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Anatomy – Muscular System
Review of book by Leslie kaminoff and amy matthews
On to chapter three of Yoga Anatomy. The muscles around my right hip are always tight. As I mentioned before my right leg is shorter than my left leg by a hair. I usually do not notice this unless I under use or overuse my body. Lately I have been trying to do more cardio and the increase in repetitive movement has aggravated all the muscles around my hip and knee.
This chapter on the muscular system begins by stating the purpose of muscles is to move the bones in the correct place so they can do their job. I’m thinking of how much more my right leg and hip muscles must have to work to keep my bones on that side in the right place to balance my movement. I don’t walk with a limp and usually do not notice much difference but just the bit more they have to do is noticeable when I change my activity.
in reviewing muscle anatomy the book describes the 3 types of muscles, skeletal, cardiac and smooth. It also discusses how muscles actually consist of 4 different types of tissue: muscle tissue, connective tissue, nerves and blood vessels. When you consider how much goes into making a muscle work you can’t ignore how integrated each body system is. Also the concept that they are different types of muscles leads to that different parts of the body govern the different muscles. The skeletal system is govern by our somatic nervous system and for the most part conscious thought. It’s the one we have awareness of controlling. Cardiac muscles and smooth muscles are governed by the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system (through hormones). We don’t have conscious awareness of control of these areas but if you can learn how to influence you autonomic nervous system then you can influence these muscles.
The book goes on in detail to describe how muscles work in pairs through contraction only. This I decided to not review as much because of the technicality and because for me this part is not as relevant at this time as the other information they focused on. This other information is related to the idea of muscle relationships through pairing, layering, and chains.
One of the suggested exercises is lying in relaxation pose and the instruction is to wiggle your fingers and follow the movement up your arm to your spine and then moving the spine to see what other body parts move as a chain reaction. This to me was actually relaxing and somewhat meditative. I felt like I was observing ripples and waves in my body. I like that analogy. It made me think of how fluid my body can be versus how choppy and “crunchy” it feels sometimes walking when I’m feeling pain.
In talking about muscle chains and following movement the book again referenced “Body Mind Centering” and “the Bartenieff Fundamentals”. In looking up “BMC” I found this definition:
“Body-Mind Centering® (BMC®) is an integrated and embodied approach to movement, the body and consciousness. Developed by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, it is an experiential study based on the embodiment and application of anatomical, physiological, psychophysical and developmental principles, utilizing movement, touch, voice and mind. Its uniqueness lies in the specificity with which each of the body systems can be personally embodied and integrated, the fundamental groundwork of developmental re-patterning, and the utilization of a body-based language to describe movement and body-mind relationships.” –https://www.bodymindcentering.com/about/
In regards to the Bartenieff Fundamentals I found this description from Wikipedia:
“Bartenieff Fundamentals are a set of principles for “corrective body movement”[1] developed by Irmgard Bartenieff, who studied with Rudolf Laban and colleagues in Germany (1925). After coming to the United States in the 1940s and becoming a physical therapist, Bartenieff developed the method in the form of a set of exercises, based on concepts and principles of kinesiological functioning, that can be extended into all types of movement possibilities. Bartenieff in developing this work fused her studies in both Laban movement analysis with Physiotherapeutic principles and the influence of both is a strong component of the Fundamentals.”
I am interested in learning more about each of these and plan to do a bit more research on these. This chapter on the Muscular System ends by saying that if we think all muscles in a body are supposed to work like the corresponding muscles in someone else’s body we are missing the awareness and possibilities of new patterns and new movement that may be possible for the individual. We are all so different and just because a series of exercises work for one person, it doesn’t mean it’s the best thing for another. I do like that when we practice yoga postures as they are described in the sutures we teach ourselves to explore the posture with ease and discovery versus being just performative or for an end result. This approach allows us to grow and learn while we are becoming stronger or more flexible.
