I also experienced an emotional release during an intense week at the restorative exercise certification. The week was packed with daily Restorative Exercise (RE) classes, which led to deep connective tissue opening, especially around the shoulder girdle and chest. It was great to spend the whole week just on my own alignment, but it was intense. The third evening of the workshop, I woke up in the middle of the night, bawling my eyes out. I felt like I was releasing old emotions that had been trapped inside my body since I was a child. The next morning, when Katy Bowman, a biomechanist and the creator of the Nutritious Movement™ program, gave me and a few other students a ride to class, I told her what happened, and she responded right away with an enthusiastic “Cool!” I thought, “Yeah, that was cool, I feel so much lighter and freer.” Katy mentioned that emotional releases often occur when people do RE. Sure enough, one by one, the other students in the morning commute reported the same thing happening to them as the week went on.
Since the RE week, I’ve been walking around with more confidence, not a John Travolta Saturday Night Fever, “I’m the sh**” kind of confidence, but more of a warm open feeling through the chest (with just a hint of “Yeah, I’m the sh**”). I feel more self-assured, in a gentle, authentic way. I notice that people smile at me more, or maybe I’m just seeing the smiles because I’m not looking down all the time.
My first “Ah-ha!” moment, realizing that our issues are in our tissues, was in 1998, when I was training to be a facilitator in metapsychology at Trauma Relief Services in Oregon. Part of our final exam was to sit in a cafe with our instructor and report to her what we thought other people were experiencing emotionally based simply on observing them from a distance. I found myself mirroring their postures, and sure enough, I was flooded with different emotions depending on the posture I was imitating. Try it. Sit with your shoulders slumped forward, or lean back in the chair with your legs straight out in front, then lean to one side, and notice how it makes you feel emotionally. Now try walking like John Travolta, does it make you feel confident? Maybe, but it’s a false confidence, and people can see right through that (the silly feeling you get is real, though). If you really want to be “the shi**,” walk in alignment. ; )
Now for some alignment evaluation: Let’s analyze John Travolta’s swagger. Watch the video; his arms are internally rotated like a gorilla’s. He’s definitely a rib thruster (think rooster) and a tailbone tucker (think humper). You can see the tailbone tucking/humping better in his dance videos; make sure there are no children in the room when you watch them. His chronic knee flexion and his bouncing are going to wear out his knees. Notice that his reciprocal arm swing needs work; his right arm appears to have been affected by a stroke and doesn’t swing at all, so his torso twists to move him forward, and he does a weird flapping thing with his hands. Interesting how the strut looked so cool and sexy in the 70’s but doesn’t fly today. It’s kind of like movement fashion. However, walking in alignment never goes out of style, baby!
Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother, you’re stayin’ aligned, stayin’ aligned. Remember you are the shi**! Important Note: If you are not familiar with American slang, being “the shi**” is actually a good thing, like being the cat’s meow, or the bee’s knees.
In the Womb Care and Free The Belly courses I address how to work with emotional charges held in the belly. I feel this should be foundational in any abdominal massage course. You will learn how emotional charges may be stored in your tissues and how to allow those old energetic patterns to be released, leaving you feeling lighter and freer in your body.
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Author: Barbara Horsley has more than 26 years of experience as a licensed massage therapist. She specializes in abdominal massage and Visceral Manipulation™ and is an NCBTMB-approved educator. In addition to being certified in abdominal massage, she also studied biomechanics and restorative exercise. She is also a Certified Women’s Herbal Educator and a graduate of the IWHI Perimenopause & Menopause Certificate Program.