What a generous offering! thank you for sharing this session, Patty. What a treat for me! My bones are still singing :-)
Something that comes up for me as I reflect, is that sense of muscles not being the "weight bearing" system. My gravitational relationships are more effectively mediated through my skeletal system, more specifically bone (what do you feel about ligament in the process?) I see this so clearly in the way you go down to go up (yield/push etc) through your bones in all the different shapes in this practice.
When I bring my muscles into the foreground of weight bearing, I get more bracing and propping which feels liken 'bound energy' and not so satisfying. However, when I let muscles be more themselves, juicy and currenting, then I think their connection to the bones through their tendons will feed into the density process. Of course, loading the movement of my bones with added weight amplifies this (and research would agree), but I don't like those strap-on weight things for yoga pracitce!
I love that you started with a balance (and a chair) since for me osteoporosis is a natural process (not to be ignored of course!), but risk of fracture is the big potential problem, so learning to balance skillfully and with vitality through the bones as you demonstrate it so well is so, so helpful. Also, for me, one of the great things about asana practice is the variety of moves we make and the different relationships we cultivate with gravity.
I could go on with all sorts of thoughts, but my last one is when I hear you speak about 'prana' in this context, I do feel that in the marrow, like a really deep resonant 'prana' and this allows me to feel support for the skeleton from its inside, if you will, - does that make sense?
.....it would be amazing if we could practice together some time :-)
Always so much fun for me to share our insights. You and I are most definitely 'cut from the same cloth', not surprisingly given our shared education and devotion to process and learning!
I feel the same bracing feeling you mentioned when I overuse my muscles as a starting place when I am trying to nurture the health and resilience of my bones. My sense is that the energy flow and weight bearing never gets into the appropriate tissues when I initiate with muscle.
Yes, it is the prana! That's why I think the directionality of flow that we can follow in the marrow is so much more effective than muscle can be. The lava flow of marrow —prana—that is not inhibited by any joint, but flows evenly through them, gives the important directionality to the weight bearing. We need to 'allow' the flow and avoid fragmenting it with harsh angles and linear movements.
It's an interesting paradox - weight through the bone or through the soft tissue?
We learn that the bones are actually suspended in the soft tissue and that we do not "stack" bones! Even as we don't "stack" the bones they still need to feel weight and forces through them. They are struts that are suspended within the soft tissue weave of the connective tissue, fascial body.
One of my favorite statements in life is, "If it's not a paradox it isn't true".
I finally took some time! These movements are subtle and wonderful and I will definitely be adding some of the techniques to my regular practice. I love how the language of yoga is evolving. It's always a challenge to take up these subtle changes in cue and language ... but it's an exciting challenge that I'm glad to take up and be part of. These practices feel really nourishing, unlike other more jarring techniques I've come across to work on bone density. Thank you!
Great to hear Laura! I just taught this basic series of postures to my Wednesday morning streaming class and brought in a bit more about the soft tissue relationships and the bones.
For example: How do we keep from compressing joints when we are bearing weight through the bones. I really enjoyed exploring that with my life streaming class! I'm sure I will be posting more about it, since I am so excited by this at the moment.
Did you know that bone marrow is producing osteoblasts? Although it is not the compact bone itself it is critical to the integrity of the bones!
Marrow “flows” within the bone and produces the bone!
What a generous offering! thank you for sharing this session, Patty. What a treat for me! My bones are still singing :-)
Something that comes up for me as I reflect, is that sense of muscles not being the "weight bearing" system. My gravitational relationships are more effectively mediated through my skeletal system, more specifically bone (what do you feel about ligament in the process?) I see this so clearly in the way you go down to go up (yield/push etc) through your bones in all the different shapes in this practice.
When I bring my muscles into the foreground of weight bearing, I get more bracing and propping which feels liken 'bound energy' and not so satisfying. However, when I let muscles be more themselves, juicy and currenting, then I think their connection to the bones through their tendons will feed into the density process. Of course, loading the movement of my bones with added weight amplifies this (and research would agree), but I don't like those strap-on weight things for yoga pracitce!
I love that you started with a balance (and a chair) since for me osteoporosis is a natural process (not to be ignored of course!), but risk of fracture is the big potential problem, so learning to balance skillfully and with vitality through the bones as you demonstrate it so well is so, so helpful. Also, for me, one of the great things about asana practice is the variety of moves we make and the different relationships we cultivate with gravity.
I could go on with all sorts of thoughts, but my last one is when I hear you speak about 'prana' in this context, I do feel that in the marrow, like a really deep resonant 'prana' and this allows me to feel support for the skeleton from its inside, if you will, - does that make sense?
.....it would be amazing if we could practice together some time :-)
Thank you, Beverly!
Always so much fun for me to share our insights. You and I are most definitely 'cut from the same cloth', not surprisingly given our shared education and devotion to process and learning!
I feel the same bracing feeling you mentioned when I overuse my muscles as a starting place when I am trying to nurture the health and resilience of my bones. My sense is that the energy flow and weight bearing never gets into the appropriate tissues when I initiate with muscle.
Yes, it is the prana! That's why I think the directionality of flow that we can follow in the marrow is so much more effective than muscle can be. The lava flow of marrow —prana—that is not inhibited by any joint, but flows evenly through them, gives the important directionality to the weight bearing. We need to 'allow' the flow and avoid fragmenting it with harsh angles and linear movements.
It's an interesting paradox - weight through the bone or through the soft tissue?
We learn that the bones are actually suspended in the soft tissue and that we do not "stack" bones! Even as we don't "stack" the bones they still need to feel weight and forces through them. They are struts that are suspended within the soft tissue weave of the connective tissue, fascial body.
One of my favorite statements in life is, "If it's not a paradox it isn't true".
Thanks so much for this, Patty! I am looking forward to going through it!
Love this. Thanks!
So welcome, Laura! Let me know when you do the video or play around with the techniques. I'd love to hear about your experience. 😊
Thanks Patty. I watched some of it yesterday and ‘felt’ the techniques without actually doing them. I’ll give them an actual go this week. :)
I finally took some time! These movements are subtle and wonderful and I will definitely be adding some of the techniques to my regular practice. I love how the language of yoga is evolving. It's always a challenge to take up these subtle changes in cue and language ... but it's an exciting challenge that I'm glad to take up and be part of. These practices feel really nourishing, unlike other more jarring techniques I've come across to work on bone density. Thank you!
Great to hear Laura! I just taught this basic series of postures to my Wednesday morning streaming class and brought in a bit more about the soft tissue relationships and the bones.
For example: How do we keep from compressing joints when we are bearing weight through the bones. I really enjoyed exploring that with my life streaming class! I'm sure I will be posting more about it, since I am so excited by this at the moment.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience!