Heel Matters Because Heels Matter - 50 Day Blog: Day 13

Yesterday I gave you an insight into my own personal heel wearing dilemma and decision. The lead up to this decision came from an understanding of alignment when wearing heels and then a felt sense in my body of this actually happening to me. It was clear to me that there is 'a better way', because my body felt it.  

But whether you feel it or not, the facts remain that heels* affect our natural alignment

The picture below explains far better than I can through words alone.  

image taken (via Katysays.com) from Podiatry Management, written by William A. Rossi.

When we are barefoot we align through a central axis that is perpendicular to gravity. This in turn positions us in the best place for gravitational forces to be spread through our body, meaning that joints can move as they are meant to. 

If we were to pop ourselves into heels, with this same erect positioning then we'd tip forward. I'm sure you'll agree that it's not a good look and cannot be good for us! ;-) 

As you can see, the body has to adjust itself back to a central axis in order to 'best' position itself again with gravity. The overall positioning is forward of centre with most of the weight of the body being positioned over the toes (you know that burning feeling in the balls of your feet when you wear high heels too long.....? Making sense now....?). The resulting adjustments and compensations impact on the lower back, pelvis, sacroiliacs, abdomen, thoracic, diaphragm, neck, head .... Well, actually it impacts on everything, because you cannot change one thing without it affecting the whole! Pelvic floor issues, breathing disorders, back and neck pain, digestive issues....... These could all potentially be a result of 'positive heel' wearing (i.e. anything where the heel is higher than the toes)

If you wear heels most of the time, then you will become used to your postural compensations and they will become your norm. You may actually find that NOT wearing heels plays havoc with your positioning and movement as you are so used to your heels being lifted and your centre of gravity being forward from your true centre. If this is the case then I strong advise someone to transition towards wearing a lower heel, to minimise the effects of the readjustment (for example: by being in bare feet for small intervals at a time and gradually  building up, by stretching calves, loosening and opening feet, undergoing fascia release work or movement re-education).   

* Please note that when I say heels I don't just mean 'high heels'. In actual fact any kind of heel in a shoe that takes our own heel higher than our toes in a standing position has an effect on our natural alignment - and that is pretty much most shoes out there (with the exception of (most) minimalist shoes).....   I am personally at the moment working with the ethos that a flat(ter) shoe is better for my alignment than the shoes I have been wearing. I am happy to be in that place at this point in my life, while being open to changing to a fully negative heel in the future. 

Til tomorrow then.... :-) 

CT :-) X

Why I'm Giving Up My Heels - 50 Day Blog - Day 12

To heel or not to heel? Oh, lordy, that IS a question!   

Firstly, please excuse me by making today's blog all me, me, me! I had intended to present some facts and information about wearing heels versus not wearing heels so that I could present both sides of an argument and allow you to decided for yourself. 

But it's such a pertinent issue for me personally at the moment that I just can't look at objectively enough. So while I do indeed intend to provide a more factual side about heels and alignment, I hope that today's blog highlights that sometimes facts can't change feelings and truly aligning oneself is more than just the physical. 

So let me get on with being all me, me, me and tell you about my 'journey in heels'.... 

Even as recent as a month ago I was a big fan of wearing heels. Of my 9 pairs of shoes, 7 had a heel of at least 1 inch. It was my standard out of work look, along with a skirt and girly top. I loved the feeling of femininity and tallness and being the complete opposite of the sporty tomboy in trainers that was my constant look for so many years.

I often said that being able to walk happily and pain free in heels was one of the unexpected side benefits that pilates had given me, along with 'growing' almost 2 inches in height! From pilates, I understood my relationship with the ground, and my feet, better, I had a greater stability and a more centred balance overall. I was actually quite determined to do a workshop one day on helping women to wear heels. 

Although I had read many an article about heels being bad for your alignment and I knew the science, I figured that the good feelings that I had from wearing heels far out weighed any negative physical effects. However, I did actively work at recovering from wearing heels! I stretched my calves after an evening in them and massaged the arches of my foot to relieve the build up in muscular tension from wearing them. And I worked on movements to enhance my stability on both flat feet and raised heels. All were worth it as far as I was concerned for the feeling of joy I had when wearing heels. 

A couple of months ago I started working with a new therapist to help me with my sacral alignment. I have never felt that it is fully what it can be. I no longer have any symptoms of the original sacro-illiac joint disfunction which first brought me to pilates, and to all intents and purposes the joints appear to function well. I've never felt however that the functioning is as easy as it could be and I know that subconsciously I am working hard to keep my sacrum positioned in a place that 'appears good'. 

