This story is for everyone with tight hamstrings. Curious? I bet.

Most people have tight hamstrings, which means all kinds of things, including that we could use more mobility in our skull bones. It really is all connected.

What can we do to free up our hamstrings and the myriad other parts of us that forget how to be free? We’re going to explore this for the next several newsletters, adding one essential drop at a time.

As usual, we’re going for the ROOT of the root cause. In that spirit, let’s pick up on the thread of conversations we’ve been having on how walking can mimic an osteopathic treatment.

Let’s add another drop!

This morning I noticed my body was tighter than usual. I did a lot yesterday, didn’t sleep so well, and poof . . . I left my treasured window of regulation that includes supple muscles, good energy, good mood, and a feeling of space in my face. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. There are days we wake up feeling trapped inside ourselves. I call this the shrink wrap — not quite buoyant, not so in Flow.

Years ago I would have scheduled an office visit with an osteopath or cranial therapist straightaway. Nowadays I have a lot of fun seeing what I can do on my own. I also save a lot of time and money.

Recently I shared a story about a magical experience I had many years ago while walking. I felt like a forest breathed me open and brought all me into beautifully effortless, fluid motion. I could have named that story “The Forest is an Osteopath,” and I wouldn’t be wrong. This morning I had just an hour in the woods nearby, not the two days that allowed that old growth forest to reclaim me. I went for a more intentional approach.

I’m calling this drop the deliberate step

In my quest to get free I found myself walking with exquisite intention with each step. Not so much because I knew this would help my body unwind; my body did this spontaneously (bodies are so smart!). Think of a cat waking up and exaggerating its movements in a nice big stretch.

I savored the feeling of contacting the ground, and the feeling of each muscle doing its good work to conjure my wave self. I loved the feeling of exaggerating the work in the muscles of my butt and legs before letting them go. Contract and stretch — this is an osteopathic technique called Muscle Energy. Conscious walking is Muscle Energy.

Ready for more muscle energy? 

Next time you walk . . .

🌀 Feel yourself with the Earth as if she were your dance partner. In dance we stay in synch through consistent tension between ourselves and our partner.

🌀 If you love Pilates, imagine the Earth is a Reformer. Pilates was designed to unify our movements into one integrated wave.

🌀 Resonate with the space around you, as if you’re moving among wild animals. Native peoples walk silently and gracefully to avoid scaring creatures away. You are also a creature.

A student of mine shared her experience in this video: 

As you walk today, what kind of animal are you?

Perhaps you’re a lynx slinking across the Serengeti — low, lithe and anchored. Perhaps you feel more like a stork hovering above the ground, poking it now and again. Perhaps you’re a lumbering hippo sending reverberations to those nearby.

What do you feel? How does your animal change throughout the day?

It’s not about huge gains overnight, it’s about deeply feeling what’s happening. It’s about deeply connecting with your body and the planet. even if it feels crummy at first. It’s about the lovely, organic process of waking up your inner creature, an experience sure to ultimately delight you, and heal you.

We’d love to hear how it goes!

In Celebration of Your Emerging Glow & Flow

Dr.Michelle Veneziano

& the Flow is Medicine community