Hello, again, Folks,
Today, I speak of a peculiar paradox of somatic education -- something expressed in a Tibetan saying I heard, recently: "When things are urgent, go slower."
People in pain have a certain urgency. No surprise.
In their urgency, they go for the "quick fix" -- the pain med, the quick adjustment, the quick stretch, the hour of bodywork. These quick fixes rarely produce either a complete or a lasting result.
The reason: they don't address the problem as it is, but only the surface appearance.
Somatic education is peculiar in this regard: the processes we use during clinical sessions are mostly slow-motion action patterns -- we go slower -- but the changes that result come very quickly.
The reason: the changes sought through somatic education (generally, pain relief) come by means of an internalized learning process that involves new physiological adaptation. Adaptation and learning require, inevitably, at least two things: attention and intention.
Attention and intention go together. To exercise an intention, we must direct our attention to what we are doing.
The thing about attention is that it is not instantaneous; it fades in. Test for yourself. Look away from the screen toward anything and notice that it takes a good part of a second even to focus on it. The same is true of music. Turn on the radio into the middle of a piece of music and notice that it takes some seconds to recognize even one with which you are familiar.
When taking in new information, going slower helps you "catch" it and take it in.
Then, and only then, you can apply your intention to it.
Most forms of therapy require little or no attention on the part of a patient; result: little or no exercise of intention and little or no lasting change!
So, as a somatic educator, I find that one of the most common bits of coaching I have to give with my clients (/patients, although I don't use the word) is to slow down. Doing things too fast, too hard, and with too little attention ("mindfulness") is a common American fault (and a popular editing technique of advertising and the entertainment media which perpetuates and reinforces this fault-- sequences of "split-second video clips"). Too many people are "A-D-D" ! ! ! That makes them accident-prone (and generally, sloppy and error prone). They must slow down -- not because it's easier (generally, it's not), not because they need a rest (which is generally true), but because they need to pay more attention and to exercise intention more carefully. They need to work smarter, not harder.
If people don't slow down, they end up doing things the way they habitually do them and, by repetition, reinforcing the very thing they are wanting to get out of -- the movement patterns and functional habits that cause their pain. They have to slow down enough to do the things they do in a new way.
When it comes to somatic exercises (a way people can relieve their own pain without direct coaching by a somatic educator), people must exercise patience. In this case, the patience they must exercise is two-fold: (1) they must slow down in what they're doing (somatic exercises) enough to feel clearly what they are doing and to do it in good form (not merely count repetitions) and (2) they must persist in a somatic exercise program long enough to obtain its designed-in effect (entailing, generally, some days or weeks of practice -- and some hours of experience). The result: substantial and durable improvement -- faster and more durable than by conventional therapeutic, "low-attention" methods.
If patients are impatient for relief, they must be patient so they can get it more quickly than has previously been possible.
Only once they have slowed down and made the necessary changes can they return to "the speed of life" and keep their new-found freedom and well-being -- or even go faster than before and still keep it together.
"A man of true means,
whatever the day's pace
keeps his wits about him
and however a fine offer be presented to him
keeps a level head.
What ruler of countless chariots
would make himself laughing stock,
fool of the realm,
with pace beyond rein,
speed beyond helm?"
-- Lao Tzu
SEE MORE ABOUT SOMATIC EXERCISES
An Entirely New Class of Therapeutic Exercises (article)
Software for Your Body (instructional programs)
Religious Faces of Superman
There exists an archetype in contemporary culture with which many generations present can identify. Every generation alive today knows Superman.
Superman who, having emerged from the midwestern farming tradition came to represent a person of virtue, of kindness and of strength, of benificent values, of positive intent -- and who hides a secret: his identity -- and a vulnerability that few others share.
Remembering that Superman was adopted by his midwestern farmer parents, his last name was not originally, "Kent" -- but Kantrowitz. Superman (pronounced with "super" rhyming "soup-pear") was a nickname his Kryptonian parents bestowed upon him after a visit to Paris, one spring -- "little Soup-pear-man" -- because that was all he would eat -- pear soup. It was on the note in the space capsule in which he arrived: His name was Kal-El, but his nickname was Little Soup-pear-man. You can figure out the rest. And, of course, they Anglicized the name. As a boy, he was big for his age, but very nice, an intelligent boy.
Another clue: His original name-at-birth was Kal-El -- "El", in Hebrew, meaning "God". Taking a Kabbalistic approach, the Hebrew name, Kal-El, can be spelled in three consonants (four letters), read right to left, "K""L""e""L", , the eleventh letter of the alphabet (English or Hebrew), K, the thirteenth letter (Hebrew) or the twelveth (12-English), L, and the nineteenth letter, a silent carrier for a vowel, "ayin", where in English, the nineteenth letter is, S -- "S", get it? Coincidence? I think not. The symbolic meaning of the numerical equivalents of "K""L""e""L" = "11""13""19""13" (or "11""12""19""12") is "Great Potentiality" and "Great Faith".
But what if Superman were Buddhist? What would he do differently? Since he strives to minimize harm to anyone and uses his powers beneficently, for the sake of all sentient beings, what would he do differently? Perform service even while in his dreams? What do you think he dreams about? Lois Lane? Lana Lang? Lex Luthor? Batman? -- feminine archetypes and masculine archetypes? Do you think he behaves differently in his dreams than he does in the waking state? Or do you think that, as he sleeps, he rests in the Source of Light and Life, the Silent Bliss-Being beyond the human mind and body? (the super-man state). Do you think that he rests in deep Silence (of which the Fortress of Solitude is a Metaphor), "silence" and "solitude" -- which also start with "S" -- the silent nineteenth Hebrew letter.
What if Superman was Hindu? Then what? What would he do differently? Well, for one thing, he probably wouldn't eat beef or wear cows-leather shoes. Those boots? They're patent leather. Other than that? Would he play the flute and seduce virgin cowgirls into a mass-"big one"? Would he transform his appearance to show the various powers and viewpoints and wonders of the Great Universe? And who knows what he does in the privacy of his own home with "company"? Would he declare, of himself, that "atman" (individual self-being) and "brahman" (silent, imageless, aware Groundless Ground of Being) are one? ("I and my Father are one"? -- again, getting a little ahead of ourselves). Would he appear as Krishna -- the avatar God-embodiment (emanation) of Godhead? flying around saving people from demons?
What if Superman was Moslem? Would he pray five times a day, facing Mecca? abjure alcoholic beverages? Not eat pork? He would eat beef -- but those boots? Still patent leather. Imagine if he were a fantasy/religion-crazed Muslim extremist who was sent on a suicide mission, but suddenly realized that he couldn't blow himself up and that there would be no "72 virgins" for Superman, so he gave it up. Could Superman "do" 72 virgins simultaneously? Maybe he could. Probably he could. That would be like Krishna.
