Kathleen's log

[radiantkd]

Ok, I have my notes from my session with Coach Sonnon. I need to go back and outline just what it is I am going to be doing.

I need to need new vocabulary and think of need frame of reference for making sense of this.

I am excited to be learning something I have so much respect for. I am toally at ease being a CST rookie. That feels great. I have never started anything before where I had NO anxiety about knowing so little.

I keep thinking about what you said that the memory IS there.

One session evoked 8 layers of data and um, let's see...40 years of messages about not being all right in my body. I am sure it goes earlier but needed to stop and assimilate first.

What blew me away is how I felt with the weight of the Clubells. Soo that is dessert. First I do the clearing stuff. Build the foundation before I get to pick them up. Don't put patterns of power into a locked up body.

The yearning for it activates my motivation. Never in my life felt that before.

Ok, off to learn the language so i can make sense of what the hell I am doing :P

Kathleen

[Randell Waddell]

What an honour it is to have you join us on our explorations.

Our "tribe" is very unique.

Cheers
Randell :D

[Scott Sonnon]

Great introduction, Kathleen. :lol: I look forward to reading your insights!

[radiantkd]

HI Randall,

I sure got that your tribe is unique and I am thrilled to have found you.
Coach Sonnon is a gift to all of us. he is getting me to do stuff that I would not have imagined I could. I like it a lot.

kathleen

[radiantkd]

Date: 5/25/04

Time: 9:15 AM

Place: My office floor

Energy Level: Energized and focused

Exercise Selection:

I did 5 of the pelvic rock exercise 5 times. (I have to learn its name)
5 of the shoulder rotation on each side
4 shin boxes

Rest period

Short. I forgot to count this

RPE: 4

RT: 3

RPD: 2

Sensations: LIked how it felt. Was not startled by the stiffness and pain in my lower back. Enjoyed how my breath flowed with it. Glazd I knew to expect the crunch in my shoulder.

Images: The pelvic rocking took me to the time when I gave birth to David and had an epidural that had to be redone because they couldn't find the right vertebrae. I was in hard labor. I think I left my body. It is where the stiffness point is.

Thoughts:

Put the dogs out first. They figured down on the floor meant play and I started laughing. Hey, this is SERIOUS! They were perflexed by pelvis thrusts. Gave me perspective. We all enjoyed emulating connie's hula.

This process is giving me great compassion for new people coming to our site. Information overload makes you stupid, LOL. I had a hard time remembering what in God's name I was supposed to be doing.

Questions:

I am assuming the idea is learn circular movement in all of these actions, yes? We learn the parts such as 4 directions and then put them together into a smooth flow?

[Scott Sonnon]

Kathleen,

Laughing's good medicine, as you already know, and as my coach told me in Russia, "if you're not laughing, you're not breathing correctly." :lol:

Yes, there is a step-by-step process to CST Wellness Recovery Phase: 1. Learn the (in general) four cardinal directions of each joint range of motion: (in general) front, back, right, left.
2. Sew these together into a circle (front, right, back, left, front, or the reverse).
Then the CST Wellness Coordination Phase progresses on to more sophisticated shapes (the infinity or figure 8 sign) and then the CST Wellness Refinement Phase (diagonal infinity and clover leaf). You can find more about this graduation of steps, if you have time, by reading: Lum-barred from Pain-Free Mobility (http://www.circularstrengthmag.com/23/sonnon.html).

The body remembers the trauma of epidurals, especially amidst the incredible strong contractions of labor. Next time you practice in that area, let the area know that it did a good job protecting you up until now, and now it's safe to relax, heal and grow strong again.

[radiantkd]

The anxiety of knowing what I am supposed to be doing is creating stress. I understand the theory, and the concept of progressive motion. I understand about holding and eomtional blockage. I am more than willing to find the edge and move through it. None of that is an issue.

This morning, I went to *do* and I had not a clue. I have notes from my session, but they are incoherent to me. I do not have memory in my muscles. Or if I do,my brain cannot access on the simplest level.

Here is the frustration. When I was using the clubbells, I felt they were pulling me into a motion that felt freeing and opening. It created motivation. Trying to do the pelvic rotations, I just wanted to scream because I felt so stupid. I could not remember what to do. Then the feelings about having a body that doesn't remember came up.

Now, having read what you are writing, I can assume this is about going into where the blocks are. Probably the emotional frustration is a clue about the block. So I feel like whining, LOL.

And heaven help me, I feel like the new people who come to my program and whine and flap about what to do. I need some help here. What do I do?

Kathleen

[Scott Sonnon]

Be patient with yourself, as you are with others. Frustration is indeed the key marker of some event in your body. Frustration with the pelvic circles in particular seems to be calling you to attention in that area.

