Dealing With Gravity

Making Peace with Gravity introduces Gravitational Harmony Work Conscious pattern shifting and muscle-web reshaping- Drawing on decades of research and experimentation in Body Mechanics, Yoga and Qigong by Michael Tonetti, this video reveals that the human body, when unified, is a sophisticated anti gravity system tuned by hundreds of millions of years of naturally patterned movement. Vertebrates dive into movement. Early scientists reasoned that because the pelvis can ride directly under the head while walking that it should ride under the head. However, a neutral line through the crown of the head and the back foot (pushing off) places the pelvis back several inches. Dr. Vladimir Janda called the big lower back muscles ‘bullies’ - unfortunately, pressing the pelvis forward of neutral requires increasing the problematic involvement of these ‘bully’ muscles; and striking the heel increases wear and tear on every joint. Whereas, walking in the ancient vertebrate diving sequence with the crown of the head first, and the spine and the pelvis trailing behind (as shown in this video) frees the spine, hips, knees and ankles to function more like the muscles and joints of the other vertebrates while decreasing impact and unsafe twisting. This approach buries the untruth that joints are “not built to last”; joints can remain strong and functional throughout the lifespan. This modern science of movement is based on the Biotensegrity Principle which says that when the joints align accurately in the centers of their range of motion, the bones float effortlessly (reflexively) in their multi layered web of muscles with minimal pressure on the joints. This video breaks new ground in Body Mechanics in numerous ways:.

Identifies inadvertent ducking as the ubiquitous dysfunctional spinal movement pattern that leads to a compressive lockdown syndrome of unopposed tight muscles, stiff joints, shallow breathing, inflammation and pain

Advocates a modified quadruped movement pattern which we call the diving pattern to harness gravity, unify and support the three curves of the spine, allowing gravity to freely swing the legs while walking to reduce pressure on the joints

Teaches the blending of active (exercise and alignment) and passive (relaxation) modes to ensure that the weight of the head is allowed to stimulate the appropriate deep muscles of the neck, ribcage, lower back, hips, knees and ankles

Promotes the goal of regularly experiencing buoyancy in the torso - a reliable test of alignment, grounding, relaxation, inner harmony, and joint safety

Shows how to break the energy-blocking muscle holding pattern of the compressive lockdown syndrome through the development of specific muscular give and take relationships, full back and side breathing, and movement re-patterning

Unveils new safety protocols for sitting, getting up and down, standing, lifting, walking, and turning

Clarifies the role of foot structure and alignment in protecting the knees, hips and spine

Introduces Foonking, which anchors the pelvis and activates numerous leg functions to improve grounding strength

Explains anchoring of the shoulder blades to increase arm strength and to take pressure off the neck

Illustrates whole body axial twisting exercises to reshape the muscle web, to develop strength in the deep spinal support muscles, and to unify the frame/extremities response in movement for balance and finesse

In addition, we identify how humans have departed from the ancient quadruped spinal lengthening movement pattern, how that leads to arthritic joints, and how to shift back to the ancient pattern. We discuss the safety and effectiveness issues of each pattern to ensure that the viewer understands the basic movement options. Extensive use of animations facilitates the process of understanding what needs to be done to free the body from muscular restriction and protect the joints. Understand Feel Know Peace