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Kendra Renzoni
Kendra Renzoni
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A LARGER WAY OF BEING: “People come to us with q A LARGER WAY OF BEING: “People come to us with questions we can’t possibly answer. Life has just blown their world to bits. They’re hurting, scared, and uncertain, miles beyond the borders of the world they’ve known and trusted until now. They feel disoriented, panicky, and hopeless, and we want to offer something that helps their head stop spinning and their heart stop hurting. But what can we offer? What is there to say, with certainty, about matters of mystery?… What’s important, of course, is not having answers. Most of the time there just aren’t any of those anyway. What’s important is accompanying the strugglers into the unknown, staying with them while their world is reeling, validating and normalizing their experience, resisting whatever temptation we might feel to offer some easy but false answer, asking good questions, being a calm voice that lets them know they’re not alone, and staying with them while they learn to integrate the struggle into a larger way of being in the world.… Accompaniment instead of answers.“ - Russell Siler Jones in his Book: Spirit In Session #healing #founder #spinalinjury #nervoussystem #nervoussystemregulation #resilience #possibilities #accompaniment #growth #expansion #lettinggo #grief #openmyworld #foundationtraining #posteriorchain #plantarfasciitis #anklemobility #stabilitytraining #mobilitytraining #expansion #breathwork #decompression #functionalfitness #movementismedicine #mindfulness #awareness #iliotibialband #adductors #diaphragm #shoulderrehab #protectyaneck
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM: DORSAL VAGAL PATHWAY: AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM: DORSAL VAGAL PATHWAY: Under cues of life threat, its unique survival response is immobilization. It developed 500 million years ago, is a part of the Parasympathetic Nervous System (the vagus nerve is the major component of the parasympathetic system)and was the first distinct pathway developed in service of survival. We share this pathway with our reptilian ancestors. It runs in the background, regulating organs below the diaphragm, including the digestive system. SYMPATHETIC BRANCH: Under cues of danger, it’s unique survival response gives us options of mobilization, fight or flight. It developed 400 million years ago, 100 million years after the Dorsal Vagal pathway, and was, through the course of evolution, the next system to arrive. It also works to circulate blood, shape normal heart rhythms, regulate body temperature, respond to changes in posture, and provide energy to the system to support passion and play. VENTRAL VAGAL BRANCH: Brings the ability for connection and social engagement. Where sympathetic and dorsal vagal states activate either/or experience, constricting the ability to see beyond limited options, the ventral vagal state brings alive the expansive world of both/and that is filled with possibilities and choices. It developed 200 million years ago, 200 million years after the Sympathetic Nervous System and is the most recent of the three pathways to arrive on our evolutionary journey. The Ventral Vagus primarily influences organs above the diaphragm, is unique to mammals, and is tasked with overseeing the autonomic nervous system, metaphorically holding the sympathetic and dorsal vagal systems in a warm embrace, when this pathway is directing the system, healthy homeostasis is the result. #autonomicnervoussystem #selfregulation #posture #correctiveexercise #decompression #spinalhygiene #spinalhealth #sacroiliacjoint #foothealth #plantarfasciitis #kneehab #hipmobility #hipstability #iliotibialband #transverseabdominus #corestrength #superfiscialbackline #anatomytrains #latissimusdorsi #shoulderhealth #protectyaneck #breath #breathwork #movementismedicine #functionalfitness #resilience
DEVELOPING A FLEXIBLE NERVOUS SYSTEM: A practice DEVELOPING A FLEXIBLE NERVOUS SYSTEM: A practice can bring many things from our unconscious up to the surface. As you practice, notice your state changes and see if you can map out all the reactions / responses your body moves through, noticing each experience as a feeling or state, not as “you.” Be the being inside these experiences, witnessing their coming and going, with curiosity, as the broad spectrum of experiences move through you. Also, notice if you have flexibility with each state? Do you get stuck in one more than others? Do you have preference for one more than another? Do you move through each state or get caught, attached or have aversion to one more than the others? Can you find a way to relax with each experience / find a way to get comfortable with discomfort and travel back into homeostasis or do you ramp up in response and get even more upset? What happens to your breath? DORSAL: Absent, Blank, Collapsed, Despairing, Exhausted, Foggy, Grim, Hopeless, Impenetrable, Judged, Knocked out, Lost, Missing, Numb, Overwhelmed, Pathetic, Queasy, Retracted, Shutdown, Terrified, Unloved, Void, Without, expressionless, Young, Zoned out. SYMPATHETIC: Alarmed, Buzzing, Claustrophobic, Deranged, Envious, Frightened, Grasping, Harried, Irrational, Judgmental, Knotted, Looping, Manic, Nasty, Overdoing, Pressured, Quick, Raging, Stuck, Troubled, Unwanted, Vibrating, Worried, extreme, Yearning, Zigzagging. VENTRAL: Awesome, Benevolent, Courageous, Devoted, Eloquent, Free, Grateful, Happy, Joyful, Kind, Loving, Mellow, Nice, Open, Playful, Quiet, Relaxed, Skilled, Trusting, Uplifted, Vibrant, Whole, Extraordinary, Yes, in the Zone. These autonomic descriptor words are from Deb Dana’s book: Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection #nervoussystem #flexible #selfregulation #practice #foundationtraining #kneelingrotation #empowered #vagusnerve #parasympathetic #sympathetic #ventralvagal #possibilities #open #posture #correctiveexercise #mobilitytraining #stabilitytraining #buddhism #unconscious #consciousness #sovereignty #lettinggo #healing #journey #movementismedicine #functionalfitness #jointhealth #reactions #abletorespond #responsability
ULTIMATE REALITY: What if, whenever anyone said an ULTIMATE REALITY: What if, whenever anyone said anything pointing to an “ultimate reality,” we heard it, not as a threat to our knowing, not telling us that we are wrong, but as a confessional, a poetic attempt to say something true about their experience? …A practice is a place where I have many experiences and I can trust these experiences because they are my own, they aren’t intellectual stuff, something I’ve read about, something someone else has experienced, or something an expert has said. They are things I have lived, breathed, moved with, felt… When I was in my 20’s and first started to commit to a daily practice, a gift from it was the ability trust my own experiences. This has become especially important in moments when I get filled with doubt because my experiences are different than other’s. My experiences have changed as I have changed… so there’s a flexibility there. Teaching has shown me that I’ll be “wrong” and imperfect quite a lot, there have been so many times when I’ve had to say, “Well I taught it this way last year, but, I was ‘wrong,’ let’s do it like this now”…. This is definitely helping me build a sense of identity and confidence that lives outside of black and white judgements, right or wrong, or institutionalized systems. I recently read a book where the author said that the more fanatical a person is about whatever they are sharing, the less they believe themselves. I hope that during this season of teaching, when doubt comes along to ask me if I believe what I know, I can find a compass and a grounding force, not in “answers,” but in returning to feeling into the experience. “Can you love people and lead them without imposing your will?“ – Tao Te Ching “Let me keep my distance, always, from those who think they have the answers. Let me keep company always with those who say “Look!” And laugh in astonishment, And bow their heads.” – Mary Oliver, “Mysteries, Yes” #practice #movementismedicine #foundationtraining #foundation #backpain #functionalfitness #functionalmovement #consciousness #trust #growth #growthmindset #confidence #taoteching #mystery #gorillalift #thoracicmobility #shoulderrehab #hipmobility #hipstability
“When something bad happens to you and you use i “When something bad happens to you and you use it right, it can buy you a ticket to a place you would have never gone any other way.” - Donald Davis. @stopchasingpain shared this 3 days ago and said, “There is always instruction in everything that happens to you when you choose to see it.” Pain has been one of my biggest teachers and one of the biggest opportunities of my lifetime. Foundation Training isn’t easy, it asks you to become so conscious and present. It isn’t just another system or structure that’s tooting it’s magic pill horn. It prioritizes the person inside of the practice and builds the individual up. The skills learned here are applicable to every practice, every life… It makes you better at whatever you want to do. As @coachjsalas said a day ago in a post, “Those who are willing to put the time in, tend to find a whole new arena of possibilities.” This practice has been a platform for me to create something of value to myself, to know that I have that ability, and use it everywhere in my life. Here I am in the Surf Squat. There