January 22 Book Review

Y’all, I didn’t think it was possible. I stated publicly that in no way was I trying to outdo the amount of reading I did in 2021 in 2022. Yet here I am and without trying I totally read 13 books this past month! It helped that work was a little slower and that I am reading The Witcher books and they are very fun. But yeah! 13 books. I’m not looking to recreate that again in 2022 but I wasn’t trying in January so maybe it is possible to out-read my 2021 total!

Terror on a Treasure Hunt

By: Winter Morgan

If one could ever go so far to say that “the plot thickens” in this series THIS would be the book. I personally, like Mr. Anarchy. Its also interesting to stop for a moment and think that in the Minecraft world many of the users are children. Thinking of these ageless-seeming characters as children changed my perspective a bit. Vor was still enthusiastically following along at this point so onward to the final couple of books in this series!

Summary Here

Propaganda

By: Edward Bernays

This book was a weird read. I didn’t look at when the original copyright was until after I finished and the WHOLE time I was trying to place it in history so I could think about it in the context of the day and I COULD NOT! It was written in 1928. I was shocked, honestly, that it is that old even though context clues were definitely hinting at it, I kept wanting it to be much more recent. Mr. Bernays would be absolutely shocked to see how propaganda has been applied since this book first came into print. I mean the man was thinking of it as an almost benign way of government and business interacting with its constituency but then again he had yet to see what the Nazis would do with it let alone how political parties function today. Worth the read if you’re into media, marketing, sociology, or people who have really put their foot in their mouths over time.

Summary Here

Ghastly Battle

By: Winter Morgan

Well I’ll be…In this installment Winter Morgan actually toys around with some character development! The mains are all still around and people are getting briefed and mobs are popping up out of nowhere and all the regular fare for your Minecraft fan-fic. But maybe, actually, some of the characters are growing a little and learning from the past. There’s another book yet to go in this series so I guess we have to wait to see if the changes stick.

Summary Here

The Last Wish

By: Andrzej Sapkowski

I love the short story format. I love the dialog. I love that in the background there is a very ominous texture coagulating. I love the allusion to humans and cultural elements from our current, real universe. I love the explanation of magic. I love that so much of what is going on is a bit of a mystery. I feel an epic story brewing and I am very excited to keep reading! For those of you who have watched the show - yes this covers some of the same ground that the first season of the show does. I still recommend reading it for deeper comprehension and especially if you plan to read the other books. The books are vastly more complex than the show and you will want all the extra background info you can pick up!

Summary Here

Creeper Invasion

I really rather enjoyed the Steve and the Diamond Sword series by Winter Morgan. But this series is banal and so repetitive! I’m trying to listen and it is HARD. Vor, still loving it. Five books in and its the same book for the 5th time. Someone, no resolution. Not a fave.

Summary Here

Sword of Destiny

By: Andrzej Sapkowski

Where to begin? The Show. I’ll start with the show. Part of this book still coincide with the show but if you are following along in the visual format, this is where reading the book would really start to fill things in. Additionally, if you don’t read these shorts you miss out on details that come much deeper into play in later books. Furthermore, you miss out on vignettes from Gors Velen featuring Molnar and the dwarves are some of the best characters imo.

This is on audible so I’m listening along and Peter Kenny is killing it! Y’all gotta know by now that I am a sucker for a good narrator and this man has some range! Top tier for sure.

As for the book itself, the vice grip of impending war and chaos is tightening in this book. I like book Yennefer WAY, better than tv Yen although I think that will change as the tv series catches up with Yen’s character development. The theme of destiny in this book is very interesting in the way it is teased out. Does it matter? Does it not? The book is another collection of short stories which I find myself really liking. I don’t mind that time is somewhat disjointed. If you want to read the series you are just going to have to get comfortable with that.

Summary Here

Blood of Elves

By Andrzej Sapkowski

What I didn't address while reviewing the last book that I need to address in this review is this: the translator is a fucking boss. I keep marveling at the diction and then I realize these books have all been translated from Polish to English and my mind is fucking blown.

In this book I finally got to know Ciri as more than a pawn of destiny. She is innocent enough but there is definitely some foreshadowing about her having a darker nature or at least a dark side.

There is a lot going on. Really its all the same background that has been bubbling the whole time in The Last Wish and The Sword of Destiny but in this book the concurrent political events are of equal importance to the more condensed story of the mains.

This is one of those books where the author plays with space/time by revealing layers of meaning through a variety of POVs. If you want a straight forward answer for questions in your book, you may think twice about embarking on this journey. If you enjoy plots unraveling in slow and methodical ways then you are likely to really get into this series.

The map is extensive, the video game is epic, the fandom is fully engaged. I find those all to be perks and at this third book in there series am fully committed to this series. Great high fantasy!

Summary Here

History of Bourbon

By: Ken Albala

Meh. This was definitely not a podcast but it felt almost like a podcast. I am not a fan of podcasts, generally speaking. I do like info about random things. This book satisfied some of that drive for me to pick up more information. But it also felt like more for more’s sake. This history of bourbon wasn’t contextualized to give it any historical weight or significance. This book was comprised mainly of the following three parts: facts about bourbon, the history of the bourbon market, the author’s own thoughts and feelings or experiences with bourbon. Didn’t hate it didn’t love it.

