Metabolic – having to do with metabolism, which is the sum-total of chemical actions that take place within the body at any given moment.
Conditioning – the state of something, or the process of changing that state.
Okay, so that’s it eh?
Well…yes, that IS it.
Sit on the couch and eat potato chips and watch TV/play video games/wait for the paleocalypse = MetCon.
Workout till you puke = MetCon.
Go on vacation and hike/bike/swim/have fun every day = MetCon.
So can I ask a favor of you folks out there in the reading-world?
Please stop calling your workout session or methodology MET-CON!
We know it’s MetCon.
EVERYTHING IS METCON.
If someone is selling you “Met-Con,” and they’re not telling you specifically what aspect of your MET their going to CON (other than you wall-met…eh…alright that’s bad, but you get my point), take your money elsewhere!
Andreo Spina has just come out with what I think is his best video yet. In it, he describes the way scar tissue adheres between layers of soft tissue in the body.
This information is critical to everyone who has a body. Soft tissue scarring is a fact of life. Everyone gets it. Knowing what to do about it and actually doing those things will improve your health, your movement, and your strength.
What are Soft Tissues?
The body has several layers of tissues.
There’s your skin, on the surface.
Under that, there’s the fascia, a contractile connective-tissue. Fascia is that white stuff you see on meat that you get in the supermarket.
Then there’s the muscle, which is attached to bone by tendons.
And the bones are attached to one another with ligaments.
Scar tissue, or “adhesions,” are areas where some part of the soft tissue gets damaged, and doesn’t actually heal. Instead it forms rigid connective-tissue bridges in order to stabilize the tissues and allow for movement.
Typically scar tissues remain when the body isn’t moved. But we’ll get to that in a second.
First, here’s Andreo’s video:
So you can see the importance of breaking up scar tissue. Imagine, as Andreo said, “stretching your leg up with a pair of skin-tight jeans on.”
You can’t do it.
That is, you can’t move well if your soft tissues are full of scar tissue that is preventing them from moving.
And if you can’t move well, your body can’t do several things:
1. It can’t pump blood back to your heart sufficiently. The contraction of muscle is what pumps blood back to your heart. If your muscles can’t (or aren’t made to…different issue) contract fully, your circulation sucks.
2. If that happens, metabolic waste builds up in your tissues…so, number two is You can’t clear metabolic waste produces efficiently. When those build up, disease happens.
3. You can’t feel the joy of movement. If you’re bound up by scar tissue, movement is probably painful. That’s no fun. And that doesn’t help you want to move.
So, what can you do about it? Here are a few things:
1. Get high-quality bodywork.
What do I mean by this? I mean bodywork from someone who understands the video above, and who isn’t just giving you a “relaxation massage.” People who label themselves as offering “sports massage” often have a good understanding of the above. Self-massage works as well. Investigate some techniques and apply them (on YouTube you can search for things like “myofascial release” or “skin sliding” or “break up adhesions” or “self-massage” or any combination of the above).
2. Take hot baths.
Yes, a nice hot bath is relaxing. Throw in some Epsom Salts if you want. The bath can also help to “liquify” the very soft tissues in your body, allowing them to slide again. But that will only happen on one other condition…that you:
3. Stay well hydrated.
This means drinking plenty of high-quality H2O. Not going to go into a lot of detail here. Simply try the pee-test. If your pee is not clear, you’re dehydrated (with exceptions). Also, try to get well-water from reliable local sources rather than drinking chlorinated/treated water from the tap.
4. Move Well, Move Often!!!
This may be the single most important factor. Moving itself, as long as your body gets heated up to a nice sweaty level, will help to resolve soft tissue adhesions. Of course, it won’t usually do everything, but it will sure help. And once those adhesions have been (manually) broken up, there’s nothing better than full-range, hot movement to keep things from sticking together again. That’s one of the reasons Tai Chi is so good for you. Getting down into the pose above (snake creeps down, I think) demands a high level of balance and strength, AND – to the point of this post – it puts the soft tissues of the body in the deepest possible level of stretching and contraction…
Foam rolling can help, but as Andreo points out, it doesn’t really or necessarily slide one layer of soft tissue over the other.
But don’t just sit there reading this! Go do one of those three things (or all of them)! And put them into your regular practice!!!!
