Dear health enthusiast
friend!
Greetings to you!
I am happy to report to you that my
video which I produced and uploaded onto YouTube in order to help you combat
neck pain and neck stiffness, titled The
"2-Minute Functional Movement Education Miracle" to Free Up Your Stiff Neck, has now passed
the 10,000 mark!
Since I originally put this video up on YouTube last
summer, I am honored with "10,000 hits", rather, 10,000 viewers have tuned in to
it.
I am elated that 10,000 of you have allowed me to come in to your
homes in order to help you take better care of your body. I thank you for your
trust.
My neck video can be seen at the following URL address on
YouTube.:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9p7_XPK6lM
Please feel free to continue to use my video
for your great health and comfort.
After all, as my motto since the
90's pervades, "Health is
all that Matters!"
For a healthy, full, 40-minute, hands-on,
uplifting, Functional Movement Education treatment by me to completely address your neck or back
pain, please contact me at tel. 310-395-1952.
FYI. I might add that
a full 40-minute Functional Movement Education treatment has been proven to do wonders for
combating your neck pain as has been scientifically validated and documented in
the following, eye-opening, four Peer-Reviewed Scientific Journal
Publications.:
Ruth S, Kegerreis S. Facilitating Cervical Flexion
Using a Feldenkrais Method: Awareness Through Movement. Journal of Sports and Physical
Therapy16(1): 25-29, 1992. Peer Reviewed.
Lundblad I. Elert J. Gerdle B. Randomized
controlled trial of physiotherapy and Feldenkrais interventions in female
workers with neck-shoulder complaints. [Journal Article: Clinical Trial]
Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 1999 Sep; 9(3): 179-94. (46 ref). Peer
Reviewed.
Emerich KA. Nontraditional tools helpful in the treatment of
certain types of voice disturbances. [23 refs]. [Journal Article. Review.
Review: Tutorial] Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head & Neck
Surgery. 11(3):149-53, 2003 Jun. Peer Reviewed.Miller TM. Decision
Making Processes of Physical Therapists and Feldenkrais Practitioners. PhD
dissertation, Temple University, 2007; Advisors: Shepard KF, Stephens J, Hack
L.
Please feel free to
forward on this spectacular information pertaining to Peer-Reviewed Research, as
well as my YouTube neck video, to any of your friends, family, or associates
that are currently experiencing neck issues and you feel could greatly benefit
from learning how to alleviate their neck pain and
stiffness.Please
remember for any activity you choose to enjoy or safely indulge in, that I am
your "Safety Buffer". Subsequently, "Sometimes even a Mercedes needs a
tune-up". :-)
I can give you the sensory-motor experience of being able
to move easily and comfortably without pain!
Call me to enjoy your
wonderfully relaxing and rejuvenating Movement Education session today at tel.
310-395-1952.
Say,
Hello! to Relaxing, and Goodbye! to Stiffness and Pain.
All the best to you in
great health!
James
Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education Center
Dr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
www.feldenkraisjamesspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"
"If
you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor
experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without
strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to
stiffness and pain!"
To
see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful
"'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here
Thank you for coming here to my blogspot. :-) Please
let me start by saying that my background to become a Functional Movement
Education Therapist, I completed a 4-year training in order to become a
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, he being the famed Israeli
neuro-physiologist. The curriculum included 1600 hours of course work,
spread over 4 years, which is necessary before a student finally “gets
it”. In this light, let’s explore together what I as a Functional
Movement Education Therapist do. ...
Are you able to recognize an approaching acquaintance long before you can see
his or her face? The way we move is an identifiable part of who we are.
We, as human beings, enjoy movement. We love to move. Babies love
to move. They love to learn.
It’s within the innate desire and curiosity of a child (and adult) to
learn about themselves and their environment. They enjoy to learn how to,
for instance, roll, turn, bend, walk, or run. It’s within our being the
natural desire for rotation or rotating, flexing, extending, twisting or other
kinds of movements.
Functional Movement Education is about learning.
It’s a way to learn. However, in order for someone to learn, it has to be fun and interesting to
the individual, as well as comfortable.
Thus, trying to, say, abruptly do a somersault or roll on the ground, or to
strain by forcing your hands to touch your toes with locked knees, if this is
uncomfortable, your Self (your body) is not learning.
