 "Sit up straight!" How many times have we heard that in our life? It is good advice that is easier said than done. Often, the truth of the matter is that your physical structure may lack the stability to perform such a task for an extended period of time. In other words, your bones and muscles may not be in proper alignment to allow a seated posture with out strain or discomfort. At least that was the case with me.
Growing up, I was not the most athletically inclined kid. I had a little bit of pudge for the first two years of high school despite attempts to "get in shape". First of all, I had a misconception on what getting in shape meant and less understanding as to how to effectively achieve this goal. I later learned that your frame's basic dimensions dictate what your ideal "shape" will look like. Just as a 300-pound football player would have trouble slimming down to a swimmer type build and the swimmer would have trouble bulking up to 300 pounds. Even if this was achieved, would it be functionally beneficial or simply for vanity? The proper phrase should actually be "Get in your shape".
I eventually discovered the frisbee, biking, and rock climbing as ways to connect with my body. These activities helped me primarily with the external aspects of movement. I now was aware of an intense pain in between my shoulder blades that felt as if something was out of place and poking me.
I then discovered the world of Yoga. This gave me insight into the internal awareness of movement. It also helped me melt away a lot of the emotional barriers contained inside my body. However, when seated on the floor for any lengthy amount of time, I experienced a burning and aching sensation in my back. The pain in my shoulder blades was becoming increasingly worse, I was starting to show early warning signs of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, and my stressful and physical job as a Chef was not helping. I felt as though I were missing a vital piece to the puzzle.
When my 24th birthday rolled around, one of my best friends gave me a massage. I felt trapped energy spiraling down my spine, giving my sacrum a butterfly sensation. I realized how simple and effective the moving of soft tissue (massage) can be for the healing of the mind, body, and soul. Six months later I was enrolled in Massage Therapy School.
 Massage school was a tremendously healing experience. I furthered my knowledge in Yoga and became certified to teach. I also studied Tai Chi, went through the 10 sessions of Rolfing, and received weekly Chiropractic adjustments. I emerged 8 months later with a rebuilt structure and an awakened outlook into the world of healing.
After graduation I studied fundamentals of Pilates and Kinesiology for 3 months. I later combined the theories of Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, and Kinesiology with my massage training into a series of protocols and sessions called Body Tuning. Body Tuning consists of ninety-minute sessions combining movement instruction, hydrotherapy, and massage in order to release and re-sculpt the clients' physical structure towards a more aligned and functional shape. The goal is to re-educate the Central Nervous System and leave the client with the knowledge of how their body works and some basic "fix it yourself" techniques.
|