The wonderful fascia work that we are doing is indeed unravelling these compensations and last week I finally had a tailbone with freedom and space, allowing my sacrum to sit in an easier and happier place. 

Well, the day after our last session, I popped on a pair of wedges to tootle around town. An hour later I was in a shoe shop, buying a pair of completely flat shoes to put on immediately. The tail bone that I was lamenting and loving had been shoved to one side and my fluidly moving sacrum had been scrunched up into my lower back. Those newly gliding sacroiliac joints were crunching about in half the space they really enjoyed. My whole alignment was screaming 'What are you doing? This isn't nice and YOU. KNOW. IT!'. Oh the relief to have popped on a pair of flats again and brought space back to my pelvis and lower back! 

So, the result of my lovely new tailbone and sacrum positioning? I not longer want to wear heels! Oh lordy, indeed! 

I am both gutted at and accepting of this new awareness. Finally all the alignment science makes sense to my body and I understand why I would never ever want to put myself into a pair of heels ever again. Yet, at the same time, I am mourning the loss of the girly girl in heels that I so loved. 

What I do know about myself though is that I'm a natural girl, always have been. I believe the body is its own powerful healer if given the chance and support to do so. I believe that our alignment, our nutrition and our self talk are key players in our health, happiness and healing. But I also feel that each person must choose how they live their life and so there is often a balance to be made. Until last week I wasn't prepared to give up my heels but I worked hard at regaining my alignment after wearing them to return me to my more natural state. That was my balance. This week I know in my heart that they are not really who I am and I'm not prepared to work hard at realigning myself anymore when I simply need to stop wearing them. More so, how can I wear heels knowing what it is doing to my sacrum, and all the ramifications that come from that? It goes against all my integrity. 

But in the last couple of days I have started to ask myself what I am really missing out on by not wearing heels? A feeling of femininity, elegance, and poise? Surely that says far more about my own self perception than my being in heels! Really what I have come to understand is that I'm leaving behind the remnant memory of the sporty tomboy I once was, with my short hair, trainers and tough 'you can't harm me' exterior. That girl was never the person on the inside, just someone I needed to be at one point in my life. My heels therefore were my own symbol to myself that I was no longer playing out that old tomboy persona. But they were actually just another persona. I AM feminine, I FEEL feminine, and surely that runs so much beyond what I put on my feet....? 

So flat shoes, I embrace you because you feel good, you allow me to move as I am meant to, and actually when I think about it....

"you make me feel... you make me feel.... you make me feel like a natural woman.... " Like the woman that I actually am :-)

So, with that said, tomorrow I do fully intend to give you some facts on heels and alignment (written with feeling behind the facts though, I may add!) ;-)

Til tomorrow then..... :-)

CT x :-) 

   

   





 

Return to yourself with diaphragmatic breathing: 50 day blog - day 11

Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the best strategies we have within ourselves for calming the mind, focusing on the present and dealing with stressful situations. When we are stressed it is the complete antithesis to how our body wants to breathe, but with practice we can learn to access this way of breathing whenever we need it. 

Let me be clear here that there is no single correct way to breathe. We could fill all 50 days of blog with breathing if I was so inclined (I'm not!). Different breathing strategies apply in different situations. The problem is when we get stuck in a particular strategy and use it inappropriately (e.g. holding our breathe when swimming - another day for here perhaps. or breathing stressfully when we are at rest at home)

In my opinion EVERYBODY should spend time practicing diaphragmatic breathing. It relieves stress, calms nerves, allows the body to find introspection, relaxes tissue, warms our core,  helps blood flow, lowers blood pressure......... and many many more benefits that could fill this page. AND, it is probably the strategy that many of us are least inclined to apply when we need it most! Unless we begin to practice it! So here's how to do that! 

Give yourself 10 minutes to yourself. Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on floor, or with your legs out straight, whichever you are most comfortable in. It is lovely to do this in bed, before you are ready to go to sleep.  

Place your hands on your belly button and close your eyes.

Breathe into your belly, allowing the breath to rise into your hands. Breathe out, softening the belly and, importantly, softening the chest and breast bone as you do. 

With each in breath, focus on directing the breath into your belly and hands , with your chest remaining quiet and calm. With each out breath soften yourself into it, letting go and releasing. 

As you breath in you may find yourself widening onto the surface beneath you, allowing it to fully hold and support you. As you breath out you may find yourself softening your front onto your bones and allowing them to support your tissue. Focus fully on experiencing your breath in your belly and the letting go in your chest. Bring your mind back to it if it wanders, just feeling and experiencing and enjoying your breath. 

