6.1 Good use demonstrated by children
6.2 Posture viewed as waveform
6.3 Chain mail socks promise to improve your posture and running technique
6.4 An epidemiological investigation on primary school children
6.5 Alexander touch
6.6 The Subconscious
6.7 The most popular posture correction method
6.8 Evolution to blame for bad back say scientists
6.9 A scientific challenge
6.10 Signs of heart disease found in far-flung antique mummies
6.11 Images of good use
6.12 'Fighting against one's self'
6.13 The real reason for brains
6.14 Sleeping Posture Determines Risk of Stillbirth
6.15 A.D.H.D Seen in 11% of U.S. Children as Diagnoses Rise
6.16 Posture of women
6.17 Obama brain- research initiative
6.18 Wearing bra makes breasts sag
6.19 Teaching maths
6.20 Boys are four times more likely to suffer from autism than girls.
6.21 Switching the mouse to the non-dominant hand
6.22 Not quite as earth-shattering as it first sounds
6.23 Running once again
6.24 The universe of bad posture
6.25 Barefoot running
6.26 Balancing the body
6.27 Article on application of AT to yoga twists
6. 28 Barefoot running
6.29 Conscousness & the Brain: John Searle
6.30 Minimalist Sneakers?
6.31 The Puzzle of Consciousness - Watch the Video
6.32 Sitting straight 'bad for backs'
6.33 Yoga and Meditation
6.34 Western Toilet
6.35 Use of pillows
6.36 Laptop / Good Posture
6.37 Posture and the domino effect
6.38 The role of fascia in mind/body work
6.39 Athletics - Need for change
6.40 Use of pillows
6.41 Defining the postural problem
6.42 Design flaws in the human body
6.43 Time required to correct posture
6.44 Running once again
6.45 The riddle of faulty posture
6.46 Apps to monitor and enhance effectiveness of AT?
6.47 Straight Teeth Talk: Head pain due to posture
6.48 Sports without footwear
6.49 'Potty Posture' Matters More Than Fiber
6.50 Boy's clothing
6.51 Is the posture good of bad?
6.52 The Feet
6.53 Weight Reduction
6.54 Avoid Using Your Phone to Improve Posture and Confidence
6.55 Grounded / Being Barefooted
6.56 Children have better posture than adults
6.57 Surgeons describe new knee ligament
6.58 Invitation to a symposium
6.59 Distinction between Doing and Non-doing
6.60 Distortion of the body
6.61 Inhibition
6.62 The future of AT
6.63 The Atlas and the Axis
6.64 Good Posture - A matter of Perspective
6.65 Merry Christmas
6.66 Research on Yoga and Meditation
6.67 You may not be better off after knee surgery
6.68 Gadget gifts can promote bad posture
-----------------
6.1 Good use demonstrated by children (1/1/2013)
Good use demonstrated by children. Notice the
position of the back of the head in relation to the straight line formed
by the back.
http://www.youtube.com/user/
-----------------
http://www.youtube.com/user/
-----------------
Do also visit:
http://headbalance.blogspot.
http://www.useofpillows.
Wishing everyone a Very Happy New Year.
Selvaraj
6.2 Posture viewed as waveform (4/1/2013)
Dear All,
I find myself creating new tricks to tackle the formidable problem of correcting posture.
My latest is to view the posture problem in terms of defining the length of the body in terms of four or five sine waves of different forms.
The challenges is to:
1. Get the shape of these waveforms correct (I think I have got this more or less right).
2. Split movement in two direction a) Along the axis of the body b) In a direction orthogonal to the body (at right angles).
3. Ensure that flexibility along the axis is always maintained (we are likely to lock the body at specific locations), even as motion in the orthogonal direction leads to the 'activity' we have in mind.
Ensuring flexibility along the axis is equivalent to 'inhibition', in the sense that this is not the prime motion we are aiming for. Simultaneously we ensure that no locking of the body takes place (a possible danger when we think in terms of 'inhibition').
Regards,
Selvaraj
-----
Dear All,
Here are two further visualisations to help in correction of posture:
Strength and flexibility in the axial (vertical direction) is equivalent to the functioning of a flywheel in an automobile engine. It provides power and smooths the output of the engine. The functioning of the clutch is equivalent to 'inhibition' - where you take a decision on the amount of power you wish to transmit to the wheels. Movement in the lateral direction, as explained earlier, is the output.
Another visualization: Strength and flexibility in the axial direction equates to 'joy of living', the proverbial 'spring in the steps'. Movement in the lateral direction equates to the activities we engage in.
^ Vertical Direction
I
I
I
I------> Lateral Direction
I
I
I
I
I
Mike, I have noted your questions. I will need some more time to give a comprehensive reply, since the questions cover a lot of territory. In the meantime it is good to note that one can keep on asking questions and another can keep answering them without any progress being made. This is how John Stuart Mills defines 'man':
Later in the same work, Mill goes on to write that he is proposing “an arbitrary definition of man, as a being who inevitably does that by which he may obtain the greatest amount of necessaries, conveniences, and luxuries, with the smallest quantity of labour and physical self-denial with which they can be obtained.”
https://mail.google.com/mail/?
Hence it is very unlikely that logic will lead to solution of problems such as Global Warming, Peak Oil, Depletion of various resources etc. People will take these issues seriously only when there is actual collapse of our present economic system (let's hope that the collapse occurs fast, since it will be easier to handle now, rather than 20 years from now, when things become even more critical).
I see a similar problem in people taking the issue of posture seriously. To see whether I am on the same page as everyone else I would be interested in knowing how people in this forum feel about the dress code being promoted by NASA, as evident from this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
A belt over the stomach can be put for two reasons:
1) To hold the intestine in - a medical necessity.
2) To hold the trousers in place.
If the purpose is to hold the trousers in place, then NASA, the preeminent engineering organisation would realise, that this is not the best way to do it. Since we are talking of 'the right thing doing itself', how do we expect this to happen when we deliberately immobilise our muscles?
Since NASA hopes to have humans living in outer space soon, it will eventually have to contend with human factors engineering, let's hope that they will get their fundamentals right soon.
My question is simple, will wearing a belt around your stomach compromise your posture?
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.3 Chain mail socks promise to improve your posture and running technique (18/1/2013)
The German-made shoes - which cost between $178 Euros (£148) and $198 Euros (£165) and are made by Gost-Barefoots - are designed specifically for use in sports, such as running and jogging on rough and wild terrain.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
...................
A move in the right direction! Let's hope mass manufacturing will bring down the cost.
Selvaraj
6.4 An epidemiological investigation on primary school children (24/1/2013)
As the various systems in the body are inter-connected to form a single structural unit, a pathological condition in one area can also affect other areas. There are many known correlations between the visual and motor system.
The importance of visual function, particularly the paracentral peripheral field of view, in motor coordination, ambulation and the maintenance of balance has been amply demonstrated.In line with current medical principles, which are moving towards a more holistic view of the human body, this study aims to investigate, in an interdisciplinary manner, the incidence of dental malocclusions together with posture and eye convergence disorders.
http://7thspace.com/headlines/
6.5 Alexander touch (27/1/2013
Jeremy wrote in http://jeremychance.blogspot.
I can't remember the last time I lay in semi-supine – I
simply don't do it anymore. I don't do tablework with my trainees either,
although somehow they manage to find out about it. The only time I encounter
'chairwork' is when my trainees ask me, "What is chairwork?" and,
"Why don't we study chairwork?" From time to time I get complaints
from them about that.
So if I don't do tablework, and I don't do chairwork, it
would be reasonable to ask – what do I do? My simple answer is that I engage my
student in exploring the application of Alexander's discoveries to any activity
they choose. Of course it can involve standing and sitting in a chair, but more
often it does not.
...
I only hope Jeremy, you are not about to throw out the baby along with the bath water :-)
One immediate benefit of semisupine is that it will help to improve the alignment of the head and the pelvic area; it is also something one can do on one's own when going to sleep and when waking up. This is a basic tool, especially for someone just being initiated into AT.
Even though I do not adopt this position for long nowadays, since I wish to get my head further back - http://headbalance.blogspot.
I believe AT has one of the best prospects to lead the science of posture correction forward. AT is only around 100 years old. The handicap that yoga has is that it is a discipline that is thousands of years old.
And all posture correction techniques need to wake up to the simple reality:
Children have good posture ------> we are allowing them to collapse their posture ------> then we are embarking on the very difficult task of correcting the collapsed posture.
Evidently there is a big hole in the logic behind all posture correction techniques.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.6 The Subconscious (2/2/2013)
Fig: Like the Earth which consists of the outer crust, the mantle and the outer and inner cores, we can characterize the brain as consisting (functionally) of the Conscious, the Subconscious and a Core which controls all the autonomous functions (some parts of which are also accessible to the subconscious).
http://humanposure-
6.7 The most popular posture correction method (7/2/2013)
Dear All,
It is good to keep in mind:
The most popular posture correction method ----> YOGA
It's main USP (Unique Selling Point) ------> SITTING CROSS-LEGGED
Sitting cross-legged has benefits similar to
Alexander Semi-supine: 1) The body is held symmetrical 2) No backrest
3) You engage the bottom half of the body in a positive way.
I know it will require immense boldness to replace your normal working
chair with a wide flat stool, but if you are interested in correcting
your posture that would be a smart thing to do.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.8 Evolution to blame for bad back say scientists (20/2/2013)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Hello list,
Perhaps the best way to carry a moderate
load is to balance it on ones head. To see a person carrying a moderate
load and walking freely with hands and legs swinging is one of the most
beautiful sights one can come across (a sight one comes across
frequently in rural India).
Just tried carrying a stack of books weighing 4 Kg
on my head. Could not do it in the first trail. Repeated the trial after
fashioning a turban: Eureka I could do it!
Incidentally,
I have still to come across a person walking freely with a backpack -
with one exception - this exception was a girl walking freely and
gracefully with a backpack with a long sling, such that the business end
rested on her buttocks (there could not have been much in the backpack
though - looked more like a bag).
I don't believe this 'molar' stuff. From personal
experience I can tell that many people must be holding their jaws very
tight (especially the modern younger generation, who are in a hurry to
get their words out), which causes the front teeth to begin jutting out -
requiring pulling out of the molars and shoving of the teeth right back
using braces. Dr. Barlow's prescription, the jaws should hang loose -
like that of an idiot.
Nick, nice posting, there are too many problems with the referred article.
Regards.
Selvaraj
6.9 A scientific challenge (16/2/2013)
If we punch in 'posture' in Google and hit the button, we are lead
to a number of sites. The second in the listing, which is the most
relevant for good posture, leads us to the concept of Neutral Spine
... http://en.wikipedia.org/
Wikipedia now has a new tool to assess the information provided in a site. The rating for this site so far is:
Trustworthy: 3.6
Objective: 3.2
Complete: 2.4
Well-written: 3.7
I
would agree with this assessment. The problem is, for completeness, the
score is just 2.4 . I would urge the scientific community to apply
their minds to this very important subject, which impacts our health,
our performance and our overall well being.
Selvaraj
6.10 Signs of heart disease found in far-flung antique mummies (11/3/2013)
Fully a third of the mummies examined — who lived in the American Southwest and Alaska as well as Egypt and Peru as much as 5,000 years ago — appeared to have the same vascular blockages that cause heart attacks and strokes in Americans today.