Clients originally come to me because of an injury … a back or neck injury,
joint pain in the shoulder, wrist, elbow, knee or other orthopedic
problem.
As a Functional Movement Education Therapist, I do not directly go in with the
intention to “fix” the other person or to even change the other person.
However, I stay in tune with the “process”. I do the “process”. As
part of the “process”, I am always staying observant, to be observant or aware,
of the “process” that is happening or continues to occur between myself and the
client before me. By me, as the Functional Movement Educator, being
engaged in this “process”, this ultimately has wonderful therapeutic results,
such as eliminating pain or improving the quality of life function, actions, or
activities for the client.
As I am working with a client before me, the following are questions that
continue to reverberate in my thinking as I am engaged in the process, or
"working" in my relation to the client.:
"How can we 'dance' together? ... How can we move
together? ... How do we move together? ... What
movement is it that we want to do together? What is it (from preventing
us) from moving together? What do I put out? What energy do I put
out? Where do they meet me? ..."
"Where my hands currently are on this person, rather, from where I'm
currently working, what else within this person moves? ... How much
of them goes along with this movement? Where along them does this
movement stop? How can I 'catch' the rest of themselves within this
movement? ... Are we dancing together differently?
..." "As I push here, how much or how far does this movement or
action trickle along them? ..."
I may or may not get immediate answers, or, at least, no cognitive or
articulate answers to my questions. This is very typical. As part
of the process that I am engaged in, I continue to move or “dance” with the
individual, or continue to see where I can dance or move with this person,
continuing to re-circulate these kinds of questions.
A physical example of what I do would be the following. A client comes to
me complaining of back pain. I ask the client to lie down on my table on
their back with supporting rollers placed under their bent knees for further
comfort. I am having them lie down in order to give their body the
opportunity to be taken out of their habitual pattern of holding or tension
while upright, in order to make them more comfortable, so that they can be more
open to Learning.
Questions that begin to pervade my thinking as I am engaged with this person
are.:
"What am I attracted to or drawn to within this person? ...
What catches my eye? ... What 'dance' do I wish to do? What
dance do we wish to do together? Where does this person want me to touch
them? ... to dance with them? ... to move with
them?"
Sometimes, I might be drawn to the shoulder area. Yes, the shoulder, even
though the client complained of back pain. As I "work" the
shoulder, I allow myself to stay aware and observant of where does this shoulder
wish to move? Where does it want to go? How much of the rest of the
person comes along with this movement of the shoulder?
Where within them, how can I "catch" the rest of their body within
this movement? I may then move to another place that I am drawn to.
I decide to lift their leg. As I lift, what else of this individual is
connected to this movement? I continue to move and dance with the
individual and allow myself to remain aware and observant of the process.
After a session, a client will sometimes say how she was surprised
that I never touched her back but her "back pain" is gone now.
Again, I don't "fix", or rather, I don't go in with the intention to
fix. However, this Functional Movement Education work, a.k.a. movement
education, this cultivation of body awareness, brings therapeutic
benefits. Thus, it ultimately brings helpful results or fixes.
Another word we Functional Movement Education Therapists use is to refer to
this session with a client as a session for improving "Functionality".
Note how I continue to use the words Functional, Functionality, or their
derivatives. We are working with a person's functionality, or how they
function, how they move or act. Functional Movement Education is functional
work. It is not structural work. We Functional Movement Educators
don't have the direct intention to change or manipulate a person’s structure,
albeit, their physical anatomy. This may happen ultimately, but it is not
my direct intention. The functional work is unlike other structural
workers such as, for instance, rolfers, who's intention is to manipulate or
work the fascia structure of an individual, or the chiropractor, who
manipulates or adjusts bone placement.
Every single Functional Movement Education session is different. Each
session is customized to the individual. Each individual, each
individual's body, his or her needs, is unique, just as each snowflake.
As a Functional Movement Educator, using my
hands-on tactical feedback, I help to expand a client's kinesthetic, or bodily,
awareness of themselves. By a person encompassing more of themselves, rather, a
greater self-image, pain or discomfort is eliminated.Conclusively, I have given this individual the
sensory-motor experience of moving easily, rather, what it is like to move
effortlessly without strain or discomfort. Thus, they now have a better
“organized” body for movement. Having a better organization, they are now
pain-free. They have learned a new pattern for movement.
Some of the conditions I have successfully treated include:
Acute and chronic joint pain - including back, neck, shoulder, hip, and knee
pain, arthritis, sciatica, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, balance
issues, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, as well as other orthopedic or
neurological conditions.
As a keyboardist, as well as former all-state trumpet player and all-county
cross-country runner, I especially enjoy working with musicians and athletes,
for enlarging their body and self-awareness to enhance performance. I was
previously honored to have presented Movement Education, twice, to the
International Association of Fitness Professionals (IDEA) at their 1996 and
1997 World Fitness Expo & Conventions, as well as at the 1996 North
American Feldenkrais Guild conference.
If you haven't already, you may be interested in viewing a short,
2-minute video of me (made within a full, 45-minute session) working
with a client, by clicking on the link above.
Please feel free to contact me for any further questions you might have.
Your first Functional Movement Education session with me:
Functional Movement Education is a wonderful,
body-centered method for self-exploration using movement. I recommend to
my clients to wear loose, comfortable clothes. You will find that this
special form of bodywork is very relaxing. In fact, you’ll probably find
that as a result of the pleasant unwinding experienced, your body begins to
slow down. Therefore, you may have a tendency to more easily feel cold
during a session. For this reason, you probably do not want to wear
shorts. Thus, I recommend you wear long pants. Some clients like to
wear sweats.
Also, you may want to wear socks and possibly even a sweat shirt if you might
need, otherwise, to avoid feeling cold.
After the session, you will be in a nice, calm, relaxed state. Some
clients after receiving my work desire some quiet time afterward to be by
themselves to be alone. This may be as little as 15 minutes, or
substantially longer. After your session, your body is still continuing
to nicely process the “lesson” for some time afterward. Therefore, you
probably don’t want to do anything especially hectic or active, or any heavy
lifting, after a session. Preferably, you may want to wait until the next
day before doing anything especially active as your body continues to process.
However, living in today’s fast times, within our fast, familial and societal
obligatory world, this isn’t always possible. Therefore, I usually tell
clients to at least not do anything especially active for at least 3 hours
after a session.
Clients ask me about "working out", or a "workout",
afterward. I tell them that it’s better if they work out before they see
me, and then they have the nice, relaxing session with me to look forward to
afterward. This is more productive than the opposite, that is, to receive
my work and then to immediately afterward go out and do a rigorous workout.
However, I should add that if you have decided for yourself that it is
imperative that you work out, and there is no other time to schedule your
workout than for after a session with me, then, fine. Receiving my work
before working out and then working out afterward, … this is probably better
for you than only solely working out and never receiving any Functional
Movement Education work at all.
Come on in and enjoy!
The best of health to all!
James
Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education Center
Dr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
www.feldenkraisjamesspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"
"If
you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor
experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without
strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to
stiffness and pain!"
To
see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful
"'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here
Dear Health Enthusiast!
Greetings to you! With our recent celebration this week of Chinese Lunar New Year, “Year of the Snake”, I am reminded how here in beautiful, sunny Southern California (most of the time, anyway) in just a few weeks we will be able to enjoy our wonderful Southland Springtime accolades.It’s floating all over the Net. … You may have seen or heard how a very interesting article was recently published on December 13, 2012 in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention, titled:
Ability to Sit and Rise from the Floor Is Closely Correlated with All-Cause Mortality RiskTest of musculo-skeletal fitness is 'strong predictor' of mortality in the middle-aged and older
Many similar versions of this notable article can now be seen in many different websites such as in the Science Daily, European Society of Cardiology, as well as in several other documented sources.
You may like to check out the following link:http://www.escardio.org/about/press/press-releases/pr-12/Pages/ability-to-rise-correlated-mortality.aspx?hit=dontmiss
where it is written:
"If a middle-aged or older man or woman can sit and rise from the floor using just one hand - or even better without the help of a hand - they are not only in the higher quartile of musculo-skeletal fitness but their survival prognosis is probably better than that of those unable to do so."Here’s the link to read the same article on the Science Daily:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121213085202.htm
The Science Daily writes within their rendition of the story:
"A simple screening test of musculo-skeletal fitness has proved remarkably predictive of all-cause mortality in a study of more than 2000 middle-aged and older men and women. The study, performed in Brazil by Dr Claudio Gil Araújo and colleagues at the Clinimex -- Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, is reported today in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention."