Regarding my muscles in my right leg. I have decided to do more exploring in my morning yoga practice which has caused me to rethink what might be good for my body. I realized that as I get older I do feel more brittle and “crunchy” and that if I can create more fluid movement like with good posture when I walk or trying more flow with my yoga postures when I practice I feel better. I also am noticing how proper alignment with my posture makes everything better. It takes practice though which is what I’m trying to be more consistent with.
Anatomy – The Skeletal System
Review of Chapter 2 of “Yoga Anatomy” by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews
Since reading this chapter I have thought a lot about my bones and ligaments. I am amazed how last week I was so worried about pain in my hand and now it is healed. I had what I now realized was a repetitive stress injury in between the first 2 metacarpal bones on my right hand. I moved using my computer mouse to my left hand and used a stylus instead of my finger for my screen on my phone and in a week the pain is gone. This pain had been building for awhile, really about 2 months. Now it is fine. Our bones, ligaments, and muscles all have the ability to repair themselves if we seek to be more balance avoiding overuse and under use. I think that is what this chapter tries to emphasize.
The first part of chapter two begins as it should with an overview of the skeletal system, reviewing bones, ligaments, and joints. Much of the chapter is dedicated to discussing synovial joints. Synovial joints are made up of bones that move with each other, the synovial fluid that is between them, and the connective tissue that surrounds and protects the whole structure. The surfaces of the bones in a joint are covered with a layer of “hyaline cartilage”. It cushions and protects. Between the layers of hyaline cartilage, synovial fluid serves as a lubricant and facilitates the sliding between the surfaces of this cartilage. It also seals these surfaces and helps to distribute force.
In describing the joints, the concept of “balanced joint spaces” is introduced. The idea that the whole body system is at place to create this balance is logical but not how we think usually when we try to heal a joint. I’m thinking of my crunchy knee and when it is sore. I use to think of just easing off of it, icing it, and not using it. It was not logical to think of where “blockages” are in movement in the rest of my body in relation to my knee.
The last half of the chapter is dedicated to joint action – flexion (bring body parts toward each other), extension (moving away from each other), lateral flexion (bending spine to one or the other side), and rotation (moving around an axis). Then the chapter goes into detail with what type of movements each limb (hand, wrist, clavicle, shoulder, scapula, foot, ankle, and pelvis) of the body makes. This part along with the next section on movement pathways I feel could be a useful exercise of trying out each movement and then following the pathway listed in the book. The pathways include: head to tail, fingers to spine, toes to spine, and toes to spine.
The final page of the chapter brings home principles to “balanced joint spaces and pathways of weight”. There are 3 principles: 1)Cultivating clear pathways of weight and force can help support balanced joint space and cultivating balanced joint space can help support clear pathways of weight. For me I feel like if my knee is crunchy then hip will start feeling sore . However it begins in my feet with using orthotics to balance the fact that one leg is shorter than the other. When I use my orthotics my whole right side feels better. Alternately, if I do hip releasing poses to reduce some of the muscle tension that builds in that joint, my knee feels less tension and the muscles are less likely to pull on the knee painfully.
The 2nd principle is “Stability in a joint is derived from connectivity, not fixation”. If a joint is overused , there is a need to explore and adjust how movement is being distributed through the whole pathway of weight. Inhibiting movement (fixing it) though is not the same as creating stability in a joint. Healthy tension helps stabilize the joint and to do that you need some movement.
The last principle discussed is “A little movement in a lot of places can help us find balanced joint space.” When all the body is moving and no one part is immobilized or being over used, we get lubrication to all our joints and there is balance and everything learns to move in harmony with each part. Also not discussed in this book but you will find this out if you research more on synovial fluid is that synovial fluid is used to exchange nutrients to the cells in the cartilage and to remove waste. It only does this when it is allowed to move and circulate. It can only do this if you move the joint. It’s not like blood that has a heart to pump it around. You actually have to move a joint for it to heal. You also have to work on balance and finding the sweet spot between under use and over use. I think this is what makes yoga flow exercise so helpful in that you get balanced whole body movement within the postures.