The
findings suggest that humans may have a basic predisposition to
developing cardiovascular disease as they age, said Dr. Gregory Thomas,
medical director of the MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at
Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and senior author of a study
detailing the findings that was published online Sunday by the journal
Lancet.
"We
want to believe that we can prevent heart disease, that we don't have
to get it if we do the right things and go back to nature," said Thomas,
who is also a clinical professor of cardiology at UC Irvine. "I believed it too, until we scanned these people."
But
that doesn't mean the millions of Americans who suffer from
cardiovascular disease should abandon efforts to keep their hearts
healthy, cautioned physicians who were not involved in the study.
-----------------------
Interesting! But I also believe that human adults have always had faulty posture:
Faulty
posture means movement will not be smooth and graceful. Breathing will
not be OK, oxygenation of the blood will not be OK, .... this will lead
to a host of other problems. Will the heart continue to function
normally?
Correcting posture is an evolutionary problem. Let's hope we do not keep our heads in the sand too long.
Selvaraj
6.11 Images of good use (18/3/2013)
Hi Mark, All,
How is this?
Note the posture of the child at: 2:37
But alas! Since adults are mentally challenged : - )
sure that whatever they do is right, and have the desire to cast
children in their own mould - the child is going to loose her good
posture as she grows older.
Regards,
Selvaraj6.12 'Fighting against one's self' (3/3/2013)
Hi Bruce, List
'Fighting against one's self' is a very apt metaphor. Much of my fight against myself for a long time however has been due to lack of proper information. Part of this gap in information
concerns the awareness that the usual way of doing things which all of
humanity is addicted to, directly contradicts 'good use'.
So what we need first is a proper theoretical framework (which is lacking at present, even though in my
view understanding of basic engineering will provide this framework),
so that we can boldly move into the new world. There is not just one
issue; there are multiple issues, and so far as we do not recognize
this, we will continue this 'fight against one's self', without resolving the issues.
As I have tried to explain earlier, the weakest link in the chain determines the strength of the chain.
Force <------- LINK-LINK-LINK-link-LINK-LINK-
Regards,
Selvaraj
The real reason for brains:
Neuroscientist
Daniel Wolpert starts from a surprising premise: the brain evolved, not
to think or feel, but to control movement.
6.14 Sleeping Posture Determines Risk of Stillbirths (27/3/2013)
Sleeping Posture Determines Risk of Stillbirth??
Pregnant
women in Ghana who slept on their back (supine sleep) were at an
increased risk of stillbirth compared to women who did not sleep on
their back, a new study has revealed.
... "But
if maternal sleep position does play a role in stillbirth, encouraging
pregnant women everywhere not to sleep on their back is a simple
approach that may improve pregnancy outcomes," O'Brien said.
------
Good picture here.http://post.jagran.com/
6.15 A.D.H.D Seen in 11% of U.S. Children as Diagnoses Rise (1/4/2013)
Several
doctors mentioned that advertising from the pharmaceutical industry
that played off parents’ fears — showing children struggling in school
or left without friends — encouraged parents and doctors to call even
minor symptoms A.D.H.D. and try stimulant treatment. For example, a
pamphlet for Vyvanse from its manufacturer, Shire, shows a parent
looking at her son and saying, “I want to do all I can to help him
succeed.”
Sales
of stimulants to treat A.D.H.D. have more than doubled to $9 billion in
2012 from $4 billion in 2007, according to the health care information
company IMS Health.
SLEEP APNEA:
Sleep
apnea has made headlines in recent years. A survey according to the
National Sleep Foundation states that nearly 18 million Americans have
sleep apnea, and it is often linked with people who are overweight.
Sleep
apnea is a common disorder that occurs while sleeping and occurs in 1
to 4 percent of children who are between 2-8 years old. A victim of
sleep apnea will have one or more pauses in breathing or may have
shallow breaths while sleeping.
Beyond
this, there are certain other downsides to this sleeping disorder. A
latest study conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona in
Tucson has tied children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) to an
increased risk of ADHD-like behavioral and learning problems and other
adaptive problems.
6.16 Posture of women (2/4/2013)
Hi Bruce,
Women, young women specially, have much better posture than men.
This can be observed in children as young as six years of age.
As far as children are concerned, my fear is that this
problem is directly related to the difference in the way they dress.
Many young girls will dress in a light underwear and wear a frock over
that. Boys on the other hand will have an underwear (with probably
tighter elastic) and over that frequently shorts or trousers with a
heavy elastic (in India some of this elastic worn by children could geld
a horse :-), and over that a belt for good measure (an ongoing fight
against gravity - I am frequently forced to wonder whether humans really
put men on the moon, if they lack the common sense to figure out how to
secure a pair of trousers).
Girls are more likely to wear sandals, which allow more freedom of movement to the feet.
Add to this the heavy sports that boys and men engage in - with faulty posture.
... Not surprising that women are slowly but surely taking over the world from men.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.17 Obama brain-research initiative (3/4/2013)
“In a millimeter of brain tissue, you’ve got millions of cells and each cell is connected to 10,000 other cells,” Jones said.
The entire human brain contains about 86 billion neurons, wired in circuits made up of 100 trillion connections.
Researchers
have developed techniques using lasers and fluorescent tags to mark
single brain circuits and switch them on and off in living animals.
Those methods can’t be used in people, but they reflect the advances
made in recent years, Jones said.
“It’s
really a unique time in brain science, where the technology is
improving very, very quickly, but we still know so little about how the
brain works.”
http://seattletimes.com/html/6.18 Wearing bra makes breasts sag (20/4/2013)
Wearing bras make your breasts sag even more and they do nothing to reduce back pain, a French study spanning 15-years has found. Jean-Denis Rouillon, Research Professor on the French study, told Counsel and Heal that medically, physiologically, anatomically - breasts gain no benefit from being denied gravity. On the contrary, Rouillon added, women get saggier breast with a bra. The study that looked at the changes in breasts of 330 women using a slide rule and calliper concluded that breasts naturally become more toned and supported if no bra is used. http://in.screen.yahoo.com/
6.19 Teaching maths (10/4/2013)
You are on to something very important. In my mind, if we make a
pie chart of the whole postural problem, it could be shown simply as a
circle with two symmetrical halves. The first half referring to what we
normally discuss and the second half referring to what we do not discuss
- the educational process, how it can be optimized.
The first half is straight forward, why is there
such a distortion of the skeletal system (why do adults talk and move in
a disjointed way)? And seeking answers to this problem. The second half
is tricky, because we have still to even define the problem.
The second half has more questions than answers. It
would be ideal if everyone could learn everything, and being a
storehouse of knowledge be in a position to engage in the most complex
of debates on every subject under the sky. Clearly this is not possible.
Then, why do we study? To be able to hold on to a job? To what extent
does what we learn actually act in a feedback loop to sharpen our
intellect (independently of the practical use of this knowledge). For
instance, even if we do not use the maths we learn very much in our day
to day interactions, does the quantitative skill it imparts act at the
subconscious level to make our reasoning more quantitative. Would that
be an advantage or a disadvantage? In the process of making our
reasoning more quantitative do we lose qualitative abilities?
Another serious problem is that the two halves of
the pie chart may not be complementary. Good physical health and a well
educated person, may not go hand in hand. This creates the problem of
trying to identify how much and what kind of education is appropriate.
My brother who retired from the Indian Army was telling me that the
required educational qualification for soldiers has now been raised -
earlier they used to have farming and rural backgrounds with little
education. In my brother's view this has brought down the quality of the
soldiers. My brother was also telling me that when he discussed this
topic with a Naval Officer, he had the same view. Modern armaments are
so sophisticated that they are very easy to use, a high level of
education is simply not required. On the other hand the farming
background of the soldiers recruited earlier ensured that they were
healthy, tough and had stamina.
Coming back to Maths, it has always intrigued me,
why half of a class are likely to be weak in maths. Is it because of
inherent differences in the brain structure or is it something else? How
difficult is maths anyway? If we can add and subtract, half the job is
done. Multiplication and division, can be learnt by simply mugging up
the rules. Much of maths is actually operational in nature, once the
method has been discovered others can use it. Then once again why the
difficulty? While there is a possibility that the brain is differently
wired for maths, another possibility is that those who are weak in maths
are likely to be more fun loving and have other more important things
on their minds than sitting over a problem and figuring it out. The
problem could be psychological :-)
The fact remains:
.........................*****
.........................*....
...INPUT.............*.......
----------------->......*.....
...Good...... ........*.....................
...Posture...........*........
..........................*...
..........................****
Children enter the education
system with relatively good posture and exit with bad posture. So the
issue of education is important for understanding the Postural Problem.
Another issue could be the motivation behind
education. If the social goals are high, children will learn faster and
with less effort. The stunning example of this is Ancient Athens, who
seem to have produced only geniuses. Pointless, aimless and socially
irrelevant education could make education a drag.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.20 Boys are four times more likely to suffer from autism than girls (4/5/2013)
SAN
SEBASTIÁN, Spain—Researchers at an international conference on autism
Friday presented three new studies lending strength to the notion that
environmental influences before birth play a role in the risk for the
condition.
In one study, pregnant women who were exposed to certain levels of air
pollution were at increased risk of having a child with autism. Another
presentation suggested that iron supplements before and early in
pregnancy may lower the risk, and a third suggested some association
between use of various household insecticides and a higher risk of
autism.
--------
I am sure that pollution is an important issue, something that human
societies should control. What these scientists are however failing to
answer is why are boys more susceptible than girls, and that too by such
a large margin. I saw a factor of five quoted in an Indian medical
journal. Should not our scientists seek an answer to this important
question?
Selvaraj
6.21 Switching the mouse to the non-dominant hand (5/5/2013)
The Toronto chiropractor then explained to viewers the benefit of switching the mouse to the non-dominant hand. This change, he said, helps to balance the workload between both sides of the body as well as both hemispheres of the brain. "By exercising the non-dominant part of the brain more regularly, workers can actually become smarter," says Dr. Dower.
------------------
Typed this, shifting the mouse to my left. Interesting! I am all thumbs at the moment.
Selvaraj
6.22 Not quite as earth-shattering as it first sounds (13/5/2013)
On 13 May 2013 03:01, John Coffin <jbcoffin@prodigy.net> wrote:
Hello list:
Still. Raises questions about how cause and effect can go unrecognized.
John Coffin
----
Faulty Posture -----> A weak body ------> A Number of Medical Problems ----------> Including Infections
Let's hope at least the Public wakes up to this problem, if not our association of scientists.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.23 Running once again (13/5/2013)
Dear All,
Today morning I went for a jog after a long time. Keeping my head well back (in relation to my back) I ran four rounds around a small pond, having circumference of around 250m - a total distance of 1Km.
I was jogging quite comfortably, very differently from the way I used to jog earlier. If I had wanted to I could have kept on jogging for a longer time. My plan is to take it easy and slowly build up.
The purpose is not to see how far I can run, rather
it is to discover how easily I can run. It is said that the human
anatomy evolved so that we could run. Evidently ease of running should
form an important part of certifying that our posture is OK.
