PainFreeLiving

THEEGOSCUEMETHODFORSTRENGTH,HARMONY,ANDHAPPINESS

PeteEgoscuewithRogerGittines,authorsofPainFree

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Thisbookvalidatesthewisdom,knowledge,andexperienceyouhaveaboutyourownhealth.Becauseyouknowmoreaboutitthananyoneelse,Iofferthefollowingheartfeltcounsel:it’salwaysagoodideatoseekoutandcarefullylistentointelligentandperceptivehealth-careadvice.It’salwaysabadideatoactonthatadvice,includingmyown,withoutfullyacceptingyourparamountroleinsafeguardingtheperfecthealth

thatcomestousallasaprecioushumanbirthrightandlegacy.

CONTENTS

YouKnow:AnInformalIntroduction

ONE•GoodCause

TWO•TheCalm

THREE•YourFuelGauge

FOUR•FearandLimitation

FIVE•MuscleMagic

SIX•BalanceofForces

SEVEN•Halo...Halo...

EIGHT•Storytellers

NINE•BlameBlam

TEN•TheWeightofEvidence

ELEVEN•TheSkepticandtheGospelofDoubt

TWELVE•MakingtheWorstofIt

THIRTEEN•UnstickThis

FOURTEEN•WalltoWall,Y’all

FIFTEEN•Conclusion

AbouttheAuthors

YOUKNOW:AnInformalIntroduction

THISBOOKISACELEBRATION.It isabout thewholeworld—yourworld,yourlife.Itisaboutbeliefs,actions,andconsequences;aboutthetruthconcerningyour

deepest thoughts, where they come from, and what effect they have on yourhealthandwell-being.Boththemutablefactsofconstantchangeandtheimmutableperceptionsborn

ofchangefascinateme.Ourhomeplanet,ashimmeringblue-and-greenorbfirstseen inApollomissionphotosbarely fortyyearsago, isaconstantlychangingplace. Five centuries afterColumbus boldly sailedwest to reach theEast (thefirstrecordedcaseofdisorientation,sincehereallyonlyarrivedinabackwateroftheWesternHemisphere),thefundamentalroundedshapeofthingsseemstohavebeenflattenedbytechnologyandrelentlesssystemicupheaval.Theworld continues to change.Humankind has evolvedwith a remarkable

ability tochange thathasallowedus tosurvive,whereasmostother life formshavenot, and themajorityof our earthly cohabitants are longgone.For somereason, the losers lost their innateability tochange:Theydependedoncertainconditions— temperature, fresh water, sunlight, and the like. The ultimatesurvivalistsareabletoadjustthemenu.Thehumanability tochange is linkedwithour internalmonitoringsystems.

Bypayingattentiontowhatthemonitorsperceive,wecanalterourbehavior.Ibelieve,however,thatwearelearningtoignoreourinternalmechanismsof

perception to misuse important tools like our emotions, which have longprotectedusfromsurprisechangesintheenvironmentthatarelifethreatening.Many of ourmonitors react automatically. For instance, they release immune

cells to counter an infection long before a patient consciously notices a sorethroat.Othersdependonthe individual toreactbyavoidingstressfulbehavior,takinganap,orrunningawayfromafight.Medicalscienceisattemptingtocutthoseautomaticlinks.Wecan’taffordto

letthathappen.TheancientGreeksimaginedthelifejourneyastravelingthroughaconfusing

labyrinth.Iinviteyoutoimaginewithmethatjustaroundthenextblindcorneron a wall, inscribed in gold lettering, is an observation, inspired by spiritualteachingsknownastheNobleEightfoldPathofBuddhism:“Painisinevitable;sufferingisoptional.”Wholeftthemessage?Aseeker—someonejustlikeyou.Iintendtoremindyouofwhatitisthathumankindhaslongsoughtandwhat

you already know: truth dwellswithin; only awareness provides access to theenlightenment of ancient wisdom forged from experience. This book offers arenewalof thatawareness,a renewal that leads to (andfrom)apowerful innercertainty about your health. Humankind possesses roughly a million years ofpractical,operationalexperienceindealingwithpain.Yetstartingcomparativelyrecently,manyofushavebeenbeguiledbytheideathatmedicalscienceknowssomuchabouttheinnerworkingsofthebodythatthisorthatdrugorsurgicalprocedure—oftenwithdamagingsideeffects—offerstheonlyrealhopetothosewhoareinpain.Itcanbeacomfortingnotion.Fortunately,though,whenwetrytocommand

our bodies to shut up and butt out and get on with whatever breakthroughprogram is being presented to us by caring, dedicated, highly intelligent, andwell-educatedmenandwomenworkingforourlargestindustry(healthcare),wecan’thelpbutnoticethestirringsofdeepmisgivings.Theyarenothinglessthanbeliefs that refuse tobebetrayed,beliefsforged in thewhiteheatofemotionalexperienceand truth—a force inside thatunderstandsusmore thoroughly thanany other human being possibly could. Ignorance is a poor excuse for thatparticularformofbliss.Weknow:seekingtoknowiswhatwestrivesolongandhard to do. Despite what the experts tell us, our bodies, which are driven byhyper-vigilant sensory perceptions that I briefly touched on earlier, refuse tosurrenderadeepsetofbeliefs—perhapslife’smostfundamentalbeliefs.Refusaliswhatthisbookisabout,nottherejectionofpessimismnornegation.Thisisabook of absolute optimism rooted in an amazing, bulletproof, nearly perfectbelief system that functions in harmony with an equally amazing cellular/

molecular-levelcommand-and-controljuggernaut.Juggernaut?Probablyanoverstatement.Yetitiscertainlyawordthatcomes

close to describing a mechanism that directs 60 trillion cells in a whirling,lifelong dance of unimaginable precision and complexity. In this case, theinaptlynamedjuggernaut,partneredwiththealmosttoofamiliar,tootriterubricof spiritual belief, is relying on that stubborn human trait (at the very least,obstinatedoubtaimedat thenotion that thebody is frailandeasilybroken) tokeepyouskepticalandscrappylongenoughtorediscoverthehealingpowerofinnertruth.Bravo!That’sthegoodnews.Forachangethereisnobadnews;notfromthis

quarteranyway.FornearlyfivedecadesIhavehadonesimpleparamountgoal:help peoplewho experiencemusculoskeletal pain recover their healthwithoutdestroying the body’s genius for recovering from accidents, illness, and agingandwithoutsurgicalinterventionortakingdangerouspainkillersandothertoxicdrugs.Wecandothis.Thebookyouarereadingrightnow,aswellastheDVDthat’s included,willserveasaneasy-does-itguideandmentor. Istartedout inthe 1970s making house calls. That’s right, house calls. Today the EgoscueMethod has worldwide reach with twenty-four clinics in the United States,Europe, andAsia, alongwithagrowing legionof independentalternative-careprofessionalsI’vebeenprivilegedtopersonallyteachandcertify.BeforewejumpintoChapterOne,IwanttorevealanEgoscueMethodsecret:

mytechniquesfornon-medicallydealingwithmusculoskeletalsystempainaresoeffectivebecauseourmostsuccessfulclientsandreaderscometousbelievinginthebody’spowertohealitself.Weareallhardwiredthatway.Unfortunatelyformanypeople,thingshavegotteninthewayofroutinelyaccessingthatbelief.I’mgoingtousethebooktobulldozetheobstructions.Havefunwiththepagesthatfollow,sincehavingfunisusuallyasignthatwearedoingtherightthing.Glory inoptimism.Thengo for it—makeachoice.Find lastingenjoyment; ineverysensebeenjoyed.Enriched.Remember—and rejoice that the memory persists within—that suffering is

optional.Youhavethepowertochoosebetweensicknessandhealth,hopeandfear.Feelyourwaytothebestofhealth.

PeteEgoscue

People say thatwhatwe’re seeking is ameaning for life. I don’t think that’swhatwe’rereallyseeking....[W]hatwe’reseekingisanexperienceofbeingalive,so...thatwehave resonanceswithinour innermostbeingand reality [and] . . . actuallyfeeltheraptureofbeingalive.

—JosephCampbell

“Nothingcanbringyoupeacebutyourself.”—RALPHWALDOEMERSON

ONE

GOODCAUSE

IKNOWAGUYWHO,FORTHIRTYYEARS—inthecourseofwritingfourbooks,takingpartinmorethanahalf-millionclinicalconsultations,speakingathundreds of seminars, giving media interviews, and conducting healthworkshopsandclassroomdiscussions—askedthewrongquestionoverandoveragain.Yeah,butthequestionsuredidsoundright:“Howdoyoufeel?”SeewhatImean?Whatcouldpossiblybewrongaboutthat?Alot.Nowwe

knowtherewasatrapdoorbuiltintothesentence,hiddenbetweenthe“do”andthe“you.”Whenthequestionwasasked,thefloorsuddenlyandsilentlydroppedaway,andameaningfulanswerdisappeared.It’safine,serviceablequestion—Howdoyoufeel?Itseemstocoveralotof

groundandleaveenoughspacefor“Ifeelcold,”“Ifeelthirsty,”“good,”“bad,”“better,” or “worse.”The question provokes a quick inventory ofwhat’smostbothersome, particularly pain— whether there is currently pain, or a freshmemoryofit.Ifpeoplehappentobepain-freewhenthequestionisasked,mosttend to cautiously double-check in case it has managed to slip by themunnoticed. In the process, most other feelings—particularly those that can betransitory and fragile, such as happiness and peace of mind—are oftenoverlooked.Here’s a more-or-less accurate translation of “How do you feel?” What’s

reallybeingaskedis“Doyoufeelpain?Where?Doesithurtmoreorlessornotatallwhenyou . . . ?” (Fill in theblankwithoneofa thousandpossibilities.)

