Anatomy trivia

Did you know that "nearly every bone in the trunk [of the body], from occiput to pelvis, furnishes surfaces for the attachments of muscles which are also attached to some portion of the shoulder apparatus, either on various surfaces of the scapula or immediately about  its join with the humerus?" (Mabel Ellsworth Todd, The Thinking Body p 148). Wow!  What that means is that the shoulders affect and are affected by anything going on in the trunk as well as the hips, which also would include the legs. So all this talk about how our body works in isolated muscle groups is on one hand accurate, but on the other hand, uniformed. Yes, we can isolate various groups of muscles, but the fact is, in order to isolate them, we need to employ muscles to stabilize surrounding groups to prevent the moving groups from affecting the ones we want to keep out of it. But the bottom line is, it's all connected, so why don't we change our perspective from trying to isolate these groups from each other, and take the time to encourage them to talk with each other? To get to know each other? To enhance the quality of the other's lives?

I don't know about you, but i see a big metaphor here, and yes, i do love me some metaphors. Seriously though, i've just about had it with all this "contract this muscle to protect that muscle" business. It's not to say it doesn't apply in some cases, but it just seems like "lingo" to me. Before i go stabilizing, aka isolating, i want to see what's going on first. Does it need to be stabilized? Or does something need to let go? What is going to be the most efficient way to get the desired outcome?

My reference point is yoga teachers who talk in anatomical terms like its reality, but in fact, the use of anatomical terms is often just anatomical images which are not based in what is really going on with the function of the body from an anatomically accurate perspective. I'd much rather hear "feel your shoulder blades melting down your back" then "retract your scapulae and externally rotate your shoulders." First of all, the shoulders don't rotate, it's the arm bones, and second, you can draw your shoulder blades down without external rotation. This may not be the best example on the planet, or on the body, but I think my point is clear. Everything affects everything whether we "isolate" it/them or not. So to think we can live in a bubble and to fantasize that our thoughts and actions have no impact whatsoever on the price of rice in China is just plain crazy, and no amount of isolating myself from that rice or that price, is going to stop the impact. At least from where I sit. and I'm propped up on my sitbones, with the flesh removed, internally rotating my thigh bones, and hoping for the best.