... Let's see how things pan out.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.24 The universe of bad posture (19/5/2013)
The universe of bad posture:
---------------------
It is amazing to me, the number of important issues that our scientists lack the courage to explore.
Selvaraj
6.25 Barefoot running (20/5/2013)
In the scope of human history, shoes designed specifically for running and exercise are a relatively new concept. In fact, shoes designed specifically for the runner didn’t truly exist in the US until the mid-1960s. A small company called Blue Ribbon Sports imported the new Tiger shoes from Japan. From this humble beginning, Blue Ribbon Sports was responsible for generating interest in the burgeoning running-shoe industry. In 1978, Blue Ribbon Sports changed their name to Nike and the rest is history.
Prior to this renaissance in athletic apparel, barefoot running was the only option for millennia. Despite the plethora of shoe options that are now available to the casual and serious runner, many athletes are opting for a more minimalist approach to their foot covering, bringing the concept of barefoot running back into vogue.
This backward-looking advancement in design is largely credited to a January 2010 article published in Nature. The article focused on a Harvard University study that detailed foot-strike patterns and the impact profiles of barefoot running as compared to running with shoes. Other large media outlets like The New York Times, Runner’s World and The Wall Street Journal picked up on this study and interest in barefoot running was instantly recognized.
It is important to note many people completely misinterpreted the initial study. The belief was fostered that barefoot runners suffered fewer injuries and were able to run faster than their shoe wearing counterparts. In fact, the study only claimed people “were able to land comfortably and safely when barefoot or in minimal footwear by landing with a flat foot (midfoot strike) or by landing on the ball of the foot before bringing down the heel (forefoot strike).”
Dr. Daniel Lieberman, one of the Harvard study leaders, claims mid and forefoot striking does not cause the sudden, large impacts that occur when you heel strike. As such, barefoot running allows the athlete to run on hard surfaces without suffering discomfort from the landing. ....
http://www.redorbit.com/news/
6.26 Balancing the body (10/5/2013)
6.27 Article on application of AT to yoga twists (20/5/2013)
Hi David,
Do you also attempt to help students learn
to sit cross-legged? Sitting cross-legged is after all a basic yoga
posture, something that many in our modern society may have difficulty
in assuming. If so, how successful are you in this effort.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.28 Barefoot running (20/5/2013)
In the scope of human history, shoes designed specifically for running and exercise are a relatively new concept. In fact, shoes designed specifically for the runner didn’t truly exist in the US until the mid-1960s. A small company called Blue Ribbon Sports imported the new Tiger shoes from Japan. From this humble beginning, Blue Ribbon Sports was responsible for generating interest in the burgeoning running-shoe industry. In 1978, Blue Ribbon Sports changed their name to Nike and the rest is history.
Prior to this renaissance in athletic apparel, barefoot running was the only option for millennia. Despite the plethora of shoe options that are now available to the casual and serious runner, many athletes are opting for a more minimalist approach to their foot covering, bringing the concept of barefoot running back into vogue.
This backward-looking advancement in design is largely credited to a January 2010 article published in Nature. The article focused on a Harvard University study that detailed foot-strike patterns and the impact profiles of barefoot running as compared to running with shoes. Other large media outlets like The New York Times, Runner’s World and The Wall Street Journal picked up on this study and interest in barefoot running was instantly recognized.
It is important to note many people completely misinterpreted the initial study. The belief was fostered that barefoot runners suffered fewer injuries and were able to run faster than their shoe wearing counterparts. In fact, the study only claimed people “were able to land comfortably and safely when barefoot or in minimal footwear by landing with a flat foot (midfoot strike) or by landing on the ball of the foot before bringing down the heel (forefoot strike).”
Dr. Daniel Lieberman, one of the Harvard study leaders, claims mid and forefoot striking does not cause the sudden, large impacts that occur when you heel strike. As such, barefoot running allows the athlete to run on hard surfaces without suffering discomfort from the landing. ....
http://www.redorbit.com/news/
-----
I have wondered for a long time, what is the correct way to walk.
After all, if most adults have their posture wrong, can their walking
style be OK?
In other words http://www.youtube.com/
Can we extrapolate the problem highlighted above ....
In
fact, the study only claimed people “were able to land comfortably and
safely when barefoot or in minimal footwear by landing with a flat foot
(midfoot strike) or by landing on the ball of the foot before bringing
down the heel (forefoot strike).”
.. also to the way we walk.
In which case:
- We have as serious a problem in walking as in running.
- Shoes, especially those having heels will result in the heel striking first.
- Because of general faulty posture, with head forward stance, even when barefooted adults will walk heel to toe.
- Even people who are generally barefooted will have faulty walk!
-
The muscular development of the soles of the feet may be improper, and
it may not be properly padded to permit natural movement of the feet
while running bare footed as well as when walking barefooted.
.... something to chew on and to research (my suspicion may be unfounded :-)
Selvaraj
6.29 Consciousness & the Brain: John Searle (27/5/2013)
Consciousness & the Brain: John Searle:
John
Searle one of the world's great philosophers of mind and language, has
spent fifty years stimulating thinking around the world. What he says
about consciousness as a biological phenomenon will challenge you!
Cogitation, Consciousness & The Brain.
--------------------------
This subject is related to the overall problem of 'posture':
Selvaraj
6.30 Minimalist Sneakers? (30/5/2013)
Running in superplush sneaks may baby your feet, but they give your legs a beating, experts say. "When you have cushioning in the heel, you tend to land on your heel because it's comfortable to do so. This strike increases the force of the impact on your body," says Irene Davis, PhD, the director of Harvard Medical School's Spaulding National Running Center. To keep you on (the balls of) your feet, try Davis's simple steps to going low-foam in a more minimal sneaker.
http://www.fitnessmagazine.
-----
CAN SWISS TECHNOLOGY MAKE YOU FASTER?
Bernhard also happens to be a multiple Ironman champion and 8-time World
Duathlon Champion, whose career was hampered by chronic inflammation of
his Achilles tendon. He created Ons, which he likens to running on a
cloud, to remedy this. “The soles in use at the time only offered
cushioning for the vertical impact of the foot on the ground. But for me
as a runner, that was never really right. If you’re running, you’re not
just jumping up and down on the spot; you’re moving forward, too. In
tennis you have the shale on the court to absorb this horizontal motion.
So what we felt we needed for our new shoe was a cushioning system that
absorbed both vertical and horizontal forces. At the same time, we
wanted this cushioning to disappear by the time the runner pushed off
again. As a runner, I don’t want a cushion to push off from: I want to
feel the ground as much as I can, as if I was running barefoot.”
----------------
Has anyone in this forum used these running shoes?
Regards
Selvaraj
6.31 The Puzzle of Consciousness - Watch the Video (1/6/2013)
Very Interesting.
6.32 Sitting straight 'bad for backs' (1/6/2013)
Sitting up straight is not the best position for office workers, a study has suggested.
Selvaraj
6.33 Yoga and Meditation (7/6/2013)
6.34 Western Toilet (11/6/2013)
Hello List,
6.35 Use of Pillows (13/6/2013)
Dear All,
6.36 Laptop / Good Posture (21/6/2013)
Luckily, this problem can easily be remedied. By simply setting your computer on a laptop stand and using an external mouse and keyboard, you can work with an excellent posture that will keep you energized and away from the doctor.
6.37 Posture and the domino effect (21/6/2013)
6.38 The role of fascia in mind/body work (2/7/2013)
Hello list,
6.39 Athletics - Need for change (16/7/2013)
6.40 Use of pillows (29/7/2013)
Dear All,
6.41 Defining the postural problem (29/7/2013)
In Dr. Barlow's book, the typical 'bad' posture while attempting to sit down is defined by fig 6a in the 1975 Arrow edition (THE ALEXANDER PRINCIPLE). The same 'bad' posture is imprinted on the cover of the 'First Healing Arts Press' edition 1990 (THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE), and appears once again inside in Fig 14 a.
6.42 Design flaws in the human body (1/8/2013)
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
6.43 Time required to correct posture (13/8/2013)
Dear All,
Our knowledge of mechanics put men on the Moon.
What is puzzling is that with such strong background in
mechanics and mathematics, humans are finding it difficult to understand
the very important issue of posture.
There are two parts
to posture 1) Physical 2) Mental; both can be explained scientifically.
The Physical part by mechanics. The mental part by considering the brain
as being analogous to a computer, similar to the one say, that controls
an aircraft.
If the mechanics of the aircraft is not in order it could
crash. Even if the mechanics is in order and the computer is misbehaving
the ride may not be smooth and in a worse case situation the aircraft
could crash into a mountain side.
What is puzzling to me is that seven billion gentlemen (and
gentlewomen), are not getting it. And that our forebears for tens of
thousands of years could not make the simple observation that there is
heaven and earth difference in the mechanics of motion of a child and
that of an adult.
Regards,
Selvaraj
Hello Lutz:
6.44 Running once again (17/8/2013)
6.45 The riddle of faulty posture (2/9/2013)
Riddle 1:
6.46 Apps to monitor and enhance effectiveness of AT? (3/9/2013)
Hi Keith, List,
6.47 Straight Teeth Talk: Head pain due to posture (4/9/2013)
Straight Teeth Talk: Head pain due to posture
6.48 Sports without footwear (10/9/2013)
6.49 'Potty Posture' Matters More Than Fiber (16/9/2013)
Millions may be using the toilet improperly says experts in a new study reviewing how people use the restroom.
6.50 Boy's clothing (30/9/2013)
6.51 Is the posture good or bad? (6/10/2013)
GRACE, BALANCE, FLUIDITY, SUPPLENESS, STRENGTH – all moulded into one act!
ENJOY IT!
www.nzwide.com/swanlake.htm
____________
Is the posture good or bad? Why is that the age of performers seems to be going down steadily? One would assume that a human will be at the peak of his/her beauty, strength and performance in his/her thirties.
Selvaraj
6.52 The Feet (11/10/2013)
-----------------
6.31 The Puzzle of Consciousness - Watch the Video (1/6/2013)
Very Interesting.
What I found most interesting is
the idea that higher order animals have consciousness similar to ours,
and we should try not to inflict pain on them (including eating them).
If neuroscience can reach such a conclusion, it is truly impressive. (I
am attempting to limit my non-veg consumption.)
What I found disappointing is that even though there
was repeated mention of the 'mind-body problem', there was no attempt
to link consciousness to the body. Hence, can we improve our level of
consciousness to improve our health and physical and mental performance?
This question went unexplored. If you visit my site www.humanposture.com you will discover that this is not an idle inquiry.
The philosophical question, what is the purpose of
life? To this there is a simple answer. Consciousness is related to
complexity and Nature is the most complex entity we can think about,
much more complex than any of our scientific achievements, indeed Nature
has a consciousness of its own interlinking its diverse elements. At
our present juncture protecting Nature (and in the process ourselves) is
the best purpose that life can offer.
Finally, since consciousness appears related
to complexity of interactions, can we talk of our collective
consciousness as sentient beings on this planet? Could we develop a
common consciousness to more easily tackle many of our global problems?
How can we motivate our media to build this common consciousness?
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.32 Sitting straight 'bad for backs' (1/6/2013)
Sitting up straight is not the best position for office workers, a study has suggested.
