June 2006

Educational Feature

Joints

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.

Cognitive

Who Am I: I am the space that exists between one bone and another.

Voice of the Joints: I am the voice of your Joints. By design I am the space that exists between bones that link one bone to another. There are over 800 of me, with shapes that vary and determine my kind of movement. My architectural designs permit free, slight and sometimes, imperceptible movement. Without me you could not move your legs, spine, or arms.

I am covered with a special lubricant called synovial fluid designed to reduce friction between parts and to allow my bony ends to easily slide and glide over each other. I am protected by rubbery cartilage, functioning as a smooth protective layer and as padding to help you move and absorb shock. I am enclosed in a protective bag, the bursa, and your ligaments prevent you from moving too far.

I let you know where you are in space from the voices of joint receptors that respond to the sensation of angle and plane changes, letting you know where your body and separate parts are in space, without looking in a mirror to see where you are.

By design I can be a ball-and-socket, hinge, pivot, saddle, gliding, or a condyloid joint. If I am a diarthroses joint (as most of us are) I allow you freedom to move in one, two, or in many directions. If I am a plane or gliding joint you will find me in your spine, where I make it possible for you to experience the sensation of gliding or sliding. If I move in only two directions, I am a hinge joint, and you will find me in your elbow and knee. If I am concave or convex I am a saddle joint, and you will find me in your thumb, functioning to help you pick up a glass of water. Because of me you are the only animal on this planet whose thumb has great mobility. If I am a condyloid joint I fit into an elliptical socket, and you will find me where your smaller forearm, the radius, and your carpal bones of your wrists, meet. If I am a multi-axial joint you find me as a ball-and socket-joint, in your hip. No movement, slight or great, free or structured is possible without me. I make it possible for you to sit down and stand up, squeeze a ball, or hug a child. You keep me healthy by respecting my design and range of motion.

My Gift to You: I make it possible for you to move and move energy for as long as you live! I keep energy moving through your whole body in efficient ways to keep your muscles healthy.

Symbology

Imagine Me As: Visualize me as mouths between the ends of bones that open and close to move energy and life force, moving healing energy in and out so that you feed all parts of you from the inside out, and the outside in.

Sensory

In Nia: the craft and techniques you use to keep your joints healthy are:

1. Natural Time – Moving and practicing Nia in Natural Time helps you experience the sensation of moving energy and of measuring.
2. The Three Planes of Movement and Three Levels of Intensity teach you to engage your joints in a wide variety of movement, and ranges of motion.
3. X-Ray Anatomy and Awareness – Use them to work with your Sensory Intelligence. Pay attention to sensation and to the alignment of your bones in relationship to seeking comfort. Body awareness and attention to detail will guide the way you use your joints, resulting in more protection for your muscles, ligaments and tendons. Maintain vertical and horizontal relationships to the alignment of energy flow to respect your joints.
4. The 13 Joints - Activate your body's 13 main joints (ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and the spine), moving energy through the whole body as you sense comfort and dynamic ease.
5. The Movement Forms - Play with The Nine Movement Forms so that your joints get fed with movement and energy variety, helping your joints to remain responsive to fast and slow, big, and small dynamics.
6. CPT - Consciously Personally Train yourself to seek personal comfort and ease in your joints before attempting more intense athletic moves.
7. The Base – Use the Base moves (Steps, Stances, and Kicks) to condition your joints.
8. Balance – Move and seek the sensation of balance of mobility (movement) and stability (stillness).
9. Listening to the Voice of Your Joints – Move your muscles while listening to the voices of your joints that say, "This feels good, I am getting stronger and more flexible because I am free!"

When Dancing Through Life: Remain active in your joints. Use day-to-day movement to stimulate the flow of energy through all 13 of your main joints. When sitting for long periods, change your position to keep energy flowing through your joints. Shift your position when standing and move more often to keep your joints agile and filled with energy. Avoid locking your knee joints when standing, and keep them relaxed so that energy from the earth can rise up into your legs and body. Open your mouth slightly when working at a computer to release your lower jaw. Your head and neck can remain relaxed with this technique. Keep your ankle and knee joints relaxed when walking to keep your legs strong and your back relaxed. Avoid effort and strain in the joints. Connect to the sensation of joints gliding, sliding, opening and closing with ease.

Reference Book: The Endless Web: Fascial Anatomy and Physical Reality by RR. Louis Schultz, PhD and Rosemary Feitis

See the glossary for more information. Also, see the Nia book, The Nia Technique, for details on each technique.

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