The Ups and Downs of Alignment
We live in a society where we talk about the alignment of our car's tires more than the alignment of our own bodies. Oddly enough, we can learn a lot from this analogy.
With our cars, most of us know that an aligned vehicle is one that runs straight without pulling to the left or right. Proper alignment is necessary for even tread wear on the tires and precise steering.
Wheels that aren't aligned means tires wear unevenly and the driver fatigues from trying to hold the car straight. If we don't get the car aligned it isn't long before we are plowing through tires and eating up the savings account.
It's actually not very different in the human body.
Take a look at the soles of a pair of your old shoes. How do they look? Unless both shoes have worn evenly through the center of the sole, we know our bodies are getting creative with our alignment.
Some of us wear out the inside heels of our shoes. Others wear out the outside. Both shoes may show the same wear pattern. Or you can may have one shoe that is worn on the inside heel and the other has worn away the outside heel or toe.
When we notice the uneven wear pattern it's tempting to think our feet are the culprits.
That is partially right.
One of the premises of the Egoscue Method is that the body works as a unit. Every part is affected by another part. The connections may not be obvious, but they exist.
The alignment of the body affects how we stand and walk on our feet. How the weight is distributed on your feet is determined by how you are carrying the rest of your body.
When we are standing we don't feel the weight OF the feet, we feel the weight ON the feet. Our feet respond to the weight of everything above them.
We are born with an anatomical blueprint that allows us to crawl, walk, run, climb, jump and skip. This design consists of a balance of muscles from left to right and front to back.
Over time many of us diverge from this blueprint by recruiting muscles or muscle groups to improvise for sleepy muscles. This compensation can work for a while, but as time marches on the muscles silently pull bones out of alignment.
Good alignment isn't about forcing yourself to stand up tall.
When our muscles are balanced and doing their job, our bones effortlessly stack on top of each other, leaving us relaxed and aligned.
We feel an equal amount of pressure on our feet from left to right. The weight will fall through the center of the feet. Both the heels and balls of the feet will bear weight.
Proper posture is the result of good alignment.
Good alignment is about great relationship. The relationship between the ankles, knees, hips and shoulders determines posture. Not only is it important for these joints to work together up and down, but also from side to side.
How do we get there?
There's no quick answer to that question. Re-aligning our bodies is a process of creating muscle balance that takes time and commitment.
Here's an easy place to start.
A simple concept to practice is what I call the "Square Off".
You can do this while sitting or standing.
Despite my reluctance to portray the magnificence of the human form in geometric shapes, there is some resemblance. The relationship of the shoulders and hips can be thought of as rectangular.
How to Square Off:
1. Line up the shoulders. Make sure that neither one is in front of the other.
2. Line up the hips. Confirm that neither one is in front of the other.
3. Line up the shoulders over the hips.
Sometimes this may feel like it's difficult to achieve, but we can work towards increasing our awareness and changing our habits.
Notice how you sit while driving or how you stand while doing the dishes. Are there simple changes you can make that increase your comfort?
Let me know how it goes.
Sending you the best for your well-being.
Kaiopa Stage
I'd love to hear from you. Drop me a line with a question or thought.
Did you enjoy this article? If you haven't yet signed up to receive the free workbook plus a monthly article, click on this link!
__________________________________________________________________This article is copyrighted ©2008 Kaiopa Stage, Pain Free First, all rights reserved.
This article is available for free reprinting in any eZine, website, or print journal provided the following: It appears in full without editing, you include the full signature with copyright notice, you include the contact information with live link below, and that you send me a courtesy note of where and when it will appear. Thanks!