Getting Your Wheels In Motion

I thought I'd share a small portion of what I offer clients through my work as a physical therapist assistant. You can also access this article and more information through the Wholeness In Motion website, HERE.

With spring time blooming before our eyes, it's time to get our wheels into gear. Perhaps you want to get started on tending to a new garden, give your home a thorough spring cleaning, have more play time with your kids, or get out and hike. It can be challenging to complete all these daily needs if our wheels aren't moving with fluidity and the gears aren't in proper functioning order. 

How are My Wheels Spinning?

So how are all these wheels and gear metaphors supposed to help you in the first place? A swiss neurologist named Alois Brugger (1920-2001) created one of the first 'get your wheels in motion' theories. Through his concept of the Brugger's Cogwheel, he was able to identify how different parts of the spine are interdependent on one another, much like wheels and gears on a bike. If one wheel isn't working properly then the rest of the system won't function smoothly. It could result in more effort to get up those steep hills of a busy life. Brugger related this with posture in saying that poor posture is not caused by how well you can hold a stoic posture with your shoulders back, chest high, and neck straight. Rather, poor posture is caused by a dysregulation of central motor function, our nervous  system. 

What Happens When a Wheel Gets Stuck

I'd like to think of the nervous system as the gears that control the movement of the wheels. Minute changes in the different segments, or wheels, of the spine create what 'posture' means to us. That's why everyone's posture is unique and individualized. 

Brugger stated that one doesn't have to have pain to in order to know he/she has poor posture. The nervous system is magnificent in that it is able to adapt to mostly any input it is given. So when you sit at your computer desk or hunch over your garden bed, your brain accommodates for the positioning. It does this by changing the signals sent from the brain to the muscles, and back to the brain. This feedback loop repeats until the signals being sent to the brain are changed. Pain occurs only when regulatory protective mechanisms aren’t enough to hold the person in their postural alignment. In addition, pain doesn't necessarily originate where pain is experienced. For example, if someone has pain in their mid back it could be because the wheels above or below that segment aren't functioning well. Even though the person may or may not feel in these other areas, the movement of the wheels will assuredly be affected. When the wheels are functioning properly then all the other organ systems can function well too, such as improved respiration and circulation.

Connecting With Your Wheels

Here is a simple movement exercise you can do to connect with the wheels of your spine.

1. Sit at the edge of a chair, feet flat on the floor. 

2. Begin to draw your pubic bone forward and down to allow the pelvis to tilt forward. Allow the movement to start at the base of the spine and initiate the cogwheel interplay of lower spine, middle spine & neck.

3. While continuing the motion notice how the movement flows through the torso and mid back...the neck & head.  Utilize Brugger's cogwheel image.  If you can't imagine the cogwheels, stop, imagine the reverse cogwheel action & then reverse it again.

4.  Continue rolling the pelvis forward & backward (tucking tail/lifting pubic bone<>pubic bone down/forward & tailbone lifting) and clarifying the cogwheel effect. 

5) For extra credit, see what this same movement feels like with incorporating the pelvic floor in each direction.

 Repeat 5-10 times in a pain free range of movement.

The Brugger's Cogwheel is just one way of connecting to the available movement that your body has to offer. At Wholeness in Motion, we can work with you on helping to master these movements and how they are unique for you.

Written by: Susan Trancik, PTA

References:

1)http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=18210 (retrieved on 3/17/14)

2) http://books.google.com/books?id=mLMLFOlua3YC&pg=PA353&lpg=PA353&dq=bruggers+cogwheel+posture&source=bl&ots=twnwBG9EWO&sig=s9P7MhdODRHRXBkOrLCw_XXqXbk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UN4hU9XKB4H1oASfoIGYAQ&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=bruggers%20cogwheel%20posture&f=false (retrieved on 3/17/14)

3) http://victoriatheraputicmassage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/8ff6a.jpg (retrived on 3/24/14)

4)https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUhRu7zIS3F3ETasCzT52SxPiwrl0ExA6W7Id2a5XNKMiOrWhTpZrHmm73eL9gTA9zjZGeeh8aJbhvsPS_kNfwYIjDQYd1-o9vRD5ioMUiNz0MgP0vcR2yNeVC0Qqj4Bqo3rpKMGIn-M/s1600/brugger%20cog%20wheel%203.jpg 

(retrieved on 3/24/14)

Embracing the Power of Grace in Everyday Life

As my hands remained in prayer pose after we closed the class with the Long Time Sun song, my teacher encouraged me to ask my soul, “What is it that I need to know?” Nothing came to me. I asked once more. While in this space of self reverence, the only word that came to me was GRACE. There was no emotion, no memory, no attachment to the word as it clearly appeared in my consciousness. It was a simple and clear message.

