Using Your Whole Body

I love it when I read stories like this one.

A doctor who wants to solve problems instead of treating them!

Note: While we agree with the good doctor on working with the whole body, we don't buy into the idea that people need to be "fixed" (that would imply that we are somehow "broken"). We do believe everyone can learn to function at a much higher level.

It’s not that he wants to go out of business, I’m sure. He just doesn’t want to keep treating the same folks over and over for the same stuff.

In his viewpoint, the body needs to be in balance.

It’s what we call being integrated.

And you can learn how to be more integrated!

You see, the more integrated you are, the more you are able to utilize your whole self effectively when taking action.

And the more integrated you are in the use of your “self”, the more productive you’ll be.

Let’s expound on what being more integrated means.

When someone performs any given action, all of their body is involved whether they realize it or not.

Any individual muscle fiber either helps with the action or hinders it. The muscle fiber may help by contracting when appropriate or relaxing when appropriate.

Likewise a muscle fiber that contracts or relaxes at the wrong time hinders the action.

The key is to learn how to take action with all of your resources dedicated towards that action – you don’t want to be “fighting” yourself.

Because “fighting” yourself actually creates wear and tear on you joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles.

Here’s a quick example:

When you are hammering in a nail, does it really help to stick your tongue out and bite on it?

You might argue that it improves your concentration but it actually hinders you and makes the action more difficult to perform.

Why is that?

As you bite on your tongue you contract muscles in your tongue, face, neck and probably shoulder. If all of these areas are locked up, then your arm has to do more in order to supply the force and accuracy needed to drive the nail in.

If you do not bite your tongue, your neck and facial muscles can stay relaxed and your shoulder muscles are available to contribute to the task of driving in the nail.

Quite a simplistic example, but you get the point.

The more integrated you are, the more you learn how to equally distribute your efforts throughout your entire self.

Which enables you to be more effective.

And the more effective you are, the better you’ll perform.

And it’s all about performance.

LET ME ASK YOU THIS…
What do you do that inhibits optimal performance?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Send us an email and let us know what you do to perform better.

*****

Chad Estes
Movement Specialist
cestes@etmconsultants.com