This week, I am very pleased to share five posts written for us by Ruth Polden. Ruth is a movement change-maker. As a Feldenkrais practitioner, yoga teacher and dancer she is enthralled by the connection between movement and how we think and feel about ourselves. She supports people to move with comfort, ease and efficiency and function better in what they love to do in life.
I encourage you to read these beautiful posts slowly and at least twice. These are not words to rush through.
Ruth also chose the music, starting today with a very cool cover of Lovely Day.
—Jeff
Lovely to meet you.
I’ll be jumping into your in-box this week with some thoughts about movement (as in moving your body), and learning.
Your life story.
Is a mix of chapters and experiences
That come to shape how you know yourself.
How you think, feel and move through life.
That shape and organise your physicality.
Your form.
This unique-to-you form
Is part of your YOUness.
Consequently, we all function in movement differently.
Sit, stand, walk, run in a way that is uniquely ours.
I do.
You do.
Within this uniqueness, the familiar is regulating.
We rinse-repeat patterns learnt and embodied through our experiences.
Patterns that in time, go under our radar. Become unconscious.
Habits.
Habits aren’t bad.
They can be useful.
At certain times along the way they have served us well.
Sometimes though, we get stuck in habits that aren’t helpful.
That send repetitive force and strain through us.
Through specific parts of our structure.
Our form.
Form follows function.
Function follows form.
Transmission of uneven force and strain can limit function over time.
Manifesting as stiffness, creakiness, discomfort.
As functional change.
(Moving from sitting on the floor to standing, say).
And as tension, stress, inflammation, injury, anxiety, aches, pain…
All feedback messages
Inviting change.
Change is possible.
Yes, really.
Bringing more of ourself to the movement party and moving smart.
Each moving part, efforts less.
Action and force become evenly spread.
A new pattern of movement emerges.
New neural pathways form (in the brain) that expand possibility.
Give more movement choices.
More choice brings improved movement function.
Brings a freedom to movement and the pleasure of moving with comfort and ease.
Change is possible.
As we move (!) through the week I’ll be un-packing some of this.
I hope you will accompany me.
See you tomorrow!
Have a lovely day.
Ruth x
 | A guest post by
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Friends and family visited for 3 days in my home this weekend. My rituals of “rolling around in the floor” to keep the kinks out was mimicked. I saw everyone start loosening their necks and getting into their bodies, too. Movement is medicine.🏌🏼♀️
I could certainly do with some un-doing of strain patterns. Will follow your week here with interest, Ruth!