“Do not deny the desire, and do not fulfill the desire if it does not fit your excellence and honor. No desire is desirable if it does not add to your character and grace. What is your strength? Your personal strength as a Teacher is your character. What is your power as a Teacher? The power of a Teacher is grace.” ~Yogi Bhajan

I remember being taught what grace was as a child, but not truly beginning to understand it until the past few years while developing as a teacher and healer. As I am reminded of Yogi Bhajan's words, my personal definition of grace was challenged to be redefined once again. Grace is unconditionally gifted from the Universe so that I can refine my mind and heart to do God's Will. This Will, through the vehicle of grace, allows me to express my unique divinity, purpose,and path. My personal will is to carry the Consciousness of God as a courageous warrior.

Redefining the Self

Lately grace has allowed me to surrender more deeply into fear, jealousy, guilt, and shame. What I mean by surrender is to fully go into these emotions knowing that grace will always be supporting me to pull me out of the hole. It's only my mind that thinks its possible to get stuck in the hole, because it is afraid of accepting and receiving grace and love. However, through grace I am able to shine light into these shadows of self.

I think of all the times when I was so willingly to give, only because I was hesitant to receive. This brings me to assessing my self worth. How much am I worth? This is especially important for me as a teacher. I often think of how can I be of service as a teacher and let students know of their infinite worth, if I am not constantly re-evaluating my own worth. However, if I always fall back on the support and power of grace, then I know my innate personal value. As a child I was constantly challenged to work towards achieving a sense of value for my parents' acceptance and approval. It often took shape in the form of achieving higher education for the wrong reasons. Looking back, I realize that I always was of immeasurable value, but chose to ignore it or simply didn't believe it. These belief systems are what take us out of grace and get us caught in the webs of the mind, allowing untrue stories to be made. That's why it's been important for me to maintain character and authenticity in all that I do.

So what is character? For me, the most important thing about character is being true to my word. Keeping my word has not only challenged me to know what commitments are appropriate for me to make, it has also helped me form healthy boundaries with others. Foremost, it has helped me embrace the knowing that if I can always keep my word, then I can trust myself to make the best decisions for myself. I can then hold myself to a standard of following through on commitments. As a result, others naturally know that they can trust me.

“....and let the self be dropped, and the Teacher rise out of the ashes of it, so we can be what Thy Will is to be.” ~Yogi Bhajan

Grace comes from the heart, not the head. It builds my character by being open to receive compassion and kindness from others, but also myself. I'm always wanting to put 110% of myself into the tasks I commit to and the people I am with. However, it takes a great deal of self compassion to know when to take a step back, re-evaluate the situation, and then take action. Through this I am learning to manage my time better and pace myself throughout even the most mundane and challenging daily tasks. To keep this up, I need a set daily routine as a foundation. Without this I am lost and my whole day feels out of sorts. This is why sadhana has been a huge asset for me, even when I was only able to manage meditating for 3 minutes a day. It gives me a lift off point so I know where I am starting from for that day. Since life happens, there are still times where it seems like pushing the “re-do” button would have been an easier option. However, my sadhana reminds me to always act from a place of zero, of nothingness. When I feel overwhelmed or anxious, I am reminded I can always go to this place where the ego is dropped. This tool allows me the opportunity and choice to access neutrality through my words and actions.

Finding Grace through Movement: Focusing on what is working Right

Everyday I help people realize that grace is available through movement. As clients and I work together, we find how movement can be easy for their own body. Each body is different and therefore expresses itself through movement differently. When the potential for movement is remembered, it is can be expressed through their emotions and feeling of vitality or wellness. When someone has pain his/her sympathetic nervous system works its magic by going into a protective mode. For example, when someone has mid back pain, the shoulders are often contracted forward, the neck translates forward, the chest falls downward, the low back and abdominal muscles get weakened. This compresses the diaphragm and decreases the ability to take full/deep breaths. When the breath is not readily available, the Prana (life force) isn't able to easily flow. Many times pain only surfaces when these patterns of holding are no longer able to support the structure. One may think that this feedback loop is a bad thing, but it's not. Instead, be thankful for these processes, because they hold your structure together, even if it isn't as efficient as hoped for. By seeing the body from a perspective of grace and ease, one can focus on what their body is doing right instead of what it is doing wrong. Then with help he/she can learn ways to strengthen the parasympathetic nervous system so the sympathetic nervous system doesn't have to do as much work. Simple visualizations and movements can be applied to unlearn these patterns of the nervous system. This can be achieved through a variety of tools such as Kundalini Yoga, manual therapy, and somatic movement exericses. Joy and pleasure through movement is once available. This, in turn, is reflected in how we feel about ourselves in relationship to our personal empowerment, environment, emotions, and daily life activities.