Summary Here

The Time of Contempt

By: Andrzej Sapkowski

So far this was my favorite book in the series. I love the dynamic between Ciri and Yennefer. I think rebellious but innocent Ciri is fun and cute. The interactions between Yennefer and Geralt at the sorcerer’s ball as well as Geralt’s individual charades were very funny and endearing. But I also had a sense that shit was about to go down and it really did go down in this book.

Ciri has a Muad’dib moment in the Korath desert that was amazing and totally unexpected. This book played on my emotions more than the others as yet. All the aforementioned good features of the previous books continue. The very elaborate plot also thickens.

Summary Here

On Color

By: David Scott Kastan

Random but enriching. There was a little science, a good bit of history, and a certain poetry to this book. It was written for the sake of writing about color. In a way, it feels frivolous. There was no message or meaning or over-arching theme except that maybe “we all see color differently.” Nonetheless it felt good to read it for all of those same reasons. Just shy of beautiful it still has a grace about it. Not my most favorite book of all time but I like the way my ideas of color have softened a little after reading On Color.

Summary Here

Baptism of Fire

By Andrzej Sapkowski

To me, things slow down a lot in this book. Whereas before the story was moving over the timeframe of weeks and months, here, we are slogging a few days at a time through various character’s POV. This is an observation not a complaint. Geralt goes through some really gnarly shit but is surrounded by awesome people that keep his story fresh and fun. Regis becomes a new favorite for me, personally. The vignette of “the bridge” was amazing and another hint at “destiny.”

Meanwhile Ciri is going through some shit. At this point pretty much the only true protagonist is Geralt. Shit is kinda confusing but not so much that its annoying, but just enough to keep me on my toes.

BoF and the series as a whole has taken on a bit of a LOTR feeling. There is a lot of questing and journeying going on at this stage in the story. I’m very curious where this is all going.

Summary Here

Wishes and Wellingtons

By: Julie Berry

Vor really liked this book. I liked the setting and the characters but the story felt like it could have lingered longer and explored the fantastical element a bit more. For a story that was built around having a personal genie, there was rather limited magic and adventure.

I rather liked the message and how various plot points worked themselves out. There is a second installment available and I liked it enough to pick up with round 2.

Summary Here

The Tower of Swallow

By: Anrzej Sapkowski

Some AWESOME vignettes in this book. The story is very complex at this point but with the introduction of a few well actualized characters the plot unfolds in a very interesting way. It’s kind of crazy how many questions get raised throughout the series and that even at this stage more questions are being raised. The story runs so seamlessly from book to book I have to go back and reference what is happening in each. Likewise in each book there are really beautiful character driven moments as well as brilliant dialog and awesome fantasy-scapes. I mentioned that they dialog is good enough to be extracted in large segments for the show but I didnt linger so I’ll go back now. At times it is poignant, scary, and even gut-bustlingly funny. 👏👏👏 so. good.

Summary Here

December Book Drop

So You Want To Talk About Race

By: Ijeoma Oluo

This is one of many books that falls under the intersection of self-help and sociology. As a cis-het white woman, its a genre I come back to again and again. Having read and heavily recommended The New Jim Crow, I want to circle back to those of you who took that rec. I had feedback from some saying it was good but they themselves felt a little affronted as the reader like they were being personally called out, unfairly so. I had others who thought the books was great and passed it on to people who had that same feedback. This kind of book can definitely be uncomfortable for the white reader and the more status quo conforming readers out there. Like anything, there is a bit of a learning curve. Its ok to have feelings, to recognize and examine them. Some books are way more challenging to that end than others. I think The New Jim Crow really requires either the timing to be exactly perfect that the reader is ready to be challenged OR that the person has already moved past that point and is comfortable with being challenged already.

All of this is set up to say, Ijeoma Oluo covers some of the same territory and also explores other territories. She takes a more personal approach. She takes a more story-telling approach. The combination of which makes this relatable, insightful, funny, and heart-breaking all in one. If you or someone you know wanted to read The New Jim Crow and found yourself wanting to push back a lot on your emotions I would recommend circling back to it later and instead start here.

Summary Here

The Warrior’s Apprentice

By: Lois McMaster Bujold

Ok this was great. This series continues to be a favorite T-Shirt, a refreshing beverage, a shady respite on a hot day. It’s rather epic, with the total number of books in the double digits. A handful in and the characters and dialog continue to be delightful and engaging. This is the kind of series you can enjoy without being so thoroughly engrossed as to lose sight of everything else. I appreciate that. As with the other books in the series I’ve read, there is a very gradual ramp up in this novel. The stakes got high but I never felt emotionally drained as I do with some of my more favorite books. That, to me, is a good thing. Not every book I read can be gripping or the best book I’ve ever read. But similarly going from mountains highs of literature to the dregs is also not enjoyable. This series has allowed the come down from The Red Rising to be gradual. They stand alone as enjoyable writing. Miles Vorkosigan is a very fun main. In The Warrior’s Apprentice we have entered into his story-line and things are already interesting but I have a feeling the best is yet to come.

Summary Here

The Poetic Edda

By: Jackson Crawford

This is my second tango with The Poetic Edda. I listened to the book - narrated by the author. It was harder to follow but worthwhile. Its nice to hear the names pronounced by a scholar of the language. Additionally, something as personal as The Cowboy Edda included as an afterword are best shared directly. It was this final personal interpretation/extrapolation by the author that inspired me to look him up. A few takeaways from so-doing…

1. Apparently he is THE man when it comes to ancient Norse runes and pronunciation. So that’s cool and made me feel even better about listening/reading.