It’s one of a few activities that allow us to directly and immediately alter our physical, mental, and emotional states.
For instance, breathe faster or slower and feel how that changes your physical state.
Most people don’t really notice the effect breathing can have until after some sort of relaxing or traumatic event, or until it is pointed out to them.
When you get tense your breathing speeds up and gets more shallow. This leads to other physiological responses – tension in the body in general – which tends to have a snowball effect.
When you relax, breathing tends to slow down and deepen. General muscle-tone throughout the body follows suit.
With metabolism relatively constant (i.e. insignificant variance from moment to moment), an increase in ventilation (the volume of air breathed from respiratory cycle to respiratory cycle) will increase the rate of flow of CO2 from tissue cells to the point of diffusion of CO2 from the pulmonary artery to the alveoli of the lungs. If this rate of flow is too fast, the concentration of CO2 in blood will be too lean, acid level of blood will drop, the crucial ratio of base to acid will increase, and the unbalanced pH will be alkalotic. If the rate of flow of CO2 is too slow, its concentration in blood will be too rich, acid level will rise, the crucial ratio of base to acid will decrease, and the unbalanced pH will be acidic. In healthy individuals under non-stressful conditions, the self-regulatory mechanisms of breathing will automatically calculate the amount of O2 needed for metabolism and increase or decrease the volume of air breathed per unit of time so that the rate of flow of CO2 from cells to lungs will be just right, neither too fast nor too slow, and a stable level of balanced pH will be maintained. And what a delicate balance it is.From Ronald Ley’s introduction to the book
Chaitow stresses the structure/function relationship in the body, and particularly in the lungs – and that long-term functional use leads to change in structure, and therefore, long-term change in functional ability.
Pausing the Breath (pg. 199) 1. Pausing after the inhale, holding the lungs filled, creates tension and strain in the muscles of inhalation
2. Pausing after the inhale creates temporary hyperinflation, which works against relaxation and proper emptying of the lungs
3. Pausing after the exhale is more natural. The breathing system reduces volume by slowing the frequency, reducing the depth, and lengthening the post-exhalation pause. A post-inhale pause does not seem to occur naturally except when accompanying a state of suspense.
Yoga Breathing (pp. 238-239) In a study by Nagarathna & Nagendra (1985), 106 individuals with asthma were divided into a treatment and control group, matched for age, sex, and severity of the condition. There were significantly greater improvements in the yoga group in weekly number of asthmatic attacks and in scores for drug usage as well as peak flow rates, which were still evident at 4-year follow-up. • Cappo & Holmes (1984) used a pranayama breathing pattern (inhale quickly / exhale slowly) in their study, which compared the effects on arousal of that pattern with patterns of slow inhalation/rapid exhalation, as well as inhalation and exhalation at the same rate, and also with control groups (distraction control, and no treatment control). All three breathing pattern groups reduced their overall rate to six cycles per minute for a period of 5 minutes during the evaluations. The results showed that ‘inhaling quickly and exhaling slowly [the pranayama pattern] was consistently effective for reducing physiological (skin resistance) and psychological (subjective cognitive arousal) during anticipation and con frontation periods.’ • This result is consistent with yoga teaching about the value of slow exhalation. Van Lysebeth (1971) points out: ‘Every other point in the breath ing cycle involves muscle tension; so absolute relaxation can occur only when the exhale is complete: The point of equilibrium, the rest point between exhale and inhale, is a moment when the yoga therapy or traditional yoga methods is scanty; however, some verification exists: breathing apparatus is motionless. Cutting short the end of the exhale means that the exhale is incomplete and that the breathing muscles never quite relax between breaths. This may result in retention of more ‘used’ air than normal, and also can promote chronic hyperinflation and hyper tonic neck and shoulder muscles. • A study of patients with congestive heart failure attempted to produce improvements by teaching the yoga ‘complete breath: This is a 3-stage breath that fills, in sequence, the abdomen, lower chest and upper chest, then reverses the order with the exhale. Breathing this way produces a natural breathing rate of about six breaths per minute. The chronic heart conditions led to subnormal O2 saturation, limited exercise tolerance, and dyspnea; these all improved significantly with continued practice of the yoga breathing, and sensations of dyspnea diminished. By improving the ventilation-perfusion ratios as well as alveolar ventilation, this style of breathing optimized breathing and made the most of available function. Respiratory efficiency improved and irregularity was reduced (instability in O2 saturation was associated with instability in breathing frequency and amplitude). The ‘spontaneous’ breathing rate (the rate at which subjects breathed when they thought they were unobserved) dropped from 13 to less than 8 (Bernardi et aI 1993). The heart and lungs operate in many ways as a cardiorespiratory unit. Breathing and heart action are closely related, and their synchronization stabilizes the autonomic nervous system (see Ch. 8).
