Balance and Stress

Balance and stress have an interesting relationship. When we are stressed out we will often refer to our experience as being out of balance, we bump into things and we loose our orientation and sense of direction or purpose in our lives. Physiologically there is an interesting correlation between being out of balance and stress. Both have connections to the central nervous system with nerves that run through or between the bones of the skull. These nerves are specifically Cranial Nerve VIII which connects the vestibular (balance) and Auditory components of the ear to the brain, and Cranial Nerve X which is also known as the Vagus Nerve. The Vagus nerve is the primary connection between the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) and the Brain. The PNS has a lot to do with stress responses and the physical symptoms of distress, such as heart rate, tightness in the gut, constipation and insomnia. 

Imbalance in the function of Cranial Nerves is known to arise from tension or compression placed on them by changing alignment of the bones of the skull. By simply reorganizing the relationship of the associated Cranial bones, normal nerve function quickly resumes, and the experience of being balanced and centered ensues. Chronic misalignment is usually associated with joints between the bones than can become stuck and it can take some focused work to unjam them. However, the type of imbalance that we all experience, sometimes just calling it "a bad day" can be approached much more generally and often with the simple exercise I am about to present. This type of imbalance can result from how we slept, to our physical reactions to any type of stress, from trauma (even minor injuries) and can last quite a while before our body figures out how to self correct it.

The technique has its roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine (Gall Bladder Meridian) and Applied Kinesiology. I use it as a sort of first aid kit for working with structural imbalances when I don't have the time / inclination to dig deeply into the origins of an issue.

Laying down face up with knees bent:

1) Behind the knee is a little horizontal muscle called Popliteus. If you gently get your fingers into the void behind the knee, you will feel this muscle. Check both sides. One should feel much tighter than the other. Rub both deeply, but gently, paying special attention to the side that is tight. (In massage this area is considered high risk, so don't go poking deep in there, but spend a few minutes seeing if can get it to unwind).

2) At the front of the shoulder is a muscle called Anterior Deltiod. Repeat as above. A simple technique to get a muscle to relax is to compress the fibers along its length.

3) Lightly tap around the ear several times.

4) Repeat 1 - 3 several times. The Gall Bladder Meridian Energy moves down the outside of the body, so it is nice to stroke down the sides of the body, but you should start with the knees and work north. 

My guess as to how this works is that these particular muscles have strong links to balance, and that by reseting their tension, it takes tension off of the bones of the skull. The tapping then helps reset the cranial alignment. There are many variants and embellishments of this technique, but this basic version works pretty effectively. Let me know how you like it.

Emotions and the Body

Chronically painful muscles often have some form of emotional conflict as part of the root cause. Our bodies often will on one hand want to express an emotion or feeling, and on the other hand quickly jump in and inhibit that impulse. The muscles which are active in that expression have to deal with conflicting signals from the neuromuscular system, creating stress. Over time this stress builds up creating chronic pain and stiffness. An example that many of us experience to some degree is when we want to say something, but stop ourselves from doing so. This may be the smart, practical thing to do, but over time the inhibited impulses can jam the muscles of the throat and diaphragm, which can develop into chronic neck pain and breathing restrictions. This can also express as a clenched jaw, biting the tongue so to speak, which then develops into chronic and painful Temporal Mandibular joint problems. Another common example results from when we feel, but can't easily express our anger. We may not even know that our shoulders are dealing with an impulse to strike out or push away, while dealing with a strong inhibition of that impulse. We then feel the jammed muscles as pain and tension in the shoulders, between the shoulder blades and perhaps up to the base of the skull. This pain might persist and never fully release no matter what we do to try to relax it.

During bodywork a memory of an incident or relationship can float up from our subconscious which we might talk about or just take notice of. Just the act of remembering usually results in a spontaneous opening up of tightly held muscles, which up until then had resisted any change. Quite often when looking back on these conflicts they seem logical and simple, sometimes even humorous, rarely too intense or uncomfortable to deal with. Other times these stresses can resolve without anything at all floating into awareness, just a sense of releasing and reorganizing. Bodywork by itself or complementing other therapies can make chronic pain heal faster, or provide the added energy needed to get a healing process moving again. With trauma and abuse a multi-therapy approach including bodywork can make working through painful issues go much quicker. For some personality types bodywork is the most suitable primary modality for personal growth and physical healing.

In my practice I find that even muscle pain caused by injuries can have emotional aspects, especially if healing is progressing slowly. Emotional vulnerabilities create weak areas in the body where accidents are more prone to happen. For example, someone who feels unsupported in some significant area of their life may have chronic foot problems. When they get injured, it always seems like the feet play a part. It is as if the feet express the instability or lack of support that they feel in other areas of their lives. Just working on the soft tissue of the feet without helping release the experience of lack of support probably will not produce permanent change. These cyclical patterns where the physical experience reinforces the emotional experience which again validates the physical experience can be difficult to break out of without help.  In my personal and clinical experience, releasing the emotions carried in soft tissue not only provides greater physical freedom and flexibility, but also emotional freedom to experience life in new ways. Often pain is the motivation that drives us into actively seeking out solutions to heal chronic problems. The benefits and discoveries we make along the journey can go beyond specific health goals to encompass our overall sense of well being, release from old patterns and access to joy.