2. Jackson Crawford just gives me James Holden from The Expanse vibes but like slightly more a for-real cowboy. Probably someone I’d invite to my backyard bbq.

Anyway, I look forward to circling back for a re-read, also to moving on the The Prose Edda and finally to reading The Saga of The Volsungs next…got study up on my Obsidian lore IYKYK.

Summary Here

A Monster Like Me

By: Wendy S. Swore

This is a middle reader book so I chose it for Vor and me. I waffled for quite some time before deciding to queue it up and even afterwards I curated others ahead. I thought it would be good but possible a bit too heavy for Vor. I think maturity-wise he ended up being on the right side of being able to comprehend the larger message of the story. The actual writing was great. The first person perspective was fresh and enjoyable for a kid’s book and the imagery was very well done. Vor and I were both able to have pretty vivid ideas in our head of what was going on.

Definitely recommend. Being as the main character is a child, I doubt most adults reading for pleasure would want to engage. For those with kids, you will have to gauge your own child’s ability to handle a story that features bullying, medical issues, and possible mental health issues. Is there resolution? Yes. So if that is something you need, don’t feel afeared.

Summary Here

The Hidden Nazi

By: Dean Reuter

I read this book because the subject matter was interesting to me. I knew Dean Reuter was a familiar name to me but I didn’t know how. You know a person is powerful when they lead a very public life yet they have been able to stifle Wiki from having an article about them. Ironically, the only information on the internet about Dean Reuters is the information he wants you to see. The hypocrisy is not lost on me.

This book, was, nonetheless fascinating. DR is the first named author but sounds like Lowery and Chester were the real driving forces being this book being written. I found myself, several times, going into deep dives to find info and pictures of players in the Nazi regime that I hadn’t heard of or had only heard of in passing. The reason is, it was really really hard for me to wrap my head around these men being “family men” at home with their wive and children then going to do what they did. I felt compelled to try to put a face with the name - to see them as humans who actively made the decisions that led to their places in history.

I learned a lot by reading this book. There were moments when horrific actions were outlined but the book was tasteful in how sparingly they were used. While the book follows the trail of Hans Kammler, it is maybe more about the organization of the Nazi party and how people were able to move through the ranks, how various large-scale programs and operations were able to be enacted, and ultimately about the V2 bomb program and infrastructure. A grim but fascinating read.

Summary Here

Paddle-to-the-Sea

By: Holling Clancy Holling

I wanted Vor to read this for the nostalgia factor it brings me. I read this when I was growing up and lived in Michigan. He and I both really enjoyed it. Alert to parents - language re: Indigenous People of Canada. I think this book is to be utterly respectful to the culture of the young Canadian Indigenous boy who constructs Paddle-to-the-Sea and sets the figurine on its way. The reality is the book was written in the 60’s and language did not reflect the intention. This is a good opportunity to talk about such things with your kid. I think it is otherwise fine. Feel free to share any differing opinions or support for or against mine with sources in the comments so people can self-educate.

Summary Here

Implied Spaces

By: Walter Jon Williams

Perhaps I expect everything to suck. I mean, I only choose to read books above a certain threshold of positive reviews. But part of me is still expecting that won’t matter and what I choose to read is going to underwhelm me. Thankfully, Implied Spaces was more enjoyable than I expected it to be. It was a hodgepodge monstrosity of genres mashing up but it was still fun imo. I thought the science was good and played into the story enjoyably while softening at its edges just enough to allow for words like Zombie to be thrown around plausibly. Additional marks given for treating gender as a fluid concept and for having a super-computer sentience housed in a black cat.

Summary Here

Trapped in the Overworld

By: Winter Morgan

Back to the world of Minecraft. Winter Morgan knows how to stay in their lane. I like that about them. I thought the other series Vor and I read about Steve and his sword were better. But, this was still enjoyable as far as Minecraft adventure novels go. Do a bunch of kids get trapped in Minecraft? Yes. Hordes and mobs ensue. If you’ve read one you’ve read them all. If your kid likes Minecraft, quality isn’t a factor. Thankfully, Vor is not obsessed. And the kid is partaking of high-level literature left right and center so I feel obligated to lob him one on occasion. This series is that. My advice - never give them Minecraft to begin with. I joke. But I do think there are other series that are bette than this one. From the vantage point of having finished them all, they weren’t as exciting.

Summary Here

Leviathan Falls

By: James S.A. Corey

I will probably re-read The Expanse 20 more times before I die. Much like with Red Rising, these are not fictional characters to me. They are besties. They provide as much comfort to me as the flesh and blood humans I walk with, skate with, surf with, etc. That being said, this is my least favorite book of the series. I have thus far stayed away from star ratings but to give a feel - probably a 3.5 or 4 compared to the others all being 4.5 or 5 star books. Essentially, my gripes rest on a lack of willingness to break out of the mold for the final book. The “mold” is fine when you are expanding the scope but when its time to wrap it up, bold action/writing is required to pull the scope back in and get down to what this was all about.

Light spoiler - while the universe is burning down around them, humans get distracted by petty bullshit. To me, instead of trying and possibly failing to explain the speculative science behind the beings that killed the gate-builders, the writing team focused, instead, on interpersonal shit between the Roci crew and the main antagonist. I did end up liking her comeuppance, however. Jim finished up in heart-wrenchingly predictable fashion. I could have done with double the amount of Teresa’s perspective. Similarly, I wanted to learn more about the gate-builders through Elvi.

