAKER_00 20:50

Thank you. Oh, thanks for putting that there. That's awesome. Thanks again. Um, and for your time and your effort and all your wealth of knowledge. And please reach out to Dr. Amy Novatny um at her website, P B A P A B R Pab R P A R Oh my God, I'm saying it wrong today. Apologize, but I'm so glad that you're on the show. And I I'll have all of your information in the show notes. So thanks again. And those listening, you have a mindful way each and every day.