is a lot of work going on here internally. This position showed me my pattern of compression around the sciatic nerve and how to activate my muscles to decompress the nerve, which positively affected my whole pelvis, sacroiliac joint, lumbar, Kidneys and legs! “The very cave you are afraid to enter, turns out to be the source of what you are looking for.” Joseph Campbell… My Fall Series Sign Ups are due Sept 19! Link in Bio #lowbackpainrelief #spinehealth #backpain #injuryrehab #foundationtraining #doafounder #chronicpain #biomechanics #posturecorrection #functionalmedicine #movement #strengthtraining #possibilities #fear #direction #value #emotion #nervoussystem #breath #organs #endurance #shoulderrangeofmotion #hipmobility #glutes #sacroiliacjoint #diaphragm #musclesofrespiration #iliotibialband #manifestation #creatingvalue
In 2006 I was rock climing in El Potrero Chico, Me In 2006 I was rock climing in El Potrero Chico, Mexico and took a nasty fall. I fell 20 feet and hit head first. All Black. My friends got me to the ground, peaked under my helmet at my forehead and covered their shock at what they saw with jokes about how good I looked. I went into shock, 🥶 covered in goose bumps even though the temp that day was above 90 degrees. Then I 🤮… 10 years later my neck started going out of alignment weekly. A chiropractor asked if something had happened in my past, just above my head on the right upperhand side...My neck steadily went out like that for years and I was completely dependent on bodyworkers to get me out of it until I started learning Foundation Training. I learned to carry the weight of the head with the SCM's, how to make space where the brain stem lives, occipital glide, to feel what each cervical vertebra was doing, and how to breathe space between my shoulders, under the sternum and collarbones and into those upper thoracic vertebra in a way I had never felt. It's been over 3 years since my neck has had that kind of pain. If I'm really stressed, I feel the pattern starting to happen. It's like my body is replaying the trauma. "Whatever is not conscious will be experienced as fate" -Carl Jung. Carl Jung believed that what remains unconscious does not dissolve but, rather, resurfaces in our lives as fate or fortune, in other words, we're likely to keep repeating our unconscious patterns until we bring them into the light of awareness. In the words of William Faulkner, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." "...fragments of memory are stored in our unconscious and can get activated later by anything even remotely reminiscent of the original experience. Once they are triggered, it is as if an invisible rewind button has been pressed, causing us to reenact aspects of the original trauma in our day-to-day lives. Traumatic re-enactment is an attempt of the unconscious to replay what is unresolved, so we can 'get it right.'" - Mark Wolynn... This practice has really empowered me. I've got several series beginning this fall, check em out! I'd love to share this practice with you! #foundationtraining
LEVEL 1 FOUNDATION TRAINING SERIES! Tuesdays & Sun LEVEL 1 FOUNDATION TRAINING SERIES! Tuesdays & Sundays! Level 1 students have taken an intro series with me or they have had some experience with the basic components of Foundation Training and want to keep going! Here I am doing the Squat from Foundation Training which has taught me how to load my glutes and hamstrings in a way that takes pressure off of my knees and disperses the load so it’s not completely in my Quads… this has been a game changer for my knees, especially with Hiking both up and down steep stuff and while giving Shiatsu Treamtments. It has also built me up into getting an explosive feel in my run, especially with sprints and uphills, and it’s been a way to haul a LOT of firewood and feel really good during and after! This is one movement pattern will work on in the Level 1 series! #foundationtraining #squats #kneepain #kneerehab #functionalmovement #injuryprevention #injuryrecovery #backpain #sacroiliacjoint #spinaldecompression #posteriorchain #hipmobility #hipstability #bodyweightworkout #fitness #strength #mindfulness #nervoussystem #breathwork #committment #perserverance #meaning #balance #biomechanics #trustyourself #glutes #fascia #learnanatomy #empower #correctiveexercise