The difficult news to hear is that there's no avoiding it, only moving through the frustration, and continuing to explore the ranges of motion despite it. Frustration can be a viscious cycle resulting with negative internal dialogue at the end. Best to exhale, smile and forgive yourself.

The good news is that finding the negative internal dialogue (frustration) is like finding the end of a rope, which if followed will lead you back to the source of the issue.

Review the Warrior Wellness program for visual reminder of the exercise if you need it.

But don't think that your body doesn't remember. Your body ALWAYS remembers. It's the tension of the source of the issue which is attempting to protect itself by concealing the issue - in this case with frustration.

[radiantkd]

yah under the frustration is rage.

I think we are onto something here, :D

I am moving.

Kathleen

[Connie Brown]

awesome Kathleen. Your rope you are following is a hawser

[Scott Sonnon]

Rage is deeper than frustration - since rage moves; whereas frustration does not. Great discoveries, my dear friend!

[radiantkd]

yah, got it!!!

streaming waves.

good grief!

<grin>

kathleen

[Pattimeow]

yah, got it!!!

streaming waves.

good grief!


I'm glad you're going there first Kathleen. :wink:

Love yah, Patti

[radiantkd]

Date: May 29

Time: 8:00

Place: Laundry room with 3 dogs wondering what was I doing

Energy Level: A litle foggy, awake and committed

Exercise selection: Warrior Wellness/beginner

Sets: whatever is one the tape minus the last balance things

Reps: 10 of each as instructed

resperiod: Followed the tape

RPE: 4

RT: variable depending on exercise - 2-8, most trouble with the lateral movements

PRD: 1

Sensations: I liked the ones which flowed. Liked the flow sensation

Feelings: I was surprised at the variation of mobility. And laughed at the coordination ones. I felt like I was flailing rather than moving in those. And my balance is not so good. but I like *knowing*

Images: None I was way too concentrated on folowign the tape

Thoughts: I liked the process. Amused by the differences in my coordination in some things. I can't even imagine the lateral moves let aone do them. But that is okay since I could image some of the things I am doing just fine now. First tiime I have ever used a tape for anything.

[radiantkd]

Date: 5/30/04
Time: 6:15 AM
Place: Laundry room
Energy Level: Clear and focused. Not stiff
Exercise Selection: WW beginner's tape
Reps: Once through to balance part
Rest: None
RPE: 3
RT: variable 2-4, better than yesterday. Not so baffled
RPD: None, just energizing
Sensations: Streaming
Feelings: enjoyment, humor with al the dogs outside who thorugh they should be in with me
Images: Pictures of myself moving
Thoughts: Nice

Question: Why joint mobility before flexibility?

[Scott Sonnon]

Mobility practice is a daily requirement, whereas flexibility training is not. Mobility practice provides nutritive and lubricative fluid to wash each joint (which it would not happen without doing so), reversing the aging-process. Flexibility training does not do this.

Dr. Nikolay Amosov, a well-respected Russian surgeon, supported the notion of mobility practice with his "1000 moves to Heaven." Dr. Amosov completely rehabilitated from open heart surgery with mobility practice (including with light weight movements, you find in light Clubbell training). Furthermore, Dr. Asomov claimed that he reversed his aging process through this mobility practice.

Your ability to move through all 3 dimensions (and 6 degrees) is absolutely requisite to the health of your joints - and we are as old as our joints! Injuries and general wear-and-tear cause joint compression (squeezing out "Synovial fluid" - your joint's nutrition and lubrication), create scar tissue (called "adhesions") and calcium deposits ("joint salts") as well as rheumatoid ailments. Your mobility practice decompresses your joints washing them with nutritive and lubricative health while breaking up adhesions and calcium deposits so you can continue to move pain-free for the rest of your life. Flexibility training cannot do this, since it moves against tissue tension in one direction.

You can consider the primary distinction between mobility practice and flexibility training, your percentage likelihood of injury. In other words, possessing good flexibility without mobility predisposes you to injury! Physiologically, you'll be much safer slightly tight with good mobility, than very loose with inadequate mobility.

I see many injuries in martial arts related to concentration on flexibility and neglect of mobility. Mobility practice improves strength and stability in the extreme ranges of motion of your joints, whereas flexibility training (without mobility) decreases strength and stability.

As a result, mobility practice is more important for not only athletic performance, but also for anti-aging. Warrior Wellness is most often used for a morning (afternoon and evening) super-charge, as well as a warm-up for more strenuous activities like Clubbell swinging. Another important use for mobility practice is as an "active recovery" session or cycle when you don't want to train strenuously.