Setting an Intention for Growth

Grace, Character, self worth, self reverence, and commitment all continue to challenge me to show up for my mind, body, and soul. Growth for me is continuing to reassess where I've been, where I am going, and where I am at now. Growth pushes me to constantly raise the threshold of my perceived limitations. By doing this I am coming to learn that growth is always temporary. I am constantly learning and unlearning and therefore my ideas of what growth are always fluctuating. Perhaps my ego thinks it is achieving something, but my soul knows it is just remembering where it came from so it can continue to express itself in this human form as best it knows how.

In It Together

Photo by Krisiey Rocha Salsa

It's been awhile since I've felt the need to write as often. I'm sure many can agree that much has been transforming at quite a rapid pace since the beginning of the year. Relationships with myself and others have gone into the depths of joy and also darkness during these winter months. It's comforting to know that everything is constantly being churned, stirred, and transitioning into something better that serves me. There's always a moon or planet going direct, retrograde, in full light, in a shadow and whatnot. The rippling effects of these planets constantly in flux have given me a new found respect for for how we are all interconnected with the galaxies upon galaxies and with each other. For even those that are in doubt about astrology can't deny that things have been a bit stirred up for some time now. Perhaps the only thing that has saved me is humor and being light hearted when I am reminded. I'm finally coming to a much needed exhale in life, and noticing a time of rest is starting to bless my world for the moment.

A Triggered Moment

I was recently at a dog park enjoying this unity of others. It's beautiful to observe a pack of dogs all running together, having never seen each other moments prior. Although in a quiet and more solitude state, I enjoyed watching the differences of the dog pack and human packs that were formulating. It reminded me that although we crave solitude, space, and time for reflection, we can't deny the need to be with others. When I got home my dog, Buzz, anxiously rubbed against my leg and looked at me with concern. I wasn't sure what happened as our walk home wasn't anything out of the usual. However, once I looked at his leg I knew why he seemed concerned. My motherly instincts kicked into high gear as I tried to clean a large and deep wound hidden under his white fur. I began comforting him by saying, “shhh..shhhh...you're ok”. With a slight smirk on his face, my boyfriend kindly asked why I kept saying that to him? He didn't understand why I was telling my dog he was 'ok' when he obviously wasn't. I continued my motherly duties as best as I could while increasingly becoming annoyed at this trigger. But why? It wasn't until much later after a vet placed a few staples in my dog's thigh the underlying learning experience behind this event.

To Perceive and Be Perceived

In retrospect I noticed that my dog probably didn't care much nor understand anything that I was saying. He just wanted this hole in his thigh to be healed and have a few treats afterward. It propelled me into thinking about what I would do if he was a child. We see parents consoling their children all the time after they experience any form of pain. Our innate nature is to tell them they are either going to be ok, or are ok. My experience was often being told to “walk it off” or “don't cry”. That lead to a lot of crying in my teens and twenties. From a practical standpoint we know that of course they will be fine at some point. We often console ourselves or others by saying these words in attempt to stay positive. One could say it's an act of faith, or even a 'fake it to you make it' approach. When we are unsure, it's better to project an outcome of us winning in the end than not. Then I started to notice that when we admit to things when life isn't “OK”, then we bring power to the present moment. It creates an automatic opportunity to embrace personal power by not only identifying what isn't working, but stating clearly what your needs are.

I notice that the most authentic and effective healing practitioners rarely say “You're OK”. Instead, they tactfully approach people with compassion and see the health issue for what it is. They take the necessary steps to find a solution with the help of the client. I notice how I often approach my clients in this way, so why not my most beloved dog and others I care for? These are the deep intertwined roots of learned behavior that are slowly be unwound.

I'm Here

Now that I know what not to do, I'm trying to focus on the positive aspect, but from a healthier approach. Although I am not consoling a dog or any humans during a bloody trauma on a daily basis, I realize I do provide a more subtle form of care to the clients I see and the people I interact with on a daily basis. With that I notice we have a choice every day to offer healing to another in small ways. Perhaps there's another option of instead of trying to change someone's perception of what they are experiencing. The last thing someone wants to hear when they are in emotional or physical pain is “You are OK”. Maybe an alternative approach can be, “I'm here”. This simple phrase not only let's the person know that you are present with them but also what they are experiencing. When I tried to override my old pattern by saying this to my dog, it allowed me feel deeper into my own fear about losing the one consistent thing in my life for the last 8 years. It allowed me to be more authentic with my own feelings and therefore be more present for my dog. I know that when I am present for the humans in my life in this way I can follow it with asking how I can help them. Looking at the big picture, this gives others the power and responsibility to speak for their own needs without me trying to take responsibility or fix situations or people.

This concept of reclaiming ownership of responsibility, power, and thought has been brought to my attention in many layers these past few years. Each layer gets pealed away only to reveal another depth of genuine vulnerability, authenticity, and trust. While everything continues to shift and fluctuate, let's help each other out a little more with kindness by simply saying, “I'm here”, even when we don't know what to do. The path show us where to go, but we have to start somewhere.