If Superman were Tibetan Buddhist, he would live consciously emanating from the Clear Light as his embodied existence, radiating the force of beneficence, fearlessly and peacefully present, attentive, intelligently responsive, compassionate, protective, empowering, and emanating silent wisdom and virtue not merely unto living beings, but into, as and through all, serving all sentient beings, communicating The Great Emancipation.
For him, kryptonite is the reminder of the mortal and transitory nature of things, even transitory even in his origins -- being sent into the unknown, "out there", and arriving at Earth -- ever-vulnerable -- even as he is eternally unchanging (primitively rendered in language as, "invulnerable") and super-regenerating -- and so, in that sense invulnerable to most hazards by virtue of his exquisite embodiment, in his transient body (Nirmanakaya), of the subtle self-organizing field of his subtle mind-body (Sambhogakaya); steadily intuiting our transcendental nature (Dharmakaya), the formless ground of being that persists even in the absence of activity or self-sense -- self-emergent, self-regenerating, self-equilibrizing with super-speed, i.e., invulnerable. Vulnerable and invulnerable. See? You didn't know that about Superman. Why would he talk about it? What's he going to say to everyone? "I'm vulnerable -- just as you are -- but I heal quickly"? Would he go around saying that? Why? On the other hand, who knows what he says, at home -- and he is emotionally vulnerable, same as any man.
If Zen Buddhhist, same as Tibetan Buddhism, but without the kryptonite.
In this respect, he is very similar to another personage -- Harold Somaman. Somaman is different from Superman, in that his special powers have manifested differently -- energy field transformations, sensitivity to probability pressure waves (leading to precognition and synchronicities), special ways of dealing with attention and intention. certain ways of biological self-regeneration and psychological transformation, occasions of remarkable telekinesis, things mysteriously disappearing from his life -- odd things like that.
If Superman were a Christian, would he address Jesus as "Father"? -- and how would that make Jor-El, his father, feel? But wait! What if Jor-El was a name for Jesus' father in Heaven? who sent his only-begotten son to save humankind? Kabbalistically speaking, the names Jor-El and Joseph have significance. Alphanumerically, either of those names is impossible to analyze -- there's no "j" sound in Aramaic, so their names would have had to have been "Yosef" and "Yor-El". Then, Kabbalistically, that would get interesting. Taking a Kabbalistic approach, again, "Yorel": YORL: four letters: "10" "6" "25" "13" (with a symbolic meaning of "Divine Conception"): and "Yosef": YOSF: four letters, "10" "6" "18" "20 (changeable with "P")" (symbolizing "the leap into newness, bringing memories of the past, along"). Confused? I am -- but back to Superman. With the benefit of time-travel, he would reach Earth when he was truly needed -- second time around. He would still save people, but still not be able to be everywhere at once, except in spirit. I don't think he would raise the dead; I think that was just a demonstration to make a point. Other than that, how would his character change? Maybe he'd be more loving? But then, we don't know how he is, at home, and his benificient actions can certainly be seen as coming from a loving spirit -- wouldn't you say? But he wouldn't eat meat on Fridays, only fish. Or would he?
But remember -- his name is Superman -- pronounced 'aha-ward" (Howard) Superman ("soup-pear-man"), superhero and goodness-doer extraordinaire -- who loved his mother and who lived up to his father's dreams -- a real mensch.
A-mayn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more on Harold Somaman, click here.
For more on Superman and other topics from The Other Side of the Looking Glass, click here.
Superman who, having emerged from the midwestern farming tradition came to represent a person of virtue, of kindness and of strength, of benificent values, of positive intent -- and who hides a secret: his identity -- and a vulnerability that few others share.
Remembering that Superman was adopted by his midwestern farmer parents, his last name was not originally, "Kent" -- but Kantrowitz. Superman (pronounced with "super" rhyming "soup-pear") was a nickname his Kryptonian parents bestowed upon him after a visit to Paris, one spring -- "little Soup-pear-man" -- because that was all he would eat -- pear soup. It was on the note in the space capsule in which he arrived: His name was Kal-El, but his nickname was Little Soup-pear-man. You can figure out the rest. And, of course, they Anglicized the name. As a boy, he was big for his age, but very nice, an intelligent boy.
Another clue: His original name-at-birth was Kal-El -- "El", in Hebrew, meaning "God". Taking a Kabbalistic approach, the Hebrew name, Kal-El, can be spelled in three consonants (four letters), read right to left, "K""L""e""L", , the eleventh letter of the alphabet (English or Hebrew), K, the thirteenth letter (Hebrew) or the twelveth (12-English), L, and the nineteenth letter, a silent carrier for a vowel, "ayin", where in English, the nineteenth letter is, S -- "S", get it? Coincidence? I think not. The symbolic meaning of the numerical equivalents of "K""L""e""L" = "11""13""19""13" (or "11""12""19""12") is "Great Potentiality" and "Great Faith".
But what if Superman were Buddhist? What would he do differently? Since he strives to minimize harm to anyone and uses his powers beneficently, for the sake of all sentient beings, what would he do differently? Perform service even while in his dreams? What do you think he dreams about? Lois Lane? Lana Lang? Lex Luthor? Batman? -- feminine archetypes and masculine archetypes? Do you think he behaves differently in his dreams than he does in the waking state? Or do you think that, as he sleeps, he rests in the Source of Light and Life, the Silent Bliss-Being beyond the human mind and body? (the super-man state). Do you think that he rests in deep Silence (of which the Fortress of Solitude is a Metaphor), "silence" and "solitude" -- which also start with "S" -- the silent nineteenth Hebrew letter.
What if Superman was Hindu? Then what? What would he do differently? Well, for one thing, he probably wouldn't eat beef or wear cows-leather shoes. Those boots? They're patent leather. Other than that? Would he play the flute and seduce virgin cowgirls into a mass-"big one"? Would he transform his appearance to show the various powers and viewpoints and wonders of the Great Universe? And who knows what he does in the privacy of his own home with "company"? Would he declare, of himself, that "atman" (individual self-being) and "brahman" (silent, imageless, aware Groundless Ground of Being) are one? ("I and my Father are one"? -- again, getting a little ahead of ourselves). Would he appear as Krishna -- the avatar God-embodiment (emanation) of Godhead? flying around saving people from demons?
What if Superman was Moslem? Would he pray five times a day, facing Mecca? abjure alcoholic beverages? Not eat pork? He would eat beef -- but those boots? Still patent leather. Imagine if he were a fantasy/religion-crazed Muslim extremist who was sent on a suicide mission, but suddenly realized that he couldn't blow himself up and that there would be no "72 virgins" for Superman, so he gave it up. Could Superman "do" 72 virgins simultaneously? Maybe he could. Probably he could. That would be like Krishna.