Yoga breathing emphasizes full use of the diaphragm in breathing (Fig. 9.4). The diaphragm is attached by fascia to the heart’s pericardium in such a way that diaphragmatic movement provides a massaging action to the heart. Also, the vena cava, which carries freshly oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart, passes through the diaphragm and is alternately squeezed and released during breathing. This action promotes a periodic acceleration of blood flow toward the heart. As Andrew Thomas (1993) states: ‘The fully and correctly operating diaphragm is thus a second heart.’
Yogic alternate nostril breathing (pg. 239)
(Box 9.4; Fig. 9.5) In health one nostril is more dominant than the other at any given time in terms of the volume of air flow. There is an alternation every 1 t to 3 hours throughout the 24-hour cycle, with one nostril being more open than the other (Gilbert 1999). Evidence suggests that whichever nostril is more open, the opposite hemisphere of the brain is slightly more active, and in yoga this is utilized to enhance different activities related to particular hemispheric functions. These traditional yogic intuitions and observations have been confirmed by modern research in which EEG readings from the brain have been found to correlate with increased hemispheric activity with the currently dominant nostril (Rossi 1991, Shannahoff-Khalsa 1991, Block et al 1989). Some yoga breathing exercises alternate between the two nostrils, breath by breath, with the intent of regulating the balance between the two hemispheres. This is thought to promote proper alternation between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system functions.
WTF?!
The point here is that you can directly alter BRAIN/MENTAL and PHYSIOLOGILCAL/PHYSICAL (and their intermediary…EMOTIONAL) states simply through the use of breath.
How do you practice this?
1. PAY ATTENTION.
When you’re going through your day, occasionally check in – are you holding your breath?
Especially when you’re going into a situation you know to be stressful for you – regulate your breathing to remain relaxed.
Track the relative amount of tension in your muscles and the tension in your breathing. If you’re holding your breath or breathing shallowly, you’re most likely gripping in your body someplace (check the hands (fists), and glutes).
2. PRACTICE
Practice some sort of relaxation technique that exploits and explores the connection between breathing and body-states.
This book is GREAT. It does not go into the ridiculous level of scientific depth covered in Chaitow’s book (or this post). It simply presents practices to help you connect breathing to your body state.
Want to get rid of that pain in your neck or shoulder that has been there for years, or that just pops up now and then?
Or the pain in your lower back or hip?
The first thing to do is to figure out what’s actually causing the pain. This might involve a trip to a doctor (MD or DO), physical therapist, or other medical professional.
But a lot of times we can figure out and “treat” our own pain. That’s what I intend to help you with here.
Surrounding your muscles is a layer of tissue called fascia. It’s both a connective tissue and a contractile tissue. Fascia is the thin white layer of material that you might find on a chicken breast or piece of beef. It separates muscle bundles. It provides structure and support to the body.
When fascia gets bound up or “knotted” (basically getting into a state where it’s contracting non-stop), it causes pain. The nerves around that area get compressed and irritated. That point where the fascia is knotted is called a “trigger point.”
Since fascia is a sheet-like covering, and it spans such a huge area in your body, a knotted-up portion of fascia can also lead to pain in other places (“referred” pain).
The way to tell if something is a trigger point is through experience!
There are two approaches to trigger points. One is to feel where you have a general area of pain or irritation, and then to look at the charts below and find the trigger point for that area. Use your finger or thumb to push around where the trigger point should be and feel for a spot that’s especially sensitive and resistant to pressure. Voila! You’ve found the trigger point.
The other way is just to search around for trigger points themselves.