LEVEL 1.5 Foundation Training | Wednesday & Thursd LEVEL 1.5 Foundation Training | Wednesday & Thursdays: This is the Archer and I love it because as I pull the hip open I feel the hips connection to my Lat and actually pull the arm back through the hips! It feels like my arm floats into position and then I can take the decompression breath between my shoulder blades and it opens up the uppermost thoracic spine and the flow from my neck down my spine. All the space is like a mega hallelujah on the brachial plexus and the bones of my neck! It is also very powerful feeling to use the strength of the hips to support and move the arms. This is one of the movements that students in the Level 1.5 are starting to learn. In these series students have got the Level 1 movements down and are starting to learn the Level 2 material. These series begin in October! #affordablehealthcare #protectyaneck #shoulderhealth #cervicalspine #vagusnerve #foundationtraining #doafounder #archer #spinehealth #jointhealth #decompression #fascia #anatomytrains #meridians #functionalfitness #breathwork #injuryrecovery #injuryprevention #functionalmovement #backpain #mobilitytraining #stabilitytraining #mentalhealth #nervoussystem #organhealth #biomechanics #biohack #correctiveexercise #resurrection
MONDAY & TUESDAY LEVEL 2 FOUNDATION TRAINING! For MONDAY & TUESDAY LEVEL 2 FOUNDATION TRAINING! For students in this series, we have learned all of the movements in the Foundation Training curriculum and we are fine tuning / addressing the individual. Which, if you have practiced FT, you know that fine tuning is an epic process! Those subtle changes are quite big! I've bumped up the one-on-one time to be a 90 minute session because I've found these one-on-ones to be a super powerful part of the series. It's something I have always wanted to do as a teacher and the changes that COVID brought gave me the push to finally do it! The longer time for the one-on-one is exciting because it opens the doors for us to do more together, things like a Shiatsu treatment, which will help me, as a teacher see each individual so much more clearly (and gosh, it's just so damn supportive, magical and profound!). The extra time also opens up opportunity for doing some muscle and fascial release work, some breath-work or even going through a Byron Katie worksheet on limiting thoughts and beliefs that are coming up through the practice / life…. Here in this photo I’m doing the Gorilla Lift which is difficult and weaves many chains of muscles together. The weaving of the muscles in the soles of the feet, glutes, hamstrings, LATS, SCM’s, with the decompression breath is epic… it feels like using your hips / entire body to free up the thoracic spine. Just a little bit goes a long way. I'm so glad I've just taken the time to write this because I'm getting more pumped thinking about this cool project that is about to happen! #foundationtraining #spinehealth #jointhealth #functionalfitness #breathwork #injuryrecovery #injuryprevention #functionalmovement #backpain #mobilitytraining #stabilitytraining #strength #bodyweightworkout #fascia #anatomytrains #decompression #mentalhealth #organhealth #homeworkout #biomechanics #posture #correctiveexercise #gorillalift #affordablehealthcare #biohacking #thisshitworks #doafounder
AUTONOMY: “The right or condition of self govern AUTONOMY: “The right or condition of self government, especially in a particular sphere…. Freedom from external control or influence; independence.” - Oxford Dictionary. This has been one of the biggest gifts of Foundation Training for me. It has taught me so much about my body that I can actively make choices with my movement patterns that set me up to feel really strong, mobile, supple..and I understand when something is not working well and can change it. Even when I don’t understand I can observe myself and, because of all that I have learned, I can generally figure it out!.. I just spent the last month hiking in the White Mountains and Acadia and this practice helped me transform all the aches and pains that came up. It was so cool to be in a situation where I desperately needed it and I was getting a lot of feedback around what I was doing that was working and what wasn’t… I actually came out of those hikes better than when I went in! This autonomy and sense of capability is one of the most meaningful things I have ever gotten from a practice and it’s one of the things that I care the most about passing onto my students these days! #choice #discernment #affordablehealthcare #foundationtraining #doafounder #windmill #spinehealth #functionalfitness #breathwork #injuryrecovery #injuryprevention #functionalmovement #backpain #mobilitytraining #stabilitytraining #bodyweightworkout #fascia #anatomytrains #decompression #learningpositiveeducation #mentalhealth #homeworkout #empowered #strengthtraining #posture #correctiveexercise #biomechanics