---------------
Does it mean sitting cross-legged yoga style is all wrong? Or does the problem come from sitting in a chair?
The head is less forward with respect to the 'line of the spine' in the first figure and more so in the next two!!
(So long as manufacturers need to sell fancy products, are we likely to get proper postural information?)
6.33 Yoga and Meditation (7/6/2013)
6.34 Western Toilet (11/6/2013)
Hello List,
Came to know that at least in one place
in Canada, the western toilets are designed very low (one foot high?),
to suit children (this will be good for adults too). Does this apply to
the rest of Canada? And what about U.K., Europe, USA and Australia? Is
there a similar movement afoot in the other nations?
It is encouraging to note that people are beginning
to take the health of children seriously. The best way to deal with
postural problems is to nip the problem in the bud.
Regards,
Selvaraj
------------------------------
I
was so excited; I couldn’t wait for it to arrive. I told my husband
about it and he replied “are you nuts, people have been going to the
bathroom for 1000’s of years” why do we need a Squatty Potty, especially
me?” “And how much did it cost?” I tried to explain to him that
“thousands of years ago” or even a couple of hundred years ago people
squatted when they went to the bathroom. Plain and simple, very
instinctual they squatted down booty to ankles and out it came. To
their credit their diet was most likely much better since there were
less processed, refined and fast foods. But that’s a whole other
story. When the modern toilet was designed in the throes of the
industrial revolution in the mid 1800’s it was designed to sit on like a
throne rather than the way the natives did it. Many doctors at the
time worried about this causing health problems because it went against
nature...
http://www.6.35 Use of Pillows (13/6/2013)
Dear All,
When I posted my 'Balance of the Head' Blog on March 29, 2011, I was in a way taking a shot in the dark. From this line of inquiry it was a natural progression to probe the question 'why we use pillows'.
Interestingly, my original blog on 'Use of Pillow' was on Feb 1, 2010, predating my 'Balance of the Head' Blog; updated subsequently in August 2012.
There is little doubt in my mind now, that people
are making a basic mistake by allowing their heads to fall forward. My
postural alignment seems to be falling in place like a jigsaw puzzle
done right.
I am now forced to wonder whether I would have
corrected my posture sooner if I had started to sleep sideways without a
pillow, trying to get my head back, say ten years back - after I had
become aware of the problem of 'Thought Space and Present Space'.
(Please note: I am making the assumption that footwear, belts, elastic, pillows - anything which artificially constrains the body in any way will make it impossible for the body to achieve its natural balance. Balance will also involve the upper and lower halves of the body acting in tandem.)
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.36 Laptop / Good Posture (21/6/2013)
Luckily, this problem can easily be remedied. By simply setting your computer on a laptop stand and using an external mouse and keyboard, you can work with an excellent posture that will keep you energized and away from the doctor.
(See Pic)
http://www.fastcompany.com/6.37 Posture and the domino effect (21/6/2013)
Dear All,
Could postural problems be far more serious, and be far more difficult to correct, than most people visualise?
Let's assume for a moment that I am correct in my analysis that the spine and head should be moving backwards even as we tilt forward at the hip joints.
The above idea is counter intuitive, so that's not what we
do. From a young age we start bending the spine forward without making
an attempt to use the flexibility at the hip joints. What is to start
with a very pliable system (when we are young) becomes progressively
stiff. As the body senses this stiffness there is a necessity to bend
the spine and head further forward. There is a very steady progression
of the head in the forward direction (away from the line of the spine)
as we age.
I don't see how there can be any magic to posture correction unless one retraces this domino effect backwards.
Regards,
Selvaraj
Domino Effect: The domino effect is a chain reaction that occurs when a small change causes a similar change nearby, which then causes another similar change, and so on in linear sequence.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6.38 The role of fascia in mind/body work (2/7/2013)
Hello list,
Considering the very poor posture of
adult humans (and the inevitable jamming of the muscular system that
this will lead to) there is much to be gained if every one learns to
give massage (including massaging of connective tissues as explained in
the reference). Perhaps if couples learnt to give massage of this nature
there may be fewer divorces :-)
--------------
Hi Keith,
The idea of massage is only to provide
muscular relief and relaxation. A person with good posture will have
little need for it. It is basically targeted towards those who have bad
posture and are clueless about what causes the problem (99% of the
population :-)
Regards,
Selvaraj
Three of the top sprinters in track and field, including the American Tyson Gay, on Sunday revealed that they had tested positive for banned substances, a new embarrassment for a sport that has had dozens of doping violations in recent years.
-------------------
The
Greeks who originated the Olympic games worried not only about who won
in a particular event but also about the form, grace and symmetry of the
human body.
Assessing an athletes performance by timing alone is
undesirable. I would suggest that athletics should also adopt the point
system used to evaluate performance in gymnastic events - giving due
consideration to different parameters.
Selvaraj
6.40 Use of pillows (29/7/2013)
Dear All,
When I posted my 'Balance of the Head'
Blog on March 29, 2011, I was in a way taking a shot in the dark. From
this line of inquiry it was a natural progression to probe the question
'why we use pillows'.
Interestingly, my original blog on 'Use of Pillow' was on Feb 1, 2010, predating my 'Balance of the Head' Blog; updated subsequently in August 2012.
There is little doubt in my mind now, that people
are making a basic mistake by allowing their heads to fall forward. My
postural alignment seems to be falling in place like a jigsaw puzzle
done right.
I am now forced to wonder whether I would have
corrected my posture sooner if I had started to sleep sideways without a
pillow, trying to get my head back, say ten years back - after I had
become aware of the problem of 'Thought Space and Present Space'.
(Please note: I am making the assumption that
footwear, belts, elastic, pillows - anything which artificially
constrains the body in any way will make it impossible for the body to
achieve its natural balance. Balance will also involve the upper and
lower halves of the body acting in tandem.)
Regards,
Selvaraj
--------------
Dear All,
Dear All,
Let me once again recommend sleeping
sideways without a pillow - with the head propped on an arm or on both
the arms (folded in prayer). This will help immensely in getting the
head to move back. By propping the head this way a lot more resources
are brought into play to correct the cervical alignment, as, in general,
any problem in a local area will also be influenced by how the
musculoskeletal system is aligned in the surrounding areas.
I know this may make you feel that you have arrived
in a third world country! I have been astonished at the rate (keeping in
mind that a tortoise pace should be considered fast in posture
correction :-), at which I am unraveling the guardian knot, which more
correctly defines an adult's posture This does not mean you should not
adopt the Alexander Supine or the Yoga supine positions if your body
prompts you to do so.
Happy posture correction!
Regards,
Selvaraj
-----------------
Sraj wrote:
Let
me once again recommend sleeping sideways without a pillow - with the
head propped on an arm or on both the arms (folded in prayer)...
Additional clarity:
1. Head propped on an upper arm.
2. Head propped at the wrist position of both the hands held in prayer.
3. Last night I seem to have slept on the fist of one arm (this helps to get the head further back).
Selvaraj
----------------------
Dear All,
My experiment to determine at what point my
idea of getting the head back by sleeping sideways proves to be
counterproductive continues. So far I don't seem to have hit that point
(though for periods of a week or two I hit a slack as explained in my
rope analogy (Fig 7.14 d)
a *******&*********&***********&
b ******************************
c *******&*********&*********
d *******&**...................
..................******&*****
Fig 7.14: (a) Correcting posture is like removing knots from a rope. (b) The final goal is to have a rope free of knots. (c) In the process of correcting posture it is likely that a knot may disappear from one place only to reappear elsewhere. (d) When a knot is
suddenly removed a slack may be produced in the muscular system,
producing temporary feeling of weakness till muscles take up the slack.
Trying to move the head back will not actually move the
head back (as I earlier thought); what seems to be happening is that
the whole length of the spine gets readjusted. Ideally the spine should
form a strong and fluid load carrying structure over its full length. I
am also finding that my stomach muscles are taking on life like never
before; evidently the stomach muscles must either be like a rock
(artificially constructed) or be flaccid, in the head forward posture.
Although there is the problem of mind - body
interaction, we need to know independent of this interaction, which
orientation of the spine is likely to lead to a fluid and strong
structure. It is unconscionable that with the most powerful computers at
our disposal we seem unable (or unwilling) to have this question
answered.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.41 Defining the postural problem (29/7/2013)
In Dr. Barlow's book, the typical 'bad' posture while attempting to sit down is defined by fig 6a in the 1975 Arrow edition (THE ALEXANDER PRINCIPLE). The same 'bad' posture is imprinted on the cover of the 'First Healing Arts Press' edition 1990 (THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE), and appears once again inside in Fig 14 a.
This figure does not seem to be typical of how bad
posture exhibits itself. In the figure the back of the head is well
behind the 'line of the spine'. From observing people you will realise
that this is rarely the case - usually the back of the head will be in
front of the 'line of the spine'.
You can confirm this by viewing the Patrick Macdonald video: https://www.youtube.
In
other word, this figure does not appear to be define the general
problem of faulty posture correctly. There is a gross problem of the
head being held too much to the front by all adult homosapiens.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.42 Design flaws in the human body (1/8/2013)
Vulnerable
to wear and tear, prone to break down and rendered helpless by
microscopic organisms - the human body is in fact an inefficient
evolutionary bodge-job.
This
was the claim made earlier this month in New Scientist magazine. So
here our team of experts looks at the body's main failings and suggests
how they could be put right...
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
--------------------
Some of this should obviously be taken with a pinch of salt since modern science has zilch ideas on postural issues.
From the postural angle there is one obvious fault, if we can call it a fault!
If an engineer were to design a robot for instance
it would be logical to design it in such a way that parts of it could be
moved independently of the rest. For instance if the robot was using a
computer, sitting on a chair, it would be logical to effectively lock
the bottom half.
If you have a background in mechanical engineering
you will realise that the body lacks effective locking mechanisms, which
could isolate one part of the body from the next.
Since
practically all adults have faulty posture, obtained by locking parts
of the body (when the body is not deigned for such locking), evidently
the locking is achieved with great distortion and great cost to the
body.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.43 Time required to correct posture (13/8/2013)
Dear All,
In the head forward posture and in the head
'balancing backward posture', the orientation of the muscles will be
entirely different, so a definite amount of time will be required to
alter (re-balance) the system. As far as my experience goes, this is
going to be a very slow and tortuous process, as individual layers in
the body including skin, muscle, etc. are sheared back to the correct
relative position.
My expectation is that once the whole problem of
posture is well understood, it will be possible to profile an individual
using a computer based system (individual posture profiles will
differ), and plan out the optimum route for posture correction. Once the
process is converted into a science, and not the hit and miss method it
is today, it will be possible to predict how long it will take for an
individual to correct his posture.
In this respect I would like to point out that the
mental aspect is very important. One of the best times to correct
posture is when watching video on TV or computer. When watching video
the mind seems to automatically move into present space. Hence this is a
valuable time for posture correction - preferably sitting cross-legged
(since this posture automatically keeps the body relatively well
oriented).
The other valuable time to correct posture is when going to sleep and on waking up.
Posture correction is going to take plenty of time, we should not waste the time we have at our disposal.
Regards,
Selvaraj
----------------------
Keith wrote:
... if you persist in viewing this as a problem
mainly of mechanics...
