The Genius of Greg – Part II

I suddenly developed a pain in my foot after running five kilometres a day for a year. Part I of this story is here. Part II is the story of how I ended up with a sore foot?

This kind of thing I am helping people with all the time:

Musicians with sore fingers, arms and tired lips.

Yoginis experiencing discomfort while doing a back-bend.

Salary workers getting sore neck and back while all day at the computer.

Here we go with my story…

Anatomically, I was suffering from an act of unnecessary co-contraction. 

Co-contraction is a handy ability we have to slow down our movement by contracting against it. For example, when you place a heavy teapot on the table, you are extending your arm to do it, AND you are also slowing down that extension by firing up your flexors.

For example, Piano players can get into trouble with this. 

When opposing muscles groups of the arms get out of balance with each other – you end up with an arm ache. Pianists are taking their arm down to the piano to play – a lot – but of course, their arm must come up again. However, if they keep thinking down to the keyboard - even when their arm is coming up - slow agony can develop. The pianist's arm is trying to go down and up at the same time – that is co-contraction.

A lot of it is in the timing. And the degree of contraction. So what happened to me?

Over the past year – without realizing it – I had accustomed my spine to rotating slightly to the left while lying in bed (basically to cuddle my new partner!). 

When Greg placed his finger-tips under my left armpit, he showed me how I could move my left 'cuddle' arm forward again, and with that movement, my spine went along with it. As I came out of that unnecessary rotation – I was standing a classroom now, not home in bed – my leg was delighted.

My spinal rotation had been rotating my left leg out, but when I ran, I needed to rotate it back in the other way, without realizing that I was already pulling it out. I ended up at war with myself, trying to take my leg in two opposite directions at the same time. Co-contraction.

The result was that my ankle could not stand it – it complained!

And now – almost miraculously as I rotated back to centre – my whole leg and ankle experienced bliss. Really. My leg kept saying:

"Oh, thanks, Greg. Jeremy didn't know what to do!"

Because it is hard to see your Self. 

Even after 50 years of the work, I needed another Alexander teacher to analysis my movement for me. I was quick to understand and change – on my run for the last few mornings, no pain at all.

(And my right leg – interesting to note – now started to work a little more. It was not so happy with Greg. Kidding.)

When you are in trouble, you first need intelligent analysis based on Alexander's Discovery – knowing how your structure is designed to work as a whole. 

However, to be good at analysis first, you need accurate information, and that's what BodyThinking Online offers. Although it is part of BodyChance's Pro course, it is now available as a stand-alone course.

This month in my daily, I will be introducing you to many BodyThinking concepts, and showing you how it may help in your own life, and with your students and performances.

I've got a great offer which I will explain as I go along, but you can read more and buy right now if you can't wait!

https://bodychance.mykajabi.com/store/oTZvjLye