If Superman were Tibetan Buddhist, he would live consciously emanating from the Clear Light as his embodied existence, radiating the force of beneficence, fearlessly and peacefully present, attentive, intelligently responsive, compassionate, protective, empowering, and emanating silent wisdom and virtue not merely unto living beings, but into, as and through all, serving all sentient beings, communicating The Great Emancipation.
For him, kryptonite is the reminder of the mortal and transitory nature of things, even transitory even in his origins -- being sent into the unknown, "out there", and arriving at Earth -- ever-vulnerable -- even as he is eternally unchanging (primitively rendered in language as, "invulnerable") and super-regenerating -- and so, in that sense invulnerable to most hazards by virtue of his exquisite embodiment, in his transient body (Nirmanakaya), of the subtle self-organizing field of his subtle mind-body (Sambhogakaya); steadily intuiting our transcendental nature (Dharmakaya), the formless ground of being that persists even in the absence of activity or self-sense -- self-emergent, self-regenerating, self-equilibrizing with super-speed, i.e., invulnerable. Vulnerable and invulnerable. See? You didn't know that about Superman. Why would he talk about it? What's he going to say to everyone? "I'm vulnerable -- just as you are -- but I heal quickly"? Would he go around saying that? Why? On the other hand, who knows what he says, at home -- and he is emotionally vulnerable, same as any man.
If Zen Buddhhist, same as Tibetan Buddhism, but without the kryptonite.
In this respect, he is very similar to another personage -- Harold Somaman. Somaman is different from Superman, in that his special powers have manifested differently -- energy field transformations, sensitivity to probability pressure waves (leading to precognition and synchronicities), special ways of dealing with attention and intention. certain ways of biological self-regeneration and psychological transformation, occasions of remarkable telekinesis, things mysteriously disappearing from his life -- odd things like that.
If Superman were a Christian, would he address Jesus as "Father"? -- and how would that make Jor-El, his father, feel? But wait! What if Jor-El was a name for Jesus' father in Heaven? who sent his only-begotten son to save humankind? Kabbalistically speaking, the names Jor-El and Joseph have significance. Alphanumerically, either of those names is impossible to analyze -- there's no "j" sound in Aramaic, so their names would have had to have been "Yosef" and "Yor-El". Then, Kabbalistically, that would get interesting. Taking a Kabbalistic approach, again, "Yorel": YORL: four letters: "10" "6" "25" "13" (with a symbolic meaning of "Divine Conception"): and "Yosef": YOSF: four letters, "10" "6" "18" "20 (changeable with "P")" (symbolizing "the leap into newness, bringing memories of the past, along"). Confused? I am -- but back to Superman. With the benefit of time-travel, he would reach Earth when he was truly needed -- second time around. He would still save people, but still not be able to be everywhere at once, except in spirit. I don't think he would raise the dead; I think that was just a demonstration to make a point. Other than that, how would his character change? Maybe he'd be more loving? But then, we don't know how he is, at home, and his benificient actions can certainly be seen as coming from a loving spirit -- wouldn't you say? But he wouldn't eat meat on Fridays, only fish. Or would he?
But remember -- his name is Superman -- pronounced 'aha-ward" (Howard) Superman ("soup-pear-man"), superhero and goodness-doer extraordinaire -- who loved his mother and who lived up to his father's dreams -- a real mensch.
A-mayn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more on Harold Somaman, click here.
For more on Superman and other topics from The Other Side of the Looking Glass, click here.
Palpation -- One of a Somatic Educator's Essential Techniques
Thomas Hanna said that palpation -- gathering information by touch -- is a lost art among medical professionals, and that we, his students, would become masters of it.
In the process of Hanna somatic education, palpation isn't just done at the initial functional assessment of a client's condition, nor is it only an information-gathering action. It's properly done at every stage of a clinical session of Hanna somatic education to evaluate the results of each pandiculation, and it provides information not only to the practitioner, but also to the client about his or her current condition. How else are we to know whether we are finished with a region and its movements?
In a previous writing, "Precision Positioning for Miraculous Results", I speak of this last point in some detail.
For now, I want to communicate some things about the art of palpation, itself.
PALPATION IS A FOUR-DIMENSIONAL ACT
Now, before you go bounding off screaming, "another New Age twinko!!!", I want to clarify. The fourth dimension, time, is not a Twilight Zone alternate reality or a mysterious abstraction (as implied by the term, "time-travel"). It's motion, itself, in the most ordinary sense.
We measure time by means of devices that move or display regular changes (watches and clocks) and we experience time the same way. The term, "second", refers to the period of time between two heartbeats, the second heartbeat defining the end of a second. It's an approximate term, the way the length of a foot is about one foot and the length of the first segment of the thumb is about one inch and one swallow is about once ounce. Time is motion.
In palpation, many people touch surfaces with their fingertips and think they are palpating. When such a technique provides little useful information, they abandon palpation as an investigatory act. It's not a shortcoming of palpation; it's a shortcoming of their technique and their understanding.
To do a decent palpation that actually provides useful information, you've got to feel, not for a surface, but for a volume -- three (3) dimensions. And you don't go rushing in, do a couple of quick presses, and move out. What you do is soften your hands, reach in, and feel for the first resistance for reaching more deeply; you feel for where soft space becomes firm contact. You go in slowly -- both out of respect for your client and for rich information. Then, you wrap your hands around what you feel to discern its shape. If you're squeamish, palpate in yourself until you learn the lay of the land and what it might feel like to your clients.
If you want to get more out of palpation, trace muscles from origin to insertion; that gives you something on which to anchor your attention and gives your client new sensory information that tells them in which direction, along what lines, to contract in pandiculation.
Once your client has done the pandiculation, or after you have done Kinetic Mirroring, you use palpation and movement to evaluate the completeness of the result. If some sensory-motor amnesia -- and muscular contraction -- remains, you either repeat the process or have your client adjust positions to reach what's left. Palpate -- Pandiculate -- Palpate. Continue until the involuntary tendency to contract is gone or it ceases to decrease, then move on.
In the process of Hanna somatic education, palpation isn't just done at the initial functional assessment of a client's condition, nor is it only an information-gathering action. It's properly done at every stage of a clinical session of Hanna somatic education to evaluate the results of each pandiculation, and it provides information not only to the practitioner, but also to the client about his or her current condition. How else are we to know whether we are finished with a region and its movements?
In a previous writing, "Precision Positioning for Miraculous Results", I speak of this last point in some detail.
For now, I want to communicate some things about the art of palpation, itself.
PALPATION IS A FOUR-DIMENSIONAL ACT
Now, before you go bounding off screaming, "another New Age twinko!!!", I want to clarify. The fourth dimension, time, is not a Twilight Zone alternate reality or a mysterious abstraction (as implied by the term, "time-travel"). It's motion, itself, in the most ordinary sense.