With practice you will be able to tap onto this calming strategy any time you need it. Your body will begin to know when it needs this strategy and will access it easier over time. Soon you will be able to enjoy diaphragmatic breathing any time you choose and in any situation you need it. 

Enjoy! :-)

Til tomorrow folks....

CT :-) X 

Lovely Psoas Relaxer - 50 day blog: Day 10

1. psoas majors

The psoas is huge muscle that links our ribcage and trunk with our legs. We have a right and a left psoas. They also effectively run from our back to our front, passing through the pelvis from our spine to the inside of our thigh. It is a key player in our alignment and range of available range of movement. It supports the swing of our leg, it counterbalances other posture muscles and it provides support for organs. Psoas is also a place known to hold tension, stress and fear. 

Purely just on a postural level, releasing and relaxing a psoas regularly can have a tremendously positive effect on our overall alignment. Often there is a feeling of wanting to forward bend to relieve a stiff back, but actually a gentle psoas release would be of greater benefit and more satisfying.

It can also be a great way of releasing stress, whether from the odd highly charged day, or as a way of regularly taking time out with you and your body. Such can be the tension held in the psoas, that for some (like myself) release can at times evoke tearfulness as the body lets go of the emotion held in it.  

I firmly belief that every person can benefit from psoas release and here are two simple ways that you can enjoy doing so (apologies for the rather crude sketches!):

constructive rest

Constructive rest:

Lie on your back with your legs bent over a support. You could lie on the floor with your legs over the edge of the bed, or the settee. 

Take the weight out of your legs and give it to the support. Allow your hips to soften, feeling the weight of your thigh bones dropping down into your hip sockets. With each out breath soften yourself into the floor. Let gravity take over as you melt all the tissue of your front onto your bones. The focus is very much on letting go in order to feel the release. 

psoas release

Psoas Release:
Start lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Slowly bring one knee gently to your chest, but keeping your pelvis very heavy and relaxed on the floor. Then slowly lengthen your other leg out along the floor, giving its weight to gravity. If your back arches when you do this then bend the knee a little again only taking your leg as far out as your pelvis will allow. Maintain a heavy pelvis, feeling the bones weighing down to the floor. As you breathe out let yourself soften more. Increase the softness in the hip socket of the bent knee (much as like you did in constructive rest), feel the thigh bone lengthen in the straight(er) leg. Force nothing, allow yourself just to rest in the position and allow gravity and breath to do the rest. Do the same with the other side once you feel enough release in the first. It is better to be in the position for a few minutes to really feel the sensation of release.

It can be challenging to just be in these positions without 'trying' to do anything or to increase the movement. Letting go can be difficult, but eventually your body will learn that letting go can be one of the most positive things it ever learns to do. 

Enjoy! 

Til tomorrow.....

CT :-) X 

Being human (50 day blog - day 9)

We are all human. 

Let us not forget that. 

We all have days where we feel insecure, scared, uncertain, maybe a little bit lost. Days where we feel we could run away and never look back. Sometimes we don't feel strong enough for what we must do. We all feel helpless, vulnerable and alone from time to time. At some point in our life we will all feel a grief so immense that we feel we could break apart. 

It's ok to feel like that. 
We are all human and this is part of being human. 

Even that person who you think looks so together, so sorted, so complete, so happy all the time. They too have days like that. 

These are the days when life is hard, but they are also the days where we find our greatest strength. 

But let us not forget that we ARE human. And that also means that we can all have days where we laugh our socks off and throw away our cares. Some days we can achieve something more remarkable than we ever thought we could. There are times when everything seems exactly in the right place and just how it is meant to be. At any moment in time we can know and feel that love actually IS all we need. Some days are full of so much joy that we could burst from it's fullness.

It's ok to feel like that too. and it's also ok to feel like that during hard times. Laughter can indeed be the greatest medicine and healer. 

Bad days always pass in time if we let them. Let them affect you, but do not dwell too long in them for good days are there to be enjoyed in every bit of their full glory. 

For let us not forget that we ARE all human and one day we may look back and wish we'd laughed more in the rain.... 

Thought for today folks... 
CT :-) xx 

50 DAY BLOG - Day 8: Stepping into the complex world of overpronation...!

Yesterday I said i'd tackle the complex issue of overpronation further. Oh, heck, did I really?! I did, so I shall. I'd like to look at the use of orthotics and support shoes to deal with overpronation today then. 

I'll start first by giving you a very very very oversimplified explanation of why, in my eyes, overpronation happens (with the help of a few diagrams for light relief!).  

