My left shoulder blade has a twinge this morning. I keep exploring this sensation, moving my shoulder up, down and in circles. I’m attempting to make it better, or worse, but it nags without change. My mind, of course, wants to know: “How did this happen? What did you, body, do wrong?” When my shoulders hurt, it is usually because they’ve been too helpful. In this instance, my shoulders tried to help my hips.
Yesterday, I enjoyed a fabulous yoga practice that focused on grounding and hip opening. Hip opening has little to do with shoulders, but whenever my body attempts something challenging, my shoulders always try to help by lifting or straining. It reminds me of myself as a child, the eldest sister, who needed to perfect my younger sisters’ actions. “Here, do it this way.” “No, no, no, you better let me do it.” My shoulders apparently haven’t given up this annoying habit.
At least I am conscious of this pattern so I can try to change it. I’m usually aware of my shoulders’ tendency and tell them, “Relax, the rest of my body can handle it.” This incident is a reminder to stay aware. It also makes me wonder where else in my life am I being overbearing in the guise of being overly helpful.
In the meantime, I’ll spend the next half hour on a self-designed, shoulder-strain-relieving yoga practice and then a few minutes with a tennis ball to release the remaining trigger points. Meanwhile I will consider how I can learn to let things be.
I’ve been here before with my shoulders and I will be again. Mind-body learning is a life-long process that starts with a body sensation that leads to awareness through exploration and contemplation that becomes an opportunity for growth and change.
2 comments:
HI Anita, I am a body worker and creator of two systems of postural alignment called YogAlign and FitAlign. I just came across your website and have enjoyed reading it.
I just finished a 4 year project of writing my book which is endorsed by both Mary Bond and Tom Myers. I thought you might be interested to check it out too and perhaps put a link on your site if you resonate with the work.
Anyhow you made this statement in your article:
Hip opening has little to do with shoulders, but whenever my body attempts something challenging, my shoulders always try to help by lifting or straining.
According to global fascial anatomy, all parts affect the whole. Tightness or tension in the hips can definitely affect the shoulders and tightness in the shoulders can affect the hips. There are no separate parts in the human body. All movements reverberate through the whole structure.
Please check out my website if you are interested at www.yogalign.com with aloha, Michaelle Edwards
Michaelle, You are so correct! Everything in the body is connected. I was being lazy in my language when I said that hip opening had little to do with my shoulder problem. I wish you the best with your book, YogAlign. It looks very interesting.
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