Mechanics is important, we would not
have our modern world but for the laws of motion, codified in a very
simple and digestible way by Sir Isaac Newton.... if you persist in viewing this as a problem
mainly of mechanics...
----------------
Hello Lutz:
It is standard practice in solving a
scientific problem to break the problem into smaller more manageable
components, understand the individual components better, and then put
everything together again.
In doing so, with reference to psychophysical unity,
we wouldn't in any way be diluting our stand that the physical and
mental parts should be dealt with simultaneously.
There
are other issues relating to postural problems like footwear and
clothing - especially where small children are concerned - which also
need to be addressed. In India I am reasonably sure that the medical
bill of the nation is being increased by at least a couple of billion $
simply because no standards are being enforced on molded footwear.
Earlier, when footwear was made out of leather the footwear used to be
flat. Now with the availability of this new technology manufacturers are
molding footwear in all kinds of shapes (these footwear are cheep).
Let's face it, it is not possible to understand or
solve a complex problem without breaking it into smaller, more
specialized components. The mind and body act together, but their
characteristics are entirely different. If we put everything in the same
pot we will understand neither the body nor the mind, and neither will
be able to understand the composite problem of posture.
Regards,
Selvaraj
--------------
Hi Keith,
On a lighter note I must point out to you
that the world does not care two hoots about mind/body interactions we
worry about in this group :-)
If you googled
'posture' about a year or two back you would find yoga sites, Alexander
Technique sites and even my humble site (which used to pop up three or
four years back) on the first page. No Longer.
Since it is very unlikely that if left to market
forces the sites which do pop up would ever pop up, we can only conclude
that some higher authority has decided that posture has nothing to do
with all that we discuss here :-) (Or maybe that what we discuss here
will confuse everyone)
So your hope that 'modern science' is taking note
of mind/body interactions is premature. (Perhaps the first job of modern
science is to protect the modern consumer market!?).
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.44 Running once again (17/8/2013)
Dear All,
Today morning I went for a jog
after a long time. Keeping my head well back (in relation to my back) I
ran four rounds around a small pond, having circumference of around 250m
- a total distance of 1Km.
I was jogging quite comfortably, very differently
from the way I used to jog earlier. If I had wanted to I could have kept
on jogging for a longer time. My plan is to take it easy and slowly
build up.
The purpose is not to see how far I can run, rather
it is to discover how easily I can run. It is said that the human
anatomy evolved so that we could run. Evidently ease of running should
form an important part of certifying that our posture is OK.
... Let's see how things pan out.
Regards,
Selvaraj
------------------
The
researchers also found that up to 2.5 hours of jogging a week at a slow
or average pace, three times a week, was associated with the lowest
mortality. Although there was no evidence to support faster or more
frequent jogging, there was also nothing to suggest that people
shouldn't partake in this type of exercise.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.
-------------
I can see the back of my head in relation to the roughly straight line
formed by my back when I look in a mirror - I have to bend forward a
little to be able to do so. I can also feel my 'Atlas' and 'Axis'
becoming freer - not free enough to satisfy me at the moment. Eventually
very good overall BALANCE of the body will (I feel) decide whether
posture is good or not.
I am not claiming that my posture
is OK. In fact I am painfully aware that it is not OK and I have quite a
long way to go before I satisfy even myself. (The idea of debauched
kinesthesia would I think be more applicable to someone who thinks that
things are OK when actually they are not).
Selvaraj
----------------
Hi Michael,
In our present day of technology it is not too difficult
to take a photograph or to record a video, which can be shared so that
people can comment on it. When I am a little more confident that I am
getting it right, I plan to do so.
One reason why probably you may be wondering what I
am up to could be because of my apparent contradiction is stating that
my head is well back and then contradicting myself by stating that when I
am lined up against a wall the back of my head and my back are more or
less touching the wall at the same time.
This riddle could be explained by looking at Fig 1 of my website www.humanposture.com
where we see Dr. Barlow correcting a subject's posture. If we look at
the subject's posture, the back of the head and the 'back' seem to be in
vertical alignment. If the subject were to lean forward however, the
back could flatten out a little making the back of the head appear to be
further back in relation to the 'back'.
Regards,
Selvaraj
-----------------
Dear All,
Dear All,
My first run (13 May 2013) after a long
time - wearing canvas running shoes, with foamy insoles of about 4 mm
thickness - was a reasonable success, but for the fact that the soles of
my feet were burning for a couple of days.
The problem of whether I should run with or without shoes in the future remains.
I have now worked out a strategy to run barefooted
inside my house. My house is not carpeted and my running track will be a
distance of about 11 meters from one corner of our sitting room -
through our dining room - to a corner of our kitchen. (The track is free
in the morning when the rest of my family are asleep).
My plan is to run only when I get this 'I could fly'
feeling that I get once in a while, with my improving posture. A few
days back I ran about 150 meters and then stopped when this 'I could
fly' feeling wore off :-) (It can wear off due to both physical and
mental reasons).
Do I recommend this to everyone? Run only as long as you have 'a very springy feeling' - then stop!
The human body is designed to run. How well and freely we are able to run will be one of the indicators of good posture.
Regards,
Selvaraj
-----------------
An earlier version seems to have got posted ....
My
first run after a long time (13 May 2013) - wearing canvas running
shoes with 4 mm think foamy insoles - was a reasonable success, but for
the fact that the soles of my feet were burning for a couple of days.
The problem of whether I should run with or without shoes in the future remains.
I have now worked out a strategy to run barefooted inside my house. My
house is not carpeted and my running track will be a distance of about
11 meters from one corner of our sitting room - through our dining room -
to a corner of our kitchen. The track is free early in the morning when
the rest of the family are asleep.
My
plan is to run only when I get this 'I could fly' feeling that I get
once in a while, with my improving posture. A few days back I ran about
150 meters and then stopped when this 'I could fly' feeling wore off :-)
( This special feeling could wear off due to both physical and mental
reasons)
Do I recommend this to everyone? Run only as long as you have 'a very springy feeling' - then stop!
The human body is designed to run. The ability to run freely and easily will be one of the indicators of good posture.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.45 The riddle of faulty posture (2/9/2013)
Dear All, some thoughts:
Good posture requires strong musculature.
Musculature cannot be strengthened when posture is bad (the first step would be to correct faulty posture).
Riddle 2:
The body does not
provide any feedback when we are destroying our posture. (Nature makes
the assumption that like other animals we will know how to hold our
bodies correctly). We are even likely to feel increasingly comfortable
as our posture progresses from bad to worse.
We become aware of faulty posture when aches and
pains and medical problems leads us to the conclusion that our posture
could be bad. By then it will be too late - problems would have cascaded
and there is no simple way to correct posture.
If we are to ensure that children grow up having
good posture we have no option but to very carefully evaluate every
detail of clothing and environment right from the beginning. When
posture begins to become faulty a positive feedback loop will be set up
making the situation worse with time. The child will begin to feel
comfortable and at home with his faulty posture and will resist any
change of clothing and environment that created the situation.
Regards,
Selvaraj
Hi Keith, List,
Release of muscle tension will obviously improve posture.
However
knowledge of human anatomy is also important if we are to make any
progress. There should be broad consensus that a particular alignment of
the musculoskeletal system will improve balance and thus reduce
muscular tension in the long run.
Even if ordinary folks may not need to have good
understanding of the musculoskeletal system, it would be good if the
pundits who are leading them have this understanding.
Regards,
Selvaraj
Straight Teeth Talk: Head pain due to posture
---------------
The
images are frightening. My fear however is that stating the problem as
increased apparent weight of the head does not explain the nature of the
postural problem.
What we should be worried about is the ability of
spine to undulate, where the head should actually move backwards even as
we lean forward. A trigger which allows graceful undulation reaching
down to the feet.
With the head forward, all the potential for graceful movement will be nipped in the bud.
Selvaraj
6.48 Sports without footwear (10/9/2013)
From an article in the New Indian Express, dated, 8 Sept 2013:
At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, the Indian football team under captain
Rahim Saab reached the quarterfinals losing to France 1-2, after two
penalty kicks went awry because they were playing barefoot in the
extreme cold. The courage to play shoeless in such conditions won them
an invitation to the Buckingham Palace by an admiring King George IV. At
the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, the Indian team once again played
barefooted in the biting cold and lost to Yugoslavia.
-------------------------
What if
conditions were more favourable, and it was not cold, would India have
won? I would like to think so. Would India have definitely won? I don't
think so.
My views on the subject of sports without footwear:
1. In
a game like football, where good footwork is desirable, playing
barefooted, combined with good postural balance, will definitely pass
the advantage to the team playing barefooted. (This is of course
hypothetical, since adults with their head forward stance do not have
good postural balance).
2.
What about a race like 100 m run? Here the advantage will be with the
person running with spikes, since spikes will provide forward thrust.
(If you attach a small rocket to your back you will run even faster :-)
3.
Good posture and footwear are basically incompatible. So footwear if
any should be socks-like. We have the technical capability to redesign
our footwear. Let's hope wisdom prevails and Homo sapiens realize this
sooner rather than later.
4.
Since sporting activities take place nowadays under very controlled
conditions, playing barefooted should not create any environmental
hazards.
5.
Considering the Indian traditions it would have been logical for India
to lead in setting up alternate sports forums where athletes compete
barefooted. (But then India no longer leads, it follows :-(
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.49 'Potty Posture' Matters More Than Fiber (16/9/2013)
Millions may be using the toilet improperly says experts in a new study reviewing how people use the restroom.
According to experts, squatting is the proper and recommended way to pass motion,
http://www.theglobaldispatch.6.50 Boy's clothing (30/9/2013)
However, bucking the trend for decreased use, the study found that boys,
white children, and those lacking private health insurance had an
increased likelihood of psychotropic drug use during the entire 16-year
study period.
http://www.medscape.com/
Hi Selveraj,
On 30 September 2013 12:43, sraj <sraj99@gmail.com> wrote:
> Is there any science which deals with the design of clothing for humans (in
> particular children)? Any principles that must be followed?
Not until medicine and science gets more holistic.
Yogi Bhajan said things about the damage tight underwear could do.
Part of the problem seems to be that stress makes people lose
awareness of proprioception and focus becomes excessively outward and
not enough inward. Then we can constrict circulation, lymphatic
drainage and hurt ourselves in other ways without noticing what we are
doing. After reading of YB's warnings I fidget about adjusting myself
far more than I used to. Having a more diffuse focus makes me much
more aware of pressures etc.
It is too complicated for science to specify what we should wear
(except maybe banning blatant things like heavy schoolbags as Dr
Deepak Sharan campaigned for and got). Better to enhance
proprioceptive awareness so you can feel what you are doing to
yourself. Not just what you wear but the way you wear it and most
crucial of all the way you Use yourself as you do.
-------------
I
can only caution and keep cautioning till people listen, the dress worn
by male children is likely to cause major postural problems.
Comparatively, girls, with their frocks and underwear with loose elastic
are better dressed.
In
India boys going to nursery schools are forced to wear an underwear
with elastic and over that a regular shorts with elastic (usually the
elastic will be very tight )
It
is becoming increasingly impossible to find a decent pair of footwear
for children nowadays, with the advent of molded footwear.
I
am puzzled why sufficient attention is not being paid to this problem.
