Earlier I wrote of the importance of your power to remain motionless in achieving liberation from chronic low back pain. As to many this is counterintuitive idea, lets discuss further.
As each of us began our lives, to walk we had to achieve a degree of fixed stillness to acquire the self-directed power to move.
To move our legs and learn to walk, select muscles of our bodies had to remain motionless, or still.
These select muscles are specialized bracing muscles appearing in six high-performance locations within the body — ankles, feet, low back, neck, shoulders, and hips.
At peak capability and as the label implies, bracing muscles brace, providing stability by not moving throughout the day endurance, while our action muscles move only intermittently when we direct them to flex or move.
A baby begins to walk as she gradually masters the innate use of her bracing muscles; so that her young body is able to brace itself permitting self-directed movement, including the taking of her first steps.
Understanding how our bodies must simultaneously develop the power of fixed stillness within months of birth, and combine it with the power to move, offers deep insight into how we learn to walk, and how our bodies retain mobility through a lifetime.
As we age or through injury, diminished circulation [blood flow] to our bracing muscles cause them to lose their endurance and the power of fixed stillness — to brace. Our bodies attempt to make up for this loss by altering movements through, for example, shortening gait, restricting joint motion, and substituting action muscle strength for bracing muscle endurance.
These altered movements too often result in other physical ailments, leading to a life of decreased mobility and often chronic pain.
What if, as initially accomplished as a newborn, we were to live our lives continually renewing our power of fixed stillness? What would we unlock in ourselves? How might our lives become richer and more fulfilling?
Think of this for a moment. By renewing our power of fixed stillness, could we live a life of greater mobility as we age?
The answers are found in the wisdom we each gained as newborns, relying on the fixed stillness of our bracing muscles to develop self-directed movement; to walk.
Our newborn wisdom.
