"[Physical culture] ...is an attempt
to stiffen the new garment of our intellectual development by lining it
with the old fabric of so-called natural exercise."
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Joints are a place where two or more bones meet. It is a place where bones can
move in relation to each other.
Muscles are attached to bones, across joints. When we move, we contract our muscles,
the muscles get shorter, and the bones the muscles are attached to get closer together.
Another way of saying that is: the angle between the two bones of a joint decreases.
Your elbow is a joint. If you sit at a table, and lay your hand on it palm up, then
bring your hand toward you, you will "bend your elbow." You "bent your elbow"
because you contracted the muscle that goes across the joint between your upper
and lower arm bones. Contracting that muscle pulls your lower arm closer to your upper
arm.
We are able to move because of our muscles, joints and bones. Joints allow us to
move, and limit our movement. In the example above, you contracted a muscle,
and brought your palm closer to your upper arm. Try the opposite. Try (very,
very, very gently!!) extending your arm, and bringing the back of your hand
closer to the back side of your upper arm. Can you move it very far? I hope not!
You can't move very far that way because the structure of your elbow joint will
not allow it.
What we think about our structure--what we believe about how we are put together--will
have a significant influence on how we move. If we have inaccurate ideas about our
anatomical structure, we will embody those ideas in how we move, and our moving will not
be free and easy. If we have an accurate concept of our structure and how it works,
we will be able to move freely and easily. We will now find some important anatomical
landmarks.
Where is Your Head?
Do you know where the top of your spine is? The bottom of your head rests on the
top of your spine. Think about that for a moment, and then put a finger on your neck
at the level you think is the top of your spine. Where is your finger? Some people think
the top of their spine is at the level of their collar. Some people think it is at
the level of the bottom of their ear lobe.
How To Locate the Top of Your Spine
Stick your fingers in your ears. Very delicately tilt your head forward and back
about a centimeter or less. Notice where that moving is happening. The top of
your spine is the middle of the bottom of your skull, between your ears and
behind your nose. Is that where you thought it was?
Where Are Your Arms?
How much of you is arms? Take a hand and put it where you think the joint is
that is the joint between your arm and your body. Where are you pointing?
How To Locate Your Arms
Take one hand and find one of your collarbones. Trace its length until you find the
place where your collarbone meets your breast bone. Find the same place with your other
collarbone. Now, take your right hand, and put it on the place where your left collarbone
meets your breastbone. Move your left arm. Can you feel your collarbone move also?
Your collarbone is moving because it is an arm bone. Your scapula (often called
"shoulder" blade) is also an arm bone. Can you feel it moving when you move your arm around?*
Take a moment to explore how you can move your arms. First notice what you are
doing with your head in relation to your whole body. As you continue with this noticing,
think of letting your fingertips lead your arm into moving. You might reach out
toward something that is in front of you, or you might trace a figure 8 in the air.
Whatever you do, see how easily you can let yourself move.
What do you notice doing this experiment? Most people, when they realize where
their arms actually start, and when they let their whole arm (including their collarbones
and scapulae) be free to move, find that their moving is much freer and easier than
before.
Where is Your Middle?
Where is the middle of your body? If you took your total height, and divided
it in half, where would that half way point be? Stand up, and put your hand where you
think the half way point is.
Where is your hand? Is it one or two, perhaps three inches below your waist?
How To Find Your Middle
You will need a friend to help you.
Get a long piece of string. Take off your shoes. Hold one end of the string at
the back of your head, at the height of the top of your head. Have your friend lay
the string along your body until it touches the floor.
(Don't pull the string too tight, and don't have it too loose. Use just enough
tension on the string to keep it straight). Cut the string at floor level.
This string is your total height. Now fold the string in half. The string is now
half your height. Hold one end of the string at the height of the top of your head,
and have your friend put the other end along your body.
Where is the end of the string? Is one half of your height where you thought it
would be?
Where Are Your Legs?
How much of you is legs? How "far
up"
your body do you think your legs go?
Stand up, and put one hand low on your
tummy,
palm toward you, fingers pointing down.