Anatomy – Introduction to My Deep Dive
First book study – “Yoga Anatomy” by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews
During the past few years I have acquired so many books that I keep meaning to read and study. I have decided that I wanted to start a simple book study for my blog. That way not only do I have something to hold me accountable to read these items but also I can share what I’m learning to others. The plan is to basically summarize what I learn and give some ideas of how to put the information into practice, whether it be for the individual at home or for me to to incorporate in the clinic.
Being on the mental health side of things, I do not have a lot of training in anatomy. Therefore, I decided to start my study off with a somewhat deep dive into anatomy with this book by Kaminoff and Matthews. The first chapter is titled, “Anatomy as a Story”. This short chapter introduces the points the authors are hoping to bring home in their book. The main concept they seem to be focusing on is that anatomy through the language of biology and yoga are just two different maps to explore the body. Both are curated and both provide one lens to look through to see the same thing. The authors do want to point out when we do study movement we are not just looking at one body system (muscular/skeletal) but looking at all the systems working together.
The first 3 chapters are devoted it appears to the major systems associated with movement: Skeletal, Muscular, and Nervous. One main reason for working in yoga therapy to my practice is that I know and see on a daily basis how these three systems are intertwined. In trauma treatment especially we are trying to get a person out of their thoughts and to break away from those torture loops in their head. Ironically in traditional psychotherapy we do this with talk and processing thoughts and feelings. Not really getting out of the head huh? Movement of the body is the best way to cut through the thought jails. Moving the body will impact the nervous system in a way just pure communicating and processing cannot. It is something we will tell a client to do as “homework” but there’s usually too many distractions in the average person’s home to accomplish too much meaningful homework. Something so valuable needs to be done in a dedicated session.
Yoga Therapy vs Psychotherapy
Over the past pretty much 10 years I’ve been slowly but surely working toward getting my Yoga Therapy Certificate with the International Association of Yoga Therapists. I finally completed that task last month. I had finished up my training with an absolutely wonderful studio out of San Francisco, Purusha Yoga School. I met some amazing people and learned so so much. I am actually sad that it is over more than excited about the certificate. Anyway it has always been a dream of mine to incorporate more yoga into my mental health practice. This has been difficult because my profession is Clinical Social Work and there is a very strong business model for a therapy practice that utilizes insurance and out of pocket. The clients I see need to be able to use their insurance and I don’t want to be so boutique that I can’t cater to the average working person whom is most likely not going to pay my hourly rate weekly. Some can and will because of the benefit, but most of us want to use our insurance if we have it.
So the challenge has been how do I work in yoga therapy since insurance doesn’t cover that. Well through this last training I have received so much insight how this all could work and finally decided to take the jump and transition my practice to something much more holistic. It is very exciting for me.
I think understanding how yoga therapy and traditional psychotherapy are similiar and different is really good to keep as a fore front as I chart this next course. Here’s a brief comparison of the two:
Both Yoga Therapy and Traditional Psychotherapy are the same in the following ways:
Both
- Work on rewriting negative thoughts/experiences into something more positive that helps get a person unstuck and to move toward optimal wellness.
- Work on understanding where a person is on their journey toward wellness and meet the client where they are at.
- Are confidential
- Use skills of motivational enhancement therapy and cognitive behavior therapy
- Set up SMART (specific measurable, attainable, relative, time sensitive) goals for treatment.
- Teach mindfulness and relaxation skills
How Yoga Therapy and Traditional Psychotherapy are different:
- Traditional Psychotherapy uses predominantly talk and utilizes one or more of the many models of psychotherapy available to Licensed Counselors.
- Yoga therapy uses the framework of the 8 limbs of yoga to build a treatment plan.
- Yoga therapy uses Sanskrit terminology to identify and explain concepts while traditional psychotherapy uses western medical terminology.
- Yoga therapy uses the chakra system to assess health and to inform treatment planning.
- Yoga Therapy follows ayurvedic principles to guide treatment.
- Most traditional psychotherapy is covered under insurance; yoga therapy is not.