FALL FOUNDATION TRAINING SERIES! EACH SERIES INCL FALL FOUNDATION TRAINING SERIES! EACH SERIES INCLUDES: - Weekly online classes - A one-on-one session (can be done in person) - 15 minutes before and after class for questions - Optional homework / home practice - Downloadable class recordings - Ongoing email / phone support - Option for attending 2 or more classes in person MON | L2 | 5:45 - 7:15 PM | OCT 4 - DEC. 13 | $280 TUES | L 1 | 9:30 - 11AM | OCT 5 - DEC 7 | $230 TUES | L 2 | 5:45 - 7:15 PM | OCT 5 - DEC 14 WED | L 1.5 | 5:45 - 7:15 PM | OCT 6 - DEC 15 | $280 THURS | L 1.5 | 5:45 - 7:15 PM | OCT 7 - DEC 16 | $280 SUN | L 1 |11 AM - 12:30 PM | OCT 3 - DEC 5 | $230 SUN | L 1.25 | 5 - 6:30 PM | OCT 3 - DEC 12 | $280 Visit my web for details / to sign up: https://kendrarenzoni.com/scheduleclasses/ Sign up is due by Sept. 19 #foundationtraining #spinehealth #functionalfitness #breathwork #injuryrecovery #injuryprevention #functionalmovement #backpain #mobilitytraining #stabilitytraining #bodyweightworkout #fascia #anatomytrains #decompression #prolearning #mentalhealth #homeworkout #empowered #strengthtraining #posture #alignment #biomechanics #occupationalfitness #correctiveexercise #doafounder #affordablehealthcare #protectyaneck #biohacking #thisshitworks #hinge
TWO INTRO TO FOUNDATION TRAINING SERIES! TUES | MA TWO INTRO TO FOUNDATION TRAINING SERIES! TUES | MAY 25 - JUN 29 | 9:30AM SUN | JUNE 6 - JULY 18 | 11AM Sign-Up Due: May 18, 2021 Email me: info@kendrarenzoni.com My web: https://kendrarenzoni.com/scheduleclasses/ #foundationtraining #functionalmovement #injuryprevention #injuryrecovery #backpain #backinjury #spinaldecompression #strengthtraining #functionalfitness #mobilitytraining #stabilitytraining #bodyweightworkout #homeworkout #fitness #fitnessmotivation #mindfulness #breathwork #committment #perseverance #woodpecker #hipopener #sciatica #sacroiliacjoint #spinehealth #balance #getstrong #feelfree #trustyourself #alignment #glutes
7 UPCOMING FOUNDATION TRAINING SERIES! MON | LEVE 7 UPCOMING FOUNDATION TRAINING SERIES! MON | LEVEL 2 | MAY 17 - JULY 19 TUES | LEVEL 2 | MAY 18 - JULY 6 WED | LEVEL 1.5 | MAY 19 - JULY 7 THU | LEVEL 1.5 | MAY 20 - JULY 8 SUN | LEVEL 1 | MAY 23 - JULY 18 Sign-Up: May 9, 2021 (Today!) TWO INTRO SERIES! TUES | MAY 25 - JUN 29 | 9:30AM SUN | JUNE 6 - JULY 18 | (5 spots left) Sign-Up Due: May 18, 2021 Learn alignment, functional movement patterns, increase your lung capacity, bring your body back into balance, get super strong and supple, heal injuries, decompress your spine, up your performance, feel healthy, increase range of motion, learn anatomy, finish a long work day feeling good in your body, feel empowered! "What bodily form depends on is breath (chi) and what breath relies upon is form," states a Chinese adage from 700 AD. "When the breath is perfect, the form is perfect (too)." Email me: info@kendrarenzoni.com My web: https://kendrarenzoni.com/scheduleclasses/ #foundationtraining #functionalmovement #injuryprevention #injuryrecovery #backpain #backinjury #spinaldecompression #strengthtraining #functionalfitness #mobilitytraining #stabilitytraining #bodyweightworkout #homeworkout #fitness #fitnessmotivation #mindfulness #breathwork #committment #perserverance
SPRING FOUNDATION TRAINING SERIES! MON. LEVEL 2 | SPRING FOUNDATION TRAINING SERIES! MON. LEVEL 2 | MAY 17 - JULY 19 TUES. LEVEL 2 | MAY 18 - JULY 6 WED. LEVEL 1.5 | MAY 19 - JULY 7 THU. LEVEL 1.5 | MAY 20 - JULY 8 SUN. LEVEL 1 | MAY 23 - JULY 18 Foundation Training steadily returns you to your powerful animal self. Through a series of postures, poses, movements and conscious breathwork, Foundation Training effectively retrains the body. It brings balance into the body which decompresses the spine and the joints. With the new space inside, we take bigger breaths, our organs can function to their full potential, our range of motion opens up, and a sense of trust in your body / a feeling of intrinsic strength become a daily experience. #foundationtraining teaches you valuable tools to improve and bring more awareness to your daily posture and movement patterns. It teaches your body how to move naturally and efficiently so you can achieve an overall higher level of performance in life. These series are for anyone who is suffering from chronic back pain, spinal compression, musculoskeletal and nerve pain, joint problems, fasciitis, inflammation, athletes interested in enhancing their performance, for reducing injury risk, and for anyone who wants to feel grounded, supple, free, strong, comfortable in their own skin, and empowered. #injuryprevention #injuryrecovery #backpain #backinjury #spinaldecompression #strengthtraining #functionalfitness #functionalmovement #mobilitytraining #stabilitytraining #bodyweightworkout #homeworkout #fitnessjourney #fitnesslifestyle #mobility #prehab #movementismedicine
