
Each Voice of The Body is defined within a Structure made up of the Cognitive, Symbology, and Sensory Awareness aspects. Each aspect is defined by particular elements that impart the scientific components and deeper meanings of the Voice of The Body. Review the Structure to better understand this issue’s Voices of the Body.
Who Am I: Band-like extensions of the connective tissue wrapping around muscle fibers that attach muscle to bone. My function is to provide movement and stability.
Voice of the Ligaments: I am the voice of your ligaments. I am dense, fibrous connective tissue that links bone to bone. I work with your muscles and tendons to maintain greater stability. My voice helps you determine a safe range of motion for your muscles and joints. I am healthy when you listen and respond to my voice when I say, “Stop, that’s far enough.”
My Gift to You: The health and well being of your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints. Relying on the voice of your ligaments will result in greater mobility and stability. Responding to warnings to stop will safely guide you to shift alignment when necessary. This reduces wear and tear that can occur in joints when you push them too hard. Listen to the ligaments’ voice for safety, comfort, and increased stability. Through me you discover the path of least resistance. I providing optimal conditions to support, unifying the whole body.
Imagine Me As: Visualize me as fingers that connect bone to bone.
In Nia: Keep your ligaments healthy and fit through Awareness and X-ray Anatomy. Place your mindful attention on what you sense and feel. Listen to the voice of ligaments and move in safe comfort zones. X-ray Anatomy reminds you to sense the alignment of your bones and joints. It helps you to develop kinesthetic awareness and to achieve correct and comfortable alignment in your ligaments.
When Dancing Through Life: Seek every opportunity to move and sense Dynamic Ease – the perfect balance between muscle tension and relaxation. This keeps ligaments healthy and fit. Use your everyday movements to help keep your muscles agile, your joints lubricated, and your ligaments responsive.
Before going to sleep, while lying in bed, hug both knees comfortably into your chest and listen to the voice of your muscles and ligaments saying, “Ooh, aah.” Hug a little more, and listen to the voice of your ligaments say, “OK, that’s enough.”
Learn to recognize the “keep going” sensation and become aware of the “stop” sensation to get maximum benefit from your stretching. The positive tension, that says, “Keep stretching,” helps you avoid negative tension— that place where your ligament is warning you to, “Stop, danger!”
Reference Book: The Endless Web: Fascial Anatomy and Physical Reality by RR. Louis Schultz, PhD and Rosemary Feitis