Once you’ve found a trigger point press into (or squeeze) it deeply enough that you feel the referred area “light up” and hold that pressure for one minute. If that’s too intense, use 5-second heavy/light alternations for one minute.
After that minute, put some ice on the area and “sweep” the ice from the trigger point to the area of referred discomfort while stretching that muscle group as far as possible.
You just want to use the ice to cool the area, not to deep-freeze it. Keep ice “sweeps” intermittent enough that the area gets cool, but not COLD.
Same goes for stretching – don’t try to beat your personal-best stretch in this area (if you have one), just gently stretch the muscle.
Here are some great Trigger Point charts I found online:
NOTE: Trigger points in the neck/shoulder area should be squeezed (pinched between the thumb and fingers), not pressed into.
You can get to your back and neck using something like the Backnobber:
ALSO: Only treat trigger points this way once per day. If the pain (of the point or the referred area) isn’t diminished when you’re done, there might be some other cause of the pain, and you should check in with your physician again.
Resources
There are a ton of good books out there that go through this type of treatment in-depth. Janet Travell and David Simons wrote the “classic” in-depth/technical manuals on this type of therapy:
But Leon Chaitow’s book “Instant Pain Control” is a great self-help guide:
Somewhere in the middle of the two is Bonnie Pruden’s “Complete Guide to Pain-Free Living”:
Just realize that you can do it yourself, with just a little self-experimentation and discovery!
What’s Happening In There?
I saved this part for last, since some people might not really be that interested in what makes this type of therapy work, but here it is!
To the best of my understanding, a “knot” is an area of constant contraction (what’s called “tetany” – where the term for the disease “tetanus” comes from). When you press into an area like this, you’re doing two things – 1. You’re shortening the fibers of that area even further, which sends a signal to the spinal cord telling those fibers to relax (since they’re exceeding their “normal” resting length), and 2. You’re sending a signal to the brain that the area in question needs attention. Over time, when a muscle goes into “spasm” (or tetany) the body attempts to “normalize” that situation. That is, it ignores it and attempts to keep going about its business. Bringing attention to the area is often as big a help as any sort of “manual” therapy.
Hope you enjoyed the post! Please leave questions or comments below!
Key is a physical therapist (or “physiotherapist,” as they’re known outside the USA) who has studied several somatic disciplines and integrated them into her physical therapy practice.
Why?
Key’s realization, and the realization that the best “body-professionals” are coming to, is that our scientific understanding of how the body moves and “works” is useful to identify (and sometimes address) particular features of the body, but that the health of the body is always based upon strong, aware, exertive, and “functional” movement.
Professor Shirley Sahrmann summed this up well in her 2002 book “Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes.” She outlined the history of physical therapy, which began with a focus on dysfunctions of the neuromusculoskeletal system through “cadaveric” anatomy – focusing on individual muscles and innervations, and the restoration of muscle function through manual methods. The field shifted in the late 1950′s, when the polio vaccine significantly reduced the incidence of polio in the “developed” world. Research and practice shifted to a focus on the central nervous system’s role in dysfunction, particularly as related to cerebral palsy. Joint dysfunction became the predominant area of study and treatment in the 1980′s, as physical therapists began to realize release techniques applied to joints could resolve nervous system disorders. In the 1990′s focus shifted again, this time to “movement” – largely due to an increase in the number of patients presenting with problems related to dysfunctional movement.
Sahrmann’s book takes a traditional approach to treating movement impairment and dysfunction, asking the practitioner to test individual muscles and perform many single-muscle-specific or joint-specific exercises to retrain movement patterns. Key’s work, by comparison, approaches the body in a more holistic fashion, focusing on patterns of movement (though Key does use standard physical therapy techniques – individual muscle and joint testing and treatment).
Embedded within these approaches is THE BODY. Which presents something of a “problem” to me, and is one of the reasons for this post. The body in-itself (as an object – something you have) is not the approach of somatics. The body-as-central-point-of-focus (as something you do) is what somatics is about.
See the difference? Simply “working the body” might get some results, but doesn’t increase your awareness of why you got those results. So you’re helpless the next time you get into trouble.
It’s the old – “Give a man to fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for life.”