Put
your other hand low on your back, palm
toward
you, fingers pointing down. Shift your
weight
onto one leg, and begin to move your
other
leg around. Move it forward and backward
and to the side. Can you feel your
leg moving
around your body? Can you feel your
leg moving
in your hip socket? Now try moving
the other
leg.
Your legs are half your height. Remember
where half your height was when you
found
it with the string?
Continue moving a leg, forward, back,
around
and to the side. Can you feel the muscles
you use to move your leg? These are
leg muscles.
Axial and Appendicular Skeleton
Your axial skeleton is the bones of
your
torso: your head, spine and rib cage.
Your
appendicular skeleton is everything
else.
Your axial skeleton is your "body."
Your appendicular skeleton is your
arms and
legs. Your arms and legs work independently
of your body.
Arm and Leg Muscles, or: How Much of Your
Back is Back?
Remember when you stood on one leg
and moved
your leg around? If not, stand up and
move
your leg around again. Notice the muscles
that are moving as you move your leg.
The
muscles that move your leg are leg
muscles.
Move your arms again. Remember that
your
collarbone and scapula are arm bones.*
The
muscles that attach to them, and move
them
are arm muscles. Can you notice which
muscles
are moving as you move your arms?
Many of us think of "back"
muscles
as the ones we can see on a person's
back.
When our "back" hurts, it
is sometimes
these muscles that hurt. But almost
all the
muscles on your back that you can see
are
really arm or leg muscles. Some of
your arm
muscles go almost all the way down
your back.
Some of your leg muscles connect much
higher
on your back than you may think. Your
arm
and leg muscles are on top of your
body muscles.
If you still aren't sure about "back,"
"arm," and "leg"
muscles,
go to the meat section of your local
store,
and find a package of chicken backs.
How
much meat is on the back of a chicken?
Not
very much. We're just like chickens:
our
"back" muscles (which are
body
muscles) are very few compared to our
arm
and leg muscles.
Why Is It Important To Know About Muscles
and Bones?
Because what you believe about your
structure
will affect how you move.
Let's try an experiment. Even though
you
now know where your arms attach to
your body,
disbelieve that for a minute. Instead,
believe
very, very strongly that your arms
attach
at "the shoulder" and that
your
collarbones and scapulae are part of
your
body. Now just move your arm--don't
let your
collarbone or scapula move, that's
part of
your body, and you only want to move
your
arm.
What happened? What did you notice?
Now forget that idea, and remember
where
your arms really attach to your body.
Remember
that your collarbone and scapula are
arm
bones, and the muscles that move them
are
arm muscles. Move your arm.
What did you notice? Is moving your
arm different
when you believe your collarbone and
scapula
are part of your body compared to when
you
believe they are part of your arm?
Most people notice a difference between
the
two ways of moving their arm. The second
one usually feels easier and more free.
And
what made the difference in the two
experiences?
The difference was what you believed
about
your structure.
What do you believe about the muscles
of
your back? If you think of the muscles
on
your back as "back" muscles,
instead
of muscles that primarily move your
arms
or legs, then you may try to use them
to
do the work of your real back muscles,
which
are much farther in and underneath
the muscles
you can see. You may try to "hold
yourself
up" using some of your arm muscles.
You may use your leg muscles to try
to "stabilize"
your torso.
Arms and legs work best when we leave
them
alone, and one of the best ways to
leave
them alone is to realize that they
are independent
of our torso, and can move independently
and freely from our torso.
*(Do note that if you look in a classical anatomy
textbook you will find the bones of the arm listed as humerus (the "upper"
arm bone) and the radius and ulna (the two "bottom" arm bones). The
collarbone (clavicle) and "shoulder blade" (scapula) are listed as part of
the "shoulder girdle." This is a traditional distinction to make it easier
for anatomy students and medical people to label and talk about these
bones. However, functionally--meaning how the bones move--the collarbone
and scapula are part of your arm. It is very important that you keep this
distinction clear. If you know that your collarbone and scapula function
as part of your arm moving, then you will leave them alone to move freely
as needed when you move your arm.
Please let us know
how your experiments turn out.
Contact us at the TPS Post Office.
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