This blog is primary addressing the most recent lesson I had with George (aka Maggie’ Dad).

We, me, George and our AT thinking skills, got him walking smoothly, with some speed, and then and a few instructions about pivoting, he was able to change directions with out losing his balance. This was huge.

George and I have been working on his head, neck, back, feet relationship for almost six years. Before digging into working on walking I took him through the AT principles and indirectly worked on his gait. When he declared he was ready to work on his walking skills I agreed. Of course we had been working on them all along by attending to his entire self.

I was raised an athlete. My sophomore year of college both of my roommates were on the track team with me. Marcy was javelin thrower, Amy a mid distance sprinter and long jumper. I remember the day Amy was explaining her revelation about running being all about PUSHING with the back leg, rather than just lifting with the front. It was a push, not a pull. Yes yes, I understand. We pushed off the ground all over campus while walking so we could get used to doing this same thing while running. We both got a bit faster.

Even more important than improving my running times was that this was the beginning of me thinking about movement, ALL MOVEMENT from a biomechanics perspective. Moving was still an art, and now this art was forming an inner curriculum, forming an overarching way of thinking about and using my human body for self expression. The act of running was an art in and of itself, and now inside the running I had a new perspective… yes I was naturally talented, and also hard working, but now I could be more introspective with my figuring out the physics of whatever sport, action, task I was doing or thinking about doing.

Back to present day with George.

Inhibition is not just inhibiting a muscle, or a muscle pattern, it is about overviewing the entire process. This statement suddenly enabled me unlimited ability to share my movement knowledge with George. I coached him into his groove and then at the correct moments orally called at movements, actions and thoughts for him to think and do. He moved like a dream. He was thinking in activity. Paradigm shifts are wonderful experiences to share.