In the end, it felt like there was a good bit of playing the story safe. BUT that is totally speculation on my part. Had anything changed the ending could have sucked. Suck it did not. It just didn’t blow my mind to the level I was hoping it would. There I go having expectations. lol!

Summary Here

The Republican Brain

By: Chris Mooney

He said what he said. This is old news, but in case you didn’t know. Nothing short of a life-altering event is likely to change someone’s mind about their political affiliations or their “beliefs.” This book goes into the “why” behind that phenomenon. Does this book spend time on failures of the Democratic Brain as well? Yes. But its also not the central theme of the book.

I had to read this book when it I felt like I could take it in and not be depressed by it. Many of my older family members are Republicans and fall into the predictable patterns discussed in this book. In review, this makes me have a sad. I honestly, truly, think the world would be better off without corporate Christianity and capitalism. Those two things go relatively hand in hand with American-bred Republicanism. This book covers a little of that common ground but largely sticks to social trends, examples of Republicans through time adhering to weird denials of science and reality, sociological studies, and psychological studies that support the titular statement.

Its not a total lambast. Credit and positive attributes of Republicans are noted throughout but the author and yt don’t think that a few good traits make up for the headaches and problems that arise when a huge segment of society is nearly incapable of wrapping their heads around science and its implications.

Summary Here

Mobs in the Mine

By: Winter Morgan

The first book in the series was better than this one. Whereas the first book establishes the characters and overall tension of the series, this book establishes what is to become a trope. I am going to refrain from telling you what it is, imo. The reason being, if you or your kids are into Minecraft you’re not going to care. If you’re not and you read it anyway…well that was your choice and you just have to know that these books are basic and repetitive. Sure there’s a bigger story arc being played out. But ultimately, Winter Morgan is exploring different ways to highlight fan-favorite features of the Minecraft world and the story functions as a means to that end more than to tell the story itself. You read these because you like Minecraft not because you want a good story.

Summary Here

Stability Spectrum Pt. 2

INTRO

Ok. Part 2 is about tools to get you moving with better awareness and integration. At the end of the day, a lack of integration is the cause of most of the issues we face in our movement. This is true whether you’re a little or a lot stiff, a little bendy or hyper-mobile. From here forward you need to embrace the fact that there is no template you can follow to get your body to move more comfortably, safer, athletically, etc. You are responsible for creating a path for yourself. As a reminder, I’m not a doctor so this post is to be taken as anecdotal. Consult a physician before undertaking the suggested drills and skills below. For more of the “why” behind this series go read Stability Spectrum Pt. 1.

So now let’s dive into some principles I’ve come up with:

1. Scale Your Core Work

2. Biggest Joints First

3. Create Support

4. Isolation and Isometrics

There are probably others. If you’re a movement specialist you may have some to add as it relates to foundational movement/Range of Motion (ROM) training. If so, drop them in the comments. But let’s dive into each of those because they will come into play heavily once we get moving.

1. SCALE YOUR CORE WORK

All of your movement needs to start with the organization and appropriate activation of your core. In yoga, we take that a step further to suggest that movement starts with breath and intention but really, same-same. Your lungs are in your torso, are connected to your core muscles, et voila!

Everyone has to do core work - serious and casual movers alike. Why? If you are on the stable/stiff side of the equation and you don’t train your core, you are going to over-train your extremities. This disorganization is not good for the body, yet the body adapts and the muscles and tissue of the extremities get stronger to compensate. As you learned if you attended or read Pt. 1 - the amount of tissue you have surrounding your joints effects your ROM. You will build the muscle, lose ROM and keep going in the general direction of disorganization until injury happens. If you are on the flexibly/hyper-mobile side of things, a lack of core activation leads to chronic spinal extension/anterior pelvic tilt. Alternately or additionally, your core does not start and end in your abs. Your core starts in your feet, travels up your inner thighs and connects into the torso via your pelvic floor. Improper or lack of core activation leads to the weight of your body and organs constantly pressing down on your lower body from the Lumbar Spine downwards. This can result in compressed discs, lower body joint pain and Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

As a movement teacher, I see people doing core incorrectly all the time.

*If your core work hurts you you’re doing more harm than good!

*If you don’t feel your targeted core work in your core you’re not working it!

Core work is infinitely scalable. It encompasses breath work, weighted deficit sit ups and everything in between. We will get into examples further down and in real life. But, suffice it to say, as it relates to the asterisks, there is no excuse. You have to do core work so you might as well do it right (effectively and safely). Here are some targets to hit every time you do core work and how you will know you’re doing it right:

1. You have to be able to breathe normally

2. You have to go SLOW. Your surface abs are twitch muscles. They work when you go fast. Your deep core is NOT twitch fiber. It ONLY works when you go slowly.

3. If you are targeting your core muscles and you don’t feel it in your abs and obliques, you’re not really working them.

2. BIGGEST JOINTS FIRST

When it comes down to it, our bodies are comprised of simple machines. Go deep enough down that rabbit hole with enough maths and physics and you will discover that the joint that loads first is the joint that carries the greatest load. Now in yoga, there’s a whole lot more room to get that wrong because you aren’t carrying more than your body weight. But it still makes me cringe when someone does chair and their knees jut forward before their butt goes back. If you’re stepping under a 200lbs rack for a back squat do you want your hips to carry most of that 220lbs or your knees? Your hips!! You can read more about Joint Loading Order as it relates to squatting HERE. Or if you’re brave, I recommend heading into the Crossfit Journal archives. There are good explanations of movement principles in the older material. Try to ignore the chest-beating and tomfoolery.