Are the 5 trillion $ Medical Profession and the host of disciplines
dealing with postural issues blind?
Is there any science which deals with the design of clothing for humans (in particular children)? Any principles that must be followed?
Regards,
Selvaraj
--------------------
Hi Selveraj,
On 30 September 2013 12:43, sraj <sraj99@gmail.com> wrote:
> Is there any science which deals with the design of clothing for humans (in
> particular children)? Any principles that must be followed?
Yogi Bhajan said things about the damage tight underwear could do.
Part of the problem seems to be that stress makes people lose
awareness of proprioception and focus becomes excessively outward and
not enough inward. Then we can constrict circulation, lymphatic
drainage and hurt ourselves in other ways without noticing what we are
doing. After reading of YB's warnings I fidget about adjusting myself
far more than I used to. Having a more diffuse focus makes me much
more aware of pressures etc.
It is too complicated for science to specify what we should wear
(except maybe banning blatant things like heavy schoolbags as Dr
Deepak Sharan campaigned for and got). Better to enhance
proprioceptive awareness so you can feel what you are doing to
yourself. Not just what you wear but the way you wear it and most
crucial of all the way you Use yourself as you do.
6.51 Is the posture good or bad? (6/10/2013)
GRACE, BALANCE, FLUIDITY, SUPPLENESS, STRENGTH – all moulded into one act!
ENJOY IT!
____________
Is the posture good or bad? Why is that the age of performers seems to be going down steadily? One would assume that a human will be at the peak of his/her beauty, strength and performance in his/her thirties.
Selvaraj
6.52 The Feet (11/10/2013)
Dear All,
I have tried to present what I believe to be the correct orientation of the head in my blog http://headbalance.
If the orientation of the head of adult homo sapiens is so wrong, could there be similar fault in the orientation of their feet?
To examine this question let us have a look at few images of Muslims Genuflecting.
Muslim children:
Muslim adults:
Now
with my head position improving I am beginning to get the feeling that I
can improve my feet orientation too - any footwear is almost sure to
damage the feet.
(Are
there seven billion fools on this planet, who are unable to see obvious
things? Some adults will be able to orient their feet in way children
do - this will not by itself confirm good posture).
Regards,
Selvaraj
Hi Gevin,
Muslim Adults:
Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2
Regards,
Selvaraj
Dear All,
Is there any Alexander Technique literature
on weight reduction. Have Alexander Teachers been able to reduce their
student's weight successfully - in a positive and proven way?
(This thought occurred to me, since obesity seems to
be a word wide problem. From my personal experience I am positive that I
was able to increase my weight from a miserable 54 Kg to a more
respectable 60 Kg within two years of laying my hands on Dr. Barlow's
Book - The Alexander Principle).
Regards,
Selvaraj
Selvaraj
6.54 Avoid Using Your Phone to Improve Posture and Confidence (23/10/2013)
to iit-global
It's not news that a lot of us spend too much time on our
smartphones. However, some research has shown that prolonged usage of phones
instead of larger, more open devices like a desktop, can have a negative impact
in our posture, mood, and confidence.
The concept is consistent with the idea of adopting power poses to help think more confidently. When we
use phones or tablets, we hunch over and devote more of our space to a very
small area. In contrast, sitting at a laptop or a desktop allows us plenty of
room to sit upright, stretch out our arms, legs, shoulders, and neck, and take
up more space in general.
6.55 Grounded / Being Barefooted (22/10/2013)
Dear All (This a post I made in another forum),
Satish, thanks for posting this link. Being barefooted is also very crucial to achieving and maintaining good posture, a subject that I am interested in.
I
am still to find a footwear that will not interfere with your natural
gait. Even flat slippers (which is better than shoes), comes in at a
distant second best when compared to being barefooted.
As I have explained in my blog http://headbalance.
The
overall flow of this documentary, I am sure, also supports my
contention that not only footwear, but belts and elastic and tight
clothing of any kind will also KO our posture and our health.
I
think somewhere in the documentary a respondent says that he tries to
be barefooted whenever possible, other than when driving ... I don't
understand this, if one wishes to be barefooted, driving a car provides a
natural opportunity!
I
hope our educational institutions that are striving to produce people
with healthy minds in healthy bodies see the writing on the wall. And I
would urge the Olympics committee to host an alternate Olympics where
people participate without footwear and without tight clothing. Quite
clearly improper clothing and the use of footwear is a serious issue for
children under five.
People
in authority I hope will also realise that we are swimming in a sea of
ignorance and so desist from enforcing unsuitable dress codes.
Regards,
Selvaraj
------------------------
Hi Lutz, List,
There is no mystery in this, all one
needs to do is to take a walk outside and observe people. You can draw a
graph of the position of the head against the age of the person. You
will definitely find the head migrating forward with age. When you find
the adult who has his head positioned properly try taking his snap (and
send me a copy :-)
Regards,
Selvaraj
-------------------------
Hello List, Lutz,
6.56 Children have better posture than adults (3/11/2013)
Hi John, List,
** I would argue that they are present at birth .. ** ??
.. Let me explain:
Combining
the idea of Non Doing with 'conscious guidance and control', two ideas
at precisely opposite poles, is indeed very insightful. There is simple
scientific explanation for this, as indeed there is for every issue
relating to posture - if only we are prepared to look. The explanation
lies in two simple ideas, one, we can control only a very small part of
the brain consciously, and two, the functioning of a classic control
system.
This is a diagram from the book 'Automatic Control Systems' by
Benjamin C. Kuo, the book that was prescribed for us in our engineering
course.
-------------->---------------
6.60 Distortion of the body (28/11/2013)
1. The type of distortion you would have even if you went around naked (due to head forward position).
2. Distortion caused by our clothing - elastic, belt, tight clothing, shoes.
While
item one is counter-intuitive, it should not take much intuition to
realise that item two must be true (even though there appear to be seven
billion people determined to keep their heads buried in the sand).
Let's keep in mind that talking of high level mind-body
interactions can go hand in hand with fully ignoring the later, as the
Chinese did for thousands of years, by binding the feet of women - and
as we continue to do in less obvious ways today.
Let's not fool ourselves into believing that distortion due to
the way we bind our bodies is going to be minor. Last week when I went
to purchase a new pair of leather slippers I was once again reminded
about the size of my feet as I debated with myself whether to purchase
size eight or nine. There was a time when I used to wear size seven
shoes (so also my father and my brother - all the same height). Now the
size of my feet has moved firmly to size nine.
We owe it to the young and future generations to be honest in
the way we go about solving this problem, and not to delay matters
indefinitely.
Regards,
Selvaraj
www.humanposture.com
The Manchu Emperor Kangxi tried to ban footbinding in 1664 but failed.[1] In the 1800s (19th century), Chinese reformers challenged the practice but it was not until the early 20th century that foot binding began to die out, partly from changing social conditions and partly as a result of anti-foot binding campaigns.[2] Foot-binding resulted in lifelong disabilities for most of its subjects, and some elderly Chinese women still survive today with disabilities related to their bound feet.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
6.61 Inhibition (9/12/2013)
Is any form of inhibition possible when attempting to correct posture with the body essentially stationery, for instance in the Alexander Semi-Supine position?
I have deep reservations regarding spending a lifetime
understanding the whole issue. The goal of researchers in this area
should be to make it possible for everyone to take their physical and
mental health for granted. There are more important issues that humans
have to solve.. our environment .. nurturing life on our planet ..
global warming ...
Personally I doubt that these serious problems will be solved by people whose physical and mental health is under life-support.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.65 Merry Christmas (22/12/2013)
I
have now come to a point in my posture correction where I seem to have
(sort of) got rid of the knots in the body, but need to move in a
balanced way.
So far I have not been able to use the idea of 'Inhibition'
effectively. I am finding now (at my present stage of posture
correction) that the idea of Inhibition and the idea of Balanced
Movement may go hand in hand and aid one another. Obviously the idea of
Inhibition in my present context is relevant only when the body is in
motion.
INHIBITION <====> BALANCE
Let's see how things progress.
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.66 Research on Yoga and Meditation (24/12/2013)
The government-funded study may persuade more doctors to try an alternative route for tackling the source of a myriad of modern ailments. Stress-induced conditions can include everything from hypertension and infertility to depression and even the aging process. They account for 60-90% of doctor’s visits in the US, according to the Benson-Henry Institute. The World Health Organization estimates stress costs US companies at least $300 billion a year through absenteeism, turn-over and low productivity.
http://www.livemint.com/
6.67 You may not be better off after knee surgery (26/12//2013)
(CNN) -- Patients who underwent simulated knee surgery fared just as well as those who got the real deal, according to a new study that's raising eyebrows about the most common orthopedic procedure performed in the United States.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/
6.68 Gadget gifts can promote bad posture (29/12/2013)
The electronic devices children and adults will get for Christmas this year can be bad news for proper posture and can lead to pain and musculoskeletal damage.
The use of computers, televisions, tablets and mobile phones can all lead to bad posture, and that can be particularly dangerous for children.
Dr. Barlow in his book 'The
Alexander Principle' states that 99% of people have faulty posture (page
10). I am only 1% off if I say All :-)
Regards,
Selvaraj
--------------------------
Hello Lutz, List.
Just to make sure I am not being
misunderstood, head forward with respect to the average line of the
spine. Many people who pull their heads backward still have the head
forward with respect to the average line of the spine.
(I am not too worried about my reputation, what I am
worried about is that we don't know enough to protect the posture of
young children).
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.56 Children have better posture than adults (3/11/2013)
Hi John, List,
Exaggerated imagery can (WILL?) no doubt help to correct the serious distortions of the musculoskeletal
system that adults end up with. But, respectfully John, I disagree with
you on this. If it is all present from birth (other than the plummeting
one may receive when in the womb due to the faulty posture of the
mother), we are wilfully ignoring the fact that children have much
better posture than adults (despite all the activities that adults
engage in to damage their posture). If what you are saying is true we
have to leave the posture and health of children to karma - since we
will have to wait till they are older to intervene and make their
posture good (what adults think is good).
Regards,
Selvaraj
6.57 Surgeons describe new knee ligament (8/11/2013)
Surgeons describe new knee ligament:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.
------------
In an age filled with advanced medical techniques like MRIs, artificial hearts, and laser eye surgery, one could be forgiven for believing doctors are also at least vaguely familiar with every one of your body parts. However, a new discovery by Belgian physicians has proved this assumption wrong.
BETTER PIC:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
6.58 Invitation to a symposium (11/11/2013)
6.59 Distinction between Doing and Non-doing (13/11/2013)
I can positively state this from first hand experience. I got
hold of Dr. Barlow's book in 1975, till around 1998-2001 (It was a very
exact time - which I failed to record - when I realised the importance
of the concept of 'Present Space and Thought Space'). That's more than
20 years! Dr. Barlow's book is not strong on this point; perhaps the
book was written with the idea that when people contact an (a?)
Alexander Teacher, (s)he will explain everything to them.
Did I derive benefits from my posture correction during the
earlier 20 years. Probably I did, just by keeping my body active and
exercised, even though I had seized to make any major improvements after
the first two years. (Attempt to correct posture will also exercise the
body - true).