Pain is pain for a reason: the official bearer of bad tidings, its duties includeshoutingdown,distracting,andrudelyjumpinginlineaheadofotherfeelings.What this errant questioner should have been asking was, “What are you

experiencing?Settingasidethepainforamomentifyoucan,pleasedescribeallthe physical and emotional sensations that you perceive.” Is it pain, or pain’ssidekick—fear? Your body respects pain as an important messenger, but itdeeply loathes fear. Among its other responses, the body reacts to fear byradicallyadjustingyour internalchemicalmixandmodifyingessential cellularfunctions,throwingsomeintohyper-driveanddrasticallycurtailingothers.Theobjectiveistourgentlyfortifythemembranesofyourcellstoexcludewhateveritisthatisgivingoffthesmell,thetaste,thevibes,therotoffearandpossibledeath.This is a good thing, but damaging if pain is allowed to override all of the

otherfeelingsthatoftenprovideamorecomprehensiveandaccuratereadingofyourhealth.

NoFooling

Painisnotanemotion,althoughitevokesstrongsecondaryemotion-likestatesofmind.Inthecaseofchronic,recurringillness,paincanleadtopanic,dread,anddepression,whichareclosecousinsoffear.Butfirstandforemost,painisasymptomofaphysicalcondition—aformofsensoryperceptionthatannouncesitselfinawaythatisimpossibletoignore.The mind has an amazing talent for converting routine physical sensations

intoconsciousawarenessthatcaninstantlyinfluencebehaviorwithoutengagingina formal, carefullyexecutedcognitiveprocess.Courtshipandmating ritualsare examples. Romeo and Juliet embraced first, and only later considered thepros and cons of love. Drivenmad by jealousy deviously stirred up by Iago,Othello strangled Desdemona. Likewise, randommood swings seem to comeandgoindependentlyofanyobviousprovocation.Inaflashwejumpfromgladtosad,fromselfishtogenerous,fromcalmtoanxious.Weslamdownthephone,honkthecarhorn,oryellatthedog.Alternatively,perhapswedon’tslam,honk,or yell—choosing instead to shrug or nod or smile. Some of us are better atmanaging our emotions. Managed well or poorly, the bottom line is thatemotions convey messages inspired by direct interaction with the real world.Feelings allow us to re-experience the experience. Emotions tend to have anhonest,utilitarian,andtraceablelineage.Fear instigated by pain, however, is a bastard that lacks the legitimacy of

context.Once thesensoryreadoutcrosses the invisible thresholdbetweenmildand moderate discomfort, the response to pain isn’t modulated by reason,recollection,orexperience,likearelativelyhealthyemotion.Ohno.Ithurts,andwewantittostop.Thearcofescalationleapsfrom“sowhat?”to“I’mhurting...help!”

*

Wearegoingtotakeacloselookatwhyemotionalescalationhappensandwhatcanbeeasilydonetorecoverhealthycontrol.Fornow,though,itismoreusefulto establish the powerful pain-fear connection, and introduce how it hijacks afairly simple, orderly biomechanical sequence to set off a chain reaction ofdamagingconsequences.By treatingpainas justanotheremotionalcomponent

thatisalwayshoveringnearbyinmomentsofsicknessandinhealth,Mr.How-Do-You-Feelunintentionallycondemnsthoseheistryingtohelp—exceptforasmallminority—to the futilityofsymptomatic treatment,wherepainescalates,despairanddisorientationsetin,andthebody’samazingpowertohealitselfiscompromised.“Mybackhurts....”“Mykneeiskillingme....”“Theseheadachesarehorrible....”Whatwonderfulanswers!Basedon theseresponses, Icould immediatelygo

toworkeliminating thepain.Except itwasa symptom—perhapsnot even themostimportantsymptom—ratherthantheactualcauseofveryreal,ultimatelylife-changing,andpossiblylife-threateningsituations.

If you break a leg in a fall, the fracture is the cause of pain, and the pain is obviously asymptom.Butifaphysicianmanagestokillthepain,thelegisstillbroken.Suppressingthepainsymptomis relativelyeasy,but there isusuallymuchmorework tobedone,andmypointisthattoooftentheworkisn’tdone.

Ifyouhaven’tguesseditbynow,Mr.How-Do-You-Feelwasme.Iaskedthewrong question again and again because I knew with absolute certainty thatthesepainfulconditionscouldbefixedwithafewsimpleposturalremedies.Byasking,“Howdoyoufeel?”Ireallymeant,“Ialreadyknow.Saveyourbreath.Icanfixyou.”Ihadbecomean“expert,”tellingpeoplewhattodoandhowtodoit. Meanwhile, I was criticizing other experts for offering remedies thatsubstitutedtheirknowledgeandskillsforthepainsufferer’sowninstincts.“Thepatientknowsbest,”I insisted.“Eachofusknowshowwefeel.”TheEgoscueMethod—mylifework—deliversresultsbecauseitrestsontrustthatstemsfromhowthepatientreallyfeels.Thosefeelingsarealwaysright.Ihadonlyoneproblem:Ididn’treallybelieveit.Don’tworry, thisbook isaboutyou,notme. Iwillgetoutof thewayafter

presentingabitmorebackground.Thenitwillbemyprivilegetoguideyouonajourneyofrediscoverythatcanchangethewayyouexperiencetherestofyourlife.TheJosephCampbellquotebeforethischapterisn’tjustwindowdressing.

Itistherealdeal—youcanexperiencetheraptureofbeingalive.

TheBigPicture

Okay, back up three paragraphs to my first direct reference to the “EgoscueMethod.” As a non-medical postural therapy program, the Egoscue Methodworks, andworksquickly.Often, in less than tenor fifteenminutes, there aredramatic results.Musculoskeletal system pain is accompanied by a distinctiveposture. By changing the posture, the pain diminishes significantly or abatesentirely. Typically, patients are evaluated by a therapist, coached through acustomizedseriesofposturalexercises,andthentheyaresenthometododailyworkouts for a week or two.When they return to us, we expect to see a bigchange. I never understood what was happening when I, or one of my stafftherapists,asked“Howdoyoufeelrightnow?”asthesecondroundofin-clinictreatmentbegan.We’dheartheblandestofgeneralitiescomefrom80percentofournewpatients.Wewouldget“Fine,”“So-so,”andmyleastfavorite,“Idon’tknow,youtellme.”Huh?Runthatbymeagain.So-so?Youdon’tknow...?Werethesethesamepeoplewhocouldbarelymovetendaysbefore?Instead

ofhigh fivesor rejoicing that thepainhad subsidedor gone awaycompletelyafterweeks and evenyears of suffering, they had a forgetful, guarded, almostdisbelievingattitude.Often I had to press them to grudgingly admit, “Yes, my back feels much

better.” Or, “Pain comes and goes after I do the exercises you recommendedinsteadofhurtingconstantly.”I’dglanceattheiroriginalintakeinterviewsandmightnotethatthepainhad

causedsevereinsomnia.“Howaboutsleep?”“Oh,yeah,I’msleepingbetter.”Idealtwiththesebafflingresponsesbytellingmyselfthatthesepatientswere

soobsessedwiththeirpainthattheywereunabletolookbeyondtheirsymptomsandrealizethatbyrestoringtheirposturetheyfeltawholelotbetteringeneral.They had more energy, soaring activity levels, recovered mobility, improvedmood,andsoon.Thevastmacrochangesdidn’tregisterontheirconsciousness,andthemanysignificantmicroeffectsofpainabatementseemedtobequicklyforgottenorseverelyundervaluedoncethehurtingsubsided.When I asked, “How do you feel?” I was focusing on the big picture, the

panoramaofbenefits.Mostpeopleweresatisfiedifthepainclose-upwentway.Theywantedasuccessfultreatment,andthat’swhattheygot.Caseclosed.Moveon.Manyof themdroppedoutof theprogram (thoughoverall, thepercentagewassingledigitatworst),thoughtheyfrequentlyreturnedeventuallytoseekourhelp later with other incidents of pain and dysfunction. I took this repeatbusinessasavoteofconfidenceintheEgoscueMethod.Among those clients who stayed with the postural program, they reported

feelingpainreductionandmajorimprovementsinenergylevels,mood,balance,and sense ofwell-being. They didn’t need prompting or prodding—theywereexcited and raring to do more. Frequently, it led to a total health makeover.Favoritesportsandactivitiesthathadbeenputasidebecauseofageor“wearandtear”wereresumedanddeeplysavored.ThebestIcouldexplainitwasthatonegroup“gotit”andtheotherdidn’t.I

wasright,butittookmealongtimetofigureoutwhy.

