Just wanted to share the news – The Best Book on How to Barefoot Run by Charlie Reid and myself, is now available on the Amazon Kindle store.
For those who don’t know, the book is a detailed summary of everything Charlie and I learned as we progressed back to barefoot running – the history of shoes, biomechanics of barefoot running, how to do it safely, and an 8-week program!
Since the book (and accompanying videos on YouTube) represents 3 years of each of our lives, countless hours of effort, hundreds of dollars spent on minimalist footwear, books and seminars, and hours of research time, the $7.99 price is a STEAL.
As a bodyworker, I’ve always been fascinated by the work of Ida Rolf. Her book, “Rolfing,” is one of those seminal texts of bodywork and somatics.
Written in 1977, it details Rolf’s philosophy of bodily function, via structure (which is different from posture), and the maintenance and healing of that structure/function.
Rolf’s work is definitely a reflection of her times. “Integral Theory” was an idea supported by Haridas Chaudhuri in 1968, which involved a philosophical merging of eastern and western ideas about existence, and especially an appreciation for the “monistic” approach to human reality (that all experience is connected/interrelated – a term Rolf uses often in the beginning of her book).
(There is a quote from the Buddha at the beginning of the book, and Rolf mentions Kundalini in a couple of places.)
Rolf’s method is called “Structural Integration” – which involves the manipulation (by an outside agent) of the fascia (the connective tissue surrounding and dividing muscle). She spends a lot of time discussing the different physical structures of the body, and their cooperative operation (especially the pelvis and surrounding musculature, which she sees as the seat of human movement (pun intended)).
Rolf’s work deserves to be read. She makes the important connection between the body and the mind, between physical structure and mental im-/expressions. In reality, there is no difference between the two, and a change in one will necessitate a change in the other.
And, while I can say to have “read” this book, I cannot say to have studied it, which it really deserves. However, for now, a reading will have to do.
The only two “gripes” I have about the book are these -
First, in spite of Rolf’s admonitions against the (then and still) current medical model, where patients are treated-on by doctors, the rolfing approach still uses such a model. I haven’t been through a 10-session series, so I can’t say that it never happens, but it seems important that the “patient” learn self-care at some point.
Second, of all of the bodies shown in Rolf’s book, only a couple appear “physically fit.” Granted, my idea of what a fit body looks like is culturally determined. However, I’ve seen/studied a lot of different bodies, both in person and through film and still images. Most of the bodies in Rolf’s book look like they’ve been through the ringer of civilization – sitting (in chairs) for far too long every day, with very little exertion of any sort occurring in their lives.
While structural alignment/coordination is important, as Rolf says herself at one point in her book – structure comes from movement with/against gravity.
Another somatic/therapeutic discipline strangely divorced from the process of movement. That said, Rolfing is an important modality to consider for anyone interested in long-term structural change, self-authorship, and awareness. I have not been through a 10-session rolfing integration series…YET, but I will at some point.
Regardless of your participation in/with rolfing – GET OUT AND MOVE YOUR BODY!!!!!
Just finished reading Stefanie Syman’s book “The History of Yoga in America: The Subtle Body.”
The book offers a trip through the history of yoga in the united states, including the psychedelic era’s influence…But ultimately the book is Syman’s personal accounting and personally-biased history of history – both American and Yogic.
I was most fascinated by her unfolding of this process – where something “new” becomes a fad, and attracts followers in droves, the “guru’s” become famous, and then infamous. Stories come out about financial, sexual, and any other type of manipulation. People are prosecuted. They go to jail. The ups and downs, the battles for supremacy behind the scenes. It is the drama of the human desire to be entertained and distracted; to feel fulfilled and complete; to find meaning and community.
However, Syman’s writing style left me wanting after a while. It’s a no-frills, reporter-esque style. Lots of “facts,” not a lot of color.
Most of all, I had hoped for some discussion of yoga itself. While a history of yoga(s) comes through, it’s dispersed throughout the book. And there is no discussion of the “subtle body” itself…the title of the book.
Syman also makes no mention of the socio-political background of the Indian continent, generally, historically. That yoga (and Hinduism) arose out of a caste system. That “spiritual enlightenment” is one way for people to find equality in a system in which they will most likely never experience any real human equality. That religion is a method of governance. That philosophical abstraction is relatively meaningless, ultimately.
This thought is always on my mind, and this topic especially suited to bringing it to the front – that what really matters is very simple – food, water, life-in-habitat, support (love/friendship/community), and work (physical effort – for joy or for sustenance).