Biggest Joints First goes for your warm-up, your stretching, your actual athletic endeavors. It is foundational. Aside from the pure physics of it, your circulation and enervation are greatest at your biggest joints. That means moving your shoulders and hips (and spine as a unit) are going to get your hottest first and prime your body’s ability to send/receive neurological feedback.

3. CREATE SUPPORT

Sometimes you have to create support through activation. Let’s go back to weight-lifting. You breathe in and brace your core. In yoga, we go back and forth between active and passive. The support in active yoga poses looks much the same as weight-lifting. There will support from your core and possibly some attenuated bracing. However, in yoga, we get into passive stretching and in this instance, it is both helpful and necessary to recruit props.

Let’s look at a standing vs. a seated forward fold to further elucidate the point. Standing forward fold is active. It is thought of as a hamstring stretch but let me tell you - if you aren’t using the fuck out of your core to create the deepest possible hip flexion, honey you’re doing it wrong. The entire front body is active from the throat to the toes. There is little to no gap between any part of the torso and leg so much so that many long-time practitioners can put the top of their head on the top of their feet. When done properly all of the support that is needed for good organization comes from the posture itself. The position of the body mirrors the position of and is held by the front of the legs so the back body can stretch.

Now a seated forward fold on the other hand can be active or passive. Let’s look at the passive version. The point is to deepen the stretch beyond the muscle fiber and into the fascia which requires longer holds. If one were to be engaged much of the fascial stretch would go away so engaging would defeat the purpose of the passive position. So one must fully lean into the passivity. But then gaps happen. Maybe the back of your knee comes off of the ground or flops to the side. Maybe your upper body doesn’t reach your legs for support. What do you do? You create support. In this instance, you would pull pillows and other such props in to fill the gaps. Not doing so results in two diverging trends depending on your point on the stability spectrum. Tight people tend to tense and hold the position in their muscles rendering the stretch utterly useless. Flexi people tend to hold the weight in the bones of their joints even or especially if they are “all the way” in the shape. Neither scenario is good.

Ok, so that’s yoga. Now we can zoom out again. Let’s go back to the use of support in other realms. A great tool for learning the squat is a box squat. You rack the back squat, lower to the bottom, sit on the box and explode off of the box. Find ways to look at your movement. If you are an athlete, break your sport-specific movement down to fundamental shapes and vectors then put support around those shapes. Do the same for opposing shapes to create balance. Also using props for athletic movement can look like creating resistance with said props and we will dig into that next. For passive and everyday motor patterns do the same. You get into the car a certain way? How can you better support yourself in that movement pattern? Can you hold the steering wheel for support? Do you sit and type all day? Can you passively support your spine in the opposition position to create balance?

4. ISOLATION AND ISOMETRICS

Break it down to fundamentals and create resistance. We are here to create better movement, better integration, resolve pain and kick ass. One does not learn to kick ass with a laissez-faire attitude or a lack of grit. But why wait for life to throw you a curve-ball when you can make your own life harder? Think I’m joking? No! If you’re older than 22 you have probably already lived through many years of unintentionally making your own life harder and growing in the process. But what about applying that theory, mindfully to the body?

To create the kind of change you want in your body - more flexibility or more stability - you have to create challenges that cause your body to adapt. The easiest way to do this is the break things down to components. While the body IS comprised of simple machines, when you put them all together and add movement vector +/- load, things get complex very fast. So its a good thing to work your joints and muscle groups in isolation. Much of what we will do in the workshop, physically is due to just this - drill movements of one joint or a joint system (ex: shoulder + arm) in order to examine what is working and what is not.

This works for people along all points of the spectrum. The emphasis for more mobile people is to isolate the sensation of the joints of the system or the single joint moving on its own - actively. The next step is to add the core back in and notice how the joint or system feels when connected. The body is built with checks and balances. If a joint has more than “normal” mobility AND the checks and balances of core/spinal position are ignored, the joint will take more of a load than it is built to and eventually injury can result. This can work in a positive direction as well. Most high-level contortionists are RIPPED. They train their core to go the whole distance with their hyper-mobile joints.

For the tight folks out there, the game is to get a read on the ROM of each of your joints. The movement is medicine. When you keep your dominant muscles from eating up every movement your body endeavors, your joints will begin to heal themselves and increase in ROM capacity. Myofascial release and muscle stretching is often essential to the process when dealing with a body that has developed a lot of muscle density.

So, that’s the isolation part. The isometrics boil down to resistance. The kind of resistance that comes from within. Sure, you could add weight and you WILL eventually get to that point. But in the beginning, the kind of resistance you can create with your own body and mind is ultimately going to be a much better teacher. Simply find your most integrated, fullest ROM - whatever that happens to be at your starting point - and hold there and breathe. Find your edge, feel it out and let your body map it. The only way to intelligently push past an existing edge in your body is to know, with precision, where it is. Isometric engagement at the end ROM will help you develop strength without bulk and it will help to develop proprioception in that particular position.

OUTRO

Try approaching your movement with these principles in mind. If you don’t already have a movement practice yoga can be a great place to start but the studio experience is not for everyone. If you’ve tried yoga in the past and been frustrated or injured you are not alone. Most yoga teachers these days know how to teach the “ideal” body to do a set sequence. They are not capable of handling your specific needs. Thus, if you endeavor to go to a yoga studio to practice, you need to go armed with knowledge of how to work your edges. If not, but you have the gumption to do it alone, there are tons of online resources to get you moving. And of course, you can always seek private instruction. No matter what, keep in mind what I said at the start - you are responsible for creating a path for yourself. If a yoga pose doesn’t feel good, don’t do it. If lifting heavy only feeds your ego, let it fall away.