Foundation Training with Obi Wan. My main practice Foundation Training with Obi Wan. My main practice partner. ❤️#foundationtraining #squats #strength #endurance #decompression #breathwork #strongback #spinalhygeine #jedi #dogsofinstagram #doberman #mobility #movementismedicine #movementculture #shoulderrangeofmotion #hipmobility #glutes #sacroiliacjoint #iliotibialband #adductors #footarch
EARTH | INTENTION: “What is well planted cannot EARTH | INTENTION: “What is well planted cannot be uprooted. What is well embraced cannot slip away“ - Lao Tzu, Tao Teh Ching, Chapter 54... I’ve been thinking a lot about the process of creating... the process of making something from nothing. “When the heart applies itself, we speak of intent.“ -Neijing Suwen... Intention, to put the solid weight of our being, the power of our intention, behind the knowing that is in our heart... committing ourselves to manifesting, to stand by our dreams.. to apply ourselves to our hearts purpose... to concentrate, study, increase our capacity for clear thought, apply our spirit to the world of form... to stand behind our words, develop perseverance with actions, stay on task..stay on our own path... to keep on keeping on, and through this gain capacity to digest our own experiences / impressions and turn them into usable ideas that empower our actions in the world. A process that endows us with the intent, purpose, integrity and devotion necessary to plant and tend the garden of our lives… To develop a quality in our lives that, once we become familiar with its territory and its nature, we discover a powerful ally that helps us bring our dreams to fruition... The rich soil of our purpose that nourishes the gestation of our ideas so they can ultimately manifest in our lives… hoeing, watering, feeding, and weeding the soil of our dreams so that one day we can present them to the world in a substantial form, as a project, a creation, a fully worked through idea.… So we can say, “Here, this is the unique gift that I bring forth.“ Having a physical practice has really developed this quality in me... it is one of the most important things to me, to know I can create something of value... that I have that ability... having a practice has been a platform for me to develop this ability... #foundationtraining #lungedecompression #breathwork #muscles #strength #mobility #alignmnent #emotions #manifestation #intention #process #fertility #empower #creatingvalue #meaning #purpose #spinalhealth #movement #adductors #superfiscialfrontline #anatomytrainsinmotion #experientiallearning
Booyah! Daniel got me a 71lb kettlebell to test my Booyah! Daniel got me a 71lb kettlebell to test my Foundation Training skills on. He got me a lighter one for Christmas but we both realized that the heavier one would demand more from us in perfection of form. It feels amazing! Like... 30 seconds of hinges and squats and my body feels like air... flying upright with gorgeous posture and all things activated!#foundationtraining #kettlebell #strength #squats #founder #movementculture #backpain #strongback
FOUNDATION TRAINING SERIES STARTING IN MARCH! MO FOUNDATION TRAINING SERIES STARTING IN MARCH! MON. LEVEL 2 | 5:45-7:15 PM TUES. LEVEL 2 | 5:45-7:15 PM WED. LEVEL 1.5 | 5:45-7:15 PM THUR. LEVEL 1.5 | 5:45-7:15 PM SUN. LEVEL 1 | 5:00 - 6:30 PM Foundation Training is a movement practice designed to restore the body’s natural order. It brings our body back into balance through correcting poor posture, weak alignment habits, and movement patterns that create imbalances, compression, and break down. These habitual patterns create unnecessary stress and strain that compromises our joints, weakens our muscles and restricts organ function. This leads to plateaus in performance, spinal compression, musculoskeletal and nerve pain, joint problems, fasciitis, inflammation, and challenging psycho-emotional states. Our body is always working against gravity. A healthy body utilizes large muscles, aligned joints, and healthy breathing patterns to maintain a sense of strength and structural integrity as it moves through a lifetime. If our body adapts to work against gravity poorly – we begin using a compressed and less efficient version of our biomechanics. Foundation training is a series of highly developed exercises that are designed to strengthen the posterior chain of muscles which support the spine and fight gravity. Strengthening the posterior chain of muscles, shoulders, back, butt and legs, shifts the burden of support to where it belongs: the large muscle groups. Through a series of postures, poses, and movements, Foundation Training activates your posterior muscle chain, anchors the hips, decompresses the spine, and teaches you to take compressive loads out of your joints and put it into your muscles. Done regularly, this combination of stretching, strength building, breathwork and decompression movements maintains a pain free and healthy posture. #foundationtraining #movement #functionaltraining #functionalfitness #biomechanics #muscles #fascia #meridians #strengthtraining #mobilitytraining #injuryprevention #injuryrecovery #stabilitytraining #lowbackpain #breathingexercises #breathwork #tensegrity #backpainrelief #doafounder #practice #sangha #growth #learning