Actually the non-doing state is tricky and disorienting and
only now that my physical posture has improved considerably I am able to
put in the mental resources to try to integrate it better in my day to
day life.
To me this obviously begs the question, when people say they
are correcting their posture, where exactly are they on this graph?
Perhaps the idea of 'inhibition' will guide Alexander students, what
about the other posture correction techniques?
The
next question is what is the difference between Alexander's idea of Non
Doing and the idea of detachment (and bowing to fate) very much a part
of Indian Philosophy.
I think there is a subtle and important difference; Alexander
combines the idea of Non Doing with the idea of 'conscious guidance and
control' .... a very smart thing to do considering the manner in which
the human brain seems to be organised ... (more on this subject later).
I don't claim to be an expert in Alexanderian
thought as I have read only one book written by him .. however from
Tim's posting one may begin to understand why Dr. Barlow considered him
to be a genius.
Regards,
Selvaraj
Surgeons describe new knee ligament:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.
------------
In an age filled with advanced medical techniques like MRIs, artificial hearts, and laser eye surgery, one could be forgiven for believing doctors are also at least vaguely familiar with every one of your body parts. However, a new discovery by Belgian physicians has proved this assumption wrong.
BETTER PIC:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
6.58 Invitation to a symposium (11/11/2013)
Dear Friends,
Not finding any response to my proposal, regretfully
I must postpone any plan to have a larger gathering to discuss the issue of
faulty posture. The tentative date of Jan 2014 hence stands postponed to ….
2015? 2016? …. Let’s see.
My engagement in this field has been almost
exclusively through the Net. Evidently
this is not enough; I need to engage through lectures and through the media.
I did give two lectures to small groups of people,
which my records show to my surprise was in early 2002 – before I set up my
website www.humanposture.com
Subsequently I decided not to give lectures till I
got my own posture right. From all that I have learnt in the intervening
period, I think I made the right decision. I find a gulf separating my views on
posture for that of most others – there are a number of disciplines worldwide
trying to solve this problem, including the Medical Profession.
For instance I have been repeatedly stating that
clothing, footwear, the way we sit etc. will profoundly influence our posture. I
do not find anyone (directly) supporting me in this.
Since the gulf is so wide it would be impractical
for me to engage on this issue till I get my own posture right to my
satisfaction, otherwise I would be laughed out of town :-)
Regards
Selvaraj
6.59 Distinction between Doing and Non-doing (13/11/2013)
Hi Tim, Rex, Keith, All,
That's
the main challenge of posture correction, to explain to people that
there are two distinct states. (1) The doing state (2) The non-doing
state.
Doing
**********************........
--------> Time
----------------------
sraj wrote:
The next question is what is the difference between Alexander's idea of Non Doing and the idea of detachment (and bowing to fate) very much a part of Indian Philosophy.
I think there is a subtle and important difference; Alexander combines the idea of Non Doing with the idea of 'conscious guidance and control' .... a very smart thing to do considering the manner in which the human brain seems to be organised ... (more on this subject later).
I don't claim to be an expert in Alexanderian thought as I have read only one book written by him .. however from Tim's posting one may begin to understand why Dr. Barlow considered him to be a genius.
------------------
-------------->---------------
Input command..................^....
(To reach for.......................I...
the book on the desk).........----------------
................ Fig. 1.3. Block diagram of human being as a closed-loop system
This is the diagram for a simple activity
like 'reaching for a book'. The same logic will apply for more complex
activities like trying to find a solution to global warming. The input
command is just a wisp of a wish, even though the term 'conscious
guidance and control', may sound very heavy duty. The Non Doing part
relates to allowing the brain with its immense powers at the
subconscious level to do its task unimpeded. As we try to solve serious
problems related to species extinction, resources depletion, global
warming, population growth etc. it is important to note that we cannot
solve these problems if we have no desire to solve them.
Alexander evidently needs to be studied from two
different perspectives, his philosophies in general and his ideas on
posture correction. 'Man's supreme inheritance' seems to lean towards
philosophy.
(Incidentally I was going through the notes I had taken
while reading 'Man's supreme inheritance', where there is a comment by
Alexander on Yoga:
- Page 33 - The performances of the
Yogis certainly do not command my admiration, and
the wellknown
system of breathing practised and taught by them is,
in my opinion, not only wrong and essentially crude,
but I
consider that it tends also to exaggerate those very
defects from
which we suffer in
this twentieth century.
- Page 35 - We all know of cases of men and women
who eat or drink
more than is good for them, and we also know that
only a
small minority are able to master their unhealthy
desires in
these directions. Examination of the misguided
majority
would reveal the fact that they were badly
co-ordinated, and
that psycho-physical conditions were present which
would lead
an expert to expect an overbalanced state in one
direction or
another, a domination of conscious reasoned control
by subconscious
unreasoned
desire.
- Page 40 - When this point is reached these people
are, in the words of
Emerson, " out of communication with their
reason "; a subconscious
tendency. Herein lies the explanation of
difficulties
which they rarely surmount, difficulties which could
not remain
as such if subconscious control were supplanted by
conscious
guidance and control of the whole organism; for in
practical
procedures in life this conscious guidance and
control connotes
" bringing them once more into communication
with their
reason " and supplying the " means whereby
" of successful
readjustment.
- Page 40 - The fact that civilized human beings
will take wine or sugar *********
or drugs, when conscious that it is gradually
undermining health
and character, is proof positive of the domination
of the physical
over the mental self, exactly as in the Stone Age. It
shows that in the case of sugar, for instance, they have
become victims to the sense of taste. In other
words, the
sensations produced by the sense of taste influence
and finally
govern their conduct in this connection, whereas
instead they***SUGAR**8
should be governed by the faculties of reason. They
have
developed vicious complexes in which perverted
physical
sensations must be satisfied, even at the cost of
mental and
physical
injury, and often of intense pain.
- Page 43 - The controlling and guiding forces in
savage four-footed
animals and in the savage black races are practically
the same ;
and this serves to show that from the evolutionary
standpoint
the mental progress of these races has not kept pace
with their
physical evolution from the plane of the savage
animal to that
of the
savage human.
- Page 62 - I do not believe in any concentration
that calls for effort. It
is the wish, the conscious desire to do a thing or
think a thing,
which results in adequate performance. Could Spencer
have
written his First Principles, or Darwin his Descent
of Man, if
either had been forced to any rigid narrowing effort
in order to
keep his mind on the subject in hand ? I do not deny
that some
work can be done under conditions which necessitate
such an
artificially arduous effort, but I do deny that it
is ever the best
work.
- Page 63 - In concluding this brief note on mental
habits I turn my
attention particularly to the many who say, " I
am quite
content as I am." To them I say, firstly, if
you are content
to be the slave of habits instead of master of your
own mind
... While I do not do any breathing
practice myself, I would be curious to know whether Alexander encouraged
people to sit cross-legged. Or did he find even that wrong? )
Regards,
Selvaraj
P.S. The above interpretation is mine
6.60 Distortion of the body (28/11/2013)
Dear All,
It is quite evident looking at people that most adult's bodies are distorted. This distortion can be of two kinds.The Manchu Emperor Kangxi tried to ban footbinding in 1664 but failed.[1] In the 1800s (19th century), Chinese reformers challenged the practice but it was not until the early 20th century that foot binding began to die out, partly from changing social conditions and partly as a result of anti-foot binding campaigns.[2] Foot-binding resulted in lifelong disabilities for most of its subjects, and some elderly Chinese women still survive today with disabilities related to their bound feet.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
6.61 Inhibition (9/12/2013)
Hello All,
I am wondering whether the technique of 'inhibition' can be used in all situations.
1) We can inhibit when we are making movement of any kind.
2) We will probably be asked to inhibit when an Alexander Teacher is attempting to position the body in some way.
Is any form of inhibition possible when attempting to correct posture with the body essentially stationery, for instance in the Alexander Semi-Supine position?
Much of my posture correction takes place in essentially
static position, where mentally, I try to be in (1) 'present space' (2)
attempting to blank out any extraneous thought (3) directing
micro-movement in some form (4) checking out strength and flexibility
through micro loading and micro movement. I guess I could also inhibit
in the sense of not forcing whatever I am doing. Would that be called
inhibition?
Regards,
Selvaraj
------------------------
Mike wrote:
A senior Feldenkrais teacher told me that you'd probably get 100 different lists. This illustrates how Feldenkrais work is composed a huge variety of ideas that need to be understood by a personally developed unifying framework. I suggested to Nick that if you did the same thing with Alexander Teachers, surely all of their lists would contain "inhibition," "direction," "end-gaining," and a couple others...
But am I off base in understanding AT as "top-down"? I.e. start with a small set of ideas and deepen your understanding over a lifetime...
...
Does it mean AT is more scientific? The hallmark of a science is that it will be hinged around a few basic principles.A senior Feldenkrais teacher told me that you'd probably get 100 different lists. This illustrates how Feldenkrais work is composed a huge variety of ideas that need to be understood by a personally developed unifying framework. I suggested to Nick that if you did the same thing with Alexander Teachers, surely all of their lists would contain "inhibition," "direction," "end-gaining," and a couple others...
But am I off base in understanding AT as "top-down"? I.e. start with a small set of ideas and deepen your understanding over a lifetime...
...
------------
1. Inhibition and direction on their own can make you wooden .....?
2. Inhibition and direction alone are enough.
3. So (my question), is there a minor problem with the idea of inhibition? And how exactly do we define Direction.
... It so happens that personally I I do not feel fully comfortable with the idea of inhibition, although I think I do understand its import. I feel more comfortable with the idea of 'Present Space', or simply attempting to blank out your thoughts. I think I understand how Inhibition and direction alone could make a person wooden.
The idea of allowing action at the subconscious level is
perhaps not emphasised fully In AT? The ideas of (1) Inhibition (2)
direction and (3) the overall idea of conscious guidance and control,
though powerful ideas in their own rights play down the importance of
handing over overall control to the subconscious, which can handle
coordination better.
Personally I would tend to agree with Joseph that the two ideas of Inhibition and Direction are sufficient provided.
1. The idea of Inhibition can be extended to include the subconscious at a deeper level.
2. The idea of Direction is all inclusive, in the sense that it
represents a body of knowledge. If the body of knowledge is wrong we can
also end up giving wrong directions.
Regards,
Selvaraj
Hi Joseph,List,
Interesting lines of thought.... It so happens that personally I I do not feel fully comfortable with the idea of inhibition, although I think I do understand its import. I feel more comfortable with the idea of 'Present Space', or simply attempting to blank out your thoughts. I think I understand how Inhibition and direction alone could make a person wooden.
6.62 The future of AT (12/12/2013)
Dear all,
I am curious to know whether AT is organised as a world body. Whether there are too many internal differences for this to happen.
Is there any organised attempt to do research. For instance we find people getting doctoral degrees in the most arcane fields. Do young researchers do similar research into AT and publish the same.
My fear is that Dr. Barlow brought worldwide fame to AT with his book THE ALEXANDER PRINCIPLE and his idea of USE AFFECTS FUNCTIONING and then in his declining years, desperate for progress, he killed the progress by coining the term THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE. It is like the coco cola company deciding to change the name of its product to 'coloured drinking water' :-)
My belief is that the future of understanding postural issues as a scientific discipline lies with AT. Yoga too has the potential, but it is saddled with thousands of years of historical baggage. Many disciplines seem to also confuse taking exercise with correcting posture, something that AT does not do.
