Updated on Jan. 17, 2022
Natural - the New Normal
When we look at how children move we can see the natural full range of motion of every joint and the perfect alignment of the spine and limbs. It’s only over long periods of sedentary time spent sitting and hunching that causes changes in the natural alignment of the spine and limbs. This becomes a vicious cycle leading to tightness which causes more immobility. The inability to move easily leads to less and less desire to move in the natural way that the body was designed to move.
Essentrics™ has taught me so much and one of the most important things is body awareness. I thought I had full body awareness before started doing Essentrics™, but the more I do it the more I become aware of my own imbalances. It’s frustrating to discover that I have imbalances but it’s better to know than to be blissfully ignorant until one day I develop new aches and pains from walking on the outsides of my feet or standing with my weight sinking into one hip. The latest discovery is that I don’t swing my left arm when I walk.
I’ve been having some pain in my left shoulder. This is probably caused by my pectoral being too tight and my rotator cuff muscles not being strong enough to pull my humerus bone back into the shoulder girdle. This may be a result of having spent long periods of time at a computer typing which is usually the case for most people. Whether it’s because of this or a result of it, my left arm wasn’t swinging when I walk. There are probably other reasons for this such as carrying a bag or holding something in my left hand when I walk causing it to remain by my side.
As I increase my body awareness through the practice of Essentrics™, I am able to correct these imbalances. I’ve started purposely swinging my left arm which at first felt weird and somewhat unnatural. It’s starting to feel natural again now that I’ve conditioned myself to walk normally. It’s so weird that walking in the natural way feels unnatural but this is what has happened to millions and millions of people – most people. We’ve become so used to walking, sitting, standing out of alignment that that’s what feels natural and yet these are the things that cause pain, leading to more immobility.
The more pain we feel when we move, the less we want to move. Becoming aware of alignment, misalignment and feeling the muscles contracting and relaxing throughout our daily movements will go a long way to getting back to our natural state. Watching the way children bend, stretch, turn, jump, run can help us examine our own imbalances and find out where we need to put more attention.
Through the practice of Essentrics™ we can return the body to its natural state of being strong, flexible and perfectly aligned. But we must take our health seriously. We must make movement a priority. I want to bring back the idea that people in the ancient world knew intrinsically, that being natural is normal. Now that we live and work in unnatural environments we need to return to that way of living ...
Natural is the new normal!