Introduction
Since June 2015, I have offered Rolfing sessions. By approaching the “fascia,” the body’s posture becomes organized. The postures looked at in Rolfing are three: “walking,” “standing,” and “sitting.” What they have in common is that they look at “bipedal walking,” a characteristic of the human being. This time, I’d like to share information about “bipedal walking.”
The Characteristic of the Human Being Lies in Upright Bipedal Walking!
The characteristic of the human being lies in “bipedal walking” — or, more precisely, in “upright bipedal walking,” walking in an upright state. On “upright bipedal walking,” Jeremy DeSilva’s First Steps, which discusses it while comparing humans with other animals, is easy to understand. This book is recommended for bodyworkers, and this time I’d like to share about “upright bipedal walking” while referring to it.
To begin with, how does the human being do “upright bipedal walking”? Among many specialists, “upright bipedal walking” is apparently described as “controlled falling.” When one leg is raised, the body is pulled forward and backward by gravity. Since hitting the face on the ground from falling is to be avoided, the leg is extended forward and lowered to the ground, supporting the body.
In this state, the body is positioned lower than when the step began, so the body needs to be pulled up again. There, the calf muscles are used to pull the body up. Then, putting one leg further forward, falling is avoided.
To get a little technical, when the calf muscles are used to pull the leg up, potential energy is accumulated; and by gravity, one leg comes forward (is pulled forward), converting it into kinetic energy. In fact, using gravity is the point, and 65% of the energy can be saved.
The conversion from potential energy to kinetic energy is the same as the principle of the pendulum. It may be said that the human being walks with an inverted pendulum.
Characteristic ① of Upright Bipedal Walking: Low Energy Consumption
Interestingly, the human being does not bend the knees and hips when walking (in contrast, the chimpanzee bends the knees and hips!). Thanks to the muscles attached to both sides of the human waist, the burden on the quadriceps is small. It is possible to balance on one leg. Because of this, compared with the chimpanzee, it is possible to walk without consuming energy (when a chimpanzee walks, it uses twice the energy of a human).
Characteristic ② of Upright Bipedal Walking: Lacking in Stability; Posture Matters Too
In fact, by the human being becoming “upright bipedal,” the way of walking became somewhat lacking in stability. This is because there is always a risk of falling. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in four people aged 65 falls; one in five suffers a fracture, and 36,000 people die from falls.
That falls are common among the elderly is partly that the amount of muscle declines, but whether bipedal walking is done in a posture that does not burden the body also becomes important.
So, how does Rolfing relate to “upright bipedal walking”?
Rolfing, Bipedal Walking, and Sitting: Awareness of Two Directionalities
Rolfing conveys “upright bipedal walking” as:
“Increasing the mobility of the upper body, on top of the lower body firmly receiving the ground (a state of landing together with gravity).”
This means that the body has two directionalities. It follows the principle that the lower body feels gravity (downward), and the upper body, with that as a foundation, lengthens through the back and moves freely. At this time, the most natural walking, which does not burden the body, is possible.
When sitting in a chair, too, the two directionalities can be brought to awareness. With the feet on the ground and the sit bones supported by the chair (the feet and sit bones downward), and with the awareness of lengthening the upper body upward with the sit bones as the base (the upper body upward), it becomes the most suitable movement.
Also, when breathing, there are three kinds of movement — up-down, left-right, and front-back — and this, too, precisely shows two-directionality; being able to be aware of these movements deepens the breath.
Following movement with attention to two-directionality, stiff shoulders and low-back pain, in many cases, occur because the upper body and the lower body are not in two directionalities, but both have become aware only of the downward direction. For example, when sitting, awareness of the sit bones declines, the back rounds, and the awareness of lengthening the back of the upper body disappears.
Rolfing and Fascia — the Possibility of Lowering the Risk of Falling
Before, I wrote that in Rolfing attention is paid to the “fascia.” Fascia arranges each part of the body, including the muscles, viscera, bones, and nerves, and makes it possible to use the body’s energy efficiently — an organ, so to speak, important for “posture.”
Rolfing uses manual technique to approach the “fascia.” By adding appropriate pressure so that the “fascia” can go to a place where it moves easily, posture becomes organized. The point is that the place where the body moves easily is known, and the Rolfing practitioner waits for the body to respond.
Interestingly, when the “fascia” is approached, the body comes to be aware of the two directionalities more easily, and walking and sitting, too, naturally change into a posture that does not burden the body. The risk of falling can be reduced, and it also leads to the prevention of stiff shoulders, low-back pain, and the like.
Conclusion
In this blog, I wrote that upright bipedal walking is energy-efficient but carries a risk of falling; and that Rolfing, by approaching the fascia, organizes posture — including walking and sitting — and is also expected to have the effect of lowering the risk of falling.
I hope this post is of some help to everyone.