1. 'Internal core v gravity

Our bodies move with and against gravity. Very simplistically, our body is built with a deep central core designed to lift up and away from gravity to keep us up rather than being pulled down flat by gravity. The strength of this central core is overall greater than the gravitational pull downwards and so we stay upright, strong and mobile.* This deep central core runs through us from the arch of our feet to the very top of our head. See diagram 1 on the right.
*This IS a very very very over-simplified 'model'. In reality we are a web of forces working up, down, across, diagonally, front to back and we are constantly readjusting ourselves according to our position and relativity to gravitational force. But I hop that this explanation can give you a feel here for what goes on in terms of the relationship between upward lift and gravity.   

2. Weakened internal support

If the strength of this upwards lift is lost to some degree then gravity had a greater pull downwards making it harder again for us to lift up through our central core. This inevitably happens to all of us, to some kind of extent. But have a look at Diagram 2, to see what happens if we are to imagine the inner core being excessively pulled down by gravity. Now, please remember that in reality we are a complex web of up, down, horizontal and diagonal forces all working in relation to gravity and the space around us... BUT, can you get a sense that if the inner core is not at full strength then excess or overpronation, can occur as a  result of the force coming down through the ankle and arch, making it difficult to lift and control its movement? 

Now, the reason that people are given orthotics or support shoes for overpronation is so this area is given some more upwards lift and / or to stop it collapsing further. Sounds sensible I hear you say? In theory, yes, I suppose.

I've got to say here now though, that I'm not a huge fan of orthotics or support shoes. That's not to say that I don't think they ever have a role because they definitely do. But I'm someone who fundamentally believes in finding and resolving issues at source (or as near to source as possible) and returning the body back to its natural design. I am much more comfortable therefore thinking of orthotics, and support shoes, being used as a temporary measure to provide support while the underlying issue is being resolved. I do believe that in many cases, if not the majority, that this is achievable with a 'whole person' approach and appropriate progression and transition from support to non-support. 
Unfortunately it is common to see someone being put into more and more aggressive supports when I believe the opposite could be the case.** 
**practitioner and advice dependent. There are definitely GREAT podiatrist et al out there! 

3. forces through knees

So the real problem that I have with supports is that in the majority of cases that I see**, the support is only treating the body's expression of another more central issue, and not the actual cause. If the  underlying cause is not dealt with then:
1. the wearer can become dependent on the support, further weakening an already weakened structure, and 
2. the actual issue will eventually just present itself elsewhere in the body (Diagram 3 shows where the body could potentially next express the issue if the downward force remains as strong).

'Ok, Caroline', I hear you say, 'So we get that you're not a fan of long term supports then. But how would you deal with overpronation?'

Well, that will depend upon the person in front of me who is doing the overpronating.... And actually, sometimes I would do absolutely nothing about it, and instead use it as a benchmark to help me measure a client's overall alignment progression. Ultimately, for me, it comes down to working out why is that internal system not as strong as it is designed to be? And THAT can happen for many many many number of reasons and variations of reasons. It can be mechanical, emotional, mental, spiritual and combinations of any of these at the same time. For example, sitting more, and spending less time trying to hold ourselves upright (see day 2 of blog) plays a part. Feeling emotionally unsupported or overwhelmed with stress can lead to someone literally becoming unable to hold oneself up a physical sense. Previous injuries, traumas, surgery and 'battle scars' can all cause adhesions in the body's tissues, pulling the directional force off its ideal course.
  

My approach when working individually with a person is to take any and all of this into account, or certainly as much as is appropriate and to which I am allowed access to from what my client tells me. The approach then has to be a strategy of releasing, strengthening, rebalancing and re-educating tissues and movement within the body and mind. 

But in terms of general advice? Well, I'm not saying DON'T get support shoes, or DON'T get orthotics. For some people its better to have than to not depending on what else they are doing, are going to do, or AREN'T going to do about overpronation. You have to make your own informed choices about these kind things and decide what's best for you. But I guess, that's what I'm kind of getting at....  Overpronation is just your body's way of balancing out all the forces in motion that it is having to deal with. If you've been told that you overpronate then start looking at all why that might be the case. Decide yourself if it's a problem for YOU. FEEL what support is like under your feet. If it doesn't FEEL better then DON'T assume its better for you because someone else says it is. Get further advice. Understand more about your overall alignment. Read some of the other posts on this blog (previous and those to come) and other alignment specialist (many of whom you will see links to on my Facebook page). 

Most importantly, start learning about YOU, your body, what it needs and how it functions. It could be the most rewarding education you ever undertake! 

