“Give yourself a body constellation. Put a star at all your major axes. That is your body constellation. And then look at how much time you actually spend in that same constellation.” ~Katy Bowman
A few years ago I came across this 👆 simple piece of advice and it completely gave me a different perspective on the body. It was no longer “Don’t sit. Sitting is bad.” but more “Change your body constellation. Often.”
If we take that concept of creating different constellations with the body and apply it locally to the spine, a whole new world opens up. How many different ways can we move the spine in order to keep i̶t̶ healthy?
“90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain
is generated by the movement of the spine”
~Dr. Roger Sperry
**Enter Spinal waves. 🌊🌊
The beauty of spinal waves lies in their simplicity. There are infinite ways you can configure your spine and articulate the many many joints that make up the spine. So…whether you’ve never heard of spinal waves or you practice them daily, I hope you glean some insight from the resources below.
READ, WATCH, LISTEN ⤵
READ: The Spine
(Reading Time: ~5-7 minutes)
A lovely primer on the spine and its importance. It dives a bit into anatomy, posture, and the mainstream “protectionist” approach to the spine. This one is a good one to send to anyone who might benefit from spinal work but might find something like spinal waves “weird.”
“If the spine is immobile and not involved in everyday movement, it loses the “definition” inside the map of the body inside the brain. The body loses “suppleness”, which is a marker of youthfulness. If the soft tissue around it is not used to receiving load in different directions, any kind of force that comes in any “unusual” angle can potentially cause damage.”
PROGRAM: Healing The Spine: Soft Range Of Motion Practice
Joseph Bartz shares a spinal program of his that allows you to follow along over the course of 6 weeks (and beyond.) A great in-depth breakdown and how-to for getting started with spinal waves.
“Healing doesn't necessarily require strengthening of the musculature, but rather the nourishing of the joint through the right dosages of movement! The movement apparatus is kept alive by means of movement. Strength training is an add-on, which must come AFTER this step, not before!”
WATCH: Intrinsic Movement
(Length: 6mins)
A captivating video (and narration) around the fluidity of the spine.
“What happens when the spine returns to its fluid origins? Bone is connective tissue. It is filled with fluid. What we are seeing is the the choreography of the fluid moving through the connective tissue called bone. Bone maintains its health through its flexibility and adaptability.”
AESTHETICALLY PLEASING 👀
ART by Yeyo at Nomada Training
A wonderful depiction of how most lead their day-to-day, keeping their body in a single “body constellation” most of the day.
TINY INSIGHT 🧠
“Movement should be an inward inquiry as much as it is an external achievement of a task.”
(Unsure who to attribute to.)
•••
Stay Wavy ,
Galo Alfredo Naranjo