Flexibility on the other hand regards the elasticity of the tissues. With conventional flexibility training you use static stretching (with the help of gravity, a partner or object leverage to increase length.

Mobility (also called "Dynamic Flexibility" training - though I dislike this term) regards movement (not position) into the extreme range of motion of each joint through voluntary muscular control (and after a healthy foundation, includes light Clubbell work with inertia, gravity and leverage.)

Unlike you would find in flexibility training, in mobility practice you don't try to hold an extreme position, but rather you pass through it slowly and smoothly without forcing the tissues to deform, but rather by allowing the muscles to relax voluntarily.

If one insists on flexibility training, then I suggest "active contraction release" (a type of PNF type of) stretching. Although very rigorous, it will improve strength. However, since it is so demanding, only perform this type of training at the end of the day, after all other activities conclude. I've used flexibility training after mobility practice to help me strengthen specific weak points in a full range of motion.

[radiantkd]

May 31, 2004

Time 11:15 AM

At the Gym

Energy level: Tired before I went

Exercise Selection

7 Min on the eliptical ( I am increasing 1 min per session)
1 round of the circuit, slightly higher weights than last session
15 min on the bike (twice what I had done)

reps 1

Rest; none in particular , just flowed through it

RPE: 5

RT: 6

RPD: 1

Sensations: felt great

Feelings:
felt great

Images: running

I am also doing WW during the day 3 session of 5 minutes and finger circles all along.

feeling great!

[jodie]

wow!!!!!!
well done!
there is no stopping you once you set a goal :wink:
Jodie

[radiantkd]

Jodie,

this is way bigger than a goal. Scott's work has touched something very deep in me. I feel a sense of hope. I feel connected to the person I was when I was 8 - she was totally in her body and unafraid of anything.

I have *tried* to exercise, to do things for my entire life. it wouldn't last. it was such hard work. But something has happened. The movement is coming from inside out.

I do those little finger circles in between writing emails. they make me laugh. They are so tiny.; My pinkie is so, um, untrained, but she is better each time. She says, keep doin it, Ma, we will get there. And then it feels like the ripples move out from her. How kewl is that. freedom coming from my little finger, LOL.

This afternoon I was tired. So I did something really outrageous. I lay down. LOL. An assortment of dogs were highly perpelexed and had to come check me out. Whatever are you doing? each would say. Then they all thought it was a fine idea and they took naps too.

I am not 20 something and I don't have a pony tail, but I wore my cap from Maine and felt like a million dollars <smile>

Who would have thought? Well, Connie maybe, heh heh

kathleen

[Connie Brown]

Who would have thought? Well, Connie maybe, heh heh
I confess! I DID think. And feel. And hope for us both!!

[radiantkd]

Tonight I went for a bike ride after dinner. I had my bike checked at
REI this afternoon.

I got my helmet. Decided that if i want to do a bike trip in Ireland
next year, I should start riding, even if a little.

I saw the moon almost full in a midnight blue sky, I smelled grass
newly cut, I saw 2 white horses and a born horse eating grass. I heard
circadias and the peacocks screeching. I heard the dogs whining because
I did not take them.

My legs are stronger than they were. My crotch needs to get used to it.
It was wonderful. I loved it.

I decided that I would start *being * the person I am rather than
waiting until....we all know that story.

This afternoon I wore my Maine cap and signed up for a bike repair
class and a class on planning backpacking trips. I have strong legs and
a huge enthusiasm for this. My lungs are getting stronger every day. I
am noticing how much of exercising is 2 planes and how different the
CST stuff is. I watched people in the gym today. Lifting and lowering
is two planes. I love the CST exercises. It is liberating me. And I am
no longer fretting about the Clubbells. They will be there when my
*grip* is strong and my body understands motion better.

I did seven minutes on the elliptical. 4 days ago I could barely do 5.
And even though it was longer, it was easier. Then I rode the bike at
the gym for 15 minutes. It has a heart monitor. I noticed that when I
prayed my heart rate went down. That was pretty kewl!

I am having fun. Can you tell? <smile>

kathleen

[radiantkd]

Date; 6/1/04
Time: 8;15
Place: in the laundry room
Energy level: 5, clear
Exercise selection: WW tape beginner
Sets: one, all the way through
Repitition: 1
Rest period: none
RPE: 2
RT: variable. improving. more corodination on upper body, learning to move on lower.
RPD none

Sensations:
some clicking with different joints. Significant release in shoulders
muscle burning with the balance ones

Feelings: Enjoying the energy flow and the small changes in competance

Thoughts:
LOL. Having dogs in the room adds to the issue. trying to balnace with 2 6 monthers playing bite the head between my legs adds to the concentration quotient. I think it is a mother skill. How to pay attention when little bodies are leaning, chewing flopping, growling.