There is a world of information on the internet. Movement science is not high-level worm-hole mechanics. You can self-teach to the point of being able to rehab yourself and advocate for yourself. Think of it this way - what do you think humans did while they were sitting around campfires, telling stories or stuck inside during a rainy season? Do you think they did manual labor all day and didn’t stretch? Ancient humans codified the basics of self-maintenance. Aside from maybe needing some accountability - you don’t need a teacher in $100 leggings, a former ballerina, or a person with a fancy degree to tell you how to move your body (until, maybe, you get to the upper levels then everyone needs a coach). Start small, move slowly, breathe deeply. Your body will take care of itself and you if you let it.

Below are some helpful videos for putting your joints or muscles or both through the paces. We will be doing some of these in the actual workshop but not all. This is not an exhaustive list but I’ve tried to give a little something for all parts of the body. As always, thanks for reading and I hope you find this useful.

RESOURCES:

Shoulders

https://www.instagram.com/p/CP3qFPNjJll/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CP0usoGj_cR/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPrbLznMmuv/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CO3x1jjnREO/

Hip

https://www.instagram.com/p/CP6NYfQMUif/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPV5hrsjx_6/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPTQchNsKsk/

Knee and Inner Thigh

https://www.instagram.com/p/COLHtxss_wF/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPqkTKDDSxP/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdofViBpO-U

Spine

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPl2T0bsiEj/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJJh3lelY_q/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5xiKg_hZtO/

Foot/Ankle

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPOIuH7Djzi/

https://instagram.com/p/COqIfrOJQa0/

https://www.instagram.com/p/COlaOIipGtV/?utm_medium=share_sheet

https://www.instagram.com/p/CORmHHgp1zP/?utm_medium=share_sheet

https://www.instagram.com/reel/COMWXd-pkza/?utm_medium=share_sheet

Hamstrings:

https://www.instagram.com/p/COqLdoOjwf0/

Hand/Wrist

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNTGH13MSkn/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMzmGnnsQgn/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CP3p59Flrep/

https://www.instagram.com/p/COvE9V3Mf6n/

Core:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CO9DW9SpTkM/

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CPRXuDrh3b3/?utm_medium=share_sheet

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMM9m3FB13K/?utm_medium=share_sheet

Especially for hyper-mobile athletes (but also for everyone):

https://www.instagram.com/cirque_physio/

Especially for tight muscles and fascia and rehab (but also for everyone):

www.triggerpoints.net

Stability Spectrum Pt.1

INTRO & DISCLAIMER:

This is a written resource intended to be supplemental to my workshops on The Stability Spectrum. Most of what is written below will be useful as a stand alone source of information. If something needs clarification, it is likely because this is support for a real-time course, not included. Chances are, an online search will help you to gain further understanding. Or, if you have specific questions or concerns please drop them below in the comments. Remember, I’m a yogi and do not hold a doctoral degree in any medical or sport-related field. Use this information appropriately and with guidance from your doctor if there is any question at all about its safety or efficacy for you, personally.

WHY AM I TEACHING THIS WORKSHOP SERIES?

I’ve been teaching yoga since 2014. I’ve been coaching other movement since 2012 and I’ve been an athlete my whole life. I’m a trained researcher and have spent years accumulating knowledge outside of the academic context to apply to my own body or to give me a different lens by which to view the bodies that come to me for training. In the process of teaching and observing others, I noticed people tend to cluster toward one or the other starting place in their movement endeavors. They are either in Group A - “Flexible” or they are in Group B - “Strong.” I’ve made a diagram to illustrate my thinking. These are loaded terms but I’ve chosen them for a reason - because they both highlight what are considered to be desirable traits AND you don’t need to know special terms to get the idea I’m trying to convey. They do not, however, do a good job of describing what’s going on beneath the surface for either group. We will get into that momentarily. For further illustration of the point, see the graphics below. CAVEAT: we are working off of stereotypes so don’t get too invested…

Static and Motion based characteristics of “strong” and “flexible” people with some examples of overlap.

On the left sample “strong” bodies from a basic Instagram search #strong and on the right an Instagram search for #flexible

Injury happens, discomfort happens, pulled muscles happen, compressed vertebrae happen…right? Yes. They do. But they don’t have to, at least in theory. The two groups above, in addition to having distinct characteristics of what they look like standing and in motion, also have a tendency to accrue injuries, aches and pains and maladaptive motor patterns in divergent ways; with some areas of overlap as well.

Classical injuries/ailments experienced by “strong” or “tight” people, classical injuries/ailments experienced by “flexible” or “hypermobile” people and areas of overlap.

WHY CONTINUED…

In my personal experience I started in the “strong” category. I have experienced stiffness, discomfort, an inability to find good alignment in hand balance leading to chronic shoulder pain, sciatic nerve pain from a hamstring pull, etc. Over the years I have healed all of the above and am continuing to evolve my practice.

It so happens that, of my private clientele, more than half are working with me because of injuries related to hypermobility. These include patellar luxation, bunions, bursitis, hip capsule injuries, etc. We are continually working to re-train motor patterns that keep my clients’ bodies safe.