We measure time by means of devices that move or display regular changes (watches and clocks) and we experience time the same way. The term, "second", refers to the period of time between two heartbeats, the second heartbeat defining the end of a second. It's an approximate term, the way the length of a foot is about one foot and the length of the first segment of the thumb is about one inch and one swallow is about once ounce. Time is motion.
In palpation, many people touch surfaces with their fingertips and think they are palpating. When such a technique provides little useful information, they abandon palpation as an investigatory act. It's not a shortcoming of palpation; it's a shortcoming of their technique and their understanding.
To do a decent palpation that actually provides useful information, you've got to feel, not for a surface, but for a volume -- three (3) dimensions. And you don't go rushing in, do a couple of quick presses, and move out. What you do is soften your hands, reach in, and feel for the first resistance for reaching more deeply; you feel for where soft space becomes firm contact. You go in slowly -- both out of respect for your client and for rich information. Then, you wrap your hands around what you feel to discern its shape. If you're squeamish, palpate in yourself until you learn the lay of the land and what it might feel like to your clients.
If you want to get more out of palpation, trace muscles from origin to insertion; that gives you something on which to anchor your attention and gives your client new sensory information that tells them in which direction, along what lines, to contract in pandiculation.
Once your client has done the pandiculation, or after you have done Kinetic Mirroring, you use palpation and movement to evaluate the completeness of the result. If some sensory-motor amnesia -- and muscular contraction -- remains, you either repeat the process or have your client adjust positions to reach what's left. Palpate -- Pandiculate -- Palpate. Continue until the involuntary tendency to contract is gone or it ceases to decrease, then move on.
Stopping Sacro-Iliac Pain to Make Movement Easy Again
This article is about sacroiliac joint pain (also called, sacral torsion, S-I joint sprain or strain, sacroileitis, "twisted (or turned) sacrum" or just S.I.J.D.)
It covers:
- symptoms of sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- what causes sacroiliac joint dysfunction (Look at your own history of injury.)
- treatment options clearly explained, so you can act based upon sensible understanding, rather than blind trust (or blind skepticism)
- a clickable link to the approach used in clinical somatic education to correct the problem ( scroll to the bottom )
You can read a more technical article, here.
You'll find corroboration of the information, here,
in this article published in Wikipedia.
in this article published in Wikipedia.
If You Have a Turned Sacrum
If you find yourself with symptoms of a turned sacrum, you likely have a multitude of symptoms that extends far beyond pain at your S-I (sacro-iliac) joint (located just below the waistline in back and to one side).
Symptoms may mysteriously appear almost anywhere in the body, together in clusters (labeled, "a syndrome"), triggering muscular contractions and pain whenever you do movements as simple as turning over, in bed, or putting socks on. The pain may be relentless and intense -- and persistent, despite treatment.
If you have a turned sacrum, these symptoms have likely proven unresponsive to conventional therapeutic techniques and even opioid medication, leaving surgery as a potential recommendation.
Although certain symptoms may exhibit occasional or temporary improvement, pain remains a constant presence, rendering you unable to perform essential tasks. For many, it becomes a life-altering crisis. Has that been your experience?
About This Article
In this explanatory article, we will demystify the root cause of the symptoms and present you with a way to get relief that lasts.
The approach I will present is completely different from the conventional therapeutics offered by doctors, physical therapists, and surgeons -- and even most movement educators.
Instead of manipulating the sacrum, fusing the S-I joints, or masking pain through electrical (T.E.N.S. or nerve ablation), mechanical (S-I belt) or chemical means (drugs), we induce a self-corrective process of the body that causes the pelvis to resume its symmetrical shape with the sacrum centered (rather than torqued or offset) between the ilium (hip) bones of the pelvis.
How do we do that? In principle, it's simple. Bones go where muscles and weight-bearing forces pull them. So, we retrain the neuro-muscular system so that the muscular pulls of the two sides of the body balance and coordinate in a healthy, symmetrical pattern. Accordingly, the bones attached to those muscles migrate to symmetrical positions on the right and left sides of the body and to balanced positions, front and back. As that happens, pain decreases and easy movement returns.
The approach is quite reliable and capable of making your memory of S-I Joint Dysfunction a thing of the past.
Although it does take time for complete resolution to occur, feel-able improvements start nearly immediately. Imagine imagining discovering that some of your pain has faded by the end of the practice session.
While this entry provides a comprehensive and descriptive account, rest assured that you need not understand everything here to attain relief. You need not even read the entire piece.
All you need is to understand enough from this article -- or to feel that the approach makes enough sense -- to be willing to test it. The action patterns are gentle and safe to do, as you'll find out.
You'll find a link to Unit 1 of the program in this article -- yours at no charge. Don't just read it; use it.
Here's a link to Unit 1 of the self-relief program -- free. You can get started, immediately. Personal attention mentoring, if you need it, is available.
Read this article, if . . .
- You have found the information provided by health professionals to be "thin soup"answers (such as, "You'll just have to live, with it.") that don't increase your optimism, much.
- You have tried therapies and/or surgery and are still in pain.
- You are willing to consider a different approach and to take the time and to do the work. Yes, it's work -- work that leaves you feeling better, then and there.
The Article:
A Simple Explanation of Sacroiliac Joint Syndrome (Dysfunction)
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't really understand it."
Richard P. Feynman
This misalignment triggers tension in muscles throughout the body and strain in the ligaments that unite the bones of your pelvis.
Misalignment means that your pelvis is asymmetrical -- commonly with one hip higher and more forward than the other. The symptoms are signs of your body's attempt to prevent the shape of your pelvis from getting worse, through muscular contractions and pain throughout the body that restrain movement.
The somatic approach offered, here, makes the body's attempt to stop getting worse successful by restoring symmetry. It works with the body, rather than on the body.
SYMPTOMS OF S-I JOINT PAIN SYNDROME
Among the various manifestations of SIJD, the most prevalent are pain localized at the sacroiliac joint (situated at the level of the waistline, at the back, two to three inches to one side) and discomfort in the groin area; there are many other common symptoms. To provide you with a concise overview, I have compiled a brief list of frequently encountered symptoms below, plus a link to a more extensive list.
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
Following are the most common symptoms of sacroiliac joint dysfunction.- pain at the groin and waistline, in back, same side - in combination
- pain around the top rim of the pelvis
- deep buttock pain, one side
- reduced ability either to bend forward, to stand up straight, to turn over, in bed.
Many more symptoms exist that vary from individual to individual.
CLICK HERE FOR THOSE OTHER COMMON SYMPTOMS.
CLICK HERE FOR THOSE OTHER COMMON SYMPTOMS.
On that page, I list and explain more symptoms grouped by:
- SENSATIONS
- SKELETAL ALIGNMENT CHANGES
- MUSCLE/MOVEMENT MEMORY CHANGES
- EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS
If you happen to experience two or more of the symptoms, it's likely that you are experiencing sacroiliac joint dysfunction.
