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10/9/2018 1 Comment The Opposite of StretchingStretch more, sit up tall, roll it out, rub out that knot, How many times have you been given this advice? Stretching is one way to engage with your body, but just one way. In Osteopathy we would call this a “Direct approach”. This says that there is a barrier and we use some force to move into or through this barrier. I often use what is called an ‘Indirect approach’ to help my patients both in and out of the treatment room. Let me give you a clear example, Let’s say you wake up with a stiff neck and have trouble turning to look left. When you do, you experience resistance, stiffness, pain. At the point of movement where these symptoms start, we would say you have reached a barrier. You may also find a ‘knot’, trigger-points or bracing in the muscles here, that tighten and resist more as we move into the barrier. Ultimately, Direct techniques are an external force, over-ruling the internal forces present in the body..... In the “Direct” approach you would attempt to move into or through the barrier, that is, turn the head to the left. This is a valid approach and may involve stretching, articulation, or ‘cracking’ techniques. It may also involve massaging or pressing on tight muscles until they (hopefully) soften. These can all be useful at the right time and with an appropriate level of force. Ultimately, Direct techniques are an external force, over-ruling the internal forces present in the body. Those who use the “Indirect” approach looks at things a little differently. In this case we would actually turn the head to the right, in the direction where the neck relaxes. Moving away from the tension (barrier), towards a position where the body relaxes. We call this a point of Ease. Ultimately Indirect techniques are listening to and supporting the forces already present in the body. Let me explain.
Restricting the motion of your neck is a risky thing to do. It limits your ability to navigate safely through the world, it causes you pain and distress, and it uses a lot of energy to contract all those muscles and ligaments. For the body to do something so drastic, it must have a pretty good reason. What is the reason? This is a whole post on it’s own, but put simply, the body is concerned that turning left will lead to damage or injury and produces soft tissue guarding and pain in an attempt to stop you doing it. It is a highly effective protective mechanism and one that you should be glad to have. So the body tries to hold your neck to the right, away from the potentially dangerous position. Note I said potentially dangerous. The body leans on the side of caution when it comes to these things. Indirect techniques move away from the Danger/Barrier into safety/ease. By following the subtle relaxations we can position the body so that there are no more danger signals firing. A position of radio-silence. A position where all is well. A position where the system feels safe enough to turn the volume down on those protective responses. So, we turn the head the right, fine-tune to find the position of Ease and wait for the internal forces in the body to reorganise. Now what happens when we bring the neck back to the left? If there is a genuine injury like a fracture, these protective responses will thankfully turn straight back on to prevent further damage. However, in most cases, even when there is a lot of pain, there is no fracture or other serious injury. So, now when we bring the neck back left, there is no reason for your body to prevent you from doing so. The soft tissues relax, and you regain movement and comfort. I have found these techniques to be invaluable for myself and my patients. If a person is in a defensive state, from acute or chronic stress, injury or trauma, it is generally not useful to challenge them, poke them, pick their scabs, cause more pain. This sends signals to the centre, reinforcing that ‘I am in danger’ and need to fight/flight/freeze. By breaking this danger cycle we can bring the person back to a state of wellness where the natural healing processes of the body can take over. So, if you have a lingering complaint that isn’t resolving, or have been pummeled once too often by other approaches, get in touch to see how an Indirect approach could help you.
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 While prepping for the upcoming Cultivating Presence workshop I came across the following article on the nature of friendships, and it got me thinking, got me feeling. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/07/opinion/sunday /do-your-friends-actually-like-you.html?_r=0 It is about a study finding that we are pretty poor judges of whether people we consider friends, also consider us friends. Turns out there is only "equal" affection around 50% of the time. Interesting enough in it's own right but the last few paragraphs are key here, suggesting that feeling deep intimacy and safety activate the fabled Vagus Nerve (more likely the entire Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)) allowing us to expose our "soft underbelly", and has measurable improvements in health and longevity. All thumbs up at this point. It then goes on to ask about who you surround yourself with. "So it’s worth identifying who among the many people you encounter in your life are truly friends. Who makes time for you? Whose company enlivens, enriches and maybe even humbles you? Whom would you miss? Who would miss you?" So I am curious what would happen if this person was YOU! If you were the one you turn to in times of need, who shows you endless compassion and love at all times. If you were the one you feel privileged to spend time with and lights up your heart when you get to spend an afternoon in the park, or a romantic dinner with.
So give yourself a hug. Take yourself on a date.
Pour yourself a big cup of self love. Give yourself a massage, and be grateful for your presence. These concepts and more will be explored at the upcoming Cultivating Presence Workshop. Find out more - Cultivating Presence One of the reasons it took me so long to present this material is that I have a strong aversion to becoming Pedestal-ed (Yes I verbified Pedestal, I'm OK with that). While there is some amount of ego joy in being admired or respected, if this transfers over into being "looked up to" I find it becomes detrimental and restrictive. I want people to remain in their own power, to find their own path. Yet to gain an audience to share my knowledge and experience with, I need to create some kind of persona, an identity that people recognise as worthy of allocating their time and money to listening to. I have to present my approach with the full passion that I have for it, and openly state that it is not the only path. Put bluntly... How do I talk myself up enough to get people to listen, and still keep the focus on the material, not the messenger?
How do I present this material with enough charisma that people will have confidence in it, while leaving enough space for people to explore their own approach? 12/11/2015 0 Comments Welcome Welcome to Supporting Presence.
This is a very quick post to welcome you to the new site and introduce myself. My name is Dr. Andrew Carr (Osteopath), better know to all as Drew. I have a deep love for Osteopathic philosophy and principles, and base my practice around these concepts. Unfortunately I found the clinical setting was overly restrictive in allowing these principles to be fully expressed due to time, patient expectation and medico-legal issues. Supporting Presence is my container for the full expression of the most powerful and most efficient healing and growth tools I have experienced. This comes in the way of One-on-one sessions, group workshops to teach the tools, and group healing circles to implement these tools. I have pooled all my knowledge, experience and training various forms of bodywork, movement practices, mindfulness and visualisation, altered state induction and Reiki to produce a health focused, strength based approach to help you move through blocks in your life, no matter what level they exist. To find out more about this powerful work check out the link below, browse around the site, check out the Facebook page, or contact me at [email protected] https://soundcloud.com/supportingpresence/supporting-presence-episode-1-welcome Be Present Drew www.SupportingPresence.com www.facebook.com/findinghealth www.soundcloud.com/supportingpresence |
AuthorDr. Drew Carr is an Osteopath, healer and consciousness explorer, living and working in North-East Melbourne. Archives
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