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After Effects Massage Therapy & Bodywork
POSTURAL RELIEF
Imagine recreating your torso on a coffee table:
A salad bowl represents your pelvis
A squiggly Dr Suess-like stack of 33 dominoes represents your spine
A birdcage is suspended from the seventh domino, representing your rib cage
And a 10-12 pound bowling ball on the top represents your head
How long do you think that construction will stay on your coffee table?
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In your body, all the muscles from the base of the cranium to your pelvis must
stabilize your torso but also create mobility to flex, rotate and extend.
Equal distribution of the skeletal structure alleviates muscle tension
Our muscles must adapt to our posture
For extended time in prolonged positions
TRY THIS
In your vehicle establish a neutral position by
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Sitting on your ischial tuberosity
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Allow for a lumbar curve the size of your fist
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Allow your head to fall back from the base of your cranium, evenly distributing the weight of the cranium on the cervical spine
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Use the head rest for support.
Using your windshield to delineate between external and internal stressors, notice when any stimuli outside the windshield (traffic, rude drivers, police, panhandlers, weather) elicits your lumbar curve to flatten into the seat and your head leaves the neck rest....
Notice when any stimuli inside the windshield does the same...missed exits, running late, cell phone calls, annoying music, fussy children, etc.
Return to neutral position.
Outcome
Once you acclimate to what it feels like to establish symmetry in your torso's skeletal structure, it becomes much easier to use diaphragmatic breathing. Your low back relaxes, your shoulders drop and your jaw releases. You will still experience the stresses of the external world, but you no longer need to store the tension in your body. Eventually you will be able to respond to situations rather than react. The more you practice, the more you'll notice your inner chatter that establishes how you view the world around you.