However, one or two symptoms alone don't provide a conclusive assessment. It's worth noting that various conditions can manifest similar symptoms.
To ascertain, with certainty, whether or not you have SIJD, there's a definitive test: manual examination of your sacroiliac joints -- something that you can do, for yourself, by following the step-by-step instructions provided in the video titled "SELF-ASSESSMENT OF SACRAL POSITION", placed conveniently just below.
Through this self-assessment, you'll be able to discern any differences of position between the two S-I joints (left and right), using your fingers to perceive the variation. The video tells you how.
Even a one-millimeter difference in the positions of your S-I joints (which you can detect during the self-check) is sufficient to trigger intense symptoms.
May I encourage you to do the self-check, right away — right now. You may save yourself some "reading time."
If you discover that one S-I joint is deeper-in than the other, you've uncovered the cause of your pain: a turned sacrum and strain in your pelvis.
The Self-Check
Watch the video. Follow the instructions, exactly.The self-examination involves feeling, with your hands, for the "dimples" where your S-I joints are (explained in the video segment). Pay
close attention to the spoken instructions so you know what you're
feeling for. Don't guess. Either you feel it, or you don't. If you can feel the "dimples" and they're at the same depth relative to the bony ridges next to them, you don't have Sacro-Iliac Joint Dysfunction.
SELF-ASSESSMENT OF SACRAL POSITION
If they're at different depths ... you have this program for lasting relief.
If you can't tell, from self-examination, you may visit a chiropractor or osteopath to get a diagnosis and to get taught how to examine yourself. Say what you're there for, up front.
If he or she says you have a turned or displaced sacrum, ask to be taught how to examine yourself, as you'll need to do that regularly, if you do this program.
If neither side of your S-I joint appears deeper during the self-assessment, it is possible that your symptoms stem from other injuries.
That's good news, as resolving other kinds of injuries tends to be much simpler than addressing the complexities of S-I Joint Dysfunction (SIJD).
If your sacrum isn't the problem, visit the Consultation page to get a free Functional Assessment form. Complete it and return it by email for a guaranteed recommendation of the program you need.
Now that you are aware of the issue, you can focus on what you truly need — a way to restore the proper position of your sacrum that will definitively resolve your symptoms. The results will be obvious.
It's important to note that the side experiencing pain is typically the non-jammed side, contrary to what one might expect -- so accept the finding of your self-examination rather than doubting that you did it right.
WHY SYMPTOMS may be UNRECOGNIZED as coming from S-I JOINT DYSFUNCTION
Do you know why symptoms of sacroiliac joint dysfunction can manifest in locations that seem unrelated to the sacrum or S-I joints? It's quite fascinating.
These symptoms arise due to the intricate involvement of both the nervous and muscular systems, going beyond the simple mechanical relationships among the pelvic bones. The page listing symptoms explains.
Now, if you've endured lengthy therapy for your pain but gotten too little relief, or if the relief was only temporary (a common situation), it's a clear sign that:
- Either the treatment you received wasn't relevant, or
- the kind of approach taken to address your turned sacrum was simply ineffective.
It may be time to reassess your options and find a more effective solution.
Causes of a Turned Sacrum
THE SACRO-ILIAC (S-I) JOINT LIGAMENTS ARE NOT THE CAUSE OF S-I JOINT DYSFUNCTION, BUT THE VICTIM OF IT.
This Mayo Clinic entry describes recognized causes of a turned sacrum.
(quoted, below:)
Based on the experiences of my clients, injuries are usually the culprit behind sacroiliac joint dysfunction. These injuries can take various forms, such as falls from bicycles, horses, rooftops, or during skating, as well as accidents involving motor vehicles.
This Mayo Clinic entry describes recognized causes of a turned sacrum.
(quoted, below:)
Sacroileitis — Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment of inflammation of the sacroiliac joints.
ref: Overview - Sacroiliitis (alternate spelling) - Mayo Clinic
Causes for sacroiliac joint dysfunction include:
- Traumatic injury. A sudden impact, such as a motor vehicle accident or a fall, can damage your sacroiliac joints.
- Arthritis. Wear-and-tear arthritis (osteoarthritis) can occur in sacroiliac joints, as can ankylosing spondylitis — a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine.
- Pregnancy. The sacroiliac joints must loosen and stretch to accommodate childbirth. The added weight and altered gait during pregnancy can cause additional stress on these joints and can lead to abnormal wear.
- Infection. In rare cases, the sacroiliac joint can become infected.
Based on the experiences of my clients, injuries are usually the culprit behind sacroiliac joint dysfunction. These injuries can take various forms, such as falls from bicycles, horses, rooftops, or during skating, as well as accidents involving motor vehicles.
One particular scenario that arises is when a person has one foot on the brake during a collision, causing the leg to be forcefully jammed into the hip on one side, causing the pelvis to distort. This kind of sudden and impactful incident is often the main cause of sacroiliac joint dysfunction.
Common Surgical Treatments to Clear Up S-I Joint Pain
Two surgical measures used to stop S-I joint pain are Radio Frequency nerve Ablation and Sacro-Iliac Joint Fusion.
Neither measure corrects the underlying problem, but, at best, reduces symptoms.
- Nerve ablation ("RFA" - cooking the nerve endings)
lasts 9-12 months before the nerve regenerates -- making repetition necessary. - Sacro-Iliac Joint Fusion surgery alters movement and decreases mobility permanently.
Click the image, below, to read the article on
S-I joint fusion surgery by Dr. Centeno.
S-I joint fusion surgery by Dr. Centeno.
- Skeletal Manipulation
Despite manipulation, bones go where muscles pull and hold them. Because muscular tension gets triggered in many places in the body by a turned sacrum -- and commonly persist or return -- the effects of skeletal manipulation of the sacrum don't last. You might end up "married" to your therapist.
- Massage: Loosen the ligaments.
- Prolotherapy: Tighten the ligaments.
These two approaches are attempts to tackle the same problem by opposite means.
If ligament strain were truly the cause of sacroiliac joint dysfunction and effectively treated, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect permanent resolution when the strain was relieved by manipulation? But that doesn't happen, except in the mildest of cases.
Ligament strain, itself, is not the root cause, but rather the consequence of a turned sacrum.
A correct approach would address the actual cause. Lasting reduction of pain and increase of mobility would be the sign that an approach is the right one, don't you think?
ACTIONABLE UNDERSTANDING
Let's take a moment to appreciate what we understand, so far.
We have understood - how an injury can cause distortion in the pelvis, and how persistent muscular contractions, driven by the body's automatic self-protective mechanisms, have contributed to the problem.
- that contrary to common belief, symptoms are not due to too-lax ligaments. Nor are they due to ligaments being too tight.