*

TheturningpointwaswhenIrealizedthatevenIdidn’tgetit.Iwastreatingmyownbodyasifitwereamachine:keepitfueled,lubricated,putairinthetires,andeverythingwouldbefine.Iran,liftedweights,tookvitamins,andwatchedwhatIate.Afterall,Iwas“thepostureguy”;Iworkedconscientiouslyattuningupmymusculoskeletalsystem,andpainwasnolongeranissue.Yettherewereotherissues:anger,frustration,regret,fear.Ononelevel,IcouldsayIfeltokay.Onanother,Ifeltlousy.Whatwasmybodytellingme?Meanwhile,Iwasforcedtograpplewithanalarmingbusinesstrend.Starting

inthemid-1990s,mygrowingnationalnetworkofEgoscueMethodclinicswasretaining a smaller and smaller percentage of the clients who startedwith us.Roughly eight to ten in-clinic therapy sessions of ninety minutes each wouldconstitute “full” treatment. In most cases, full treatment meant a cure of theconditionthatbroughttheindividualtousinthefirstplace.Inotherwords,ournon-medical, postural therapy eliminated pain and physical limitation, and itrestored musculoskeletal function. Less than 2 or 3 percent of our clientsexpresseddissatisfaction.Still, the fact thatsomeweren’t finishing the therapycycleindicatedtherewasaproblem.I ran thenumbersoverandoveragain indisbelief.Toomanyofmyclients

weredroppingoutof theprogramassoonas thepainabated,which inalmosteverycasewasbeforemusculoskeletalsystemfunctionswerefullyrestored.Our

mantrawas,andstillis,“Acure,notjusttreatment.”Whywouldpatientssettlefortreatmentwhenacomprehensivecurewasavailable?Istartedquizzingthoseclientswhoremained.Iwantedtoknowwhatwasmotivatingthemtocontinue.Slowly, the pieces fit together. One, the Egoscue Method alleviated pain

withoutsurgeryordrugs.Two,beingpainfreeleft thepatientfeelinghealthierin general. And three, by escaping pain, regainingmusculoskeletal alignment,and strengthening posture, those who persevered regained peace of mind andenormous self-confidence.Most importantly, what they felt sprang from theirinneremotionalperceptions,notfromexternallyprovokedphysicalsensations.WhatIwaslookingatwasaclassicmind-bodyconnectionthatconfirmedmy

own personal experience. Often, troubling health issues are centered in theemotionsratherthaninanyinternal,physicalmalfunctionorshortcoming.SincemanyofthemajorEasternreligionshaveledthewayforcenturiesinexploringhowandwhythebodyandmindinteract,itseemedreasonabletoexplorewhatthose religions have learned. It has been an enlightening pathway, and I amgrateful to themany helpful teachers, scholars, philosophers, and friendswhohaveguidedme.Thisbooksetsouttodemonstratethatthemind-bodyconnectionisthepivot-

pointonwhichyourhealthbalances.Furthermore,yearsofstudyingthehumanmusculoskeletalsystemconvincemethatposturefunctionsasanon-offswitchthat activates emotions. Through emotions, themusculoskeletal system allowsyou to optimize your healthwithout the need for increasingly common,majormedical intervention driven by experts,many ofwhomoperate on the sincerebuterroneousassumptionthatthebodyisfragile,makeshift,andpronetobreakdown.When the mind-body connection is working well, and working with fully

balanced posture, you directly experience the effects of your externalenvironment—aneffusionofpositive,pleasurable, life-affirmingemotions thathelp regulate themind and the body.Hence, cellmembranes,which I alreadymentioned,donotneedarmorplatingtoexcludetoxins.Norisitnecessaryforthe body to urgently adjust our inner chemistry by pouring hormones into thebloodstream or dumping T-cells into combat zones of infection like so manyninjawarriors.Balancedpostureamountstoanunobstructedwindow.Ittellsusmanythings

inrealtimeaboutthelandscapeofourmind-bodyhealth,nottheleastofwhichisthatpositiveenergyisflowinginabundancethroughyourcellularmembranes

—the“brain”ofthecell.Thedestinationforthisenergyisthemitochondriaineach of the tens of billions of cells in your body. The mitochondria containenzymesthataccomplishelectrontransport, thecitricacidcycle,andfattyacidoxidationtorejuvenatethecellwithadenosinetriphosphate(ATP),aconcoctionofoxygen,heat,water,andnutrients—theequivalentofjetfuelandmatzoballsoup. The cells gorge on ATP, gobbling up and burning off the volumeequivalentofhalfyourbodyweighteachday.Courage,calmness,strength,andrenewalflourish.Thecuprunnethover,anditisondisplayinplainsight.

*

To survive, every form of life must stay in close contact with its externalenvironment and engage in constant two-way negotiations. If the environmentchanges abruptly—and change is a historical certainty of living onEarth—theorganismeitheradaptssuccessfullytoitsnewcircumstancesordies.Ofthe30billion individual species of organisms believed to have existed on this planetsincelifefirstemerged,onlyahundredthof1percentsurvivestoday.Extinctionistherule,nottheexception.Clearly,changeisnoteasytoaccomplish.Contraryto popular belief, it is highly unlikely that the secret of our longevity is brainpower—ortobemoreprecise,“prefrontalcortexpower.”Cellpowerisprobablymorelikeit,cellsbeingtheclassicknow-it-alls.Eachofyourcellscomeswithacompletecopyofyourgeneticcode.Inshort,cellshavetwoinstructionbooks:one,chapterandverseonhowtodoitsassignedspecialty,andtwo,informationonallthefinepointsofeveryothercell’sspecialty.Informationsharingistotal.A smallminority of biologists assumes there are some blind spots, but so farthereisnotasinglegapwithinthebody.However, if the connection is off-kilter, yourposturemaybe compromised,

almost always visibly by imbalance and dysfunction. The arrogant, egocentricmindthinksitpossessesthepowertocontrolrealitybytheforceofintellectualfirepower. Although human beings are gifted with capacity for high EQ—“emotional intelligence”—bending reality to our will thanks to our largebrains isan illusion.Theeffort tochangeyourposturewithouta simultaneousrequestfromthecellsofyourbodybringsonadarkcloudofnegativeemotions—thunderheads of fear, futility, and anger. Why? You are in way over yourhead, and you know it. The frenetic, calculating “me mind” tries to fix theinternalproblemwhen,infact,nofixingisrequired.Nothinginternalisbroken.Thecellsarefine,butevenso,theyareputonredalert,revveduptofightthe

thinkingmind’sillusoryfears.Littlebylittle,thedefeatsthatcomefrombattlingthewrongenemiestakeadamagingtoll.Healthdeteriorates,andthesymptomsofdysfunctionalposturebearsilentwitnesstothatdecline.Poor posture is a symptom—a limitation—or a warning from your body

throughpain or stiffness.Adroopinghead, slumping shoulders, andwobblinggait,aswellasahostofothercharacteristics,areconfirmationthatthemindistoobusysendingoutfranticSOSmessagestofindtheenergyresourcesneededtokeepyourmusculoskeletalsystemfunctionsoperatinguptopar.Eventually,ithasnootherchoicebuttoringthebiggongofpain.Themodern,thinkingmind—atermIusetodistinguishitfromthemucholder,aware,feelingmind—isaworrywart. Perpetually alarmed by the losing struggle to perfectly controlreality,theworryingmindbombardsthebodywithhormonalwarningsthatendupreshapingourmusculoskeletalsystem,andover-andunder-revvingimportantinternalphysiologicalprocesses.Inturn,anxietyisstokedupevenmorebythemusculoskeletal system’s precarious condition, which can include muscularweakness,inflexibility,instability,andseverelimitationsoffunctionandroutinemobility.Andweall shouldknow thatprolonged, increasedanxietycancausetroubleforus.Iusedtobelievethatbyreturningtogoodposture, thepeaceandbalanceof

theawaremindwouldbesimultaneouslyrestored.Mymistakewastoregardtheabsence of pain as the principal requirement. By eliminating pain, I assumedpeople would continue to eagerly work on recovering their musculoskeletalsystem to full functionbecause it feltgood. Iunderestimated thepowerof thethinkingmindtoremainlockedincrisismode.Butwhydoesaminorityofpatientsescapefromsuchadiresituation?They

possesspeaceofmindsecurelyanchoredbythepositiveenergyaccessedbyanaware mind, which is reinforced and even supported by less-than-perfectposture.Yes, indeed, positive energy can at times counteract imperfect health,becauseitisacausalsourceofdeterminationandconfidence.

DistillingEmotionfromExperience

Thefirsttaskofthisbookistoforgeareasonablycoherentunderstandingofthecausal linkbetweenpositive energy,goodposture,goodhealth, and theawaremind.Vitality andvibrancycome frompeaceofmind,which liesdeepwithinouroldestandrichestlegacyashumanbeings.Thecreationoftheexperientialpoolconsistsofaseriesofeventsthatforman

experience.Thisexperienceexpressesmeaning through theemotionsproducedbythosewholivedthroughtheeventsandconsequentlyarecapableofperiodicrecollectionofboththeeventsandtheemotions.Everylinkinthecausalchainrepresents the impact of energy, regardless of its form, causing external (andinternal)change.Awarenessisourchoice.Likewise,unawarenessistoo.Eitherway, experiences and the emotions associatedwith them have impactmovingforward.If this seems likewhat circus clowns used to call a Chinese fire drill, give

yourself a chance to consider my riff on causality. The relationship betweenhealth, emotions, andactionsdemonstrates themind-bodyconnection, andourawareness allows us to make conscious choices. So am I saying that choicesmadefromawarenessisagoodthing?YoubetIam.