Janda was a leader in the 1960′s transition Sahrmann mentions, with his focus on neuromotor control and stability, which was significantly different from the “muscles and mobility” approach before him.
Janda’s major contributions are his “crossed syndromes” – patterns of muscular dysfunction that occur in a predictable manner.
For those with no access to the journal article above, check out the equally-great article “The Janda Approach” by Phil Page and Clare Frank. To avoid lawsuits from Lippincott and Williams, I’ll post Page and Frank’s fantastic representation of all of Janda’s crossed syndromes:
Janda’s lesson was that it is necessary to understand and utilize rules and techniques from each of “the three interdependent neuro-musculo-articular systems.”
The paper “Lessons for the Future” by Karel Lewit outlines the history of
rehabilitative medicine, roughly along the same lines as Sahrmann’s work. But Lewit goes one further, and addresses the body as a system (something the Czech school has been famous for).
Lewit makes the point that the dysfunctional motor patterns that Vladimir Janda discovered (and that Sahrmann and Keys are treating in their own ways) can be understood through basic rules about how the body functions.
First, the long-muscles of the body cross the joints in opposing innervations that, if “pulling” equally, result in “good posture.” But beyond that “global” (“superficial”) system there is a “local” (“deep”) system, of smaller muscles that cross only one joint at a time, providing local stability to the joints.
Lewit lists the clinical signs of weakness of the local/deep system (pp. 134-136):
Weakness of the lateral part of the abdominal wall (weakness of the TrA and diastasis (separation) of the rectus abdominis).
Faulty respiration evidenced by a lifting of the thorax rather than its expansion during breathing.
Sagging of the longitudinal arch of the foot and poor toe flexion.
Protruding or “winging” shoulder blades (lower trap and serratus ant. underactivity).
Overactivity of the short extensors of the neck and the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
These dysfunctions are addressed readily by (pp. 136-138):
Placing the hands on the border of the waist and exerting pressure outward against them (feeling the TrA activate in a ring around the abdomen, squeezing its contents laterally out against the hands).
Performing #1 while inhaling and keeping the thorax and clavicles from rising, allowing the thorax to expand with the breath (and the diaphragm to contract downward).
Leaning forward in standing (with “good posture,” of course), just to the point that the toes flex automatically (keeping the heels on the ground). Repeat slowly 10 times. AND, feeling the outer margin of the foot during walking.
Practicing drawing the lower point (ramus) of the scapula in toward the spine (against resistance – a therapist’s thumb, for instance). AND, in the four-point position on hands and knees, keeping the scapulae abducted (spread apart) keeping pressure on the base of the thumb (hands flat).
Sitting with “good posture,” and pressing quickly with both hands flat onto the top of the head, straight down the vertebral column.
Releasing the psoas, quadratus lumborum and erector spinae. How do you do that? Like this:
OR, if you’re a self-starter and have a creative streak – you can do it YOURSELF!!!
Also see Deric Stockton’s foam roll sequence:
Lewit goes on to discuss the importance of releasing muscular trigger points, and healing muscular and fascial scar tissue and lesions.
SO WHAT?!
The point here is not to give you a bunch of videos to watch or words to read that you may not be able to relate to.
The point is to say that there are very simple actions that lead to large changes in the way the body behaves. These are the things Lewit is pointing toward.
He is not saying that all the therapeutic techniques ever invented are not needed, but he is saying that there are often much simpler solutions that rely on the innate behavior of the body.
The LIFT Approach
Somatics attempts to teach the participant how to feel optimal function and movement in their own body.
But somatics alone isn’t good either. All the touchy-feely stuff in the world gets you nowhere. Yes, I can feel xyz, but what exactly am I feeling?
A merging of both approaches becomes necessary.
Lewit’s approach is something like this. Extremely effective at solving seemingly unsolvable (from the perspective of cadaveric anatomy) problems in the body. Lewit may not instruct his clients about neuromusculoskeletal anatomy, but he is in at least some way, simply by having them place their own hands on their bodies. He must provide a reference, which is an anchor back to “experiencing your own experience” (so to speak).
I think a merging of every approach becomes necessary. That’s what LIFT is all about.
But how can I do that? How can I possibly merge every approach?