SETTLING DOWN: In class the other night we started SETTLING DOWN: In class the other night we started with a seated meditation on the central channel and moved into some breath work. I noticed that the students were scratching their ears, moving their hair around… fidgeting. There are movements that can help us to settle down and there are movements that feed the agitation. I talked to them about the importance of staying still when the impulse to move arose in them. There are movements that are helpful and movements that come from a desperate place that perpetuate the imbalance. In Stuart McGill’s Book titled: Back Mechanic, he outlines movements that most back pain sufferers make, and have even been told to do, that actually create more pain in the long run. It is the same with emotional discomfort. It is important to resist fidgeting and instead concentrate, stay focused and let the process of settling happen. Fidgeting disperses attention and perpetuates the restless agitation, like picking a scab. It does not alleviate it, beyond a temporary distraction from the present moment. “Picture a clear glass of water with a layer of mud at the bottom. Imagine stirring up the water so that it becomes muddy. This muddy water is our substitute life – swirling with anxiety and confusion. We race around trying to keep up, but with little clarity about what we’re doing. Taking this glass and setting it down is like setting ourselves down to sit. What happens? In the glass, the mud gradually settles to the bottom, and the water becomes clear and still. In sitting, we learn what it feels like to settle down. There is something strengthening about not moving when the impulse to move arises in us. Instead, we just stay still, not feeding the agitation, not stirring up the water anymore.... granted, this settling and clarity do not always happen; sometimes as we sit even more mud —from our subterranean inter-internal world — comes rising to the surface. Yet, over time, sitting fosters a settled quality and equanimity, in the midst of the muddy turmoil of our lives.“ - Ezra Bayda #foundationtraining #injuryrecovery #injuryprevention #backpain #backinjury #functionalfitness #strengthtraining
HAPPINESS IS OVER-RATED: What is practicing really HAPPINESS IS OVER-RATED: What is practicing really about? Why is it so important?… Obviously we don’t practice just to feel good; often, it doesn’t feel good at all. We are sleepy, we are tired, we are bored. We often don’t remember why were here. Sometimes you want nothing more than to leave. So why do we continue to practice? What are we doing? Do we know what is actually happening during a practice that makes it such a valuable experience? WILLINGNESS: “Experiencing our emotional distress is one of the most difficult aspects of practice, it is also the path of accelerated transformation – where the energy of our emotions is transformed through the process of experiencing...all we have to do is open to the anxiety, to reside with it, to rest with it, breathe with it, move with it. It isn’t necessary to judge the distress or push it away, but just to experience what it is... A particularly valuable tool is to ask the question or Koan, ‘What is this?“ This is called a Koan in Zen because it can’t be answered with the mind. Practicing with this question takes us away from analysis and thinking, back into the immediate sensory quality of our experience, this reminds us to focus our attention like a laser beam on that place we rarely want to visit — the discomfort of our immediate experience. Bringing our attention to the physical reality of the moment means, in part, focusing on specific sensations in the body. Is there tension? Where? What does it feel like? When we bring our attention to this unwanted place and stay with it, our emotional distress loses its solidarity.… In bringing the curiosity of ‘what is this?’ to our experience, we are engendering the essential ingredient of willingness… When we really experience in this way, it’s like taking off a pair of tight shoes. The sense of restriction and limitation dissolves. This is how the practice of experiencing emotional distress transforms us.” - Ezra Bayda #foundationtraining #gorillalift #decompressionbreath #injuryprevention #injuryrecovery #backpain #strengthtraining #functionalfitness #functionalmovement #mobilitytraining #stabilitytraining #bodyweightworkout #emotion
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