Funniest part was when I did the drop your head between your knees, every time I got a wet nose bump on my face. rather than feeling distracted i was just enjoying that they could be with me. Everyone is quiet now. I think they entrain to the energy.

I like it that I got through the whole tape.

Questions:

Seems really clear to me that balance requires more muscle strength than it appears on the tape. Can we be letting people know this? And you can't hold your arm out to circle if you don;t have the muscle to hold it.

[Scott Sonnon]

Sounds like a good suggestion. Perhaps you could write a short article about this - just a couple paragraphs.

[radiantkd]

Our enthusiasm leads. We are ready, we are willing. We watch the tape. Coach Sonnon shows us. And then we try it. Um...something missing.

First I grapple with sending the messages to the right place. message goes down, gets blocked and I work it through. that part seems easy enough.

I am doing arm movements. My arms get tired. Muscle fatigue and I cannot move them more. I realize that I do not have the muscle *strength* to maintain all the movements.

We get to the leg balance exercises. I understand what I am supposed to do, but I do not have the strength to do it yet. Yes, I understand he says I dont have to pick my leg up very far. But the quivering in my quad tells me this is about strength not block. The sensation is different.

The nice part is there is no charge. It is like lifting weights. Start with where you are and build from there. Same increments. My muscles will get stronger if I use them to hold me.

kathleen

[radiantkd]

Date: june 3, 2004

Time : 5:30 PM

Place: Laundry room

Energy Level: Good

Exercise selection: WW., beginner

Sets 1

Repetitions !

Rst period: none

RPE: 3, I was sweating

RT: Improving 2-6. finger circles actually working. Actyualy am beginning to have a sense of the lateral moves.

RPD: 1

Sensations: energy streaming

Feelings: Liked the progress

Thoughts: it is becomming more natural - am *doing* rather than straining to understand the movements.

[radiantkd]

Got spooked about posting. Am back :shock:

Date: June 9, 2004
Time: 7:00
Place: new space in office - set up video. of course dogs think I did it for them. Pepper watched the tape, nose to TV.
Energy Level: Stiff but motivated
Exercise Selection: WW beginner
Set: One set wtih Scott through hip rotation, will do legs after lunch
Repititions: one
Rest period: none
RPE: 2
RT: variable, improving. left side still more uncoordinated. Significantly improved finger circles. Am feeling the egyptian emerging. Starting to feel the thorax movement too.
RPD: none
Sensations: some popping in shoulders
Feelings: I get startled by the lack of coordination on different sides. Feels disconcerting.
Thoughts: I was comforted by comments of the CST yoga teacher who was the only one who couldn't do an exercise. Val is motivating me.

[vjlawren]

Thoughts: I was comforted by comments of the CST™ yoga teacher who was the only one who couldn't do an exercise. Val is motivating me.

well for sure, it's a favor returned, and happily; you've motivated me so much! :D

--val

[radiantkd]

I did swipes today first. 50. It felt awesome till 42, then I pushed a bit. MY grip strength was great. R

RP: 5 mintues then WW, from torso down

1 set

RPE - 3, perfect

RT for swipes, 6, for WW, 5 except for ankles which was a 3 and balance which was a 2

RPD - none

Sensations; I felt a charge in my body

Feelings...one big smile...my dog came in after the Swipes (I made her stay out during). She was wagging her whole body. She picked up the energy - amazing!!!

Have felt great all day. Like how it is integrating. Swipes felt totally different. Circular movement!!!!

nice, very nice!

kathleen

[Scott Sonnon]

You rock, Kathleen! Thank you for leading the way! You're an inspiration in so many ways!

[radiantkd]

Did the whole tape.

It is smoother, more grooved.

the balance is the most difficult part. The other things are working.
I am having fun,

Still boggled at the power of it.

My hands are changing. Dear god, my life is changing. I am reading CST and I cannot hold the energy.


Whew!

kathleen

[Connie Brown]

Kathleen I have that feeling too: so much energy it is more than I can hold. Where is it spilling to I wonder???

[radiantkd]

Date: june 3, 2004

Time : 8:30 AM

Place: Room set up for CST

Energy Level: Good

Exercise selection: Warrior Wellness™., beginner

Sets 1

Repetitions !

Rest period: none

RPE: 2, the motions feel integrating

RT: Upper body moves feel good..7, knees and ankles, 2

RPD: 1

Sensations: Love how it feels

Feelings: Body loves doing it

Thoughts: I thinking about it and making adjustments as I go

Question: On the pelvic circles..in the video, you do a wide roll in a circle. when I do an actual pelvic roll, it opens up my spine better. Ok to proceed?

[Scott Sonnon]

Absolutely okay!