• 7 minute read

• Explore why simple movements sometimes become unnecessarily complex (and what that costs us)
• Discover how movement clarity can free up mental and physical energy
• Learn a simple technique for helping yourself (or your students) find more efficient movement patterns
• Experience a 15-minute mobility sequence that teaches joint differentiation while feeling like a massage

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Raise Your Hand If...

Hey Reader, let's try something interesting: Put down your phone and raise your hand.

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Notice what you did? If not, do me a favor and try it again.

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Did you raise your HAND, or your arm? Did your shoulder help with the heavy lifting? It might have - arms are notoriously heavier than those dexterous appendages at their ends. Feel free to try again with this new awareness. The human mind happily accepts roundabout routes to any destination - as long as we achieve our goal, we rarely question how we got there. But without specific awareness, simple actions become complicated.

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The Scenic Route vs. The Direct Path

These movement substitutions surround us, once you know where to look. Watch someone walk - when hip flexors check out, the back steps in to help. Our shoulders climb toward our ears while typing, as if height might help our fingers move faster. Trending dance moves become impossible puzzles when our hips and knees move as one solid block instead of playing their separate parts. And there's that telling moment of threading a needle, jaw clenched tight - as if our teeth could somehow guide the thread home.

Sometimes these roundabout pathways simply emerge from unawareness - like living in a house for years before discovering a light switch right where you've been stumbling in the dark. Other times, they're clever adaptations. After a whiplash injury, your resourceful body might recruit your entire upper back to help check your blind spot while driving. The job gets done, but at what cost? Like taking access roads instead of the highway, these detours demand extra fuel and leave unnecessary wear on your vehicle.

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Lost in Translation

This reminds me of something fascinating I once read about modern communication. An English professor pointed out that in our current cultural dialect, we often use a string of simple words to express something that already has a precise term - we just don't commonly use that word. Think about how "that whole situation is just really fing weird" has replaced "that's unsettling," or how we say "I'm so done with this s#*t” instead of expressing "I'm frustrated and overwhelmed." Even simple emotional states get buried under layers of slang - "pissed off" instead of "furious," or "that's sus" instead of "questionable." We've developed a habit of using emphasis to make up for precision, like adding extra exclamation points instead of finding the right word.

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Our bodies mirror this verbal inefficiency. When we lack the right movement vocabulary, we create elaborate physical workarounds - like using a paragraph where a sentence would do. Think of your neck tensing to help carry grocery bags, as if it could somehow lighten the load for your arms. It's like peppering your speech with 'literally' and 'actually' - you'll get your message across, but with a parade of unnecessary helpers. Just as precise language allows for nuanced expression, refined movement creates space for subtlety. When we can articulate from precisely the right place, we embody "less is more."

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Rediscovering Your Movement Map

Here's the good news: awakening movement clarity doesn't require an anatomy degree. Sometimes a simple touch creates instant recognition - like your body suddenly reading its own map. "Not there," we say, touching an overworking shoulder. "THERE," we guide attention to the neglected mid-back, and understanding dawns. Or we wake up dormant areas by cleverly limiting habitual patterns. Pin down the dominating parts with mindful positioning or props, and sleeping movers must wake up to join the dance. The body recalibrates surprisingly fast when given clear directions and proper boundaries.

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Picture decluttering a room - remove the excess, and space reveals itself. As we clear away inefficient movement habits, our natural coordination emerges. A shoulder blade remembers its smooth glide. A hip joint finds its natural swing. A neck discovers it can turn without inviting the whole neighborhood along.

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The Ripple Effect

This efficiency ripples beyond movement. When we stop calling an entire committee to handle a one-person job, we free up remarkable energy. Your mind clears when it's not processing the static of unnecessary muscle chatter. It's like closing extra browser tabs - suddenly your system runs smoother. This freed energy flows to better uses: sharp focus in meetings, creative problem-solving, or simply savoring the present moment.

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Ready to explore this clarity yourself? Grab a yoga mat and join me for a 15-minute mobility sequence. I'll guide you through spinal articulation that feels like a massage while secretly training your core. Plus, discover a delicious neck release that might forever change how you turn your head - no shoulder assistance required!

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Coming Soon

Something special is brewing - a 5-week series combining practical anatomy with this type of training. We'll explore functional anatomy in everyday language, sharing techniques for both personal practice and teaching. Curious? Hit reply! I'm finalizing dates and welcoming your input on everything from timing to your personal movement mysteries.

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Remember our hand-raising experiment? Try it again. Notice what's different after our journey through movement efficiency. Perhaps your shoulder stays quiet, your arm feels lighter, or you simply see more possibilities. Sometimes awareness alone opens the door to change.

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After all, your body knows the direct path - it's just waiting to rediscover the map

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Warmly,

Domini Anne

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