Will it not be worthwhile to attempt to organise the Alexander movement? Differences can be documented and studied rather than becoming points of contention. This will also bring in much needed funds for doing research.
Regards,
Selvaraj
-----------------------
Hi Tim, Halvard, List,
.. Some phenomena can be reduced to other phenomena and some can’t. If science is the search for truth, it has to recognise that, and many scientists do...
It would be interested to know of a complex phenomenon that can't be reduced to simpler phenomenon. True, when discussing something like Life we find that the whole is more (much more) than the sum of its parts. Even a motor car can be said to be more than the sum of its parts, since a car will take you places, a gear box by itself will not take you anywhere.
From a practical point of view however it is better to view reductionism and holism as being complimentary.
Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3 ... <===> THE ASSEMBLED COMPONENT
It is easy to see how this is so in a mechanical device. We may wax poetic on the beauty of a car and most people need not know what is inside a car, but if the car refuses to budge we will have no option but to deal with the parts.
Perhaps the lack of progress in understanding postural issues is entirely due to the belief that reductionist approach will not work. (I have long been puzzled that people do not care to break the overall problem into simpler parts).
6.63 The Atlas and the Axis (14/12/2013)
Dear All,
I have been wondering whether alignment of 'The Atlas and the Axis' can be the true Achilles heel of posture correction.
Should everyone irrespective of which denomination of posture correction he owes allegiance to, or just an ordinary person with no interest in posture correction at all be make aware of the necessity to align The Atlas and Axis correctly to maintain good health.
The sheer isolation of these bones would make it very difficult for any system of exercise or posture correction to reach them. And I once again submit that sleeping sideways with the head propped under a hand or both the hands, attempting to move the head back is the best way to reach these bones buried in a very inaccessible place.
I have tried to explain in my website www.humanposture.com that when postural collapse has taken place, it will be very difficult for the subject to naturally correct the misalignment without external aid.
Can it be that the hands on method of the Alexander Technique, the massaging techniques employed worldwide and the more agressive technique of aligning the head adopted by some disciplines meets this need? But do these manipulations reach the Atlas and the Axis?
In our day to day life from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep there are forces coming into play which will misalign the Atlas and the Axis, so do we need, at least when we retire for the night, to recover lost ground by sleeping sideways and attempting to get the head back? Perhaps this can be attempted even when using a pillow.
I would also wish to submit that this moving of the head back to better align The Atlas and The Axis should be considered separately from the Alexander Technique idea of head forward and up.
Regards
Selvaraj
6.64 Good Posture - A matter of Perspective (17/12/2013)
Dear All,
Here is a fresh perspective on posture.
The human body can be viewed from the Front (back), the Side(s) and from the Top. Normally most postural studies involve viewing the body either from the Front or a Side.
1. LEVEL ONE POSTURE CORRECTION:
This posture correction may be considered to be the most basic. The lateral distortions we notice when observing a person from the front. Perhaps the best ways to correct this distortion would be to sit cross-legged. It is possible that most of the distortion may vanish instantly.
2. LEVEL TWO POSTURE CORRECTION:
This is the postural distortions we will notice when observing a person from a side. Correcting this distortion is complex since there are very many degrees of freedom.
3. LEVEL THREE POSTURE EVALUATION:
This is interesting. If we take sections of the body in levels 1 and 2, with the distance of the body from the observer being the variable, we will get interesting sections, these will however be of little practical relevance from the point of view of posture evaluation or correction.
If we take sections of the body when we observe the body from the top we will be working our way down the spine and crossing important joints in the body. There are many sections where the body will be stiff and unresponsive.
Dear all,
I am curious to know whether AT is organised as a world body. Whether there are too many internal differences for this to happen.
Is there any organised attempt to do research. For instance we find people getting doctoral degrees in the most arcane fields. Do young researchers do similar research into AT and publish the same.
My fear is that Dr. Barlow brought worldwide fame to AT with his book THE ALEXANDER PRINCIPLE and his idea of USE AFFECTS FUNCTIONING and then in his declining years, desperate for progress, he killed the progress by coining the term THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE. It is like the coco cola company deciding to change the name of its product to 'coloured drinking water' :-)
My belief is that the future of understanding postural issues as a scientific discipline lies with AT. Yoga too has the potential, but it is saddled with thousands of years of historical baggage. Many disciplines seem to also confuse taking exercise with correcting posture, something that AT does not do.
Will it not be worthwhile to attempt to organise the Alexander movement? Differences can be documented and studied rather than becoming points of contention. This will also bring in much needed funds for doing research.
Regards,
Selvaraj
-----------------------
Hi Tim, Halvard, List,
.. Some phenomena can be reduced to other phenomena and some can’t. If science is the search for truth, it has to recognise that, and many scientists do...
It would be interested to know of a complex phenomenon that can't be reduced to simpler phenomenon. True, when discussing something like Life we find that the whole is more (much more) than the sum of its parts. Even a motor car can be said to be more than the sum of its parts, since a car will take you places, a gear box by itself will not take you anywhere.
From a practical point of view however it is better to view reductionism and holism as being complimentary.
Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3 ... <===> THE ASSEMBLED COMPONENT
It is easy to see how this is so in a mechanical device. We may wax poetic on the beauty of a car and most people need not know what is inside a car, but if the car refuses to budge we will have no option but to deal with the parts.
Perhaps the lack of progress in understanding postural issues is entirely due to the belief that reductionist approach will not work. (I have long been puzzled that people do not care to break the overall problem into simpler parts).
Science I am afraid is not simply the search for truth (I
too believed this once upon a time). Science is practised by humans and
is subject to all human frailties. Modern science is also heavily
manipulated by our economic system. Those who control the flow of money
also control the kind of science that is done. (For instance the lack of
progress in the field of human psychology since Sigmund Freud is
surprising; it is however not surprising when you realise that any
advance in the understanding of human psychology would have been
counterproductive for our market based economy).
Regards,
Selvaraj6.63 The Atlas and the Axis (14/12/2013)
Dear All,
I have been wondering whether alignment of 'The Atlas and the Axis' can be the true Achilles heel of posture correction.
Should everyone irrespective of which denomination of posture correction he owes allegiance to, or just an ordinary person with no interest in posture correction at all be make aware of the necessity to align The Atlas and Axis correctly to maintain good health.
The sheer isolation of these bones would make it very difficult for any system of exercise or posture correction to reach them. And I once again submit that sleeping sideways with the head propped under a hand or both the hands, attempting to move the head back is the best way to reach these bones buried in a very inaccessible place.
I have tried to explain in my website www.humanposture.com that when postural collapse has taken place, it will be very difficult for the subject to naturally correct the misalignment without external aid.
Can it be that the hands on method of the Alexander Technique, the massaging techniques employed worldwide and the more agressive technique of aligning the head adopted by some disciplines meets this need? But do these manipulations reach the Atlas and the Axis?
In our day to day life from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep there are forces coming into play which will misalign the Atlas and the Axis, so do we need, at least when we retire for the night, to recover lost ground by sleeping sideways and attempting to get the head back? Perhaps this can be attempted even when using a pillow.
I would also wish to submit that this moving of the head back to better align The Atlas and The Axis should be considered separately from the Alexander Technique idea of head forward and up.
Regards
Selvaraj
6.64 Good Posture - A matter of Perspective (17/12/2013)
Dear All,
Here is a fresh perspective on posture.
The human body can be viewed from the Front (back), the Side(s) and from the Top. Normally most postural studies involve viewing the body either from the Front or a Side.
1. LEVEL ONE POSTURE CORRECTION:
This posture correction may be considered to be the most basic. The lateral distortions we notice when observing a person from the front. Perhaps the best ways to correct this distortion would be to sit cross-legged. It is possible that most of the distortion may vanish instantly.
2. LEVEL TWO POSTURE CORRECTION:
This is the postural distortions we will notice when observing a person from a side. Correcting this distortion is complex since there are very many degrees of freedom.
3. LEVEL THREE POSTURE EVALUATION:
This is interesting. If we take sections of the body in levels 1 and 2, with the distance of the body from the observer being the variable, we will get interesting sections, these will however be of little practical relevance from the point of view of posture evaluation or correction.
If we take sections of the body when we observe the body from the top we will be working our way down the spine and crossing important joints in the body. There are many sections where the body will be stiff and unresponsive.
Usually we sense movement of the body in terms of frontal
and sometimes lateral movements. But these movements define only a
fraction of the flexibility of the body. The body is capable of complex
rotary movements involving close coordination of a huge number of bones
and muscles in the body. These rotary movements are very visible in
young children and seem to vanish with age. Free movement of the body
requires that these rotations take place in the spine and in the limbs
when we move.
This gives us the intriguing possibility of defining good posture:
Good
posture is that state of balance of the body where we sense very good
flexibility (jigging flexibility) as we move down the body starting with
the head. There should be no joint in the spine where we cannot sense
this freedom. We should be able to sense this freedom at other joints
too.
I have serious doubts that with head forward stance and
immobilization of the body with faulty footwear and attire we will be
able to achieve balance of this nature.
Level three posture evaluation will sharpen the posture debate.
Regards,
Selvaraj 6.65 Merry Christmas (22/12/2013)
Dear All,
Wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year.6.66 Research on Yoga and Meditation (24/12/2013)
The government-funded study may persuade more doctors to try an alternative route for tackling the source of a myriad of modern ailments. Stress-induced conditions can include everything from hypertension and infertility to depression and even the aging process. They account for 60-90% of doctor’s visits in the US, according to the Benson-Henry Institute. The World Health Organization estimates stress costs US companies at least $300 billion a year through absenteeism, turn-over and low productivity.
http://www.livemint.com/
6.67 You may not be better off after knee surgery (26/12//2013)
(CNN) -- Patients who underwent simulated knee surgery fared just as well as those who got the real deal, according to a new study that's raising eyebrows about the most common orthopedic procedure performed in the United States.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/
6.68 Gadget gifts can promote bad posture (29/12/2013)
The electronic devices children and adults will get for Christmas this year can be bad news for proper posture and can lead to pain and musculoskeletal damage.
The use of computers, televisions, tablets and mobile phones can all lead to bad posture, and that can be particularly dangerous for children.
"One great thing about
kids is they're adaptable," said Vince Lepak, assistant professor of
rehabilitation sciences at the University of Oklahoma School of
Community Medicine. "That's also a bad thing. They adapt to bad
postures."
http://www.tulsaworld.com/
---------------
It is also possible for Engineers to design gadgets so that good posture is ensured. Proper use of gadgets can be promoted in their literature, along with warnings not to use the gadgets for more than x hours every day.
Selvaraj
http://www.tulsaworld.com/
---------------
It is also possible for Engineers to design gadgets so that good posture is ensured. Proper use of gadgets can be promoted in their literature, along with warnings not to use the gadgets for more than x hours every day.
Selvaraj
Yoga has been found to improve personal satisfaction, diminish stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, depression and back torment. It has additionally been found to bring down pulse and circulatory strain. What's more, maybe as anyone might expect, yoga has been appeared to improve fitness, strength and adaptability, as per the elective medication community.
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