Phew! Does your head hurt yet? I'm thinking some light relief would be good for tomorrow's blog post! 

Til tomorrow then....! 
CT :-) x

PS Please don't now go mental in the gym doing 'core' exercise or take up barefoot running overnight after reading this. These are at least two more blog posts in their own right! It's not what I'm suggesting and again comes down to being informed about your bod, its needs and good movement alignment and practice.  

50 DAY BLOG - Day 7: Pronation is NOT a bad thing!

In similar style to DAY 1's blog, I want to make something clear:

Foot pronation is not a bad thing!

Our feet are made to pronate. It's a completely natural part of our walking and running gait. Pronation is when the foot rolls inwards and the arch flattens in order to act as a shock absorber for the forces that are being applied to the foot. The foot then pushes off the ground through the big toe (hopefully!) using the energy stored up in the foot from the relaxation phase of pronation.

Yet I often hear people saying that they are 'a pronator', the implication being that it is a bad thing. They may then tell me that they have orthotics, or they are using a particular type of support in their shoe or that they have supportive shoes (running or otherwise) to 'stop them pronating'. 

1: excessive pronation

What they've really been told, or should have been told, is that they over-pronate, meaning that they excessively pronate and don't have 'good enough' control over the pronation part of the gait, and as a result this is causing them some kind of issue(s). It looks like the picture in diagram 1. 

The difference may just be in the language, but the effect is actually quite far reaching. What I am witness to through my work is people being told they 'pronate' and then stopping themselves from rolling at all onto the inside arch of their foot, because they believe that they are not supposed to do that, because they have been told that it is a 'bad thing' and that it is causing, or could lead to, injuries. Their resulting compensation patterns then tends to have them standing and walking over onto the outside of their foot, and so bringing on a whole new, and often worse alignment pattern that relies on the lateral lines of their body (those furthest away from the centre core) to stabilise and control motion. 



Even with the term overpronation being used I do feel that we need to be careful that we do not use it as a label. When it comes to making statements to people about their physical structure we have to be respectful that we may not understand where they have come from, what they are potentially working on themselves and how sensitive they are to the critique of others. Just something to think about really...... 

So, coming now to some discussion on overpronation.... What causes it? Is it really an issue? And if so, then what can be done about it...? Well, that is one heck of a complex issue! But that, folks, is something that I intend to begin to tackle as the subject of tomorrow's blog..... Phew, I'd better get a good restful sleep tonight!  


So til tomorrow then....! 



CT xx

50 DAY BLOG - Day 6: Let's All Put Our Best Feet Forward

Today is a little bit of a taster really for tomorrow's blog, and no doubt some others throughout this 7 weeks of daily blogging. It's family day in the Toshack household and, no offence, but that's quality life time for me so just time for a wee taster today for some blogs ahead on one of my other favourite subjects -  FEET!

I also thought it was time for some visual stimulus so, voila, we indeed do have a foot to behold! 

What's not to love about feet, I say!? I think they are amazing! They are our contact with the ground when we stand and it never fails to astound me how these two little things hold the whole of our weight on top of them in standing, never mind what they have to cope with when we walk, run, skip, dance, kick a ball etc etc...... 

And yet, poor feet they get a hard time. They get pushed into a variety of shapes, styles and quality of shoes. We expect them to do so much for us yet they are under-appreciated, possible ignored and even loathed by some. We've all heard someone emphatically announce that they 'hate feet', haven't we?

To be fair there are also a lot of foot lovers out there too; those who like to pamper and show off their feet, even have little fish nibble away at them! 

What I'd really like us all to appreciate and consider though is how we can help these feet feel better and give them the attention they deserve. Also I'm hoping that I can provide you with information on how what we do with and put on our feet affects the rest of our alignment, and how our alignment can affect our feet. 

In summary for now, the quality of the structure above our feet determines the force being driven through the feet and so determines the relative weight that they have to hold up. And the quality of our feet determines the spread of the load that they are carrying. Do not worry, there will be diagrams, there will be simple explanations and while there might be a little bit of a physics in there be assured that if I can understand it then you will too (I was rubbish at physics at school!). In my quest to have the whole world love, appreciate and look after their feet, I will endeavour to simplify the sheer magnitude of what it is that they do for us! 

For now though, try this. Get a soft tennis ball (the cheap supermarket own brand ones are the best). Stand up and feel what your feet feel like on the ground. Then using the tennis ball, massage the whole of the sole of one foot by rolling it over the floor with your foot. You want to have pressure on the ball, but not feel pain (if you do you need a softer one). And you want a continual pressure on the ball - imagine kneading dough. Massage all over the arch, the heel, the inside and outside arch. Then take the ball away and feel how this compares to the other one. My bet is that you will want the other foot to feel how this one now does. So off you go! 