*

WhenMariefirstcametomyEgoscueclinicinDelMar,California,shemadeachoice to think of herself as an “overweight, overworked mother” of twochildren.Herwords,notmine.Shewas thirty-eightyearsold.Her lowerbackhurt—bigtime.Aphysicianhaddiagnosedthepainasasymptomofaherniateddisk. From theway she stood againstmyofficewall, her back flat against itssurface, I suspected that she had two herniated disks: one fully herniated, thesecondjustgettingstarted.Iaskedherwhyshehadelectedtocometoseeme.Shesaidthatafriendhad

recommended the Egoscue Method because of its reputation for getting fastresults.Mariedidn’thavetimeforpain.Iexplainedthatherspinehadlostmostof its lower S-curve due to years of sitting in a chair for hours at a time.Consequently, avertebra in the spine exertedunevenpressureon thedisk andwalked(thatis,nudgedorlevered)itoutofitsproperpositionuntilanervegot

intheway.“CanIwalkitbackin?”sheasked.“No,butyoucandothenextbestthing,”Isaid.In the first hour, wemanaged to eliminate about two-thirds of the pain by

engaging pelvic muscles that partially restored the S-curve. In effect, werepositionedthespineandgotitoffthenerve.Igaveherahomework“menu”ofposturalexercisethatwouldtakeaboutfortyminutesadaytocomplete.Whenshe left, I wondered if Marie would stick with it or opt for a much fastertreatment—surgery—ratherthanthemoretime-consumingprocessofcuringherspinaldysfunctionthroughnon-invasivemethods.Threeweeks and a couple of telephone calls later,Mariewas back and she

had made another choice: she was no longer “overweight and overworked.”Well,maybeshecouldloseafewpounds,butherharassed,hurry-to-be-buriedattitudehadchanged.“Bygetting ridof somuchof thepain the firstdayand the rest a fewdays

later,IrealizedthatallIneededtodowasrestoremybalancebygettingalignedandmy energy levelswould zoom upward. I haven’t felt this good in fifteenyears.”Mariewasrelaxedandallsmiles.“Theresultswerealmostinstant.Icanfeel

theenergyflowingandpercolatingfromheadtofootwhenIstartdoingtheE-cises.”*

Itoldhershehadlostherdeer-in-the-headlightslook.Marielaughedandsaid,“Yeah,Iwasreallyfreaked.”WhatMariedidwastorediscovercauseandeffect.Wehumansaredesignedtoengageoursensory(emotional)mechanisms,whichlink to electrochemical trace data stored in our cells. This data has beenpreservedintheformofanindestructiblepulseofenergy.Thinkofitthisway:youeatacandybarasanafternoonsnack.Regardlessofwhetheryoubothertoread the ingredientson thewrapper, the sugar, cocoa, various coloring agents,preservatives,andartificialflavoringsaffect—thatis,stimulate—aresponsethatyoufeelimmediatelyorthatyourbodystoresforlater.Inotherwords,energyisobtainedandusedtocausechangewithinthebody,oritisstockpiledtomakeachangehappeninthefuture.

TheVirtueofThoughtlessness

We humans know reserved energy as emotions or feelings. If you fished adiscarded candywrapper out of the trash, even if you hadn’t eaten the candy,you still would have information about the products stored in your body.Similarly,ifyoufishedadiscardedeventfromyourmemorybanks,you’dfindstored-upemotionsoremotionalsubcomponents.Yetwhatyoufeelisdifferentfromwhatyouthink.Amemoryofanincidentweexperiencedisproducedbyan electrochemical event stored in the cells as energy. When triggered, orremembered, the feeling announces its origin to the brain and the rest of thebody as anger, surprise, or any of a score of familiar expressions of emotion-ladenenergy.Wedon’thavetothinkaboutemotion—itispartofourmemorybank,andwefeel it.But ifyoudon’tknowhowyoufeel,yoursensoryoutputandperceptiongounheeded.Hence,making a choice is impossible (if youdochooseablanked-outemotion).Youexisttodaybecauseyourancestorsknewhowtheyfelt,tookappropriate

action, and then stored the information that allowed them to make a similarchoice sometime in the future. Ifyoudon’tknowhowyou feel,beyondbeingassailed by powerful emotions that are pummeling all of your physiologicalprocesses,you’reonatightropewithoutasafetynet.It’stimeforyoutorestoreyourrighttochoosehowyoufeel.Itisacriticalstepinpainfreeliving.

*AtEgoscueMethodclinics,posturaltherapycomesintheformof“E-cises”thatre-engage,realign,andstrengthenmusculoskeletalsystemfunctions.

TWO

THECALM

DESPITE ALL THE TESTING AND SOPHISTICATED scientific researchassociatedwithtoday’sadvancedmedicaltreatments,themostreliablewayforadoctortopromotehealingandfullrecoveryfromaccidentsandchronicdiseaseistorelyonthepatient’sawarenessofhowheorshefeels.I know, I know. Feeling has been made to seem pretty wimpy. In reality

thousands of internal super-systems preside over this realm of our being.Nothingslipsbyunnoticed.Our innermonitorsnever shutdown,never takeadayoff.Unfortunately, thousands of years andmuch ingeniousness have beendevotedtolearninghowto“mute”theresultingcacophonyofconstantfeedback—startingwiththeoldstandby“Nonewsisgoodnews.”Don’t be so sure. Nonetheless, most of us unwisely settle for contrived

distractionsandformsofnumbed-downstoicismrather thanface the incomingdaily, hourly, minute-to-minute flow of knowledge that can come from asophisticated real-time network that is shrugged off as meaningless or onlyconsultedonrareoccasions tospareusa little(counterfeit)peaceofmind(theoriginofourmodernpenchant for reflexively trusting inexperts, an importantthemeofthisbook).Andthereistheoppositeextremethatreadstheslightestofirritationsasadire,life-threateningdisease,anewepidemic;evengoodnewsistransformedintoadeathsentence.Iamanadvocateofawareness,notfear.Awareness.Don’tmisunderstand.I’mnotusingthewordinanyspecialpoetic

or spiritual sense.This is totallybasic.Wecando“awareness.”This islandoflife that harbors us is full of noises, alluring scents, sharp edges, sweet tastes,

and shooting stars. Our awareness is a great—quite possibly the greatest—treasurethatwepossess.Itisasurvivaltoolthattookusfromaprecariousperchattheedgeofadarkforesttowherewearetoday.“How are you?” is a serious question. “Fine, thank you” was the

preprogrammeddefault answeruntil aboutahundredyearsago,whenmedicalinnovationbegan to takeoff. (Tobe fair, it’s still apreprogrammedanswer inpolite conversation, but it shouldn’t be if you’re talking to a health-careprofessional.)Beforethen,tosafeguardtheirhealth,sensiblepeoplehadtorelyon thebody’spracticality and flexibility.Thingswerepretty simple.Allheorshe needed to do was to pay attention, and then, sooner or later, an obviouschange would occur: a strong stomach turned queasy, a long-distance walkerstartedgettingblistersonherfeet,ahunter’sacutehearingfaded.Inotherwords,people began to receive warnings featuring symptoms that suggested internalalarmsorpotentiallyharmfulconditions—spikingtemperature, inflamedtissue,achingjoints,andthelike.Iusetheword“symptoms”aboveinitalicsbecausethehealthcrisiswefind

ourselves in todaystartedwitha fundamentalerror involving the identificationof symptoms. A symptom does not cause sickness or chronic disease. It is acalling card, a fingerprint, a signpost. It is an indicator of a problem, not theproblemitself.SinceIassumeyouwantacure,notjustatreatment,youneedtobe able to tellme about your symptoms. If you can’t tellme— and farmoreimportant, if you can’t tell yourself—how you feel, you risk receivingquestionable treatments fromyourhealth-careprovider. I’m talkingaboutwildpitchesthatinevitablygetwilderandwilder.

ComparisonShopping

Okay,let’spauseforamomentwhileIconvinceyouorreaffirmthatyourbodyisnearlyperfect.Allyouneedtodoischooseaphysiologicalfunction:digestionor respirationwilldo,orclimbinga setof stairs.Tobe truly impressed, studyreproduction.Spendacoupleofhours in the libraryoron the Internetdoingalittleresearch.Youwillcomeaway,Ihope,withthesensethatsomethingwithsomanymoving parts, chemical reactions and interactions, synchronicity, andalmostimpossiblyprecisetimingdoesn’ttendtomakemistakes.True,natureisnot without a few flaws—cells might zig instead of zag—but it happensrelativelyrarely,andnowherenearasoftenaswouldbesuggestedbythemass

media’s focus on new epidemics, diseases, and doomsday scenarios that haveconvinced millions of people that their nearly perfect bodies are fragile andgeneticallypronetobreakdown.*

Like the brain, our other physiological processes have many alternativepathwaystochoosefromtogetaroundobstacles.Medicalsciencehasyettofindthe exact causes of the marquee killer diseases, such as the many forms ofcancer. With fewer symptomatic treatments, which are often damaging andstressful in their own right, andmore attention to changing destructive inputsfromoutsidethebody,Iexpectmanyofthosekillerswillbeconquered,andthatitwillhappensoon.