As you can probably see they do have a good bit that overlaps. So the plan is for the business to focus primarily where the two overlap. The majority of Yoga Therapy can be billable with insurance as long as it follows psychotherapy models. I still plan to offer classes that are geared more on teaching versus therapy and those would be out of pocket.
So it’s a new chapter for Grounded for Peace. We start off the transition this summer with offering more specific yoga therapy individual sessions and some small therapeutic groups that incorporate specific strategies in Meditation, Breath work, and Relaxation. As times goes and when I am able to add more staff, we will begin offering more targeting therapeutic groups for anxiety, addiction, and trauma.
If you are interested in knowing more about upcoming groups, click on “Contact Us” at the top and leave us a message.
COVID 19 Update
In order to try to be mindful of the times we live in and reduce spread of the COVID 19 virus I am transitioning to telehealth. At this time how we transition is an individual process for each client and I will work with all of my clients to come up with a plan that suits them. For webinar I use Zoom and I subscribe to their package that is HIPAA compliant. Please feel free to contact me with any questions and/or feedback about this process.
Renewal
Spring seems like a great time to start back up with my blog posts. This Spring we are all in desperate need of some renewal. So far 2020 has been challenging. We are all experiencing something quite unique for our time. Humanity of course has seen and endured other pandemics but enduring a pandemic in the informational age is filled with easy access to ongoing death tolls and news that makes the calmest of us a little on edge. It is also, however, filled with easy access to all sorts of positive resources. After a week of seeing clients since schools and restaurants were ordered to close I have been able to gather suggestions from clients of things that are helping to keep them renewed and not drained with all the alarming aspects of what they see online. Here are some of the ideas I have heard this past week.
- Yoga with Adrien is a continued recommendation from my clients, https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
- limiting social media to only an hour a day
- Having friends call up and give them the news instead of hearing it on line.
- You tube projects
- Pinterest projects
- Online parties and meetups with friends
- Looking up old friends online and catching up.
- Starting an Etsy shop
- Getting rid of clutter by selling items on Ebay
- Online yoga classes and fitness classes that are being offered for free through gyms and places like yoga journal
- Online free virtual tours of museums
- Replacing 30 minutes of social media time with a podcast
- Finding online support groups via NAMI and local hospitals
- mindfulness courses and meditation through apps like “Insight Timer” and “Head Space”
This is the current list and I will continue to collect ideas and do a follow up post on this later. As we try to follow guidelines and stay safe, I ask you to take a moment to ground yourself and try to find some positivity for the day. It does appear that this may be a long haul for us and we are going to need some ongoing renewal as we keep moving forward.
Take Care and wishing you peace.
Blocking blue light for a good night’s sleep
My husband came to bed one night with these orange tinted safety glasses as he scrolled thru You Tube. Of course this led to me laughing at him and then to him sharing with me his research. So apparently too much blue light which is what is artificially illuminated from most of our lamps and devices can inhibit melatonin production so your body doesn’t know when it’s bedtime. Yellow to orange tinted blue light-blocking glasses and lens filters help block these blue lights and can help a person fall asleep on time despite late night screen usage. There’s a study out of the University of Houston College of Optometry that showed that wearing them for even an hour before bedtime had a positive effect in their study showing people whom wore the glasses slept 24 minutes longer and had 58% higher melatonin levels during the study than before they started wearing the glasses.
I have since started recommending the glasses to those clients having difficulty sleeping. I have had all positive feedback which is unusual with product recommendations. This past month I have started keeping a supply in the office to sell at a minimal price. Generic safety glasses – $3 and fancier more aesthetically pleasing frames for $15.
Resources: https://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2017/july/07242017bluelight.php
Mindfulness -Thoughts and Emotions – Interpreting the Message
Along with the false belief that painful feelings are bad is the false beliefs that feelings come out of nowhere and mood swings happen without warning. You can choose to still believe these falsehoods, but believing them will probably make you feel pretty powerless. However accepting them as falsehoods then gives you the opposite concept, that feelings come from somewhere and you can anticipate a mood swing.
Where do emotions come from?
