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Text Box: Last month we talked about polarized pressure. The equal and opposing forces that create a way for the body to work in stability using little energy. In order for us to be able to teach the body how to use this technique of posturing we must first engage the sensory-motor or neuromuscular system to be able to “decide” to use a more efficient pattern for movement. The human body, unlike the animal body, has the ability to choose because we are able to reason. In the most innate way we are able to use our neuromuscular system to decide to move in an efficient or inefficient way. We can choose to move and repeat a pattern in the body until it becomes an habitual process. If this process is inefficient we have given our bodies over to what the great movement educator F.M. Alexander called “debauched kinesthesia”. This is when what is wrong– an imbalance in musculature– feels right. Our imbalances feel like the best and most efficient way to function, even though we are not in balance as we move. The fact that we habit form is not all bad. If the neuromuscular system did not use it’s sense of organization and process we would consciously have to map out each movement on a moment by moment basis—that would be exhausting in itself. Thank goodness we have ways to teach and re-teach the structure how to function in a proper and efficient way. In finding this efficiency we learn a deep pattern that moves us in very small and slow movements to be able to then set the body up for more specialized movements. If we are unable to deeply release the compaction in the hip through hip distraction then how will we be able to stand or walk in our daily activity? It is like the 80+ year old woman that has hip pain and she walks with a huge right side limp. She cannot learn to walk without a limp if she hasn’t taught her body how to let go of the holding pattern in her hip. The hip must be given small pieces of information to be able to “override” the compaction pattern. Using small and deliberate movements—not big gross movements—help her body to feel the pleasure of moving the hip without grabbing for support. She is then able to function without excessive energy. Thus she has learned to balance neuromuscularly and functions with the proper organization. Most importantly she can function on a daily basis without the pain that causes her to use up excessive energy, feeling exhausted by the end of the day. She begins to feel pleasure in her life. Part of learning the art of balance and letting go is to learn how to move with relaxation. Teaching yourself to “let go” as you move. The idea of finding just the right amount of effort in movement. Letting the body work with gravity and breath to move through space. This relaxation is a learned process through the methods of Pilates and GYROTONIC®. Balance comes from our ability to reason through our choices of movement and learn new and improved ways to move. We use functional neuromuscular patterns to help us choose to be better movers. Our own choice to seek out better movement patterns comes from the ability to feel and know the difference of pain and pleasure in our movement. It is our choice to know we are moving with the grace and freedom that our bodies were created to move with. “Self observation is itself the beginning of transformation.” -Dennis Lewis

The Core Chronicles

4401-A Cutler Ave. N.E. volume 11

Albuquerque, NM 87110 issue 8

WWW.PILATESALBUQUERQUE.COM