If this all sounds intimidating, as an Injury Rehab Therapist, my background being a Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, I can greatly help you with this.
This “going-to-the-floor article” validates and reaffirms what every Functional Movement Therapist like myself already knows, that being the importance of movement education. There have been many recent articles and documents of late publishing how 90% of the brain is attributed toward movement or sensory-motor learning skills. Thus, the desire for working with improving our movement skills fortunately carries over into the education and improvement of all of our Being.
Thus, when a high priority is placed on establishing for ourselves to be able to gradually learn how to move about more easily, this ultimately equates to improving our overall health into all areas of life.
I greatly enjoy working with Seniors as well as those of you experiencing movement challenges, helping you to learn body awareness, how all of your body comes together, how it is all connected, in order to be able to ultimately give you an inner knowing for finding your optimal way to very comfortably get to the ground or floor, and to also be able to easily and elegantly return to standing. This is Movement Re-education!
Wearing my hat as a Functional Movement Educator, I will give to you a sensory motor experience of what it feels like to move easily, effortlessly and comfortably from sitting to standing, and from standing to sitting.
Please feel free to ask me more about how I can help you with this.
Health is so important. After all, as my business logo since the early 1990’s declares:
"Health is All that Matters!"The best to you for a wonderful Chinese Lunar New Year, "Year of the Snake"!
James
Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education Center
Dr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
www.feldenkraisjamesspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"
"If
you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor
experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without
strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to
stiffness and pain!"
To
see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful
"'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here
Dear Musician, Future Musician, as well as Music Lover!
A big “Hello!” to you. You are "my kin"!
Let me start by saying that, as a Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, I love working with musicians, albeit, my kin. My forte is playing the trumpet (more on that below). However, I also am familiar with playing keyboards, especially the piano, as well as a little bit of guitar. This helps lend itself to understand the aches, pains and tribulations that musicians of all instruments sometimes experience in an effort to achieve perfection.
Back in the day, I was rather good at playing the trumpet. Let me please share some reasons for that.:
Sure. It's sometimes good to have a regimented music teacher, someone who lays down a structure, who sticks to the basics, etc. This kind of teacher usually sticks to drilling a student on learning to play scales, to play (sometimes boring) etudes, or other kinds of drills. However, I also believe that it is helpful to have variety. Therefore, I also believe what helped me a lot ...
I am blessed to have had as my very first music teacher, “Mr. Clark”, through the public school system that I attended. It was in the 3rd grade when my beloved father purchased for me a brand new trumpet. I remember vividly. However, it was inferred as being a fun, casual thing. I didn’t have to take it at all seriously. Thus, I would say that my biggest years for musical development were my grade school years, grades 3 through 5 that I spent with Mr. Clark. Looking back I am fortunate that my parents really never pushed me to succeed at learning how to play the trumpet. They just sort of laid back and let me pursue my own curiosity and interests regarding the instrument. There was never any push to make it better, or “play more nicely”. Or a push to enter a certain contest or win a musical award and the like. However, on my own, because I wanted to, later on I did enter contests, win musical awards, enter competitions …
I would show up for my weekly lessons, in Mr. Clark’s office, sometimes with 1, 2, or maybe 3 other trumpet students, and we kids were allowed to have fun … to explore … to play … to even frequently joke.
Outside of the fun, “free-to-explore” Mr. Clark, as well as weekly band practice with the grade school band led also by Mr. Clark, I was fortunate to have a wonderful role model, that being the marvelous trumpet player, Herb Alpert. Most likely if you were born before 1970, you are familiar with the magnificently fun music group, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. Herb’s unique trumpet sound was popularly heard on television, such as in the opening as well as in other parts of the notorious show, The Dating Game. Herb’s horn became widely known for lively blasting the “Teaberry Shuffle”, for the illustrious advertisement for Teaberry Gum … Not to mention, Herb’s magical renditions of the songs, “The Lonely Bull”, “Spanish Flea”, “Tijuana Taxi”, “This Guy’s in Love with You”, … the list of hits goes on … Even as late as 1979, during the disco era, Herb had an excellent hit, titled "Rise", which was played in every disco. With a great dance beat, everyone was luvin’ it.