- that strain and laxity -- two common diagnoses -- are secondary effects of a turned sacrum, not causes.
- that addressing ligaments alone will not correct the problem.
- that alleviating pain is a partial and temporary "fix".
- how an injury can cause distortion in the pelvis, and how persistent muscular contractions, driven by the body's automatic self-protective mechanisms, have contributed to the problem.
- that contrary to common belief, symptoms are not due to too-lax ligaments. Nor are they due to ligaments being too tight.
- that strain and laxity -- two common diagnoses -- are secondary effects of a turned sacrum, not causes.
- that addressing ligaments alone will not correct the problem.
- that alleviating pain is a partial and temporary "fix".
Instead, what we need to do is get the pelvis to regain its symmetry. And that's where the approach I will outline next comes into play.
What I Say Works
The program offered, here, sets itself apart from others by using specific action patterns -- done in slow motion and entirely within your (now limited) comfort zone -- to retrain the muscular and nervous systems.
With each practice session, you will feel the improvements taking place. Each action pattern produces specific improvements described in its video introduction.
To access these clear, easy-to-follow instructions, do the program available through links in this entry.
Rest assured, the instructions are gentle, safe, and presented at a comfortable pace. They do not inflict any pain or discomfort.
The promised results -- stopping the pain, restoring free movement, and saving you from the letdown of conventional therapeutic options you may already have experienced -- are within your reach.
It's quite likely that you will experience the relief you seek in a fraction of the time you have already invested in unsuccessful therapy. That is my promise to you -- and to back it up, I offer a lifetime money-back guarantee (which has been invoked only a few times since this program became available in 2015).
ADDENDUM
Clinical Somatic Education to Correct Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction: The Role of Muscle/Movement Memory
Notably, Clinical Somatic Education is free from adverse side effects, except for occasional, short-term soreness occasionally experienced immediately after a practice session, lasting for 1-2 hours.
The correction of S-I Joint Dysfunction through clinical somatic education involves three stages:
- Unlocking the Situation: By reducing the tension levels in the involved muscles, we release the jammed S-I joint, enabling the re-patterning of forces that contribute to pelvic distortion.
- Reshaping Muscular Tension and Movement Patterns: Through consistent practice of movement patterns aligned with a healthy, symmetrical pelvis and optimal S-I joint function, we reshape and realign the musculature.
- Reinforcing Healthy Movement Patterns: Rather than focusing on strength alone, we develop integrated movement habits that reinforce balanced and free movement. These new habits become second nature and seamlessly integrate into daily life without requiring any special attention.
By following this comprehensive approach, clinical somatic education provides a transformative solution to S-I Joint Dysfunction.
Click on the image, above, to see entire comment.
More on Hanna Somatic Education
for Relief of S-I Joint Dysfunction
Comforting Your S-I Joints | A RECIPE for RELIEF
If you're accustomed to exercises or therapies that yield barely noticeable changes, let me state that somatic education exercises are far from that.
The effects of these exercises become evident quite swiftly, typically within the first two practice sessions, and accumulate over time. You'll feel the difference in your movement, as the distressing symptoms of SIJD fade away.
Rest assured, this self-renewal program has undergone thorough testing and has proven consistently reliable.
The success stories the first adopters of this approach shared validated the efficacy of the program.
I understand why someone might be afraid to take an alternate approach to clearing up the problem: fear -- and I suspect that you may already have tried other approaches, to little avail. Those are good reasons to hesitate.
What I can say is that people have gotten better -- completely or partially -- and no one has gotten worse, with this approach.
Everyone I have worked with, personally (I've been in practice since 1990), has been pleased with the results -- and I offer a lifetime satisfaction refund guarantee.
THE PROGRAM
Imagine the program, Comforting Your S-I Joints, as a meticulously crafted recipe for relief. Just like in cooking, where no single ingredient can create a masterpiece dish, each action pattern within this program serves as a crucial element. It is the collective arrangement and specific order of these somatic education exercises that make the program effective.
Just as a skilled chef carefully prepares and combines ingredients, there are steps of preparation involved in Comforting Your S-I Joints. Each action pattern can be likened to a stage of preparation, playing a unique role in the overall recipe. Each section builds upon the previous section and prepares you for the next. You're guided at an easy, step-by-step pace.
Just as a recipe requires care and attention to detail, the program is designed to be followed in a specific order to achieve the desired results for your S-I joints.
The "Gentle Spine Waves exercise" in Unit 1 of the program is such an ingredient and a step of preparation. It's not expected to relieve your S-I symptoms, by itself (although it works for simple back pain); it's a necessary step to unlock the situation. What it does is relax the back muscles; this step is one of preparation, not of "cure".
Who is This Program For?
To get started with the program, Comforting Your S-I Joints and to see a statement of the expected result of each section of exercises, you may enter your information, below.
A quick-response email message will come to your email address requesting permission to mail to you. Once you give permission, "Getting Started for Free" emails will come to you with bite-size steps for Unit 1 of Comforting Your S-I Joints. That gives you a taste of the program -- both how you do it and the results.
Comforting Your S-I Joints is a system of movement-based exercises that reprograms muscle/movement memory in a lasting way. You'll feel changes for the better with each practice session; changes accumulate over time. The entire system extinguishes the pain and restores mobility.
A quick-response email message will come to your email address requesting permission to mail to you. Once you give permission, "Getting Started for Free" emails will come to you with bite-size steps for Unit 1 of Comforting Your S-I Joints. That gives you a taste of the program -- both how you do it and the results.
Comforting Your S-I Joints is a system of movement-based exercises that reprograms muscle/movement memory in a lasting way. You'll feel changes for the better with each practice session; changes accumulate over time. The entire system extinguishes the pain and restores mobility.
See the section, below, to get started with Comforting Your S-I Joints, for free. It's free because I expect you to find it effective and so to purchase the rest of the program for the full result.
By getting started with Unit 1, you can develop the confidence that you actually can succeed at this program and, as improbable as it may seem, do for yourself what medical professionals and therapists have been unable to do, for you.
Structured exercises that retrain muscle/movement memory can do for you what manipulation, drugs, TENS ("transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation" -- nerve stimulation through the skin), or surgery, cannot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Introducing Lawrence Gold, a certified practitioner of the revolutionary Hanna Somatic Education(R), a groundbreaking discipline in the realm of healthcare focused on pain elimination. With over three decades of experience, Lawrence Gold has been dedicated to helping individuals find relief from various ailments.
During the period spanning from 2005 to 2015, Lawrence Gold painstakingly developed a comprehensive program specifically designed to alleviate the wide range of symptoms associated with S-I joint dysfunction. Through extensive testing and refinement, he has ensured the program's effectiveness before making it available to the public.