HireUp

Thereisjustonemoreimportanttaskontheagenda—gettingyoutocomebacktoworkasCEOofyourownhealth.Itisuptoyoutodecidewhatworks,whatdoesn’t,andwhy.You,andyoualone,aretheforemosthealthexpert.Everyhumanbeinghasanincrediblysophisticatedarrayofsensoryreceptors,

yettheincomingmessagesrarelygetoverthethresholdofconsciousawareness.Thisisnotnormal;viewedacrosshumankind’smillion-plusyearsonEarth,itisverydefinitelyabnormalandextremelydangerous.An inverse relationshiphasformed with the advances in civilization, education, and technologicalinnovation, drowning out and suppressing what was once a robust stream ofunderstandable, actionable, sensory, internal health guidance that even anunschooledBronzeAgefarmerwascapableofcomprehendingandactinguponwithareasonablygoodchanceofsuccess.Here’s the plan: in the first three chapters, my top priorities are to briefly

coverwhathashappened,why,andhowyoucanrestoreyourhealthawareness.Notabadwaytogetstarted.Itputsyouinapositiontotakethestepsnecessarytoreactivateanessentiallife-supportsystemandresumemonitoringthestateofyourhealthbyreceivingclearwarningswhenthere’sdanger,orgettingpositivesignalsinreactiontobeneficialcircumstances.Inshortorder,youcanstopbeingdependentonothersforhealthexpertise.AmIsuggestingyoufirethedoctor?No,ofcoursenot.Instead,resumebeing

your physician’s working partner and best resource, the primary supplier ofreliable information on the state of your own health. The doctor canmake an

educatedguessaboutwhat’sgoingon.Youdon’tneedtoguess—youcanfeelit,and more than ever that’s what it takes to withstand disease, accidents, andprematureaging.Chapter2includesasimpleexercisethatIurgeyoutodowithoutdelay.Drop

everythingandgetwithit.Youwillfeelanimportantchangeinyourbodyandmind.Thedoortoyourperfecthealthwillstarttoopen.From there we will go on to consider themusculoskeletal system’s role in

keepingyouonanevenkeel,fullyaware,andenergized.Iwillintroduceyoutothe secret of humankind’s evolutionary success as a species: posture. Soundsquaint,eh?Don’tbefooled.Ourpostureannouncestotheworldwhetherwearestrong or weak, growing or declining, living or dying. Posture is an early-warningsystem,theclosestthingtoamasterkeytothedoortoperfecthealth.Itreactsimmediatelytochange,sendsoutacost-benefitanalysis,andtellsyouinunmistakabletermswhetheryou’reontherighttrackorthewrongtrack.I’llsetoutthreecompletedailyconditioningprogramsthatwillletyougetonthetrackyoudecide is right for youby re-engaging, strengthening, and realigningyourmagnificent musculoskeletal system. You get to select which program worksbestandfeelsbest.Notonlyis this themeanstolivingpainfreewithout toxicdrugsandtraumaticsurgery,itisthefoundationofalonglifetimeofgoodhealthingeneral.InChapter3,I’llsharewithyoumyunderstandingofthehealthrolepositive

energyplays.Chronicpainisasymptomofcorrectableenergydeprivation,nothuman frailty.Luckily, so ispoorposture.Posture isvisibleandcanbeeasilyrealignedfromadysfunctionalstatetoafunctional,positive,energy-generatingmode.Goodpostureisnotsolelyamatterofaestheticsorpersonalbeauty.Itis“good”simplybecauseitfeelsgood,andinthatwayitisacrucialelementinthehealth-awarenessfeedbacksystemthatI’llbediscussing.Also coming up is a smattering of quantum physics, Zen spiritual practices

and doctrine, and assorted cutting-edge hypothesizing (like the Law ofAttraction, mindfulness, David R. Hawkins’ work on the beneficial power ofhighwavelengthenergy,andBruceH.Lipton’sbookTheBiologyofBelief).

SenseandSensibility

Therearefive traditionalsenses:sight,hearing,smell, touch,and taste.Sixothersarealso

generally recognized, among them being balance, awareness of time, sensitivity totemperature,andpain. Ibelieve therearemanymore,eachsupportedbyasensorysystemthatrespondstospecificphysicalstimuli.Weareconsciouslyawareofonlyafew.However,ifwecouldassignaclicktoeveryincomingstimulusandaclacktotheoutgoingresponse,there would be a deafening uproar of traffic. Along with the metabolic process, sensoryreception and perception may well be the essential operational cornerstones of humanbiology.

Todaymodernscience—medicalscienceinthiscase—hasdiligentlyclaimedresponsibilityforallbutthemostsuperficialaspectsofourhealth.Onlyafullylicensed,impressivelycredentialedexpertneedreplytosuchquestionsas“Howdoyoufeel?”Orsoitseems.Thebodyisjusttoocomplicatedforaveragefolkstocomprehend.Orsoitseems.Ihaveafeelingthatdowndeepyoudon’tbuythat,andyou’reabsolutelyright

not to.Thebookyouare reading isacelebrationofourperfecthealth,andaninvitationtoretrievethebody’spowertoheal,togrow,tolivealong,joyfullifefreeoflimitationsandchronicpain.You and I and the rest of the human tribe knowmore about our individual

health,howwefeel,andwhywefeelitthanalltheso-calledexpertscombined.Thatknowingisagift,alegacythathaspartiallyallowedhumankindtoestablishafootholdonthisremotespeckofthecosmos.Relinquishingsuchaheritageisunthinkable, yet we are under growing pressure to hand it over to thosewhosincerelybelievethemselvestobebetterinformedandbetterequipped.I’mnotbashing doctors or knocking pharmaceutical companies; the blame game is awasteoftimeandenergy.MyobjectiveistoreestablishthelegitimacyofHowdo you feel? and to once again receive a direct, candid answer—not how thecardiologistor thedirectorof researchatMerck thinksyoufeel—toaquestionthathasmoresaliencethananyotheryoucouldaskaboutyourhealth.Why?Becauseonceyouarefullyintouchwithhowyoufeel,you’llknowthe

rightthingtodo.Sooneofthecentralthemesthatwewillbeexploringisthis:yourbodyissmarterthanyouare.Whoops!Doweneedtoslamonthebrakesanddecidewherethebodystops

andwhereyoustart?Let’snot.Fornow,proceedas though thephysicalbodyandtheyou-mind(astuffythoughusefulshorthandforindividualconsciousnessandcognition)areseparateentities—they’renot,buttakingashortcutherewillsavetimeandtrouble.Anyway,thesmartbodyknowswhenitissick,whatittakestogetwell,and

how to live a long and happy life.But the body needs a little help fromyou.Your job is to pay attention andbecome aware of how the body is constantlychangingasitrespondstoitsenvironmentand,whennecessary,takeappropriateactiontosupportthatresponse.Equippedwith twoeyes, ears,hands, feet, andat least five senses, theyou-

mindtakescareofinteractingwiththeextremelyvariableexternalenvironment.Inreturn,yourbodykeepsyouinformedaboutwhatitneedstomaintaininternalequilibrium,suchashavingadequatefood,water,sleep,shelter,companionship,fun,andthelike.Ifyouareinattentive,don’tcare,orprefertopassthebucktosomeoneelse,bepreparedtosuffertheconsequences.Painisonewaythebodycommunicates this serious information. In the end, by ignoring the body’swisdomyouaredamagingyourhealthandshorteningyourlife.Youaretheonlyonewithtotalaccess, literallyspeaking,tocompleteinside

knowledge on what’s really happening to your physiological processes: yourorgans, your tissues, your cells. The body keeps you completely informed.Medicaldoctorscanmakeassumptions,anddrugcompaniescanresearch, test,and sell reasonably effective products; only you have the actual feel forwhatworksandwhatdoesn’t.Itisatalent,aninnergenius,youwerebornwith.Ifyouoptoutofplayingthisimportantrole,yourhealthmaybeinjeopardy.

The increasingly complex technology and head-spinning treatment choicesmightmake you feel like you couldn’t possibly be the key part of your ownhealthcare.Confusing?—sortof.Challenging?—sure.Butyou’rethekey.Allyouneedistobereconnectedtothepowerofperfect

healththatcomesfromtakingaction,andmakingchoicesbasedonknowingtheanswertoasimplefour-wordquestion:Howdoyoufeel?Iknowthatyouknow.Nowlet’sexplorethatknowingtogether.

BalancingAct

Ifyou’vereadanyofmyfourpreviousbooks,youmayrememberthatIliketoencouragethereadertoparticipateinfunandgames.Well,hereIgoagain.Takeoffyourshoesandsocks.Andstandup.Please.

