Fantastic Sunday to you lovely people,

Rebel spirit must be in my archetypal constellation, for I always had a hard time agreeing with the norm and the way things usually are. Yesterday I told the couple that I've been wellness couching since last summer to stop taking care of each other, and start taking care of themselves (you know, the oxygen mask principle) - a completely foreign principle for many of us. Today I am ready to shake up the way I write monthly e-bits (aiming for short'n sweet), and, hopefully, the way you stand on your feet and use your core. 

Here are three felt-sense experiments to play with - are you in?

Experiment #1 (oooh, I love this one!):  

Start in you normal usual stance and notice how weight falls on your feet:
Does it feel like one foot is sinking more into the floor than the other?
Does the weight land more on the insides or outsides of your feet? Fronts of your feet or your heels?

Now bring more weight onto the insides of your feet so it feels as if you are actually standing on the insides of your feet. Take a few steps around and notice what happens in your spine when you use your feet in this way, and how the muscles of your legs respond to this challenge. Reverse that by standing, and then walking, on the outsides of your feet - how does that feel? For a complete oddness roll your right foot to the inside edge, and your left to the outside edge - does that feel like you suddenly developed scoliosis? Try walking on your "scoliosis feet." Interesting, isn't it....

Experiment #2 (this one is even better  - I've lost count to how many sparkly eyes and A-HA moments I've seen following this simple test):

This is best done in sitting or lying on your back with your knees bent.
Notice how your breath moves your chest and belly.
Now engage your core. Breathe deep.

Can you do both?

 

...and Experiment #3 for a good measure:

Stand in your usual way, and pay attention to the amount of tension you feel in your body, and also to your breath - how deep can you breathe right now?
Now pretend you are standing on ice-cold floor and tighten your feet as much as you can. Again, notice your breath - did it become shallower, more limited, or more effort - full? What about body-wide tension? And for a final kicker - are you able to engage your core while tensing your feet?

The mad math behind our felt sense experiments, and the subject I am tremendously passionate about, is - you have, no doubt, guessed it - body-wide connectivity and the intricate fascial (connective tissue) lines along which our bodies distribute force, strain, tension, and compensation. As the song goes "your foot is connected to your leg, and your leg is connected to..." well, everything else.

Despite several decades of fascial continuity research, discovery of neuro-peptides - the molecules of emotions, and over millennia of accumulated knowledge of eastern wisdom traditions, modern western medical community still uses limited and limiting approach to human body.  If we made a song about it, it would go something like this: "... your foot is separate from your leg, and your leg is not attached to your hip. We'll treat your guts separately from the rest of your body, and poison your liver to make the symptoms go away. Your emotions are all in your head - they play no role in how your body operates." I see the fallout of that approach on and off the mat every single day, and it frustrates me, often to tears!

So if you are a walker, a hiker, a gardener or a runner, and even if you are mostly an office chair - sitter;
if your feet are sore,
if you got shin splints or Achilles tendon pain,
if you have sore knees,
if you complain of tight hips,
crabby hip flexors, or achy back,
here are the things you want to consider as you sort through your treatment options:

~Foot imbalance (as in standing on the inside or the outside of your feet) causes structural shifts higher up - affecting the function of your knees, SI joints, hips, and low back. It can be a major cause of lower back pain and the root of the problems as far away as the shoulders, neck, and jaw, and a contributing factor in developing functional scoliosis.

~Foot tension restricts natural movement of your feet in standing, walking and running, changing the way your body mobilizes itself to a less efficient (and sometimes highly inefficient) pattern. It also limits the shock absorbing properties of your feet (did you know that your feet absorb over 3 million pounds of pressure every day?), contributing to wear and tear damage (osteoarthritis) in the joints above your feet - especially the knees. Furthermore, foot tension will limit your breathing, and prevent you from properly using your core.

~Whether you are sitting, standing, walking or running, your core stability is enabling you to find ease and freedom of movement. From your feet to the base of the skull, the muscles that make up your core support your spine, your hips and your shoulders, connect your arm movements to your leg movements. These muscles work with your breath to create stability that is sustainable and tension-free.

~Pelvic floor has a lot to do with your core. It is the center of your core stability and the foundational support of your abdominal organs. Pregnancy and childbirth, acute and chronic low back pain, an episode of stomach flu, and even your bathroom habits will affect the functioning and tone of your pelvic floor, and therefore your stability. Many back, knee, foot and other structural problems can be relieved through conscious training of the pelvic floor.

~Uncovering the hidden tensions within the core is essential for women: many women respond to hormonal fluctuations by developing chronic tensions in the wrong abdominal corset (there's internal and external corsets - most general so called "core exercises" train the outer corset that has no direct relationship to spinal stability). Often we don't under, but over-engage the core muscles, not only losing range and fluidity of motion, but also making ourselves more susceptible to digestive problems, constipation, bladder infections, and pelvic pain.

~Research (and also observing my private clients) have shown that people with chronic back pain have not only weakness and improper engagement of their core muscles, but also a faulty timing mechanism - core muscles that need to be engaged prior to the beginning of movement are not firing consistently or on time in people with chronic back pain.

If all of the above sounds interesting and engaging, please join me for a deep foot - knees - hips - core - low back exploration:
Start easy, with spring - session Master Classes (there's also a dynamic duo registration on-line - it'll save you a few bucks if you are registering for both classes):

FROM THE ROOTS UP - HEALTHY FEET
on Sunday, April 27, 3:30 - 5:30 PM

HIPS, CORE and MORE
on Sunday, May 4, 3:30 - 5:30 PM

Contrary to popular belief, these classes are not just for "master yogis." They are designed for common folk (and their non-yoga family and friends) - walkers, runners, hikers, people with sore feet, achy knees, and tight hips; and also for practitioners who take care of folk with sore feet, achy knees, and tight hips. In Satori hallmark style, we'll look at the why's and the how's of aches, hurts and pains: the why's being postural imbalances, faulty movement and stabilization patterns; and the how's - well, that's the nuts and bolts of how to take care of your moving parts so that they are operating at their best in the long run and on the long runs.

Delve deeper with summer - time intensives: start on the THERAPEUTIC+ side to learn the basic principles (especially good for people with "chronic situations"), then transition to HATHA+ practice to strengthen your newly found core. Want more? Chakra-based practice connects the physical container of your body to the energetic and emotional aspect of your being in CHAKRA+ intensives. And, with deep discounts on summer intensives and smart class design (mid-week evenings to save weekend time for camping and family fun), now is the best time to reserve your spot in summer mid-week classes. Full list of summer intensives is here.
 
Every single class and intensive includes informative and lively discussions, curious felt - sense experiments, and a delightful mix of yoga therapy foundations and Feldenkrais awareness through movement exercises, all steeped in the spirit of step-by-step progression, and gradual unfolding of your body's potential for more en-joyable movement.

As usual, you can register on-line, by e-mail, phone @ 780.512.7573, cash, check, or even e-transfer, and I am always open to arranging installment payment option.
Here is what Lori had to say after one of the very first foot clinics: "It really was informative and interesting. I was super amazed at the results of the exercises that we learned. And they are so easy. Anyone can do them and could benefit from them. Check out Julia's next Foot clinic. You won't regret it."