Contents

  1. Cover Image
  2. Title Page
  3. Epigraph
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Foreword by Ohashi
  6. Preface by Tara Thompson Lewis
  7. Introduction
    1. LEARNING TO LISTEN TO THE BODY
    2. KEYS TO CHANGE
    3. FACING THE MYSTERY
  8. Part 1: Cathy Thompson’s Philosophy of Bodywork
    1. Chapter 1. Kyo and Jitsu
      1. WE ARE THE PROBLEM
      2. KYO AND JITSU: A STARTING POINT
      3. FUNCTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL KYO/JITSU
      4. USING THE KYO/JITSU PARADIGM
    2. Chapter 2. Structural Health: Symmetry, Space, and Flow
      1. GRAVITY
      2. BECOMING CORRECTLY UPRIGHT
      3. Correct the Position of Your Thighbones
      4. STABILITY AND FOUNDATION
    3. Chapter 3. Mind/Body
      1. MEMORY AND EXPERIENCE
      2. THE POWER OF IMAGERY AND VISUALIZATION
      3. THE EVOCATIVE POWER OF TOUCH
      4. Working with Emotions through the Body
      5. RELAXATION OR SHAVASANA
      6. “Switching” to Relax
    4. Chapter 4. What Is Tension?
      1. MUSCULAR TENSION
      2. THE INTERPLAY OF BONES AND MUSCLES
      3. THE MAIN CAUSES OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN
    5. Chapter 5. Injury and Trauma
      1. THE LEGACY OF INJURIES
      2. SPECIFICS OF INJURY
    6. Chapter 6. Pain
      1. STRUCTURAL METHODS
      2. HOW WE REACT TO PAIN AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT
    7. Chapter 7. About the Exercises in This Book
      1. FAMILIAR IMBALANCES
      2. Using Kyo and Jitsu to Increase Body Awareness
      3. THE IMPORTANCE OF CORRECTIVE EXERCISE
      4. Taking a Kinesthetic “Photograph”
      5. HOW TO STRETCH
      6. TYPES OF STRENGTHENING EXERCISES
      7. AVOIDING TILTING AT WINDMILLS
      8. POPULAR MISCONCEPTIONS
      9. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
  9. Part 2: Cathy Thompson’s Exercises
    1. Chapter 8. The Head and Neck
      1. Neck and Head Alignment
      2. GAZE POINT
      3. CHANGING OUR MOVEMENT VOCABULARY
      4. Jaw Release
      5. Correcting Head Tilt
      6. Enhancing Side-to-Side Balance of the Head
      7. Moving Your Skull over Your Neck
      8. NECK FLEXORS
      9. Strengthen Your Neck Flexors
      10. Advanced Strengthening Exercise for the Neck
      11. Stretch for the Neck
    2. Chapter 9. Breathing
      1. NORMALIZING YOUR BREATHING
      2. BREATHING STRUCTURE
      3. Feeling Your Breath in Your Top Rib
      4. Releasing Stuck Intercostals
      5. Finding the Quadratus Lumborum
      6. Balance Yourself
      7. CORRECT DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
      8. Freeing the Diaphragm: Freeing the Breath
      9. Diaphragm Opening
      10. Advanced Diaphragm Technique
      11. INHALATION
      12. Equalizing Breathing Pattern
      13. Releasing the Shoulders
      14. EXHALATION AND THE DEEPER ABDOMINALS
      15. Finding the Action of Transverse Abdominis in Exhalation
      16. Breathing Exercise for Diaphragmatic Problems
      17. Breathing through Water
    3. Chapter 10. The Voice
      1. Strengthen the Latissimus Dorsi and Serratus Anterior Muscles
      2. VOCAL SUPPRESSION
      3. Relax the Larynx, Jaw, and Tongue
      4. FREEING THE TONGUE
      5. Exercise for Tongue Tension
      6. Working in the Mouth to Release Vocal Tension
      7. Soft Palate Release: Advanced
      8. Breath Pattern for Breaks in the Voice (at any place)
      9. COMBINING STRUCTURAL WORK AND TECHNIQUE
    4. Chapter 11. The Shoulders
      1. Shoulder Joint Exercise
      2. Exercise for Shoulder Alignment
      3. EXTERNAL ROTATION OF THE SHOULDER
      4. Reposition the Shoulder Joint
      5. Rotator Cuff Muscle Exercise
      6. Shoulder Stretch Series
    5. Chapter 12. The Spine and Deep Core Muscles
      1. SPIRAL DISTORTIONS
      2. THE ROLE OF THE DEEP BACK MUSCLES IN BACK PAIN
      3. Exercise for Multifidus in the Back, Especially the Lower Back