I promise you that it is well worth doing this. Seriously, if you don't go out and get a tennis ball then you are missing out - big style! 

Til tomorrow :-)

CT x 

50 DAY BLOG: Day 5: It's time to get ok with being unhappy

We can never be ‘happy’ all the time.

My apologies for delivering that blunt statement – but it’s true! We are not programmed to be happy all the time, so believing it to be so and seeking permanent happiness is a sure safe way to being less happy in your life than you can be!

Achieving overall ‘happiness’ as we call it, is to me actually about reaching ‘contentment’ and being overall grateful of and satisfied with the life you are leading and the way that you are choosing to live it.

So why can't we be happy all the time? Because it's in our chemicals not to be!

Happiness is regulated by 5 primary chemicals in the brain. It is the balance and ebb and flow of these in our system that determine our overall level of ‘contentment’. Each chemical is released in response to various situations and actions.

ENDORPHIN:

Endorphin is a natural morphine. It masks pain, so that we can carry on with things when we are in physical pain. For our ancestors it was necessary for survival (to get away from danger when injured). Generally it is these days associated more with an exercise ‘high’. Endorphin is a good thing, in small regulated doses. Problems arise if we seek endorphins all the time as our way of feeling happy

DOPAMINE:

Dopamine is our reward system. It released when we have a sense of achievement. So finishing a project, reaching a finish line, doing something you never thought you could all give us dopamine.

OXYTOCIN:

Oxytocin is triggered by trust. Being touched by those we love releases significant doses of oxytocin, which is why being kissed and cuddled feels good. It is also why having a pet can be stimulating for those who live alone, and why massage can feel healing.  Being around like-minded people can also raise our oxytocin levels.

SEROTONIN:

Confidence triggers serotonin as does feeling respected. It is why we feel good when we win, or are commended or praised for something.

CORTISOL:

Cortisol is pretty different from the other 4. Cortisol feels bad! It alerts us to any threats, even subtle ones and is felt particularly strongly when not masked by any of the other four happy signals.

Problems arise in the balance if we seek our happiness from only one or two sources, taking them to extreme, and when we use them to mask the feeling of cortisol in our system. We need to get used to being ok with the feeling of ‘not being happy’ because cortisol it is always present. We need it for our survival. The longer that we try to mask the feeling that cortisol gives us, and the more extreme the measures we use to do so, the more of a shock to the system it will be when we do feel it. So as uncomfortable as it can be at times, allowing ourselves to feel unhappy (AND importantly reaching a place where we accept and our bodies can recognise that it will pass*) is ironically our key to a more balanced and over all contented life.

Til tomorrow, folks xx

*in cases of clinical depression the imbalance is extreme. Recovery needs a longer term and multi-faceted approach to bringing about a healthy balance (as does addiction).  

50 Day Blog - Day 4: Move As You Mean to Be

Our approach to life is there for us to see in how we move, if we choose to see it. Take climbing a flight of stair for example. Do you: 

• Skip up all the way to top?
• Keep an even rhythm pacing yourself to the last step?
• Start with gusto and find yourself out of breath and flagging half way up
• Take two steps at a time, making best use of the time
• Take each one carefully and precisely, possibly even counting them
• Look down at your feet so you can't see how many you have left to go
• Hang on to the bannister, heaving yourself up each blasted one
• Look ahead and forward, hardly even noticing the steps
• Take the lift or escalator every time

Ok, so what you do each separate time will change depending on what mood you are in, but there will be a general default pattern that you will tend to return to. Where else do you see that pattern reflected? How do you approach projects and challenges in your life? Any similarities....? 

Our behaviours are what we do. They are not who we are, but we can become these behaviours and habits over time. Are you really a 'look down at feet' or 'take the escalator' kind of person? Have you become something different from who you really are? 

Behaviours are all changeable - if we want to change them. So if you'd rather be a 'skip up the stairs' kind of person, then guess what you need to start doing....? 

Yes, it is actually that simple to change things for yourself. Start with small, and become every bit of the person that you actually are. 

'Til tomorrow folks...

CT x  

PS: warning warning tomorrow I have a whole day at home with nowt but myself and books for company. The resulting blog may well reflect my inner geek (the one that takes the stairs carefully and precisely, counting my way up)  ;-)   

50 Day Blog - Day 3: From Outside to Inside

Take yourself from outside to inside. Go internally and forget about the external for now. Focus solely on yourself, you, your breath, your body. Stay there. 
Nothing else matters. No one else matters. Time stands still. Nothing is important. Just you, your breathe, your body. 