Beyond those things, pretty much all of the rest of it is mental abstraction. Creations of the mind. Arbitrary.
But while the ways we choose to achieve those simple things may be arbitrary, the choosing should not be. We, ultimately, can choose the way. It’s what “religious practices” often hide from us – the power of our own choosing…our own power.
Yet at the same time, it is what most religious practices are supposedly offering – greater fulfillment in this life and the next, “enlightenment,” “union with the God,” etc.
We become hypnotized by the show, and forget that we are the ones creating it.
This post is about the story (or stories) we tell ourselves.
I just read Semiotics: The Basics, by Dan Chandler.
It was a fascinating book. Semiotics is the study of signs. Not just “traffic signs,” but anything that signifies something else, and how that signification functions.
There were bits and pieces throughout the book that have given me a new perspective on the way(s) we (actively) construct our world and our lives. One of the claims made by semiotics is that, in language (and perhaps in “thought”) we construct opposites like:
good/bad (or evil)
light/dark
male/female
science/art
reason/emotion
man/nature
nationalism/individualism
What’s interesting about such opposites is that one is always preferred over the other. I’ve put the opposites above in the preferred/non-preferred sequence (or at least, how I perceive those to be in our culture).
What’s even more interesting, is that, once we tell ourselves a story (with its inherent opposing-pairs), we eventually forget that we made up those opposites to begin with. That is, we determined the preference based on something. There is no “objective truth” to the determination of those opposing pairs.
What that forgetting leads to, is an assumption that our story is reality itself. But how “real” is this “reality?” As we’ve seen throughout history, the story changes. In different cultures, different realities, and different preferences within those opposing pairs, prevail.
Again, the story we tell/create/manufacture is what will guide the way we use whatever technologies we develop or embrace, and also how those technologies will use us.
The way I see this process is this – we experience something, then we create a “reason” for that thing happening – we tell a story to ourselves (and/or others) about what happened, and why.
As soon as we’ve told the story, we believe in it. This is called “faith” in certain circles. In order to believe in it, we have to forget that we created the explanation/story ourselves…that is, we made up the interpretation of events that we now accept as “truth” or “fact.”
Why do we forget? I think it’s a matter of efficiency. If we had to question every assumption or “rule” that we follow every time we follow it, we’d never get anywhere. We’d be stuck in a mire of endless self-reflectivity.
Beneath it all, is Reality itself. I think. Semioticians aren’t so sure of this (having accepted their story as reality). To me, there is a common ground that we experience – Nature, Reality…whatever you want to call it. It is how we can create language. We reference the same “ground.”
Are some “realities” (stories) more “real” than others?
I’ve often wondered why European methods prevailed over Indian ways in America. Why did the Indians not fight? Surely, for one, they couldn’t imagine what their future would look like. But I think what lies beneath this is a deeper story.
Science is a tool of the mind. It is a way of grasping reality, taking it apart, and using it to achieve our ends. Any “technology” is a tool – a way of taking reality apart – separating ever-flowing “being” from the process of continual becoming/unfolding – and using it.
Your Personal Story
The other book I’m reading on this, which I haven’t finished yet, is Jim Loehr’s “The Power of Story.” Loehr has taken this process of story-telling, and provided a way for readers to unearth and re-write their personal (or “business”) story. It’s a powerful book, a powerful technology. I highly recommend it.
Ultimately, our story-telling process, our sign-making process, is a technology. It’s a tool we created somewhere in order to be able to survive.
The end to which any technology is always used is that of Life itself. That end, or purpose, is – to expand, to live, to grow, to become.
If we look at all of life, it is all constantly striving to become more of what it is. It acts to LIVE, regardless, in spite of, or directly against the circumstances in which it finds itself.
Having given life to our technologies, they too, like Frankenstein’s monster, seek to grow, expand, become – to live.
Instead of “love will find a way,” “live” or “life” will find a way. And it does.
One thing that we tend to do, in our creating and forgetting, is to mistake the tool we create for life, or Reality.
Then the monster is the ruler. We are at its whim. We are helpless to change things. Until we wake up and see that that is a decision as well…to be helpless.
Recognize the stories in your life. The ones you tell yourself, the ones you were told. Recognize them as stories, and ask whether or not they are helping to create the world and life you want.
I see one source in the dissociation of people from their “tools.” From everything they use, they are further and further removed. Things become “mere things.” We suddenly are no longer connected in a cycle of creation and destruction. We stand outside of it and look on…passersby, observers, voyeurs of our own self-destruction.