I collected all of Herb Alpert's albums. This was back in the day of the LP, with the uniquely illustrious covers protecting these priceless records. Does anyone remember the cover to Herb’s album, “Whipped Cream”? Let’s just say that Herb would always state in concert to the audience, “We’re sorry that we can’t play the Cover for you.” :-)
Within the comforts of my home, I frequently put Herb’s records on the stereo and played along with him. I learned all the notes of his songs, either through imitation or by buying a "Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass songbook". Because I was exposed to his smooth, make-it-look-easy, trumpet playing style, apparently my inner body intelligence (fortunately) thought that that was how a trumpet player is supposed to play, rather, how a trumpet player is supposed to sound. Apparently, my body (and brain) registered or recorded that this was the way to play a trumpet.
Herb Alpert was my idol. I knew and played by heart all of the songs of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Extremely Luvin’ it!
Occasionally, I would turn on the radio ... a pop music station ... I would then play along with the melody of the song. Sure. I didn't get all the notes right away. But, after several, ... several, ... several minutes, I was finally able to figure out what the notes were and to then be able to play along with the pop artist that was singing. If it was a rock tune, I would learn the notes (with sometimes a lot of trial and error, but this was OK.) and then play along with it. I enjoyed myself. I enjoyed what I was playing. I was having fun. If I wasn't having fun, I let it go for the day.
As a child, when I became tired, or it didn't seem fun any more, I instinctively knew when to stop playing for the time being. I didn't have the belief that I was to "push myself", rather, to falsely conjure up more energy to artificially continue to play.
I got creative. I sometimes blew out any notes that I felt like honking or proclaiming out from my horn. I wrote a few songs. :-) Shabby and as rudimentary as they were, my songs probably made no sense to anyone else, but I was having a ball. And, apparently, it's under fun conditions like this that my body was learning to have fun and to play well.
I played fun stuff that was fun to me, again, Herb Alpert music. I guess that Herb's sound back in the 1960's and 70's would be referred to today as something like "smooth jazz with a Mexican ethnic twist", or something of the like. It spoke to me at the time. I loved it!
Another thing that I believe was helpful for my development as a trumpeter was that I was very often receiving positive praise and feedback from those around me, such as my family, classmates and friends, regarding “Jimmy’s beautiful playing”. I was often told how wonderful I was. Thus, I actually started believing it. J This then nicely snowballed or grew upon itself in a good way, in that I continued to have more positive thoughts about myself, which then continued to nourish me and my development for trumpet playing. Then, I received more praise and accolades … thus, a wonderfully positive vicious cycle. It’s probably logical that you become great when you’re repeatedly told you’re great. The universe manifests itself.
One other thing that I believe was helpful in my development as a trumpet player …
When I was young, my beloved mother knew to buy for me as a gift one of the “Music Minus One” records from their extensive collection series. She bought for my birthday, the “Music Minus One” series for “Duke Ellington”, with its accompanying songbook. Duke was a legend within the jazz community. With the accompanying song book mounted on my music stand, having my lead (solo) part written out for me, I then put the “Music Minus One for Duke Ellington” record on. This contained all the necessary background music, which consisted of strings, piano, percussion, etc. for each particular song on the record. Then, I was free to play the solo (lead part) of each of those particular songs, such as, “It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that swing”, and other fun songs composed by Duke Ellington.
Although I was within the comforts of my small bedroom, I actually felt like I had a live band all around me, accompanying me as best as they could. They were there to support me, making me look good. It was all about me. This was my world, and the other “bandmembers” were just in it.
The following year, Mom bought for me the “Music Minus One” record for “Hits by Hal David and Burt Bacharach”, with its accompanying song book for the lead part. This record included all of the background music for these well-known pop composers for many of their various hits, many of them which they wrote for Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, the Carpenters, and Dionne Warwick, among others. I especially enjoyed playing the lead or solo for the songs on this record as the strings, keyboards, and percussion wonderfully supported me in the background. I was free to be the soloist within my wonderful bedroom, free of any outside world distractions.
The company, Music Minus One, was begun in 1950. If you're interested, today, they have an informative website where you can also order products, it being:http://musicminusone.com/
Now, for the icing on the cake, here's my chance to "toot my own horn". Literally. J By the time I arrived into the 8th grade, I was seated as the 1st chair for Trumpet in the New York Junior High School All-State band, thus, encompassing the whole state of New York.