It’s really simple, actually, and it’s the way that all body-practitioners follow already, whether they’ve consciously realized it or not. Here it is:
Start with a DESIRE to learn, feel, and express more and more deeply and broadly. It’s the mantra the Barefoot Sensei taught me – “TEACH ME.” To follow this principle requires deepening sensitivity and awareness.
Study the PRINCIPLES of the body (from every perspective – physiology, anthropology, physics, history, etc.).
Observe the principles in PRACTICES and tease them out – by doing them. Mere observation and laboratory analysis won’t help you here.
SHARE what you’ve learned with others, and hear/observe their feedback.
Sensitivity and awareness are requisite throughout, and those qualities should deepen as time goes by on this path.
“Posture” is often a mis-used word. People generally use the word “posture” to refer to the “ideal” upright posture in static-standing. But the word “posture” really refers to the position of the body at any given moment in time, and it usually accompanies a specific activity. So there is a “good posture” for shoveling that is not a “good posture” for rowing a boat.
Postural problems are usually a result of dysfunctional movement repeated many times. For instance, I’ve had clients who habitually carry their (thick) wallet in one or the other back-pocket of their pants. Sitting on that lump every day raises the hip on that side creating unequal muscle tension throughout their lower back. Over time the muscles (and if long enough, bones) change to match that demand. They go to do something that requires good core-control and even movement, and throw their back out.
Their seated or standing posture could have been “perfect” for all intents and purposes, but the repetitive dysfunctional movement (or lack of movement) caused an imbalance that hurt their back.
So it’s better to think of “posture” as something ACTIVE
(something that you do) rather than as something PASSIVE (something that
you have). “Good posture” at any moment is a snapshot. You might
“have” good posture for that moment…but it’s the continuing movement
that matters most.
Long story short – an elliptical doesn’t promote good posture any more than heavy deadlifts or any other form of movement. Awareness in movement (awareness of your postures) throughout the day is the best posture you can wish for.
There are “ideal” standing postures, or “ideal” postures in different movements.
What are they?
They are the postures that create the least amount of excessive shear or torsional force on the body’s joints (cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bones, muscles).
How do you attain those postures?
Understand how the body works. Increasing your understanding is mandatory.
Here are two simple “ideal-posture-finding” moves:
To the specific concern – elliptical training can have a much lower-impact on the spine and other joints (depending on how you use it). Observe “good posture” while you’re using it and it’s great for posture!
People who use jarring motions on an elliptical are putting just as much strain on their joints (and probably in different/worse ways) as people taking a walk or jog.
People who lean forward while using an elliptical will experience low-back pain for the same reason you would if you stood still while leaning forward from the waist for any amount of time…continual strain on the low back.
The low back is meant to be a place of VERTICAL stabilization for the body. It’s not very good at maintaining anything past vertical for long periods of time….
MOVEMENTS are what matter for good posture…forget about “posing”!!!
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.
For this post, I’m going to keep it simple. If you read the post on training crying patterns, you already know what I’m recommending here…if not, go read the crying post!
Once you’ve done that, watch this for inspiration:
Specifically, we can play with the overt expression of sadness – crying.
When I worked at Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare in Boston, MA, my boss and I came up with a crying competition. We would come in to work every morning armed with a new “cry.”
We did the “man” cry. We did the “baby” cry, the “little kid who cries so hard they don’t make any sound” cry, the “silent tear” cry so common in movies.
By the end of the year, I think we had accumulated about 15 unique cries.
We thought it was hilarious, and there it ended. I didn’t think of it again till recently, when posting about playing with smack-talk and/or competitiveness in order to explore affective states and performance.
At my friend Steven Stanfield‘s birthday party this past weekend, we resurrected this old game. We must have had over 20 cries by the end of the weekend.
But why, you may ask? What’s the point?
Well, part of the point is to explore your capacity for make-believe.
Part of it is to feel deep within your body the effect that different types of facial expression, breathing, and emoting have on you.
Part of it may be to experience the somatic-psychic connection…that is, how bodily behavior can trigger psychological states or memories. Trying your different cries, do memories pop up unexpectedly? They likely will, since there’s no separation between your body and mind.
So, there it is…the suggestion. Play with crying. You’ll notice when you do that different types of crying (with their accompanying breathing patterns) elicit different feelings in the body.