      4. ALIGNING THE SPIRAL PATHWAY
      5. Spiral Pathway Exercise No. 1: Transverse Abdominis Exercise I
      6. Spiral Pathway Exercise No. 2: Transverse Abdominis Exercise II
      7. Spiral Pathway Exercise No. 3: Outer Spiral Exercise
      8. Spiral Pathway Exercise No. 4: Lower Back Exercise with Physio Ball
      9. BALANCING THE MIDBACK (12TH THORACIC VERTEBRA)
      10. Arm Raise Twist
      11. USING THE HORSE STANCE TO STRENGTHEN AND ALIGN THE BACK
      12. Variation on the Horse Stance
      13. SPECIFIC TARGETS AND OVERALL STRETCHES FOR THE BACK
      14. Exercise for the Paraspinals
      15. Exercise for the Sacroiliac Joint
      16. Wall Hang Stretch
      17. Stretching the Back and the Neck
      18. SPINAL ALIGNMENT WITH ROLL, BLOCKS, AND BALLS
      19. Using the Neck Roll
      20. Using Props with the Thoracic Spine
      21. Using Props with the Sacrum
      22. Using Props with the Mid-Lower Back
      23. DISC HERNIATION
    6. Chapter 13. Psoas, Hips, and Pelvis
      1. PSOAS
      2. Psoas Stretches
      3. Advanced Psoas Stretch
      4. Three Modified Psoas Stretches
      5. Psoas Strengthening Exercise
      6. Psoas Exercise for Lower Back Pain
      7. Correcting the High Hip
      8. Correcting Pelvic Rotation and Spinal Movement
      9. LEGS, HIPS, AND PSOAS IN RELATION TO GRAVITY
      10. Exploring Your Relationship with Gravity
      11. THE PELVIC FLOOR
      12. Working with Your Pelvic Floor
    7. Chapter 14. The Abdomen and Vital Organs
      1. UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF CORE MUSCLES
      2. EXERCISES FOR THE ABDOMINALS THAT DO NOT INVOLVE FORWARD FLEXION
      3. Plank Exercise on Toes or Tops of Feet
      4. RELIEVING PRESSURE ON THE AORTA
      5. Rebalance the Navel Pulse
      6. REFLUX
      7. TREATMENT OF ACID REFLUX AND HIATAL HERNIA
      8. Exercises to Treat Acid Reflux
      9. Release the Vagus Nerve
    8. Chapter 15. The Knees
      1. KNEE INJURY
      2. Muscle Exercises to Help the Knees
      3. Meniscus Strengthener
      4. Calf Raise Exercise
      5. Knee Stabilizer Exercise
    9. Chapter 16. The Feet
      1. THE PROBLEM WITH SHOES
      2. ALIGNMENT OF THE FEET
      3. Exercise for Aligning the Feet
      4. Foot Workout
      5. Ankle Circles
      6. THE ARCHES OF THE FEET
      7. Exercise for the Arches of the Feet
      8. THE RETINACULUM
      9. Deep Stretches for the Top of the Foot
      10. Runner’s Stretch
      11. Stretch the Achilles Tendon and the Deeper Calf Muscles
    10. Chapter 17. Ball Exercises
      1. Warm-Up Exercises for the Back and Neck
      2. Basic Ball Exercises
      3. ADVANCED BALL EXERCISES
      4. Advanced Ball Exercises for the Neck and Shoulders
      5. Advanced Ball Exercise for the Jaw
      6. Advanced Ball Exercise for the Diaphragm
      7. Advanced Ball Exercises for the Sternum
      8. Advanced Ball Exercises for the Pelvis
      9. Advanced Ball Exercise for the Knees
      10. Advanced Ball Exercises for the Feet
    11. Chapter 18. Ergonomics
      1. LIFTING AND CARRYING THINGS
      2. SITTING CORRECTLY
      3. BEDS AND PILLOWS
      4. SHOES
    12. Chapter 19. For Bodyworkers: How to Do This Work
      1. THE CRANIUM
      2. Work the Outer Cranial Bones (Skull)
      3. Work the Inner Cranial Structures
      4. THE ANTERIOR SPINE AND ITS ATTACHMENTS
      5. Work the Anterior Spine
      6. THE ORGANS
      7. Pulling Down the Stomach
      8. Pulling Down the Transverse Colon
      9. PLACEMENT OF THE NAVEL
      10. THE PELVIC FLOOR
      11. Pelvic Floor Work
  10. Afterword: Bodywork Is about the Mother by Tara Thompson Lewis
  11. Footnotes
  12. Bibliography
  13. About the Authors
  14. About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company
  15. Books of Related Interest
  16. Copyright & Permissions
  17. Index