For those seeking further information or assistance, Lawrence Gold can be reached conveniently via email or phone. You can contact him at +1 505 819-0858, located in Portland, OR. Lawrence Gold is committed to providing the support and guidance necessary to help individuals find lasting relief from S-I joint dysfunction and achieve improved well-being.
CLICK THE IMAGE, AT RIGHT
or GET STARTED, AT NO CHARGE,
BY ENTERING YOUR INFORMATION, ABOVE.
BY ENTERING YOUR INFORMATION, ABOVE.
Click the image, above, to find out
about personal mentoring
with the developer, Lawrence Gold.
about personal mentoring
with the developer, Lawrence Gold.
copyright 2015-2020 Lawrence Gold
This writing may be reproduced only in its entirety,
with accurate attribution of its authorship
and contact information.
with accurate attribution of its authorship
and contact information.
The Somatic Codes
There is a special meaning for that term -- The Somatic Codes.
It's more akin to Morse Code than it is to the Codes of Hammurabi. However there is virtue to it that would potentize the Codes of Hammurabi, if they were integrated together.
The Somatic Codes are rhythmic numerical sequences that beat a resonance through oneself -- using specific movement elements to create specific rhythmic and timed sensations.
This resonance of deliberately created self-sensations links or integrates memory, imagination, and sensation into an integrated, resonant, mobile faculty of intelligence.
(And what would that do for your golf game -- or your video games.)
I have detailed a portion of The Somatic Codes in my piece: The Diamond Penetration Pandiculation Technique.
These codes accelerate and deepen the effects of somatic exercises when incorporated with somatic exercises. There will be video in the near future on YouTube showing how this is done.
See many videos of pandicular maneuvers. Here's the general channel of (some) of my videos.
It's more akin to Morse Code than it is to the Codes of Hammurabi. However there is virtue to it that would potentize the Codes of Hammurabi, if they were integrated together.
The Somatic Codes are rhythmic numerical sequences that beat a resonance through oneself -- using specific movement elements to create specific rhythmic and timed sensations.
This resonance of deliberately created self-sensations links or integrates memory, imagination, and sensation into an integrated, resonant, mobile faculty of intelligence.
(And what would that do for your golf game -- or your video games.)
I have detailed a portion of The Somatic Codes in my piece: The Diamond Penetration Pandiculation Technique.
These codes accelerate and deepen the effects of somatic exercises when incorporated with somatic exercises. There will be video in the near future on YouTube showing how this is done.
See many videos of pandicular maneuvers. Here's the general channel of (some) of my videos.
Hypothesis on Developing Obesity
Just a summary entry:
Anciently, during periods following famine (and also, at the harvest), there followed periods of feasting and celebration. Understandable.
What do people do, when feasting? Overeat. Consider Thanksgiving.
Now, that's not the end of the story; it's where something new makes it interesting.
What happens to the size of the stomach, when we overeat? It enlarges.
And what happens to the abdominal cavity, as the stomach enlarges? It enlarges, to accommodate.
And what happens when the abdominal cavity enlarges? The muscles of the abdominal wall relax.
And what happens when the muscles of the abdominal wall relax? They make room not only for food, but for the additional blood circulation needed needed for the stomach to digest all that food (particularly, the proteins).
Well and good. Sounds healthy.
However, what happens when a person habitually overeats? The muscles of the abdominal wall come to stay habitually relaxed.
And what's below (or just interior to) the abdominal wall? It's called, "the greater omentum". The greater omentum is a body of fat that drapes, like an apron (apropos) over the abdominal organs.
And what do you think happens to all those nice, juicy nutrients from habitual overeating, with habitually relaxed abdominal wall muscles and all that increased blood circulation and with the greater omentum nearby, through which some of that circulation circulates? By George! That greater omentum, which has lots of nice space around it, is just waiting for all that nice excess nutrition to fatten it up. The body adapts to our way of life and changes shape accordingly; ask any fitness nut. We become how we live.
The fault doesn't lie with the greater omentum.
The fault doesn't lie with the increased circulation.
The fault doesn't lie with those relaxed abdominal muscles (that everybody wants to tighten).
The fault doesn't lie even with all those nutrients.
The fault lies with the fact that the person habitually eats too much at one sitting.
If (s)he ate less, the stomach would not enlarge, so much, the abdominal wall would not distend as much, and there would be less room for the greater omentum, and less circulation. And less belly fat gain.
After times of famine, it's understandable that people might feast. And it seems somehow "naturally sound" for people feasting after famine to get fatter -- as a way of "putting somthing away" in case of future famine -- a protective evolutionary development.
And in fact, what has been observed is that people who starve themselves to lose weight end up gaining more weight, than before, after the starvation diet ends. That's one reason why it's being said, "Diets don't work." It's the evolutionary program for famine.
Maybe I've just described more about how that works -- and why it's better to eat many small meals and snacks than it is to eat a few large meals -- as, in some people's case, one big meal each day.
Now, it's also understandable why some people overeat. Famine is a "stressor". And under stress, our belly wall does tighten ("Startle Reflex"). Feasting after fasting is a way of relieving that stress and also of forcing that tight belly wall to relax, simulating relief from stress.
Does the nature of the stressor matter, when it comes to relieving stress? Do we really differentiate one stressor from another at the feeling-level? or do we just go for the all-purpose stress-reliever, the traditional one, the ancient one, that one that was appropriate after the stress of famine (or deprivation) -- food.
Could it be, that is why people are seek to relieve stress by overeating? Why we might eat when depressed? or lonely?
And what does it say about our times?
Obesity is a symptom of a distressed society and of ignorance about stress and eating (including poor choices/quality of food/quantity).
Just a hypothesis.
Anciently, during periods following famine (and also, at the harvest), there followed periods of feasting and celebration. Understandable.
What do people do, when feasting? Overeat. Consider Thanksgiving.
Now, that's not the end of the story; it's where something new makes it interesting.
What happens to the size of the stomach, when we overeat? It enlarges.
And what happens to the abdominal cavity, as the stomach enlarges? It enlarges, to accommodate.
And what happens when the abdominal cavity enlarges? The muscles of the abdominal wall relax.
And what happens when the muscles of the abdominal wall relax? They make room not only for food, but for the additional blood circulation needed needed for the stomach to digest all that food (particularly, the proteins).
Well and good. Sounds healthy.
However, what happens when a person habitually overeats? The muscles of the abdominal wall come to stay habitually relaxed.
And what's below (or just interior to) the abdominal wall? It's called, "the greater omentum". The greater omentum is a body of fat that drapes, like an apron (apropos) over the abdominal organs.
And what do you think happens to all those nice, juicy nutrients from habitual overeating, with habitually relaxed abdominal wall muscles and all that increased blood circulation and with the greater omentum nearby, through which some of that circulation circulates? By George! That greater omentum, which has lots of nice space around it, is just waiting for all that nice excess nutrition to fatten it up. The body adapts to our way of life and changes shape accordingly; ask any fitness nut. We become how we live.