“Coincidentally” (if you believe in coincidence), I was reading a book today called “Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma,” by Peter Levine.
He describes the official definition of trauma as a stressful occurrence “that is outside the range of human experience, and that would be markedly distressing to almost anyone” (pg. 24, which he takes from the DSM III).
He goes on to mention that trauma can include anything, from falls or accidents, to illnesses and sad events, to the “typical” things we consider traumatic such as rapes, drive-by shootings, war, disasters, etc.
I really really (yes, that’s right, I wrote it twice) like this book, and his approach, which is based around the evolutionary/physiological response to trauma, and an approach to treating it from that perspective. More on that in a second.
The author then describes how modern civilization and technology have taught us to ignore primary, instinctual, bodily-centered resources that once helped us to deal with traumatic events.
Previously in our history, we would encounter life-threatening events, which eventually resulted in finely-tuned responses to danger. I think this capacity is part of the “thrill-seeker’s” profile – they feel a need to experience this aspect of themselves more regularly than others.
As Levine says, “Modern life offers us few overt opportunities to use this powerfully evolved capacity. Today, our survival depends increasingly on our ability to think rather than being able to physically respond…The fundamental challenges we face today have come about relatively quickly, but our nervous systems have been much slower to change…When [the need for the successful facing of challenges] is not met, or when we are challenged and cannot triumph, we end up lacking vitality and are unable to fully engage in life” (pg. 43).
Later in the book, he even quotes Tom Brown, Jr. about the process of tracking. Clearly, he is describing a method of dealing with trauma that uses what I like to call “physiology tracking” in this book.
But it was the paragraph just before a section called “Dissociation” that really grabbed my attention. In it, he writes, “When constriction [as a response to a perceived threat or danger] fails to sufficiently focus the organism’s energy to defend itself, the nervous system evokes other mechanisms such as freezing and dissociation to contain the hyperarousal. Constriction, dissociation, and freezing form the full battery of responses that the nervous system uses to deal with the scenario in which we must defend ourselves, but cannot” (pg. 136).
Levine recommends, specifically, that one not try to avoid dissociation, but rather, to become aware of the feeling of that state in the body, so that one can, first, recognize it, and, later, be able to be in a state of dissociation while still cognizant and active in the world. This leads to the ability to discriminate between physiological events that lead to (or have lead to) trauma, and those that do not.
I resonate extremely strongly with this book, for many reasons. The author’s approach to dealing with one’s problems through a continuing and ongoing process of deepening self-awareness seems to be the type of powerful medicine that everyone can use in their lives. But he also recognizes that physiological responses are rhythmical, as well as the need for play and a playful attitude when confronting survived trauma (at a certain point in the process, of course).
To the last point, about play, the author talks about wild animals’ tendencies to “reenact” traumatic or dangerous events, where they will play the role of hunter and hunted, and either experiment with new strategies for evasion or survival, or repeat the tactic used in the recent event. The physical act of evasion or survival itself is immediate and therapeutic.
In humans, reenactment happens both internally and externally. Internally, it represents itself in states associated with trauma, such as hypervigilance, anxiety, psychosomatic issues, sleeplessness, or other problems. It can also represent itself through repeated thoughts about the traumatic event.
Externally, reenactment can happen either in the “acting out” of previous traumas, either by inflicting those traumas on others, or by creating ritual behaviors that reflect and temporarily mitigate those physiological upwellings; or, external reenactment can take place in the recurrence of traumatic events in relationships, where we seek out situations with others through which our trauma presents itself, again and again, the body searching for a path to resolve that old wound.
Unfortunately, usually, our initial response only repeats itself again and again. With our minds not realizing that we’re replaying these patterns for a specific reason, we succumb to habitual responses, sometimes watching before our very eyes as things crumble apart and wondering “how can this be happening again?”
More subtly still, external and internal reenactment, at some point, collide, and the victim of trauma acquires patterns of behavior that simultaneously save them from further experiences like the first, but also prohibit them from being able to confront that traumatic experience and move beyond it.
Which takes me to his final point, his solution to this dilemma. Since we are confronted with traumas that we cannot resolve through physical means, and have developed habitual physiological patterns of response to situations in which we feel the same types of threat, we have only one tool by which to work with, on, and through those physical manifestations and feelings – awareness.
Through awareness of the traumatic event, awareness of our initial response to it, acceptance of ourselves and the fact that the event happened, and finally, a developed ability to pay attention and slow down when those feelings manifest themselves again, we have acquired tools to operate in a new dimension. Eventually, the nervous system will heal, the process will become second-nature, and life can be rich and fulfilling.
