ABOUT BONES
So whats my fascination with Bones?
What relationship do our bones have with us?
What relationship do our ligaments and fascia have with our bones, joints and the way we move?
How would it be if you moved from your bones?
Can we move and lead our movements from our bones?
Can we initiate the movement from our ligaments, fascia and connective tissue?
Is there a dynamic and energetic difference if we move from the front part of our spine, the body of your vertebrae, as opposed to Initiating the movement from the intervertebral discs of your spine?
These are some of the questions I like to pose in my yoga classes.
Our ligaments and fascia have an important relationship with our bones. Fundamentally they are designed to restrict the movement of our joints.
Generally ligaments are seen as subconscious tissue, however there is some research the show certain connective tissues have the ability to shorten and tighten up under its own volition, and they respond to environmental situations. This relates to the energetic qualities, stress and stress hormones. When the stress goes away the connective tissues were found to release again and to return to their original quality, tone and length. This ligamental range is only small, yet has large ramification and significance.
The notion that changing our internal environment will change the tissue is fascinating.
This is significant in relationship to Bone Yoga as well as Bone Yoga Bodywork.
Bones are part of the skeletal system, but they also play important roles in many other systems.
In Chinese medicine the bones are related to the Kidneys and ancestral relationships.
In Bone Yoga Bodywork the bones also have a relationship with our core issues. Bone is considered a non responsive tissue. Vibrations that can get locked in the bone tend to be more factual in nature, like shame. Working on the energetic qualities of the bone helps to release these held patterns.
Studies also show that the skeleton is part of the endocrine system and that bones play an important role in controlling sugar metabolism, energy balance and weight and regulate fat.
The bones are also part of the circulatory system because they create red blood cells.
Bone is also the reservoir for minerals, and store 99% of the body’s calcium and 85% of the phosphorus.
The hormones called ”Relaxin” gets excreted during pregnancy which makes all connective tissue looser.
New studies indicate that as part of the Flight and Fright Response a relatively new discovered hormone “Osteocalcin”, is a protein that is produced and secreted by bone.
These are just a few of the incredibly complex functions of bone.
The thing that excites me is the exploration of anatomy and kinesiology of the bones and skeleton in relationship to yoga and movement and how to help and support the release of held tensions and vibrations in the bones in bodywork.
Anatomy is about the structure and kinesiology is the movement.
The range of motion of joints is the kinesiology. “Kine’ Greek word, root word for movement.
The Physiology is the how it’s actually functioning.
There’s a wonderful dance between somatisation and embodiment.
The feeling is the “soma” of body and the embodiment of the experience. This requires a different focus, relationship, and presence and a getting out of the way,
Bones are weight bearing, they transmit forces, protect our organs, and support us standing.
They also conduct vibration and Piezoelectric qualities, this quality is important in bodywork. This means a force or stress applies to bone is propagated along its length.
The curves of the spine also act as shock absorption, (along with the intervertebral discs), and allow movement to happen and for the efficient transfer of weight.
We commonly talk about the three curves of the spine, cervical, thoracic and lumbar curves.
I like to include 3 more curves.
The sacral curve. When we were born the sacrum isn’t yet fused, the sacrum doesn’t finish fusing until our twenties, so up till that time what we do, the way we move has an effect on the shape of the sacrum and therefore the curve of the sacrum.
We can also include the occiput, the lower portion of the skull at the back. It is sometimes considered the top of the cervical vertebrae, and called C0, the cervical vertebra zero.
Added to that the coccygeal curve. Not just the bottom end and an extension of the sacral curve, but consider our monkey tail, they curve in the opposite direction.
Thinking like this will give us more choices in our exploration of movement.
So there are 3 lordotic curves and 3 kyphotic curves
Kyphotic primary curves because we have those curves in utero and we’re born with our whole spine in kyphotic curve, curled from head to tail.
The secondary curves arise in the first five years of life and develop as we begin to crawl and stand as our developmental movement patterns.
The curves alternate from kyphotic to lordotic, from primary to secondary to help balance each other out.
Bone Yoga explores the curves of the spine the facets of the joints of the spine and how they are designed to move. The exploration includes the range of motion of joints, when the ligaments and fascia start to engage. This is pre the “stretchy feeling” that predominates much of our movements and engagements.
Bone Yoga Bodywork works with conscious touch and includes how we can engage the bones and skeletal system and how to work in ways to support the release of held physical and emotional tension in the body.
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My passion in yoga is the exploration of the skeleton. My passion in bodywork is supporting emotional trauma that resides in the bone and fascia.
I have been teaching bodywork since the mid 90’s, these skills are expressed and communicated in Bone Yoga Bodywork, a system that I founded in 2017. Excitedly I’m continually learning.