Feel your belly expand and soften with your breath. On each in breathe extend and expand all that you are inside. On each out breathe soften and release, letting the outside melt away, giving the inside its full strength.
Breathe and be. Enjoy the sensations of you, your body and the timelessness of being together, of being completely yourself. 

Know that you can come here at any point, during both stillness and in motion. Understand that you never stop moving, yet stillness can be found. Feel the rhythm of your breath. It gives you your rhythm and you can find this any time you need. Connect to your rhythm. It is the key to your stillness. Just breathe and feel and be.  

Recognise your skin. It is your boundary between the inside and outside. The boundary is strong and the boundary is fluid. You are completely inside this boundary yet you can exude from within to without. The boundary is solid yet it is porous. Only you can be inside yet you can choose who can affect the within. Breathe. Breathe in all that you need, it is out there. Breathe out all that you give. Be here, be you, be still, be yourself. Always.     

CT xx

50 Day Blog - Day 2: Fit to Sit

We sit - A LOT! 

We sit so much as a society in fact that we are at as stage where we really need to be helping our bodies to recover from sitting because we are starting to forget how to hold ourselves up efficiently. 

To be fair, some of us sit a lot more than others. And many of those who have do desk jobs tend to have a general idea that they are sitting more than is ideal for their bodies, and that it might well just be the cause of their sore back. But still we sit - A LOT!  

We like to sit because our structure gets a rest and we can quite literally take the weight of our feet. But sitting as much as we all tend to do means that we aren't giving ourselves the same opportunity to stand and it's becoming less of a normality for our bodies, and more of an effort. So we sit more because it's an effort to stand up, and so a cycle continues. 

There is definitely a growing recognition that we all in general sit too much. You may have seen Facebook shares and the like stating that 'sitting is the new smoking' and some companies are talking about, or are already introducing, stand up desks. 

I do welcome initiatives that are starting to think outside the box regarding sitting at work, although I don't think it is as simple as just standing up instead. We need to make sure that we aren't then spending the whole time habitually standing with more weight on one leg than the other, a hip hinged up to one side or leaning over to one side with our elbows on the (now higher) desk. Don't even go there with what folks have on their feet  (definitely a blog for another day though). And bear in mind that hairdressers (who stand all day) also have alignment issues, so it can't be as simple as now just standing all day.  

Instead let us become conscious of us the shapes that we put ourselves into. We become the shapes that we habitually make. Understanding the role that fascia plays in our body's alignment can help us to see this. I intend to delve in to the wonderful world of fascia quite a bit during this blog of mine, but for now I want to give you just a very quick, hugely over-simplified but hopefully understandable concept of fascia. A starter for ten, lets say.  

Fascia is a huge communication network of connective tissue which works throughout our body from one end to the other, from the outside layers to the inside layers. It wraps around our organs, our muscles, our groups of muscles, holding everything together. When it is healthy it is springy and pliable and smooth and its layers slide easily across each other. When it's not so healthy the layers stick together, they crystallise and they don't have the same elasticity. Fascia records everything that we do and reflects that back to us in many different ways. One of those ways is in the shape that we are.  

Fascia forms us into the shapes of what we do. So if we sit A LOT then we in essence become a sitting shape. Trying to stand becomes more of an effort because the fascia tries to pull us back into the shape of sitting - the path of least resistance - usually with an accompanying groan! I'm sure we all know that feeling of getting up and literally feeling that we are cranking ourselves back into straightness because we feel stiff from sitting in the same position for too long - that's your fascia objecting to being pulled back into an upright position.  

Whatever our sitting position or habit, we start to become that shape. We mould our hips into being flexed, not extended. Our legs want to be bent at the knees, not straight. (it not your hamstrings that are actually tight, it's the fascia around them and other surrounding muscles, ligaments and joints that is preventing them from lengthening) Add into that all your own wee individual patterns of sitting: cross legged, foot tucked under the chair leg, body slightly leaning to one side, one elbow slouched on the desk, slouching etc etc. Do them often enough and you become that shape. 

But the good news is that it's all within our control as to whether we want to become that shape or not. Habits can all be broken and replaced with new and better ones. Be conscious of the shapes that you spend a long time in, and decide whether that's a good shape for you or not! Is it a look that you want to carry about with you. Because you will if you repeatedly keep going to that shape you are going to become it! 