On a side-note, this process, of trauma, the formation of “protective” mechanisms which ultimately lead to further repetition of trauma reminds me strongly of the pain-spasm-ischemia cycle I was taught in massage school. In that process, damage occurs to muscle, the muscle “spasms” to protect itself from further damage, but in doing so, restricts blood flow to the area, preventing oxygenated blood (and white blood cells) from getting to the area to begin the healing process and remove restrictions. The “knot” gets bigger and bigger, till it causes overt pain and movement restriction…
Levine notes that our fast-paced culture doesn’t make this an easy task. Which brings me around to the final bit of my essay here (his book continues…if you’re interested, you should buy it and read it).
As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, it isn’t just the fast pace of our culture that “shields” us from slowing down and tracking our physiologies.
In fact, it seems that much of our culture has that exact effect.
Since reading Andrew Weil’s book “Eight Weeks to Optimal Health,” back in the 90′s sometime, I’ve engaged in what he calls a “news fast.” I don’t read or watch the news. Not at all. Haven’t in years, actually. And…nothing has happened to me because of it.
Weil recommends this practice because the news has a few qualities that cause human beings trouble, and for no good reason. First, the news is typically all bad. As Gary Gnu said, “No gnus is good gnus.” Second, the news is aggregated bad news from all over the world. So, not only are you getting a dose of bad news, but you’re getting a large dose of bad news composed of all of the bad news that happened today…anywhere. Needless to say, that news doesn’t really reflect the happenings in your habitat. Fourth, almost all of the news (because of its distant relation to your habitat) will make you feel completely helpless, frustrated, sad, or angry.
Learned helplessness, reinforced, twenty-four hours a day. Thank you?
But the news, or the way we “do” news, is just one symptom of a larger thang – of our approach to life…the philosophical underpinnings of our culture, expressed through or visible in the actions of our culture, and, of course, our selves.
a quick “thang” intermission:
I think one of the roots of that philosophy is a trauma-cycle, associated with something that happened to us culturally, maybe somewhere back in the mid-sixteenth century…in fact, when we were most susceptible to trauma, in our early-childhood…the Renaissance.
Not to be a conspiracy theorist here, but I hope Dan Brown is reading this blog and writes a nice book about this idea…and figures out what that event was, because I have no idea…hahaha.
However, it does seem that some “crisis” (which in Chinese is a character composed of the two characters for “danger” and “opportunity”) occurred, which we could not mitigate or win against, and have repeated ever since.
Hell, maybe it goes even further back than that.
But what stands out to me most is the point at which we dissociated from our tool-making.
We’ve been dissociated from our habitats for thousands of years. Human beings have lived in cities and such for around 8-10,000 years. Sure that could be a factor.
And life has been relatively “distracting” ever since we’ve been in cities. Fast pace, hustle and bustle, are nothing new.
But the loss of consciousness that we are using tools – that symbols are tools, machines are tools, that mathematics and language are tools – that seems more important.
When did that happen? And why? When did we lose sight of the fact that we make technologies to help us?
Because it was at that point that we committed ourselves to a path of recurrent trauma reenactment. It was at that point that we closed our eyes to a process within ourselves (as a culture).
It was at that point that it became “necessary” to pursue pain in order to deserve pleasure. This thing we see in cubicles and offices all over the world.
It was at this point that we begin to see scarcity as our ruling dictum, and fear as its messenger.
I’ll be completely honest on this one. I actually didn’t “read” Scott Kelso’s book Dynamic Patterns, or H. Haken’s book “Synergetics,” just skimmed them.
Haken has worked to develop a field called “synergetics” which describes the process of self-organizing systems that arise from “chaos” due to thermodynamic principles.
Kelso used Haken’s framework to describe the ways human beings organize motor behaviors.
Don’t get me wrong, these books are both very good, and pretty much accessible to someone with a knowledge of basic calculus and a strong constitution. During the semester, however, I had way too many other things to be able to fully dig into these.
That said, here’s Kelso’s summary:
“The brain is fundamentally a pattern-forming self-organized system governed by nonlinear dynamic laws.”
This book, by Jeff Sharlet, is a sobering look into the fundamentalist Christian organization that works at the heart of much of our government in this country to impose its views. You can read much about it in this Wikipedia entry - The Fellowship.