Read the rest of this paragraph, then shut your eyes and follow theseinstructions.Standnormally.Relax.Letyourfeet,shoulders,andheadgowheretheywanttogo(anddogowhensomeoneisn’tbarkingoutorders).Keepyourfeet in place and inhale and exhale a couple of times.Take your time.Noticehowyourweightisdistributed.Onelegmaybeworkingharderthantheother.Isittherightleg?Orisittheleftleg?Feelwheretheweightsettlesinthefeet—isitintheheels?Maybeit’stheinsideedge,outsideedge,ortowardthetoes.It’slikely to be in a different spot for each foot. Let two or threeminutes go by.Breathe.Next, open your eyes. Read some more. Did you notice what was going

throughyourmindwhenyouwereanalyzingtheweightdistribution?Wastherea jumble of ideas, images, and sensations? A little of this and that? Quick,arrhythmicburstsofactivity?Asensoryjigsawpuzzlewithabunchofmissingpieces?Attheendofthisparagraph,closeyoureyesagainandpayattentiontoyourmentaltraffic.Giveitaminuteandreopenyoureyes.Now,I’d likeyou todistributeyourweightevenly.Read thisparagraphand

close your eyes again. Standwith both feet roughly parallel, pointing straightaheadandabouthips-widthapart.Now,turntheminwardalittle,untiltheyareslightly pigeon toed. Easy does it. Carefully swing your torso, shoulders, andheadarounduntilyoucanfeeltheweightmoveinyourfeet.Didyoueverplayflashlighttagasakid?Thebeamoflightmoveslikeadisk,

right?Yourweightwillhavethesamecharacteristic:itwillfocusandslidehereandthere.Nudgethedisksintotheballsofyourfeet.Bobalittleat theknees,andtweakyourhips.Somepeoplewillreallyhavetocrankthemselvesaround.Itmayfeelstrange,precarious.Believeme,though,whentheweightrestsoverthe balls of the feet, your posture is in a balanced position. (Contortions andmuscular effort to hold you there are necessary because yourmusculoskeletalstructure is fighting to pop out of the temporary alignment I’ve put you in.)When you get theweight centered, notice how it feels, and noticewhat yourmindisdoing.Goahead,tryit.When we have clients perform the same exercise in one of our Egoscue

Methodclinics,mostofthemsaythatinthefirstunbalancedpositiontheirmindsare whirling, jumpy, and chaotic. They feel troubled, uncertain, uneasy.Balanced,however,isadifferentstory.Themindcalmsdown.Itlosesthejitteryquality.There’smoresteadinessandclarity.Bychangingyourposture,you’vechangedyourmind.Theresultissimilarto

switching channels on a radio or TV.A distant signal wavers and breaks up;adjusted to a closer, stronger frequency, the transmission sharpens and settlesdown.

VisViva(“LivingForce”)

You are 100 percent energy. All matter, from rocks to racehorses, is the permutation ofenergy.Consequently,youareindestructiblebecauseenergycannotbedestroyed.Formsdochange,though.Forinstance,Shakespearehasbeendeadforaboutfourhundredyears,yetallofhisenergyisstillaround.Thereisachance,thoughmaybesmall,thatsomeofitwasincorporated intoyourcorporalbeing—partofanear lobeorskin tissue—becausematter-energy is infinitely recyclable.Prior to residingwithin the thumbof thebard’s righthand,matter-energycouldhavebeenafreckleonKingTutankhamun’schin.No one knows how energy is channeled into a particular form or how to positively

distinguishbetweenagenius’energyandanearthworm’s.In itsvastvariety,energyis thecosmic equivalent of chicken soup—a delicious cure-all elixir. The energy in the averageadulthumanwouldexplodewiththeforceofthirtylargehydrogenbombs(7by1018joulesof potential energy, according to Bill Bryson, who I’m trusting to get it right, since acalculationlikethatisseveralhydrogenbombs’worthofintellectualfirepowerbeyondmymeager capabilities), but so farwe are able to release only a tiny percentage of it in oneburst.

AmIsayingthatyourthoughtprocesswillchangealongwithyourposture?Most people who practice the techniques in this book report a calming,clarifyingeffect,whichindicatesthatthatisprobablyhappening.Withrestoredposture, our brains are able to provide a smoother, less hassled ride. By notskidding on icy patches and by avoiding clunking into potholes, our wholephysiologicalstate ismoretranquil, lessstressed,bettergrounded.Inshort,wefeelbetter.So, standing aroundwith your eyes closed playing a form of flashlight tag

withyourposturalweightdistributionisabigdeal?Actually,itis.Whatyou’ve justdone isbridge thegapbetweenmortalityand immortality.

Yes,that’sright—becausewearemorethanfleshandblood,morethanskinandbones. We are energy. Our understanding of physics tells us that energy isindestructible.Theexercisegivesusawindowontheprocessthatmakesallhumanbeingsas

indestructibleasablockofgranite.Ofcourse,granitecanbegroundintosandoverthelonghaul,andeventuallythegrainsofsandarereducedtomoleculesof

matter.Becauseallmatterisenergy,thosemoleculesaredestinedtoreturntothevast power surge of waves and particles created by the big bang, where theypulseandpummel,pushandpullacrossaninfinityofspaceandtime.Ifachievingposturalbalancecalmsthemind,itisreasonabletoassumethatit

alsobeneficiallyaffectsourotherphysiologicalsystems—allofthem.Andthatis precisely my assumption and the assumption of this book. On my weeklyradioshow,Iwasfondoftorturingthelistenersbysingingbitsandpiecesoftheoldgospelsong“ThemBones”—“thekneebone’sconnectedtothethighbone,thethighbone’sconnectedtothehipbone...,”andsoon.Themusculoskeletalsystem’s connections extend fromhead to foot. Its circuitrywires together thewholebodyand,what’smore,linksittoavastfieldofhigh-wavelengthenergythatradiatesfromoneendofthecosmostotheother(exceptthatmostphysicistsbelievethecosmos,orwhateveryouchoosetocallit,hasnobeginningandnoend).Keepinmindthatincreasedmasscontributestoresistance,drag,friction,and

heat.Heat is avarietyof radiation, and radiationaffectsmolecularmovement.Also,mass isa functionofstructural form,andformsvary in thewaymass isexpressed,fromthinandeasilypenetratedtodenseandimpermeable.Thisrangeis found in the humanmusculoskeletal system too—in tissues that range fromfunctional and balanced (energy-permeable) to dysfunctional and unbalanced(energy-impermeable).Whatourversionofflashlighttagrevealsisthatwearenotpassivebystanders

at the cosmic energy Olympics, but that our mortal bodies are designed todeliberatelytapintoanddrawfromthevastsupplyofenergytofuelourhealth.Furthermore,wenowknowhowtodoit—andit’seasy!

PlugandPlay

To visualize the role of the musculoskeletal system by using an everydayanalogy,thinkabouthowyourTVsetisconnectedtoitspowersource:cordplug walloutlet householdwiring electricitypole electricalgrid, and soon.IfyouweretostepontheplugattheendofyourTV’spowercord—reallytromponit—theprongsoftheplugwouldprobablybendtothepointthatthey’dnolongerfitproperly into thewalloutlet.TheTVwouldn’twork.Or theplugmightmakealooseconnectionthatwouldcausethesettoflickeronandoff.

Yourmusculoskeletal system is like householdwiring, a connector of yourindividualnervestotheuniversalenergysupply.Thestrengthofthatconnection—the total volume of the incoming flow of energy—depends on posturalbalance.Inotherwords,energyflowisdeterminedbythewaymassisarrangedstructurally. The more balanced you are, the more energy moves with lessfrictionalongtheconduitandthroughtheplugs.Thosewhoarefullybalancedreceiveanunrestrictedflowofhighwavelengthenergybecausetherearefewerobstructions in themind and body.Aminor imbalancemeans that the energyinflowisslightlyimpeded.Butapersonwithsevereimbalance,orsomeonewhoisstooped,withhisheaddown,shoulders roundedforward, feetshuffling,andwith drastically limitedmovement, is losing out on almost all of the availablehigh-qualityenergy.Theplugisbarelymakingcontact—his“TVset”isflickeringandthreatening

togodark.Bybeingbalancedtoslightlyoff-balance,youhaveasteadyflowofalmostall

the high-wavelength energy needed to lead an active, deeply satisfying life.Thosewho are badly out of balance are on the brink of shutting down. Theirphysiological systems, from the innermost organs to the outermost bones,muscles,andjoints,arecollapsing.At one time, possibly as recently as seventy to a hundred years ago, most

peoplewereinposturalbalanceorclosetoit.Thepeopleinoldphotographsaremore likely to stand with readily apparent correct posture. Those who wereimbalancedwere still largely intact and capable of reboundingwith relativelyminor adjustments in their activity levels. Theirs was an environment thatrequired motion. Routine, everyday, musculoskeletal movement brought themcloser to balancewithoutmuch deliberate effort. Today, for amajority of thepopulationoftheeconomicallyadvancedregionsoftheworld,balanceisonthewane as the high-tech environment demands less and lessmotion due to deskjobsandlabor-savingtechnology.Atthesametime,andnotatallcoincidentally,there is a growing health crisis. Medical costs are soaring, the news mediaregularlypanicsaboutnewepidemics,andsevere,chronicpainandlostmobilityarebecomingcommonplacealongwithincreasinglyinvasivetreatmentstotreatthem.I’m concerned, but not worried—and you shouldn’t worry either. Human

health is a well-marked, two-way street that can take us to a long, deeplysatisfyinglifefreeofchronicpain,limitation,andfear—ifwemakearelatively

simple, straightforward commitment to retaining and sustaining our legacy ofposturalbalance.Wecan travel in thewrongdirectionon that two-way street,and we are. Presently, humankind is losing postural balance and underlyinghealth, butwhat is lost can be found again. I believewe can turn this aroundquicklyonceweputourminds—ourawareminds—toit.That’sthelessonoftheexercisethatI’vesharedwithyouinthischapter.Pleasetryitagain,andshareitwithyourfamilyandfriends.