But in my everyday teaching experience, of which I have accumulated about 4,000 hours, I see people like me and people like my private clients mixed together in a class. As I gained experience, I started to notice these different populations. Listening to students, I started seeing patterns and how a standard yoga class assumes a body that possesses both strength and flexibility as a starting point, when in fact, many people are lacking in one or the other and sometimes both in drastic ways.

This online resource and the accompanying workshop are my first attempt to codify some of what I have observed over the years both in terms of problem areas and in terms of tools to resolve the problem areas. The good news is, the methodology is more or less the same for both groups of people! So below we will get into more technical definitions of “strong” and “flexible,” how to identify those patterns in yourself and from there we will take a look at some resources I’ve found to be of great efficacy over the years.

Definitions

As previously mentioned, the terms “strong” and “flexible” are good to get started but otherwise inadequate for the following conversations. So, let’s keep the general concepts but replace those two words for more meaningful terms.

In this conversation we will now convert “strong” to “stable.”

Stability is the ability to maintain or control joint movement or position. Stability is achieved by the coordinating actions of surrounding tissues and the neuromuscular system.

Instead of “flexible” we will now use “mobile.”

Mobility is the degree to which an articulation (where two bones meet) can move before being restricted by surrounding tissues (ligaments/tendons/muscles etc.) - otherwise known as the range of uninhibited movement around a joint.

In an ideal world these two abilities work together in tandem for a perfectly balanced system where no one get hurt except through external forces. But the real world looks like these two abilities being out of balance in most bodies to the degree that a person ends up in one or the other camp. To visualize this let’s bring back one of my favorite teaching tools from Psych 101 - the bell curve!

The Bell Curve

NOTE: The graphical depictions below are my approximation of things, not based on personal research or study. Real studies do exist if you want more precision.

The Bell Curve

The term "bell curve" is used to describe a graphical depiction of a normal probability distribution, whose underlying standard deviations from the mean create the curved bell shape.

Let’s apply the concepts of the Stability Spectrum to the Bell Curve and see what we get….

0, .5 and -.5 on the Bell Curve with our variables applied. Notice how the Bell Curve is a spectrum with a big bump in the middle.

Referencing the version of the Bell Curve (above), we start at the zero-point or the middle. Here, a person has full use of their joints in a way that is supported by their muscles and other tissue. The given range of motion (ROM) for a joint is determined by examining a wide variety of factors including the shape of the joint itself. We will take a look at the other factors involved a little later as most of the variables factor into where a person falls on the Stability Spectrum. You will also notice above, two points equidistant from the center. If we were talking pure numbers these points would be labeled .5. That is to say they are about half of a point away from the mean, taken here to mean the statistical average. On the Bell Curve, whatever is being measured is less “average” the further away from the middle it gets. At .5 away from the middle, you’re still looking at things most people would consider normative. In our example, someone who has one or two stiff joints or someone who maybe has open shoulders even though their hips are tight would not be considered extreme cases (we will discuss exceptions in the workshop). Since in reality most people don’t have full range of motion with support from surrounding tissue, the above is an idealization. In most circumstances, if you were to actually measure people and create a statistical average ROM, the mean would probably skew toward the tight side of things. The Yoga Dojo is an example of a community or cohort where, perhaps, the mean would skew toward the mobile side.

The Bell Curve - Tails

The further you move away from center on the Bell Curve the further you get from the statistical average. Here is 1+, using our model of mobility. At this point, the manifestations begin to look extreme compared to the middle of the pack.

Here’s where the conversation gets a little interesting. The further you move away from center the higher the number. So this Bell Curve (above) shows +1 and -1 and beyond. This is where, the people in our discussion would start to have congenital joint issues like club foot, or on the other end have Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome. The size of the Bell Curve drops off steeply here. That is because there is a rapidly diminishing number of people at each point. The two differently colored ends of our spectrum or Bell Curve are called the “tails.”

It is through examining the "why” behind the conditions at the tails that we get a really good understanding of what is at play for the rest of us back toward the middle.

Factors

Where you fall on the Stability Spectrum is going to be a combination of many factors. Your joint ROM is the quickest and dirtiest assessment of where you fall. As mentioned previously, there are multiple factors influencing ROM…

Bone Morphology - The shape and angles of the bones in the joint and leading into the joint. For this purpose you can think of all joints as simple machines. The length of the limb leading into the joint will create different leverage and torque in addition to the shape and angle of the joint itself. Ex: Press Handstands

Movement Practices - the regular degree through which a joint is asked to move. Ex: Sedentary lifestyle vs. Professional Athlete

Tissue Properties - Muscles, ligaments, tendons, even skin surrounding a joint have a predisposition to different properties. The assumption is that these tissues are all functioning normally. Changes in tissue function effect the stability or mobility of a joint.

Genetics/Diet/Age - The genes you inherit influence your morphology, tissue composition, how your body processes the raw material you consume as food and how these variables evolve over the course of your lifetime.

Injury - Accute and chronic use injuries can impact one or more joint’s ROM in a sudden and drastic way.

When you’re measuring a “normal” body it is sometimes difficult to see how the above factors relate to one another. It can be hard, for example, to look at my own body and say “Well what came first? Tight muscles? Tight ligaments? Is the tightness genetic? Is it emotional?” We have the people living in the tails to thank for some of the greatest insights about our body as a system. It is through studying communities like the EDS community, that we are able to understand the role genes play on collagen formation and thus joint health. It is through observation of patients undergoing physical therapy after surgery and injury that we are able to examine how large changes in ROM effect the body as a whole. The body is indeed a system. It is very difficult and maybe impossible to isolate any ONE of the above factors as being the definitive reason for where you fall on the Stability Spectrum.