So what can you do to 'recover' from all that sitting. First and foremost, sit less! Get up and move regularly. Stand up, walk about, maybe even swing your hips about and bend over and back up a few times. Stretch your arms above your head, roll your shoulders around. Dance and jig around the water fountain in the main office if you wish! And then make sure that you regularly make other shapes. Walk. And walk more. It really is one of the best things you can do. Rotate, twist, swing your leg like a pendulum, stretch, get down on all fours and arch and hollow your back, roll your hips side to side when lying on the floor. And release your fascia with a soft ball or foam roller (not that unbearable one along your IT bands though! It's not actually doing anything!). And here lies the promise of another blog ahead - releasing fascia. I solemnly promise that I will explain more about this. But for now I have been sitting too long and I need to go and recover by rolling about the floor and making random shapes! 

Until tomorrow, tarra :-) X 


 

50 DAY BLOG - Day 1: Running's not the bad guy so stop blaming it!

Running gets a bad name. An unfair bad name as far as I'm concerned.

I often hear, as i'm sure you do too, that 'running is bad for you'. If we hear it enough, and we certainly do hear it a lot, then we can start to believe it. But guess what? RUNNING IS NOT THE BAD GUY! Running is just the place that highlights our issues, and rather than deal with THEM, it's easier to blame running FOR our issues. 

Running is a whole body activity that requires an amazingly co-ordinated effort to take it forward at a pace faster than one we usually move at while interacting with and against gravity. Unlike walking we never have both feet on the ground at the same time when we run. Instead we swap between the two, taking both feet off the ground in between. Our heart and lungs work hard to make this happen so we require more oxygen than usual which we do by breathing quicker.  Our joints absorb the landing of each step (yes, it's often this that we specifically hear about "it's not good for the joints" (but then we're also told its good for your bones, so who do we believe..).  

A lack of a 'good enough'* foundation of stability (try standing on one leg to check how stable you feel), then continually swapping legs in the air when we run (try it now hopping from one to the other) is going to massively challenge the whole co-ordination. Any restrictions we may already have to our breathing (try breathing in slowly for 3 counts and out for 3 to see how yours is) is going to restrict the amount of oxygen that we can get into and transport around our body when we ask it to run. If we don't have a 'good enough'* alignment then the impact of each step isn't distributed around the whole body's system of joints in order to neutralise its effect.  

Here's what are actually some of the bad guys: 

Sitting all day, moulding ourselves into a flexed sitting position, then expecting our bodies to happily open up straight, agile and ready to go

Getting wound up and stressed by a hellish day, inhibiting our breathing and then expecting oxygen on demand.

Spending an evening in 2" heels shortening our calves, yet asking them to work full length for x number of miles / minutes. 

Twisting an ankle but deciding it doesn't matter that its swollen up and hurting (Eh, tell me that's a stable ankle!).

Running 5 days in a row when we haven't run for months before that 

Running with the wrong intent; to keep someone else company when we'd rather be doing something else, to burn calories even though we actually loathe running, because we need to prove something to ourself...... 

Your body is going to tell you it isn't too happy about any of them when you run. But don't shoot the messenger. It can't speak English, that's all. 

I'm not saying you can't ever again get stressed, sit at work, wear heels, do clumsy things or go for a run for the wrong reason. I'm just asking that you recognise it, respect your body and where you can alter your running for that day or period of your life or do something to transition you into a better place for running (more ion these in future blogs). Question WHY you are running, and what it really is that you need from it. And respect the answers to those questions, even if they surprise you. Go with that intent into your running and perhaps you'll discover a better alignment all round. 

But please don't NOT run because someone has told you it's bad for you. YOU decide if it is or isn't by recognising why you run, or want to run, and listening to the signals your body gives you when you do. Respect them. It may well require working at a way to match your mind's intent with your body's needs but it can be done. Remember the para-olympics? Enough said. There are very many good reasons for running: socialising, time alone, being outside, sense of achievement, building self esteem, having fun, to name a few. So don't make running the bad guy. Please :-)

 Phew! Day 1 of the 50 day blog complete. Tomorrow's a practical blog - I'm going to tell you how you can 'recover' from sitting all day! Til then....... CT xxx

* I have highlighted 'good enough' and specifically used this phrase as it really is about being good 'enough' for what we are asking of our body. This phrase is worthy of a whole blog post of its own, and I could quote Anna Freud, which I may well do one of these days. But essentially we all have imbalances, instabilities and restrictions - perfection is unattainable - but if the input we put in matches the demand of what we want out, then its 'good enough'!