Symphony of Movement
Think about how beautiful a professional symphony orchestra sounds at a concert hall. All four orchestra sections are playing harmoniously with each one providing their part to create the beautiful sound you are enjoying. The four orchestra sections are typically composed of 100 or so individuals playing some 20 different instruments, not to mention the chorus members which total over 100 people. Hundreds of people contributing their own individual sound each having a specific task to perform in perfect harmony with all the other orchestra members to create masterpieces like Beethoven’s 9th. There is just one conductor of the orchestra whose job it is to manage the different sections, keep the rhythm, signal for precise timing changes, slow or speed the tempo, and decrease or increase the intensity so the music has a seamless flow.
I want you to look at your body and your body’s movements just like the symphony orchestra where there are many different muscles, each with a specific contribution it must provide with precise timing in order to accomplish seamless movement; all controlled by the lone conductor that is your brain. If you really think about it deeply, it’s incomprehensible to think of the subconscious intricacies that allow us just to walk across the room. Over 600 muscles in your body performing flawlessly together with just the right speed, intensity, and timing to make sure you don’t lose balance and fall over.
Think about what would happen to the symphony orchestra if just one violinist were to scratch their bow across the strings and create a sound as pleasing to the ear as fingers on a chalkboard. Imagine the violinist continued to repeat this same disruptive sound over and over until the wind section is so distracted it cannot keep pace, harmony, and pitch like it is supposed to. With more and more of the orchestra being impacted by individuals not in harmony, the entire musical composition is now unrecognizable. What do you think might happen if you’re muscles stop performing their specific role in your movements?
You have to understand that your body works with the intricacies a symphony orchestra. If one muscle, (and it’s never just one), isn’t contributing their part, the muscles around the dysfunctional muscle are being impacted, overloaded, and there is no synchronous movement; you’ve now created a compensation. For example, you aren’t able to do a proper hip hinge to pick things up off the floor due to tight hamstrings, so your body automatically has you bend your spine. You do this enough times and you eventually create a perfect storm for instability at the spine which can lead to degenerative disc problems, vertebrae degeneration, and even nerve damage. Any compensation, or dysfunction as it’s called, is compromising your joint integrity. If your joints are not properly aligned and you continue to move with suboptimal form, you are slowly deteriorating your joints away. This is why it is absolutely imperative for you to learn proper body mechanics that will keep your joints functioning for your entire life.
You want to be the masterful conductor of your symphony of movement where you are in control of how your body is moving at all times. You want to consistently perform movements with such awareness of precision that eventually it will happen seamlessly and without your conscious thought. If you do this, you will attain your personal harmonious symphony of movement. Understand the impact of misalignments, imbalances, and dysfunctions in your body and how they will impact you over time. You want your symphony to sound like the London Philharmonic, not the local 6th grade orchestra. Always move your body with knowledge and purpose, live pain free, enjoy your life, and function with the symphony of movement that your body is designed to perform. YOU are a masterpiece!
