I can recall the first time I was truly conscious of being physically in alignment. At the time I had been an avid “home yoga” practitioner for years but was new to a class setting with teacher intervention. It was a real aha moment when the teacher came around and gently adjusted my position, and I felt—really FELT—the moment my body was aligned. Such a difference that minute change made! It was so remarkable that I still remember it now, decades later. 

It seems to me that alignment is something that can be truly understood only by feeling such a difference, like understanding night because we have day. Without the change, we can’t recognize what is “wrong.” Most of us exist in a perpetual state of misalignment, thanks to the rigors and stresses of daily life and the odd positions that our jobs, habits, injuries or family responsibilities may put us in. Chances are we’ve lived our lives in a twisted-up state of being for years, possibly even since we were children (think heavy backpacks have no impact on kids’ alignment?!). 

Given the habits and patterns ingrained into our bodies over time, we may no longer have clear muscle memory of what we could and really ought to feel like. We may have become accustomed to small restrictions or underlying aches and pains. Without us realizing it, our movements may have become smaller, less effortless and certainly less playful or joyful. But just because we’re used to them doesn’t mean aches, pains or movement limitations need to be there. We have the ability, in any moment, to tune into our bodies with a breath and change our position or posture. Even the act of taking a deep breath or two and consciously releasing tension will change our body in that given moment. Roll your shoulders; yawn deeply and unclench your jaw. Did you feel a difference? I sure did!

Obviously deeper, longer-held issues will take more than just a few breaths to release. Fortunately, there is a lot of research and many wonderful techniques available to aid us in the journey back to alignment from wherever we find ourselves. In this month’s articles, we focus on many different therapies known to aid the body in its constant effort to maintain equilibrium and heal what we may have inadvertently done to ourselves. These modalities include many bodywork options, practitioner-assisted release (such as SET and chiropractic care) and sophisticated healing frequency technologies which may be new to many of us but seem pretty promising when it comes to making lasting positive change in the body. 

What gets me excited is that there is always something new to try! There is always another concept to explore, so how you feel today may have nothing to do with how you feel in a few days, a few weeks, or a couple months. Start where you are, but don’t unpack and stay there unless you feel as physically good as you want. We all deserve to feel great! 

With love and light,

Nicole