*

Thestartingplacetoaquickturnaroundistorecognizethatthebody’samazingarrangement ofmuscles, bones, and nervesmade an important contribution toourdevelopment as a species, continues todefineus as individuals, andhas amajor,major,majorinfluenceonouroverallhealthandhappiness.

*Only5percentofthepopulationisaffectedbygenedefects(Lipton).

THREE

YOURFUELGAUGE

NOTTHAT I’MBRAGGING, but I don’t lookmy age—andneither do you.Bothofusare13.7billionyearsold,giveortake200million.Wearebuilttolast,literallyconstructedoutofdebris:spacejunk,tobeblunt.

You and I have the good fortune to be nothing less than 100 percent energyproducedatthecreationoftheuniverse.Whowearevariesfrompersontoperson;whatweareistheultimateinbasic

material.Energyis—itjustis.Itdoesn’tgrow,procreate,subdivide,orpopoutofamagiclamp.Itsimplyexists,andisneithernewlyconcoctednorindangerofbeingdestroyed.Energycanmovefromplace toplace(orremaininplace),andbechangedfromoneformtoanother.Intheprocess,energyperformswork,exclusivelyasmotionormovement.You—thatis,askineticenergy,withoutanego,aface-lift,andafashionablezipcode—willalwaysexist,beonthemove,andbeatwork(unlessyouarestoredorpotentialenergy,andthenyou’llgetabreakfromworkuntilyoubecomekineticenergyagain).

IntheBeginning

“Creation”hasbecomea loadedword.Createdwhen,wemayask,bywhomorbywhat?WerewecreatedbyGod;thebigbang;theteeny,tinybubblesoftheprimordialswamp;orsomething else? Take your pick. If you believe that the big bang was the source of allcreation, then theageof theuniverse isestimated tobeabout14billionyears,whenwhatscientistscalla“singularity”—finitemattersodenseitcompacteddownintoinfinitelydensematter—suddenlyexploded.

TheBubbleuniverseattemptstoaccountforthepre-bangexistenceofso-calledinfinitelydensematterderivedfromfinitematter.Basically,itmeansthatafoamorfroth,stirredupbyenergyfluctuationinaparentuniverse,formedatinybubblethatgrewuntilitaccumulatedenoughmasstospinoffgalacticstructuresandeventuallylife-forms,eitherbeforeorafterasudden,hugeexpansion.Thebubble-and-bangprocessprobablyaddsanother15billionyearsormoretotheageof

our universe. It is guesswork, however. Thanks to astronomer Edwin Hubble, we now“know” that allmatter in space has beenproportionately expanding fromone single flashpointorevent.Theologianshavetheirowntimelines.TheTorah,ortheJudaicholybook,forexample,putstheageoftheuniverseatabout5,760years.

So,inaveryrealsense,weareallinthesamebigboat.WearelikeDalande,theghost inRichardWagner’soperaDerFliegendeHolländer,doomedtosailforever.Fromanenergystandpoint,we’reallonaverylongvoyage.Iftheconceptof

immortality does not appeal to your sensibilities, would it suit you to haveeighty,ninety,orahundredyearsormoreofperfecthealth?Energytosses thewhole ideaofchronicdiseaseandaging rightout thewindow.Energydoesn’tgetsickorold.Energymoves,yettherearenomovingpartslikethoseinaclockoran internalcombustionengine,nosprocketsand levers thatcanwearoutorbreak.Instead,therearevariousexpressionsofenergy,someworkingoneway,someanother.Forexample,whenyoudigestbreakfast, this stokes thecellularATPboilerthatconvertsthebaconandeggsintoadenosine5'-diphosphate,themetabolic fuel used to power the body’s cells. Meanwhile, others are busyrepairing your stockpile of various specialized proteins—perhaps twentythousandpercell—whichundergoheavywearandtearfrombasictaskssuchasmuscular contraction and respiration. Nothing is broken, diseased, or wrong;energyismerelydoingitsjobinvariousanatomicalandphysiologicalstructures.Thiswork includesbuilding,maintaining,andanimating thebody’sstructures,sinceenergywasinvolvedintheircreationinthefirstplace.Aconstantinterplayof action and reaction takes place as particles,waves, forces, and force fieldscaromoff one another; become ripples, torrents, and tsunami; raise and lowertemperatures; set fires, and trigger chemical reactions and combinations thateventhemaddestofmadscientistscouldn’tdreamup.

CloseResemblance

I am going to use a pocketful of metaphors to explain what happens to the

energyinourbodies.Mattertendstobebothpushyandsticky.By“pushy,”Imeanthatitcanuse

the equivalent of head-butts to abruptly alter the status quo. Particle energycollideswith or zooms past slow-movingmatter (and sometimes slips aroundloosely packed molecules and runs straight through without making contact),whichtendstobringonaquick,dramaticreorganizationoftheneighborhoodinwhich it’s traveling. Imagine a toddler pouncing into themiddle of a flock offeeding pigeons. To understand “sticky,” think of objects that have massattractiontooneanother.Thegreaterthemass,thegreatertheattraction.Gravitational attraction acts as a glue between newly arriving energy to

existingmatter,layerbylayer.Thissortofattractionencouragesthecreationofmany different forms ofmatter and can help transform a stagnant, primordialpuddle,forinstance,intoachowderteemingwithlife.Billionsofyearsofpushyand sticky churned up these ingredients, combinedwith extreme temperaturesandpressuretohelpjump-startsingle-celledlife-forms.Energyvibratesbymovingthroughspaceinzigsandzags,liketheteethofa

serratedknife.Therearesharppeaksandnarrowvalleys—thesteeperanddeeperthedeclivities,themorepotenttheenergy.Inotherwords,theserratedbladeissharperbecausethecuttingedgeislongerandmovesfasterandmoreefficiently.Theremaybehundredsmorepeaksandvalleys.Ultra-high-wavelengthenergyzooms past low-wavelength energy because sluggish energy has negligiblegravitation attraction. It may twitch or throb but doesn’t solidly bond to theincomingenergy.Itsmassistoospongy.Alllifeprospersorperishesasaresultofitsabilitytomakeproductiveuseof

thisswirlofenergy.Thefailurerateishigh.Eventuallyeverythingthatlivesdies—yetitsenergyishere,there,andeverywheretostay.Meanwhile,extinction—thewholesaleeliminationofparticular life-forms—seemstobeinthecards.Intheshortrun,fewerthanone-tenthof1percenthavemadethecutsincelifeonEarth began about four billion years ago. There have been millions—oneestimate is 30 billion—of now-you-see-them-now-you-don’t species, manylasting seconds and a relatively few others holding on for centuries. Today,estimates of the number of living species of plants, insects, animals, and“organic others” (not counting all the tiniest of the tiny multitude of micro-organisms) range upward from five to thirty million. The as-yet-undead areextraordinarily,andimprobably,luckytohavelastedsolong.The casualties all lost the ability to change internally, a non-negotiable

requirement that allows for the continual accommodation of the fluctuatingexternalflowofincomingenergy.Forawhile,reproductionandhereditarygenetransfer go on, though it is more than likely that the processes are graduallycompromiseduntilsystemicequilibriumandviabilityweakenandcollapse.Theprematureaginganddeathofanindividualaresimilartotheextinctionof

an entire species. John, for instance,was ahigh-poweredWashington lobbyistwho, in his twenties and thirties, managed the stress of his demandingprofessionallifebyrunningeverymorningandworkingoutatthegymseveraltimesaweek.Helovedhisroutine—forgoodreason.Incomingenergy(stress,including fatigue, cellular damage, andother ramificationsof a toxic lifestyle)wascounteractedbythereleaseofinternalenergystoredinthemuscles,whichboosted John’s heart rate, metabolism, and cell replacement cycle. In otherwords,byworkingoutregularly,Johndeliberatelymadeaninternalchangetakeplace. His physiological systems were working smoothly in balance. Yet, forsome reason— “too busy” is the usual suspect—he started cutting back onrunning and visits to the gym. Gradually, there was more incoming stressfulchangeandlessinternalbalancingchange.Cellsdiedatahigherandhigherrate,their efficiency declined, and subtle alterations of all of his physiologicalprocessestookplace.Johnstartedtofeeltheeffects,soheresortedtovodkatoadjusthisinternalchemistry.Drinkersthinktheyareimbibingtomakemerryorto unwind, yet what they are actually doing is desperately fiddling with theirbodyfluids.Ethanol ismatter;hence, it isenergy.However,notmuchworkisaccomplished by drinking alcohol, other than a quick alteration ofmood and,moreinsidiously,aninterferenceinoxygenintake,bloodcomposition,andliverfunction.Asaresult,stressgetstheupperhand.ThecumulativeimbalancefromincomingchangeswampedJohn’shealth.Hediedofcoloncancerattheageoffifty-two.