By this point I was interested in becoming a professional trumpet player. But, then in high school, I ultimately became obsessed with the primo rock group, Led Zeppelin, which changed my focus of taste in music. By the way, I had the pleasure of meeting Robert Plant, the lead singer of Led Zeppelin. With such a warm, vivid and amiable personality and demeanor, I am convinced that he is the world’s absolute nicest guy!
This all brings me to my Functional Movement Education practice of today for working with musicians. I work with these performers who often times have pain or discomfort in the back, neck, shoulder, and wrist areas.
My Movement Education sessions are good in that they allow someone (a music student in this case) to "have options" .. to be able to have variety ... to not get unnecessarily stuck in structure or dogma. The regimented, I would like to think good intentioned, music teacher may say that a student needs to, for instance, stand in one particular "correct" posture. They may also unnecessarily deliberate that a student's mouth embouchure must contact the mouthpiece in one particular way, or that the student's arms must be positioned in a certain way, or that a student is to stand in a certain way - that they are to never slouch, etc.
Although this might be an ultimate deliverable to attain, it may be adverse, or work against you, if it is your direct primal interest to achieve. You may wish to consider to possibly let the postures or stances form naturally around themselves after you first acquire the desired sound. This way, you did not create the postures from some artificial means, with no “soul” behind it or backing it up. Instead, your form naturally grew out from your skillfully attained prowess. Rather than pre-set forms, this may all be unnecessary dogma.
[However, I will state that there is not necessarily any one formula. For some, it may be ultimately productive to first go for the postures or stances, and to then subsequently allow the sound to emerge. Hey, whatever works for you!]
Allow yourself to occasionally slouch, if you want to, as you play. Don't worry. Your body won't want to stay like that permanently. Even slouching, if it is done all the time, rather than it being relaxing, will eventually become tiring. And, after a while, your body will naturally want to get away from doing any slouching. Allow me to say that if you find yourself all the time slouching, then, allow yourself the option of sitting more upright. If you find yourself excessively slouching, you may want to ask yourself, "What is it that manifests for me to slouch? Am I in need to rest my back? Does the music I have selected to play manifest this?"
Whenever you're playing, allow yourself to do anything that you want, when you want to - provided that you don't hurt yourself or hurt someone else.
Here are just a few different fun variations for you to explore. Stand on one leg as you play. Stand on the other leg as you continue to play. While keeping your feet planted on the ground, turn around about yourself as you continue to play. That is, for example, with your feet in more or less one place, gradually twist the rest of yourself (from the ankles upward) to the left while continuing to play. Or, go in the opposite direction, rather, twist yourself to the right as you play. Look down at the ground while playing. Allow yourself to gradually arch your back and neck to look upward as you continue to play. When doing any of these variations, always stay within your comfort range.
Have fun. Discover and explore for yourself how you can make it fun. Be creative. Allow yourself to be creative.
When musicians schedule to see me for a Functional Movement session, I welcome them to bring their instrument. When they do, I have them play a few lines of music before, as well as after, our session together. This way they have a “before and after picture”. That is, they are able to directly transfer over the movement re-education experience from the Functional Movement table bodywork directly to their activity of playing music, and they have positive evidence and feedback of this.
As a musician, or someone who enjoys playing music, would you like to improve your prowess, dexterity, breathing, or be able to play with total grace and pleasure, without experiencing any pain or discomfort? My Movement Education sessions can help make you more aware of your habitual neuromuscular patterns and rigidities and to expand options for new ways of moving while increasing sensitivity and improving efficiency.
Please feel free to call me at tel. no. 310-395-1952 to schedule an appointment.
All the best to you,
James
Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education Center
Dr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
www.feldenkraisjamesspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"
"If
you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor
experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without
strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to
stiffness and pain!"
To
see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful
"'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here
Wow! That's a lot of words for a title. What do I mean by this?
Please reference the following link to see an informative video made by Movement Specialist Jackie Mason, posted to Google. Former classmates together, Jackie was actually in my particular Training Program with me in New York City back in 1991 through 1994, when we both graduated together. Click below to see how Jackie's extensive knowledge of Movement Education comes through in the following video.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3005418105570551332
Movement Matters with Jackie - Part 8 - Relieve Back Pain with Rotation
58 minutes 5 seconds in length.
