My Posture is so AMAZINGLY Better!!

Last January I began seeing an incredibly brilliant Feldenkrais physical therapist, which you can read about here and here. I learned of her from my also incredibly brilliant Dr. of Oriental medicine because Colson needed help learning to properly use his leg muscles.

Now for the digression. Why did Colson need to figure out how to use his leg muscles? Because his outer leg bones grew longer than his inner leg bones, causing his knees and ankles to cave to the ground. The orthopedist who diagnosed him considered doing surgery to stop the outer bones from growing for awhile so the inner could catch up and the legs would even out. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that is completely unacceptable, so off we went to a wonderful chiropractor, who straightened Colson’s legs out, and then off to the Feldenkrais PT so that he could learn to use the muscles now that his bones were correctly positioned. Needless to say it has been a dazzling experience for Colson, he is better and the PT and chiropractor admire each other’s work even though they haven’t met.

Now on to me. A friend of mine and I have been going to some special sessions with the Feldenkrais PT. Because of the PT my TMJ is 60 percent better so far and it will continue to improve as I work at it.

But today…unbelievable how powerful and fast the results were! My friend and I went to what we termed “dowager hump class.” We both have the rounded shoulders and poor posture. Half-way through the two hour class we were different people with the tools needed to continue to retain and reorganize our bodies. Our PT is all about freeing the body so that it can exist in a neutral position and not have to work or experience pain.

With my new pain free and easy posture, the world looked completely different. Instead of looking down-ish, which is what I always do, I was looking level, which felt like looking up. I jokingly told my PT that my annual physical was this week and I came in at 5’ 3/4”, but that I would be 5’4” by Saturday. My PT laughed and said that after people work on back posture with her they gain a full inch, and now I get it.

Once class was over and we were chatting I began to lose the posture I learned. She said that I have the tools to get it back and that I will go in and out of posture, so just keep using the tools and I won’t suffer the dowager hump EVER.

Now for the crazy cool and fun part. I walked the dog tonight and found myself in a neutral walking position for the first time that I am aware. Suddenly the day’s lesson seemed to click and I am taller and better! It is amazing. I walked the neighborhood with my head in neutral and everything felt easy. No more looking down with pulled forward shoulders and stomping, clomping feet. I saw ALL the upper halves of the houses and the tops of the trees at the horizon for the first time! And my walk was much, much lighter. When I got home I told Ryan to look and me and he said WOW!

Now I am sitting at the computer and my upper and mid-back are hollering because I am not in neutral. I wasn’t even aware that the pain and discomfort were happening until now, and I need to raise my monitor up so that I can be neutral and comfortable.

One of my PT’s funny but true remarks is that we don’t have to pull our heads forward to hold a conversation or see things. Light is really fast and head movement forward doesn’t bring us the visual any quicker. So, keep the head back and in neutral!

Another amazing thing is that when doing the exercises to reorganize our brains and bodies so that we move neutrally and painlessly, my back literally sinks into the floor when lying down, flat as can be, and the floor is actually comfortable, almost as if it hugs me. Who knew?!

Finally, today’s lesson really integrated the group lessons that we had in January that I mentioned in the beginning of this post. My friend and I now have really heightened awareness of our bodies and the feeling and idea of neutral. We are going to pay attention to what feels out of neutral and pick the topic for our next session with the PT in two months.

The power of today and learning how to use my body really took my breath away.

Comments

[Maria Droujkova]

After your stories, I went to YouTube to find some Feldenkrais exercises. It makes sense and there are some good materials there. I was doing a four-point exercise on uneven surface today. There is a series on back pain I will investigate next. Thank you!

[Maria Droujkova]

I formulated (to myself) why I want to research the area before going to specialists, and wanted to share. It's the end part of yesterday's conversation :-) L'esprit de l'escalier - maybe if I type it enough times, I will remember the saying in French. Anyway.

First, of course, I need to check the validity somewhat, or rather, find that someone else did in ways I find valid. This isn't too difficult, typically. But the second part is for me to understand the problem-solving methodology of the system.

I need to learn enough that I can solve simple problems myself (since most problems are simple), and follow and explain steps in solutions of more complex problems given to me by specialists. For example, yesterday, when you were explaining the solution to the hip problem, I could not follow the steps (as in, I could not understand "whys" behind them) because I don't have enough of a grasp on the system. So, if a specialist gives me a complex solution and a step needs adjustments, or a variable changes in my body, I need to be aware, and to know how to tweak the solution.

I've been tweaking the timing and the dosage of K-40 Ken gave me all this month, and I had to take manganese with it mid-way, as I discovered - if I did not know how to tweak, the solution itself would be useless or dangerous, or I would have to move in with Ken to use it. Ken pointed out some of the things to watch and to tweak, but I had to have this background understanding of the system to "get" his directions.

I hope it makes sense. I am still formulating it for myself.

[Laura Combs]

Thank, Maria! I would love to know your insights. I have been picking up the rhythm and thinking behind it over time, but only scratching the surface. Your learnings will be great I am sure!