28 Day Challenge, Days 3-4, Shoulder Circles

[Connie Brown]

LESSON 2

scapula rotation:
recovery of elevation, depression, flexion and extension, with retraction and protraction stabilizing for curcumduction. Ok now for layman's terms...

One direction

lift the shoulder up
pull the shoulder back
press the shoulder down
push the shoulder forward
smooth that out into a circle

Other direction

lift the shoulder up
push the shoulder forward
press the shoulder down
pull the shoulder back
smooth that out into a circle



Performance goal:
Think of the face of a clock inserted into the side plane at the shoulder,(saggital), is your movement smooth throughout the circle? between what hours are your glitches, or noise. Noise reffering to tension chains, myfascial density and Sensory Motor Amnesia.

[KD Jones]

Right off the top, I have to say scapula rotation is both really freeing and really frustrating to me.

Freeing, because of the after-effect of "aliveness" in the shoulders - looseness, and a very direct sense of increased circulation, and a nice residual neural buzz. Invaluable to me for desk work, music practice, and martial work.

Frustrating, because even though the left/right alternating version of this was one of my first dramatic experiences of being breathed, the symmetrical version confuses my breath massively. As though I have no idea how to breath (which really I don't, truth be told...) The breaths still come unevenly and unnaturally. I don't know why. Work is needed.

Also frustrating because of the cascade of nerve reactions caused by the exercise, most noticably the ever-popular "shrug wince." But there are other things too - it's as though the motions cause my body to have a series of conflicting reactions in anticipation of what I'm going to ask my body as a whole to do next. Could be the way the nerves are directly affected by the motion, or could be the varying "emotional implications" of the motions - the downward is like a mopey/sad slump, the upward is like a reaction to anxiety, the forward is like attack mode, and back is like a surprise response.

Confusing. Work is needed.

Coach Brown, did you know you'd be dredging all this stuff up when you started this? I sure didn't...

[Edwin]

Some ticks and pops on the left shoulder but no pain. RPE-1 RPT-8

[JTCluck]

RPE: 1
RPD: 2
RPT: 5 -- Had trouble making it a circle. Its kinda lumpy and jerky. Got some hitches in my getalong. No discomfort and "trying harder" -- raising RPE -- makes no difference. I think I just need more coordination. More practice. This one is new to me since it was not in WW.

I also noticed some relief in the neck tension that beyond what the side rotation did. Another example of the holistic impact of RMAX.

[Kikker]

Circular movement is pretty smooth; however, there is a lot of noise throughout the ROM. Sometimes there is a lot and sometimes none at all. (mostly a lot, lol) I've tried experimenting with different levels of relaxation and different speeds. No real "a-ha" moments yet. The best I can come up with now is that it feels better if I do it slowly. I will pay attention, as recommended yesterday, to the noises as I continue to practice daily. It will be interesting to see the effects of Intu-Flow® on my noisy body and how long it may take to dissipate some/all of them.

RPE - 1
RPT - 8
RPD - 1

Cheers!

[drbri]

With both forward and backward rotation I find I have limited ROM from aproximately 3-6 o'clock bilaterally. There is quite a bit of crepitus in that lower back quadrant, more so on the right than on the left and only with backward rotation. I find that scapular depression is the most limited and difficult ROM for me. It is not painful at all. I think it is just a ROM that I don't frequent often. I have been doing Intu-Flow® daily for a little over a month and I must say that the amount of crepitus I initially experienced with this ROM has decreased significantly.
RPT=8, RPE=1, RPD=1

[Zephyr]

I don't really have much difficulty with these movements. Perhaps they could still be further smoothed out, and circular, but there is no discomfort or crepitus.

Brandt Stickley

[Joseph David]

I'm happy to see everyone involved in the challenge is going deeper into thier personal practice. One of the things I've discused with Coach Brown, is that most people in fitness just go through the motions. One aspect that sets CST apart is the concious effort to be present with the integration of breath, movement and structure. Good work!!

[KD Jones]

Regarding the "sagittal clock"... is forward 9:00, or 3:00?

[Joseph David]

Regarding the "sagittal clock"... is forward 9:00, or 3:00?

Perhaps it doesn't matter becuase its only a reference. Though for discussion sake, lets call the push forward 3:00 and the pull back 9:00