I did not intend for you guys to watch the complete video, it being over 58 minutes long. Although if you decide to do so, you may find it very helpful. I just wanted you all to see the first 3 minutes of Jackie's video, where she makes a good point to say how we, as people, when it comes to working out, treat our joints as "hinges". Rather, to put it in my own words, we usually only move our limbs and the rest of our body parts in "1-dimensional" kinds of movements. That is, we move "straight up and down", or, "straight back and forth". These are how most conventional workouts are designed. To give one example, take the popular weightlifting exercise, the "Military Press". You "press" or lift a weight directly above your head (in a straight line), and then you gradually lower the weight (in a straight line) back to "neutral" (the starting point) to then be able to repeat the same trajectory many more times. This is moving in one dimension. This is OK to work out like this some of the time, that is, to move "linearly". However, as Jackie infers, we should probably also work out our limbs and other body parts in "2-dimensional" kinds of movements, rather, in rotational kinds of movements as well.
Thinking in these terms, check out the following video uploaded by Jack Cascio onto youtube.com back on December 14, 2011.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qcXPg_2aYo
Intense "Pull-Up Workout" Get Faster!, 1 minute 54 seconds in length.
Jack Cascio is a revered fitness trainer, nationally renown for his knowledge and skill in improving athlete's sprinting speed and jumping ability. I like how within this video, Jack demonstrates some great upper body, pull-up exercises, which, believe it or not, can ultimately influence your running speed. [Remember, "Everything is connected to everything." Thus, if your upper body is primed, it ultimately influences the finesse of your lower body (your legs).]
Note the second exercise that Jack demonstrates in this video, the "Around the Clock" pull-ups. These are good in that they are not the conventional linear, or 1-dimensional pull up. Rather, they are a 2-dimensional, or circular, kind of movement.
Circular movements are great for developing athleticism. Speaking of which …
The “Push-Up”
We are all familiar with the classic exercise, the push-up. This is a wonderful exercise. However, keeping in mind what we have been discussing, it would perhaps also be beneficial for you if you modified the movement from time to time. After all, muscles like to be exercised with variety, at all different angles and perspective. This is why it is sometimes helpful to change up your routine from time to time.
As you know, the starting position of the standard push-up requires you to position yourself on your hands and the toes of your feet, with your head, torso, and legs above the ground, with your arms pushed-out or extended. Thus, your arms are relatively “unbent”. From here, you begin to allow yourself to come toward the ground. Rather, you “go down” toward the ground. That is, you allow your elbows to bend in order that you be able to, for instance, touch either your nose, chin, or chest to the ground. Then, you immediately push out or extend your arms in order to push your body away from the ground in order to return to the starting position once again.
Note that this is a “straight up and down”, or linear, motion.
Here’s a fun modification to the push-up, which incorporates circular movements.:
I enjoy doing these.
From the starting position, the next time that you go down toward the ground, be different. Try to throw in a little “twist” or circle to the movement. That is, for instance, as you move downward toward the ground, have the intention of going downward as well as, at the same time, toward the right. That is, allow your face to simultaneously drop downward toward the ground as well as toward your right hand. When your face is about halfway toward the ground, then begin to allow your face to begin to move toward the left so that, after your face touches the ground, it continues to move toward the left so that when it is halfway up, it is over toward your left hand. Continue the upward movement as you begin to simultaneously move your head toward the right. Continue in this trajectory so that when you finally arrive up to the initial starting position, your head is once again in the center. You have now just completed a full circle! Bravo!
You may have just discovered how this modification to the standard push-up, this circular movement, seems fun, interesting, as well as maybe even empowering.
This circular movement may feel difficult at first. However, as you get stronger and more skilled, it becomes easier. You may even find that as you become more proficient with this movement, you’ll be able to increase the size of the circle, rather, the diameter of the circle.
Can you think of other movements or exercises that you can do to incorporate circular movements, instead of doing the conventional linear movement? Go ahead. Be creative. J
Hasta la vista,
James
Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education Center
Dr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
www.feldenkraisjamesspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"
"If
you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor
experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without
strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to
stiffness and pain!"
To
see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful
"'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here
