LANGUAGE OF THE BODY
Jeremiah Walk in Place, Shelley Lake, digital scene simulation, 2020
“The body is a whole and must be viewed and treated as a whole if real integration is to occur.” –Ken Dychtwald, Bodymind
BREATHING
“Breathe as if you do not breathe.” – Lao Tzu
In the rule of threes, we can live without food for three weeks, we can live without water for three days and we can live without air for three minutes. The time-sensitivity of our breathing apparatus makes clear the primacy of our shared airspace.
The global atmosphere and human respiration play an increasingly important role in the survival of our planet, our species, and every living organism. Although our autonomic nervous system drives our unconscious respiratory behavior, with increased awareness, we can begin to breathe consciously.
We can optimize this often overlooked act of primal significance. Every breath holds the potential for a balanced exchange of nourishment and elimination. With improved vital capacity, we can become more connected in body, mind and spirit.
Stefan Breathing, Shelley Lake, digital scene simulation, 2020
Current research into conscious breathing supports these few simple guidelines that blend ancient wisdom with contemporary practice:
1. Breathe Slow
Slow your breath down, so slowly that your nasal hairs do not move.
Take comfortable sized breaths.
2. Breathe Low
Keep your breath out of your neck and shoulders.
Shift inhalation from your chest down into your abdomen.
Do not breathe deep.
Be gentle, do not rush into the next inhalation.
3. Nasal Breathing
Inhalation and exhalation must take place through the nose.
Nose breathing increases oxygen intake by ten to twenty percent.
Nose breathing warms and humidifies incoming air.
Removes a significant amount of germs and bacteria.
Reduces overbreathing, hyperventilation and air hunger.
Although our autonomic nervous system drives our unconscious respiratory behavior, with increased awareness, we can begin to breathe consciously. We can optimize this often overlooked act of primal significance.
Our life force, our spirit is enhanced by conscious breathing. Breathing fuels our energetic body, provides the cellular sustenance for the tissue beds and ultimately can become a vehicle for communion with the universal.
WALKING
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” – Buddha
Walking, like breathing, is profoundly important. Instead of passively waiting for someone else to fulfill our desires, walking symbolizes the ability to go after what you want. Walking energizes. Walking facilitates the calf pump, a pump comparable to the heart as an advocate for the circulatory system. Walking engages the respiratory apparatus, forcing the diaphragm to communicate with the chest and abdomen–unifying the upper and lower body.
Falling Man, Shelley Lake, digital scene simulation, 2020
Jeremiah cross walk, Shelley Lake, digital scene simulation, 2020
Jeremiah cross walk composite, Shelley Lake, digital scene simulation, 2020
Oppositional cross crawling movements of each arm builds a neurological bridge between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Locomotion in the gravity field strengthens the musculoskeletal system and helps restore balance, alignment and immunity.
“In my first book, I postulated two instincts called longing and aggression. Longing is associated with Eros, love and tenderness. It is characterized by the movement of excitation along the front of the body which is perceived as having a tender, erotic quality. Aggression results from the flow of excitation into the muscular system, especially the large muscles of the back, the legs and arms. These muscles are involved in standing and moving. The original meaning of the word “aggression” is “to move toward.””
– Alexander Lowen, M.D., Bioenergetics
At the heart of chiropractic philosophy is a system that allows the body to heal itself–seeking harmony between mind, body and spirit. When the mind and body are in balance, the spirit will follow.
FALLING
“To live in fear of being fully alive is the state of most people.” – Alexander Lowen, Bioenergetics
Going Backward, Shelley Lake, digital scene simulation, 2020
Descending Composite, Shelley Lake, digital scene simulation, 2020