Assessment Tools

Baseline measurements can be found below as well as some definitions of extension, flexion etc:

BASELINE ROM

A quick test for Hypermobility can be found below. Notice, we have not defined Hypermobility in writing. There is a wide range of what Hypermobility can mean and secondly there is no direct antonym or opposite. You can take it to mean greater than baseline ROM in one or more joints OR you can find a more detailed explanation here. The quick test for Hypermobility is called the Beighton Score. There are two links below both showing the criteria for the test with some novel and redundant information:

BEIGHTON SCORE 1

BEIGHTON SCORE 2

So what about the tighter people reading this and participating in the workshop? For you we have some standard flexibility tests ala gym class in primary school. If you want to get fancy - grab a friend, a protractor, ruler and tape measure. The tests after the link below more or less run you through the ROM for your major joints. Get your friend to measure the angle with the ruler and protractor and some of the sit and reach scores with your tape measure. That is what we will be doing in the workshop!

FLEXIBILITY TESTING

Final Thoughts for Pt 1

Ok, how’d you do? If you came away with a couple of hyper mobile joints, congratulations! You are in the approximately 25% of the population who has one or two hypermobile joints. If you your self assessments or the definitions on the Hypermobility page started sounding alarms, this would be a good indication to follow up with your doctor. Severe connective tissue disorders are rare BUT maybe some of the aches and pains you experience are related. Part 2 of this series will address some immediate tools you can use and modifications you can make to your movement to keep you safe in the mean time.

Tight? Chances are you already knew it! But likewise, if you are experiencing limitations in a generalized way, or severely in more than one joint, that’s what part 2 is for.

Perfectly balanced specimen? More power to you my friend. Chances are you already do some of the exercises and drills I’m going to show everyone in part 2. Join us anyways and be my movement model!

Knowledge is the key to moving forward. We aren’t conducting peer reviewed double blind experiments here, but if you can’t use yourself as your life’s greatest experiment and keep notes accordingly what are you even doing? These are the sorts of activities people used to do when screens didn’t exist. Its through just this sort of curiosity and experiment that yoga was born.

We are at a temporal nexus of ancient and modern knowledge coalescing. Disparate practices with esoteric focal points are pooling resources to evolve new Gold Standards. Its an amazing time to be a mover. Today, we know more about moving and the human body than every before. I’m looking forward to part 2 where I will share some of the best tools around for creating happy joints and healthy tissue that I’ve found in the past ten years.

Questions and comments below 👇.

Thanks! 😊🙏

Touching In With The Past - Vintage Yoga Flow

I’m trying to archive old hard drives. I have like 40Tb of data that all needs to go into deep storage and be organized. Yes. That is 40, 4-0, no typo. I have enough data to warrant buying a RAID array. Anyway, I’ll save you the multiple wormholes those first two sentences sent me on. I came here to say that I posted some of my “vintage” yoga flows to my Congruence Yoga Youtube channel.

I practiced to “Challenging Upper Body and Core Flow” a couple days ago and I wanted to share it with you here as well as some thoughts since hindsight and all…

…Thoughts

1. I am so glad this phase of hair is no more. I couldn’t get my hair out of my face without what I call “The Unicorn Pony.” I have had so many different hair styles over the years. I think on this website alone you will be able to count at least 4 or 5. The Unicorn Pony was a necessary evil in growing my top knot out but damn. Not a fave.

2. My body has changed so much and also very little. It took about 6 months postpartum to get back to my normal weight range. Five years later and I’m still hovering in that same zone. Where I carry fat, muscle density, tone, etc. are all in constant flux. If I’m lifting I look different than if I’m walking, skate or doing yoga. But my overall weight is remarkably consistent. More noticeable to me is how I move. I look stiff here imo. I will never be hypermobile. I am just simply not expressing that gene, though it does run in my family. I have made huge strides in looking more fluid in my movement from this video shot 4 years ago but even to this day I find it surprising to actually see MY body get into some of the shapes it does. The way I get into flexy shapes is so different than how more flexible people get into the same shapes.

3. Wow. My pincha has come a long long way.

4. I’m immensely proud of my sequencing and cueing. This was a very challenging flow that incorporates methodologies that are just now being highlighted as “foundational” to any movement practice. And I was doing those things in very creative ways four years ago. I’m talking functional range training, spiral movements, breath-work and more. Not only that. I really did and still do my best to honor yoga’s roots when I’m teaching. I try to teach YOGA not just poses. I think that comes through.

5. Teaching at Thunderbolt was hard but it really elevated my teaching game. Some of that came from without. Carly gave me a limited structure to work within. The challenge then became to test the limits of the structure without stepping outside of it. I worked very well in that environment. Until I didn’t and that is a different story. For the most part, structure aside, my teaching is an offering of mySelf beyond self. I teach from a place of joyful creativity, expression, healing and intuition. The recordings for the video come from live classes I taught. Its a style I borrowed from Black Swan Yoga and I still prefer this format to pre-recording in a booth, teaching model students or dubbing over after the fact. You get to hear a moment in time that will never be re-created and I think that’s really special.

Five is an arbitrarily good number to close it out. I hope you enjoy this flow. Share feedback, successes, ask questions in the comment here or Youtube. Om shanti, shanti, shanti and thanks for your time.