The appointment with a physiotherapist came with an unexpected trip down memory lane. The treatment for my shoulder mixed images of the present with decade old memories.
In the early nineties, a friend introduced me to rolfing. The recommendation came as I was looking to preparing to run my second marathon, hopefully without hurting myself. His introduction was in my best interests; a gesture of protecting me from myself.
As yesterday took me back, I found myself reconnecting with JC, my rolfer. In addition to deep caring, his willingness to share his heart set the stage. To this day, I carry his threads of wisdom with me even when I do not take time to remember the source.
In response to excess, muscle gets shorter and rounder. In addition to become hard and less flexible, they pull the body in directions inconsistent with one’s design. In this situation, the ideal response is not one of harsh correction. Rather, it is starting at the end point and slowly, firmly, and gently smoothing the roundness back to its normal state of being.
Corrective actions can be painful. The intent is not to create pain for pain itself. The smooth push is, in the hands of a master, right on the edge of what one can live with. I was guided into a process of breathing and awareness that help me accept what I was feeling. Consequently, the actions were more intense and progressive than they otherwise would have been. I always knew the choice was mine because it was never forced or dictated.
Pain is a point of overwhelming feedback. When the intensity of the moment passes a threshold, my mind recognized it as pain. I have come to see depression, darkness, and several other crippling emotions in the same light. At the edge where unbearable begins is a soul’s cup which is running over.
He was a good friend who I now see in harmony with Divinity. He presented the Psalm; “God’s strong name is our help, the same God who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 124.8)
