Teach Your Children Well....or, On Posture and Pain
This First Discovery Book by Scholastic, Inc. is a favorite of the children who wait patiently while their parents practice Pilates by AIM at my Mill Valley, CA studio. It came to mind when I thought of addressing the many articles online these days about posture and pain. I checked to see if it mentioned posture...it did not.
First...here are some observations about the human spine and pain to contemplate (if you haven’t already): It's possible for a human spine to be perfectly aligned, and for that person to be experiencing excruciating pain...and...It is also possible for a human spine to be terribly crooked and for that person to not be experiencing pain.
Note: These observations came from X-rays - a long time ago (like, decades ago!). MRIs are not needed to make these observations.
Today, articles and blogs that proclaim “POSTURE IS NOT AN INDICATOR OF PAIN” -and cite many scientific references- abound! If you would like to read some, I can send you some links, or you can even go and buy a book or two on the subject.
However...IF you are already convinced enough...and IF you have already consulted with your medical professional . . . and IF you aren’t that interested in focusing on your pain...IF you are already aware that exercising is good for your health and well-being (you knew that already, didn’t you?) . . . that is, IF you are a “go-getter” and you are more interested in focusing on learning about how to move well . . .THEN . . . You might be interested in learning how to TAKE CONTROL of your physical process by allowing and restoring the body’s natural rhythms. There is a body-mind method called “Contrology” that helps you do just that . . .have you you heard of it? No? Well, the principles of Contrology are outlined in the books Your Health and Return to Life Through Contrology by Joseph H. Pilates! That’s right! You probably have heard of the term pilates - which is now a broad-based term for related movements developed by “Professor” Pilates over 100 years ago.
So, now that we’re clear on that . . . in an effort to share another perspective on the relationship of Posture and Pain, today, I’ll offer this brief explanation of Contrology: Bodies and minds develop in response to the tasks at hand. Practicing the full scope of the work of JHPilates, among other benefits, builds an efficient and dynamic posture, a body-positive mentality, and a spirit of “spontaneous zest and pleasure.”* Possessing “mental and physical balance” (what JHPilates named our “birthright” as humans) is the reason why beginning a pilates practice - from where you are - is indeed a worthwhile endeavor.
As we spend more time on the planet, over time, repetitive tasks tend to create imbalances. So, it's important to develop, reset and/or maintain physical uniformity in order to be “...fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.”* This is why so many dancers were the first to sing the pilates method’s praises and why serious athletes find it crucial to practice pilates alongside their athletic training to enhance performance. Ultimately, in terms of building uniformity, I teach (not treat) every client the same principles/philosophy, while I acknowledge their unique body-minds, because, at the level of body-mind balance, the approach to obtain either therapeutic or high performance outcomes is the same.
When it comes to teaching the pilates method, every unique body and every unique mind is encouraged to learn the same information, and practice the same movements to reap the method’s benefits. There is, truly, nothing like the work of Joseph H. Pilates to build and maintain the physical body, as well as develop a healthy relationship with gravity and with one’s self. This is why your movement, not your POSTURE, is the focus while you are practicing pilates, and why you will not find the word PAIN in either of Joseph Pilates' books.
So, please, if this resonated with you, let’s move beyond the Posture/Pain proclamation (which is really nothing new)! Do continue to do your pilates and learn to move well. And then...Teach your children well to keep the “ball rolling”….
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First published July 16, 2018 on Facebook
Reference: *Quote by J. H. Pilates