Okay now we have something to work with. Feelings arise from thought. A thought surfaces and the body decides based on information it has what that thought means and then the neurochemical process is initiated to generate the emotion so you can register the message.
Will you get the message?
So let’s take the situation of waiting for a doctor’s appointment. You have been waiting for more than 30 minutes. You have a lot to do that day and this feels a bit too long. The thought surfaces that “this is too long and I have stuff to do”. The thought surfaces, your body registers and then formulates that something isn’t right and something needs to be changed. You then become angry or frustrated and this causes you to go up to the counter and ask the front desk person how long will this wait be and that you need to be somewhere. You acted assertively and the front desk person checks back in the back and says “I told them you had to leave”. They come and get you and your anger is gone. Now if you had to wait for 30 more minutes, you may have had the thought “this is not worth it and I’ll have to reschedule”, this then prompts you to get very frustrated and leave. Each time anger and frustration prompted action. You took the message that you needed to act and did so. If you didn’t get the message or decided to ignore your anger because you have heard from childhood that “Good girls are always gracious”, which you interpret as not angry, then you may have sat there all day just to find out that there was a mistake and you were never assigned a room or they finally saw you only after it was too late to do all the other important things of your day. (This also will breed thoughts of “it’s not fair” and “what am I going to do?”. This may lead to more angry feelings(messages) because something still needs to be done to fix the situation.)
Are we getting the whole message?
Many times we react before we really get the entire message. If you are angry with the kids but don’t take the time to ask “why am I angry with the kids and what needs to be changed?”, then your may overreact or react impulsively with yelling and blaming the kids for making your angry. When you take a moment to look at”why am i angry” and what is the real message, then you may decide “I am angry because they are fighting with one another and not working on their homework.” And further thought may reveal “They are fighting because they haven’t eaten and don’t realize the reason they are angry is because their body is trying to tell them to eat. As their mother I should feed them so their body stops this message and they can calm down and do their homework.” Unless there’s a life or death situation, most situations will give you 5 minutes to take a breather before you respond. If we train ourselves to breathe through these feeling immediately the message usually presents itself relatively quickly.
Is the message based on truth?
The message itself may not be based in accurate thought. If you have the thought “I am mad because I am waiting too long” but then have the thought I shouldn’t be angry because jj”good girls are always gracious and angry people cannot be gracious”, you may not feel the anger for a while. This is only delaying the feeling till the thought comes back that you have been waiting too long. Then the emotional message will return. Identifying the thought that’s not based in truth will speed up you taking appropriate action to remedy the feeling. So one might have to add the thought “This is what I’ve been told but science suggests that anger is not a bad thing so I will respond to my anger. I can still be gracious and angry at the same time.”
Anger (or any feeling) can lead to calmness if heard and not judged.
Anger is not a hindrance to being calm if you take the message and take appropriate action. If you continue to be angry then somehow you haven’t interpreted the message correctly. You notice how if you react impulsively while angry you may still be angry afterwards or have another painful feeling like shame. This is due to not interpreting and responding to the message correctly. If we take anger or other feelings as they are, messages to do something, then we can view them without judging them “good or bad” and respond accordingly. Once you have taken all the messages and mapped out how to respond, you usually will feel calm just from having the plan because your body will register this as understanding the message. If you then take further action to carry through with the plan the feelings will be resolved completely and happiness will come. Happiness tells you that things are well. We’ve resolved all messages our body has given us.
How simple is this?
So mindfulness starts with being able to receive the message, then interpreting the message and formulating a plan is the next step. This sounds very simple. However if it was all this simple I wouldn’t feel the need to start a mindfulness class and there wouldn’t be so many books on how to be mindful and practice mindfulness. Getting to the plan from receiving the message sometimes takes a long time. We can come up with short-term fixes to being calm and taking care of things but sometimes there are emotions/feelings that keep resurfacing and we just don’t know what to make of them. This is when we have to do deeper work, sometimes with the help of a therapist, but not always is this necessary. The important part though always comes back to being able to breathe and sit without judgement and attachment. My next posts will focus on this a little more along with the concept of radical acceptance.
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