It’s a very good book, though rambles a little bit of “Good Calories, Bad Calories” in that sense. The author spent time in the Family himself, and did years of research on this book. Not only that, but the history of the organization, and the ways they’ve worked their agenda into our government’s politics, are very circuitous, and require a lot of tangents.
If you’re at all interested in US government, or the workings or “power,” you should definitely read it!
Just read David Servan-Schreiber’s book “Anti Cancer, A New Way of Life.”
I thought it was a great book. It details David’s own experience with brain cancer. Being a surgeon, he has a unique outlook on the experience, and on his path into alternative therapies.
The thing I liked best about the book was the author’s use of the word “terrain” to describe the body. “How is your terrain,” a friend asked him after his first battle with the brain tumor (it came back).
Essentially, that view involves looking at your body as you would the earth. Are you dumping pesticides, poisons, etc., into your body? If so it will gradually lose the ability to repair itself, become clogged up, and develop terrible illnesses. If not, you’ll probably last a lot longer. [This view is also mentioned in Michael Odent's 1986 book, "Primal Health"]
So how does one take care of their terrain?
Diet
In short, eat organic, whole foods, cooked lightly. Get your veggies! Lots of garlic, cabbage, cruciferi, and everything else. Eat non-farmed/free-range grass-fed animals and their products. Drink plenty of pure water (he recommends a carbon filter), green tea (3 cups/day), and 1 glass of red wine per day (ONE?!). Avoid processed foods of any kind!
Exercise
30 minutes per day isn’t too much to ask. But he only asks for 30 minutes 3 days per week. I say 30 minutes per day. You can combine forces and do some sort of “intentional” exercise like yoga or Tai Chi to get the healing power of the mind involved (and get “deeper” into your body in the process).
Mentality
Meditation is the author’s answer, and I don’t disagree. I’ve always recommended Eckart Tolle’s book “The Power of Now,” or the simple, short book of exercises taken from that book. Shoot for 10 minutes twice a day to start. It’s easiest, usually, first thing in the morning, and later at night, when we’re not so busy. But a mid-day meditation session can give a huge boost. If you’re into “physiology tracking,” you can “meditate” while you exercise by following your body’s response to the movement…find the blockages, find the resonances…seek!
Social/Environmental/Spiritual
I think these all get tied together. While environmental toxins (avoid harsh chemicals in your daily life) aren’t necessarily related to your spirituality, your general environment is, and both are related to your social life. Make sure your environment is supportive and caring, full of love and good times. Laugh as much as possible. Do your best to resolve fears and unhappiness, in any way you can.
I’ve been watching this series from BBC, starring Niall Ferguson as host, on Google for the past couple of weeks. It’s incredibly fascinating, and I highly recommend it to everyone. Why? Well, because you agree to trade your effort in life for “money,” so you should have some idea of what you’re agreeing to. Shouldn’t you?
Essentially, money, or “cash,” came about as a means of representing some other thing or value. Instead of having to go trade your chickens to the milk-man for some milk, because the shoe-maker didn’t want chickens, but he would take milk, you could just trade him “cash,” which was good for shoes, chickens, or milk.
At some point, the idea of a loan or debt came into being, where someone said “I can’t pay you now, but you know I’m good for it.” The person lending the money agreed, and gave the borrower what they wanted…with interest, of course.
Money, “cash,” plus the concept of loans/debt/credit, gave way to bonds, when the Rothschilds showed that fortunes could be made by buying low and selling high. But bonds, because they represent potential “cash,” set the value of interest rates, and the rate of inflation.
More people began to play in the bond market, strengthening its foothold in economic systems. This creates a vicious cycle, where governments use bonds to raise more money, based on the fact that more people are invested in bonds. The global market for bonds is larger than all of the world’s stock markets put together.
In the final analysis, money, the way we agree to trade value internationally – and all of its machinations, are so intertwined in the structure of global society (or any individual society), that changing that method of trade would radically change everything else.
Anyone who makes money (who trades their value-creation for a standard, or globally-accepted representation of that value) would have to wonder where they would stand.
But is this possible? Or likely? What sort of catastrophe would have to occur to cause people to “wake up” to their value system…a la Neo getting unplugged from the Matrix?
The Geomagnetic Field and Life, by Aleksander Dubrov, outlines the myriad ways that the GMF affects terrestrial biology, and gives some suggestions as to how the GMF may have shaped the development of life on this planet to begin with.
Yes, sometimes, it changes direction!
I won’t go into details here. Too many to note. If you’re interested, Dr. Dubrov has actually posted summaries of all of his books online for free, here.
There’s a lot there, a lot to think about…take your time.