The fault doesn't lie with the greater omentum.
The fault doesn't lie with the increased circulation.
The fault doesn't lie with those relaxed abdominal muscles (that everybody wants to tighten).
The fault doesn't lie even with all those nutrients.
The fault lies with the fact that the person habitually eats too much at one sitting.
If (s)he ate less, the stomach would not enlarge, so much, the abdominal wall would not distend as much, and there would be less room for the greater omentum, and less circulation. And less belly fat gain.
After times of famine, it's understandable that people might feast. And it seems somehow "naturally sound" for people feasting after famine to get fatter -- as a way of "putting somthing away" in case of future famine -- a protective evolutionary development.
And in fact, what has been observed is that people who starve themselves to lose weight end up gaining more weight, than before, after the starvation diet ends. That's one reason why it's being said, "Diets don't work." It's the evolutionary program for famine.
Maybe I've just described more about how that works -- and why it's better to eat many small meals and snacks than it is to eat a few large meals -- as, in some people's case, one big meal each day.
Now, it's also understandable why some people overeat. Famine is a "stressor". And under stress, our belly wall does tighten ("Startle Reflex"). Feasting after fasting is a way of relieving that stress and also of forcing that tight belly wall to relax, simulating relief from stress.
Does the nature of the stressor matter, when it comes to relieving stress? Do we really differentiate one stressor from another at the feeling-level? or do we just go for the all-purpose stress-reliever, the traditional one, the ancient one, that one that was appropriate after the stress of famine (or deprivation) -- food.
Could it be, that is why people are seek to relieve stress by overeating? Why we might eat when depressed? or lonely?
And what does it say about our times?
Obesity is a symptom of a distressed society and of ignorance about stress and eating (including poor choices/quality of food/quantity).
Just a hypothesis.
"Never eat anything bigger than your head."
~~ R. Crumb
a few resources:
Calmly EnergizingSomatic Breathing Training to Reduce StressThe Cat Stretch to reduce Startle Reflex TMJ Syndrome in about Two Weeks |
Hypermasculinity, Habituation, and the Apparent Spirit-Matter Split
Habituation leads to pain through inadequacy of adaptation (dysfunctional behaviors), and this pain goads us to the Spirit-Matter Split, as dissociation ("I am not the body; I am pure subjectivity," -- the absurd Eastern error) and as materialism ("I am the body; I am objective, without personal biases," -- the pathetic Western error). These are not mental ideals, but pervasive moods, our very underlying logic of life.
One way disowns material existence and the body; the other disowns or is oblivious to subjectivity, or ones inner, personal life; one disowns the "outer", the other ignores or disowns or is oblivious to the "inner".
Interesting point: when "outer" and "inner" perceptions (and identification with either) are differentiated (observed individually), equalized (made equally observable through practice), and integrated (observed simultaneously), formless Spirit appears as ones own nature. (Jesus' saying, "If your 'eye' be single, your whole body will be full of light."). But even habituation in that equalized state, as an effort, is impractical as a moment-to-moment life practice.
Habituation shows up as being set in our ways, as resisting change, as persistent wounds, as persistent dysfunction, as fear, as force (forceful idealism or aggressive materialism), as bogged-down politics, as hypermasculine "spirituality" (celibacy, imposition of ideals upon oneself, striving to overcome self), as "final" knowledge, as the (presumed or apparently actual) inaccessibility of transcendental intuition, and at last as at first, as self-identification and our repressed and unconscious "shadow material" that goes with identification. (We hide or resist aspects of ourselves, which become shadow material, entrenched, unconscious, as subconsciously controlled states of stress and compulsive behavior in-and-as our very bodily existence. It does not hide in transcendental Spirit, but in our "immanent" selves).
The problem is, habituation is the very vehicle of the transmission and survival of civilization from generation to generation (knowledge and tradition), and this present generation unwisely (and habitually) rejects habituation (via post-modern deconstructionism of knowledge and views) -- rather than recognizing habitual habituation as the problem and choosing habituations wisely! (or we tend to think our habituations are wise and so reinforce them.)
Thus, the global crisis of transformation and ("first tier") culture wars so often spoken of in integral circles come down to the drag of habituation upon necessary evolutionary transformation.
Transcendental intuition makes transcendence of habituation possible (or easier), but transcendence without conscious embodiment (and people typically underestimate what that is), is dissociation, subject (vulnerable) to our own "shadow" influences -- the very Spirit-Matter Split. And, of course, the work of conscious embodiment is limited without self-transcendence, which makes shadow material palatable enough (and witnessable enough) for differentiation and integration.
The problem may be seen as incompetence in regulating habituation -- full spectrum.
One way disowns material existence and the body; the other disowns or is oblivious to subjectivity, or ones inner, personal life; one disowns the "outer", the other ignores or disowns or is oblivious to the "inner".
Interesting point: when "outer" and "inner" perceptions (and identification with either) are differentiated (observed individually), equalized (made equally observable through practice), and integrated (observed simultaneously), formless Spirit appears as ones own nature. (Jesus' saying, "If your 'eye' be single, your whole body will be full of light."). But even habituation in that equalized state, as an effort, is impractical as a moment-to-moment life practice.
Habituation shows up as being set in our ways, as resisting change, as persistent wounds, as persistent dysfunction, as fear, as force (forceful idealism or aggressive materialism), as bogged-down politics, as hypermasculine "spirituality" (celibacy, imposition of ideals upon oneself, striving to overcome self), as "final" knowledge, as the (presumed or apparently actual) inaccessibility of transcendental intuition, and at last as at first, as self-identification and our repressed and unconscious "shadow material" that goes with identification. (We hide or resist aspects of ourselves, which become shadow material, entrenched, unconscious, as subconsciously controlled states of stress and compulsive behavior in-and-as our very bodily existence. It does not hide in transcendental Spirit, but in our "immanent" selves).
The problem is, habituation is the very vehicle of the transmission and survival of civilization from generation to generation (knowledge and tradition), and this present generation unwisely (and habitually) rejects habituation (via post-modern deconstructionism of knowledge and views) -- rather than recognizing habitual habituation as the problem and choosing habituations wisely! (or we tend to think our habituations are wise and so reinforce them.)
Thus, the global crisis of transformation and ("first tier") culture wars so often spoken of in integral circles come down to the drag of habituation upon necessary evolutionary transformation.
Transcendental intuition makes transcendence of habituation possible (or easier), but transcendence without conscious embodiment (and people typically underestimate what that is), is dissociation, subject (vulnerable) to our own "shadow" influences -- the very Spirit-Matter Split. And, of course, the work of conscious embodiment is limited without self-transcendence, which makes shadow material palatable enough (and witnessable enough) for differentiation and integration.
The problem may be seen as incompetence in regulating habituation -- full spectrum.
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