Recommended Read

This is a slightly premature recommendation because I haven't finished reading it yet, mostly because I keep getting side-tracked looking up all the wondrous thins Chris references BUT I'm really enjoying it so far.I am really enjoying this.

If you want a much more nuanced argument for giving it a go then take a listen to this Liberated Body podcast.

the long body

The long body is a Native American term which refers to the individual body plus the life support systems around it. It is a much bigger conception of the human body than we have in western culture, and considers the body continuous with the larger environment.
The perception of our bodies as isolated units is dangerous because it doesn’t take into consideration that organisms live in context. We co-evolve with our habitats over many millions of years.
We think we have nervous systems to regulate our bodies- and we do- however the nervous system has other functions- for humans in particular -  it's purpose is to learn habitat and our social environment too.

-- Frank Forencich over at Liberated Body

Jules Mitchell

Jules’work blends biomechanics with the tradition of yoga to help people move better, and while looking into the research on stretching she discovered some pretty eye-opening things. I've eagerly listened and read everything that she has put out into the world in the last 6 months or so and it has led me to question so much of what I thought I knew. I've changed a fair bit about the way I cue postures in class and think through sequences as a result. I highly recommend checking out here online classes on udaya.com, especially the Passive Restorative classes. Bliss. 

Here she is talking about her work with Brooke Thomas of Liberated Bodies.

Episode 9: Jules Mitchell: The Science of Stretching
 

And this is the video that led me to her (through much interned searching)

Exploring functional movement

Just added this DVD from Erwan Le Corre (founder of MovNat) and Gray Cook (founder of Functional Movement Systems and author of Movement) to my ever growing online shopping basket because of this post from Brooke Thomas.

"We’re a mess. So the question has to be why, and the simple answer is that we live in a time and a place where we no longer need to use our bodies in order to make sure we are fed, clothed, and sheltered. Instead we live in a time and a place where we earn money to buy what we need, work primarily in static positions (hey look! I’m doing it right now!), and segregate our movement only to the small portion of time we may spend exercising. This lack of natural human movement is causing a plague of chronic pain and physical dysfunction, as well as contributing hugely to the disease processes of contemporary. culture. In short: it’s a big problem."

Click here to read more...if it tickles your fancy...

Constructive Rest Pose

A very useful pose!