Self Help : The Nature of Muscle

Simply put, muscles do two things:

1) Contract (flex), become short and firm; and
2) Relax, become long and soft...at ease.

Muscles work in balanced, opposing groups.

   For example, when your biceps muscle goes into contraction, there is an unconscious parallel message from your brain to the opposing muscle group, the triceps, to relax. Muscle Management takes advantage of this innate balancing act. Contracted muscle can be encouraged to return to its relaxed state by contracting the opposing muscle group. Simple.

Muscle Spasm and Tightness

   Muscle's often respond to physical insults and trauma by contracting into a protective spasm. Your body then adapts and compensates around that restriction, reducing ease and adding stress. As therapist's, we are often addressing these adaptations long after the original injury has "healed'. Continuing insult to the muscle tissue, such as work positions, repetitive stress, lazy posture, lack of movement and exercise, etc. force the muscle tissue to spend entirely too much time in this mode.

   Regular exercise that includes stretching helps to address those daily insults and adaptations.

   One of the keys to success in this system is for you to use your intention and imagination. Rumor has it that we humans use less than 10 percent of our potential abilities. Consider the possibility that we can increase that percentage when we exercise our ability to imagine and intend. (see Nose ring)

   Portions of the this web site's informational content is intended to increase that percentage and encourage your body's innate ability to maintain and repair itself. The goal is simply to enhance the muscular "Balancing Act" of the body and reduce tension.

Body/muscular tension monitoring

Specific stretching techniques

Specific self-help massage techniques

A shopping list of muscles to offer to your therapist

 

Good health is not a state so much as it is quest...for equilibrium, balance...... and ease. TS