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movement habits that harm
and how to kick them |
 Whatever your thoughts about your own signature, like it or loathe it, have you ever considered what a miracle of biology and functional habit this tiny gesture really is? Well I have and I’d like to share my amazement with you now, and hopefully after you’ve read the next few pages you will not only have learned something about how we acquire movement habits (some of which can harm us) but also be as mind blown as I am about this whole signature thing. Here’s my signature, it’s a little piece of me.  My signature can vary somewhat, according to my mood, the feel of the writing implement on the surface I am signing or what it is that I’m signing, but its essential, unique characteristics remain consistent enough for it to carry almost the same legal authority as my fingerprint. Unlike my fingerprint, though it’s not genetic. I wasn’t born with my signature ready formed, it’s something I’ve learned, a personal flourish that I consciously practised at first and then perfected over the years. My signature reliably and uniquely represents me.
So much so, that any handwriting experts among you, may already have made some pretty accurate guesses about my personality, my proclivities, how I voted on Brexit and where I’ve hidden the gold …….. My signature is a tiny fragment of who I am, and I will admit to being rather fond of it.
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 Hi, and welcome to Movement Habits That Harm and How To Kick Them
Part of what I do in my daily practice as a Rolfer and manual therapist is to work with my hands on the client. Using various types of touch, I attempt to move fluid around the body, unstick fascial layers, talk nicely to neural pathways and coax frightened, tight muscles to let go. The other part of my job is to notice postural and movement patterns. Particularly those that are causing pain and discomfort. When I see these "unhelpful habits" my job is then to help the client experience new more helpful movement options. Sometimes we begin this movement work during the treatment. Most often though the habit needs a little more time to change. So I give my clients new movement experiments as homework, to practice between treatments. After 18 years of being asked, “could you maybe email me instructions for the homework?” I had a lightbulb moment Why don't I make pre-printed hand out sheets for some of the most common homework suggestions? Yeh, I really don't know why it took me 18 years to figure this out, Duh!) Anyway, so cutting it short, I began writing down some of these homework suggestions and what started out as a chore soon became a thing of joy. I discovered that these short “how to” pieces seemed to need some what’s, why’s and when’s too. My original intention of producing handout sheets had expanded. I also realised that illustrations where required and that its a right pain in the butt trying to find copyright free images. I have therefore enjoyed making my own drawings. (they will get better the more I practice, I promise) The hand out sheets have metamorphosed into blogs. The blogs have spawned a new website. The new website has given my wife Angie and me a unique platform from which to share our ideas on ways to feel better. And all of that is very exciting for us so thank you for visiting. I have written only from my own experience of what has worked for my clients over the years. With some added research to keep it real and hopefully accurate. I have found that I have quite a bit to say about MHTH and even more to say about HTKT. I hope that you enjoy these occasional blogs and that some of my movement observations resonate with you. Even more than that, I hope that the exercise suggestions liberate your body from Harmful Habits, from movement restrictions and from pain. Finally, I would love to hear from anyone who benefits from these blogs. If you have HTKT suggestions of your own, I would be delighted to publish these too - with a credit of course. The habit that harms If we humans" really are just big water bags consisting of 60% fluid, as people who know about these things say we are. Then have you ever wondered, as I have, why all that blood, lymph, interstitial fluid and whatever doesn't just collect in our ankles and feet? Q: Why aren’t we all pear-shaped ? Given that our old friend gravity likes to push everything earthward. And we have a big powerful pump situated quite near the top of our bodies but not at the bottom. How the hell does all that liquid get back up from our feet? And why aren't even more of us ...well, kind of pear-shaped?
On average, a person at rest breathes 9 times per minute. At least that’s my rate, and I’m no yogi, so I’m guessing I’m about average? This means we breathe in and out around 540 times per hour, that’s, 12,960 breaths a day, 4,730,400 a year. From birth to death, it’s automatic, an unconscious reflex controlled by the reptilian brain. As old as evolution itself. So how the hell can we be getting it so wrong that it's doing us harm?  A person who lives to 90 will take over to 425 million breaths in their lifetime.
And If you are doing something that can cause you harm 425 million times you can be pretty sure that it’s going to do you a LOT of harm.  Hi, and welcome to Movement Habits That Harm and How To Kick Them
or MHTH&HTKT for short..(slightly) Part of what I do in my daily practice as a Rolfer and manual therapist is to work with my hands on the client. Using various types of touch, I attempt to move fluid around the body, unstick fascial layers, talk nicely to neural pathways and coax frightened, tight muscles to let go. The other part of my job is to notice postural and movement patterns. Particularly those that are causing pain and discomfort. When I notice these "unhelpful habits" my job is then to help the client experience new more helpful movement options. Sometimes we begin this movement work during the treatment. Most often though the habit needs a little more time to change. So I give my clients new movement experiments as homework, to practice between treatments. After 18 years of being asked, “could you maybe email me instructions for the homework?” I had a lightbulb moment  The habit that harms Feeling tired, achy, a little bit stuck physically and maybe emotionally too? Suffering from swollen ankles, shin splints, knee, hip, back or shoulder pain?
Ever considered that the problem may simply be that your muscles are fighting each other? Half of you is unconsciously holding back whilse the rest of you wants to be moving forward? Sounds like you are trying to move with your brakes on! To fully understand this peculiar but widespread phenomenon it might be helpful first to remind ourselves of a little basic science. Gravity We, Earthlings, live in a gravitational field that exerts, an average* of 15lb per sq inch of pressure on us. 24/7 from the moment we sprout forth to the day we finally give in to it and lie down for the last time. *(depending on your latitude. If you weighed 100 lbs on a spring scale at the north pole you would weigh 5.5 once less on the equator) So the best way to cope with this constant downward pressure is to have four or more feet on the ground. Like a table or a cow or horse or an elephant But... For some crazy reason, one of our ancestors, be she an ape, lizard or alien visitor? Decided that we should move around on just two of our four available limbs |
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December 2019
about meI’m Keith and I’m a graduate of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute. I've also been a student of Tai chi for nearly 40 years .
As an Advanced Rolfer and Rolf movement coach, I help people to live more comfortably in their bodies. By learning how to align with gravity's flow my clients begin to move more efficiently and with less pain.
As a Tai Chi Instructor, I teach how to to find your line of balance, how to let go of unnecessary tension and to find the safe, still centre deep within us all from which all genuinely free movement springs. I thought that some of the information and experience I have collected over the years might be useful to pass on! So here we go. I sincerely hope that you find something of benefit for your life amongst my ramblings. |
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