LastResort

MillionsofwomenandmenlikeJohnprematurelyage,sicken,anddiebecausetheirhealth losesbalanceand isunable tobringabout routine internalchangesthatoncetookplace in thecourseofdaily life.Historically,whenbadweatherwiped out an important food crop, business as usual came to a halt: peoplemigrated, ate grasshoppers, or plundered their neighbors.When all else failed,theystarved.Change—behavioralchange—wasimperative,andtheyknewit.

Even so, some changes are out of reach, which may be the very reasondinosaurs became extinct. There is convincing evidence that a gigantic dustcloud, kicked up when a meteor the size of Times Square slammed into theEarth,probablydoomedlargedinosaursbyblottingoutthesun’srays.Thelackofsunkilledplants,whichinturnkilledplant-eatinganimals,andsoonupthefood chain. The voracious reptiles were unable to change their internalrequirementforreadilyavailablecalories.Adios,T.Rex.But other forms of life did change and survive. In such cases, a change in

behaviorwasinvolved.WhenJohnchangedbygivinguprunningandworkingout,hewasreallyactinglikeagiant,bad-temperedreptilewithatinybrain.Hekept stressing his body, provoking the need for internal change, and stoppedproviding precisely the kind of behavioral response that accomplishes thenecessaryinternalchange.Why?Notstupidity.MyansweristhatJohnallowedhimselftobedistractedbyamodernlifestylethatdrownsoutthemostessentialmessagesdeliveredbyhissenses—forexample,importantnewsflashessuchas:Thisfeelsgood,keepitup!Thatfeelsbad,stoprightnow!Not only was John smart enough to know that running and reasonably

strenuousandvaried,regularphysicalworkoutsweretherightthingstodo,hisposturesuppliedgraphicevidencejust incasehewasnotthinkingstraight,notreceiving the sensory messages. The stiff joints and short-windedness heexperiencedaftergivinguphis exercise routinewerehandwritingon thewall,buthemisreadthemessage.Theyweresignsallright,butnotofaging.Nature rewards efficiencyandpunishes inefficiency.Gathering infirmity for

weeks,months,andyearsiscolossallyinefficient.Whatisthepointofwastingvaluable resources—food, freshwater, and shelter—on someonewho isweakand soon headed for the grave? On the contrary, sudden death by way ofaccidentsandplaguesofvirulentdiseasearefarmorerationalinthatthefewermouthstofeed,thebetter.Logicstronglysuggests,therefore,thathumanswerebuiltforeitheraverylonglifeoraveryshortone.Thevainamongusmayscoff,butfacialwrinklesdonotmeanthat theendisnear;however,adysfunctional,collapsingmusculoskeletalsystemusuallydoes.Postureistheequivalentofthegasolinegauge in thedashboardofacar.Aquickglancerevealed toourearlyancestorswhoamongthemwasfittofight,bearandnurturechildren,andworkhardenoughtoprosperinthefaceofadversity.John could feel his good health draining away. He could see it as well.

Unfortunately,thelobbyistwhoneverforgotafacecouldn’trememberwhathis

deterioratingposturemeant.Justasabuildingvergesoncollapsewhenitsload-bearingfloorsandwallsslump,tilt,andbuckle,themusculoskeletalsystemthatloses its horizontal and vertical structures is teetering on the edge ofdisintegration. Without symmetrical muscular support our essential, gravity-defying, ninety-degree angles giveway, leaving the head, shoulders, hips, andknees wobbling, grinding, and gyrating until smooth, strong, spontaneousmovement becomesmore andmore difficult.When posture is no longer fullyerect, balanced, flexible, aligned, and well supported by strong muscles fromhead to foot, the entire physiological package is flatlining. Breathing iscompromised, the heart works harder, the colon struggles. Everything getsdisrupted.Johnregardedhisslow-motion,cataclysmiccollapseasanaturalconsequence

of living a stressful three or four decades. His unschooled but eminentlyobservantancientancestorswouldhavelookedatabrotherorsisterinthesameconditionandbegunsettingasidefirewoodforafuneralpyre.

TheObjectivityMyth

As a community, humankind has been getting smarter, more knowledgeable,evenwiseraboutitsenergyheritage,butithastakenmorethanseventhousandyears.Asearlyas5000BCE,spiritualpractitionersinwhatwetodaycallIndiarecognizedthatPrana,aformofenergy,aninvisibleandpowerfullifeforce,isa central causal fact of existence. Notice I didn’t suggest that the gurus“discovered” or “invented” Prana. Human beings, ancient and modern,inherently know and trust energy because they can feel its vitality withoutintermediation or indoctrination, and they are capable of full awareness of itsgifts.Fromtimetotime,however,thethinkingmind—possessedofatendencytoupstagethefeelingmind—setsouttodethroneenergyonthegroundsthatitisnotobjective.Ifyourmothersaysshelovesyou,youmaytakeitatfacevalue,butWestern

sciencedemandsproofintheformofcarefullydefined,observablestandardsofverificationthatremaintrueinallcases.Proofdoesn’tresorttoopinion,bias,oremotion.We’retaughttodealincold,hardfacts,evenifthosefactsclashwithpersonal experience or gut instinct. In otherwords, theobjectivistshave goneoutside of themselves by ignoring the feel (the personal emotional content) ofwhat they’re directly experiencing. Instead, they attempt to evaluate their own

experiences by secondhand criteria endorsed and prescribed by committees ofresearchers.From about the mid-seventeenth century to the mid-twentieth century,

Western society was hung up on using a clock or some other intricatemechanicalcontraptionasamodel—anobjectservingasanobjectivestandard—toexplainhowmostthingsworked,includinghumanhealth.Newtoniansciencelookedattheworldandsawtheequivalentofwhirringsprockets,wheelswithinwheels, springs that sprang, and levers that lifted, all governed by laws andforces that could be mathematically plotted and summoned to objectivelyexplainthedeepestmysteries.*Seenfromthisperspective,theworldisthesumtotal of its many component parts. But to understand any complex naturalphenomenonyouhavetotakeitapartandkeeptakingthepartsapartuntilyoucome to the smallest bits of matter, which behave predictably based on theirpositioninspace,theirmass,andtheirvelocity.

Brainiac

IsaacNewton, 1642–1727, formulated the lawofgravitation.Newton’sTheMathematicalPrinciplesofNaturalPhilosophyisoftenregardedasthemostinfluentialbookeverwritten.Itshowedhowauniversal force,gravity,applied toallobjects inallpartsof theuniverse,andhowitalsoformulatedthethreelawsofmotion.Newton laid the groundwork for classical mechanics, which is the basis of modern

engineering.Hewas far and away the leading scientist in Britain and Europe by the late1600s.

What the Newtonians didn’t count on was that small just keeps gettingsmaller. In due course, quantum physicists detected matter so minuscule, itbehaved not like a clock, but like something that had the feel—a highlysubjective feel—of energy: entangled beams of light, swarms of molecularfragments, and torrents of disobedient subatomic matter that defy objectivescienceby acting likewaveswhen they are supposed tobeparticles, andviceversa. Eventually, scientists discovered that matter shrank until it entirelydisappeared,only to instantly reappear thousandsofmiles awayandchallengeAlbertEinstein’stwentieth-centurycontentionthatnothingtravelsfasterthanthespeed of light. Predictability went out the window; quantum theorists startedconcocting outlandish ideas that they admitted couldn’t be proven. Suddenly,

Pranadidn’tseemsocrazyafterall.

HealthAwareness

Sleepingwhenweare tired, eatingwhenwearehungry, and subtlymodifyingourdiet tocounteractnutritionaldeficiencies(asummerofleanerfishintheplaceofwinter’sfattierredmeat)arevestigesofoursubconscious,instinctive,self-adjustinghealthawareness.Thewidespread use of electricity disrupted our awareness of our ownhealth, including

our sleep patterns. Meanwhile, processed foods and beverages began to manipulate oursensory perceptions of what we eat. Excessive amounts of salt, fat, and sweeteners areshamelesslyusedtotrickpeopleintomakingunhealthfulchoices.Widespreadobesityisnotanillness—itisevidenceofacrime.DoesthatmeanIthinkweshouldlockupalltheevilfoodproducers?No.Weneedtoreturntoourhealthawarenessandstopeatingtheirharmfulproducts.

Thewaythebodyoperatescanbecomparedtoaclock,butinmodernmedicalterms, it is akin to amalfunctioningTimex in need of an expertwatchmaker.Why?One reason is that themedical establishmenthas avested interest in itsown success. Like any other industry, to be successful, medicine needscustomers—thatis,peoplewhobelieveintheexpertiseoftheirdoctors.Inaddition,humanbeingsare superb toolmakers.Since the inventionof the

hammerandthewheel,wehaveemployednewtoolstoextendourcontroloftheenvironment and to reshape reality. Like Archimedes’ lever and fulcrum, ourinnovative tools move the world by doing what had once been impossible.Micro-medicine,whetheritisdiagnostic,surgical,orpharmaceutical,thrivesonnewtools.Thenotionoffixingorreplacingdefectivebodypartsasthewaytogoodhealthgrewveryslowly,buteventuallyittookhold.Whatinitiallyseemedimpossiblebecamelikely,andevenmoreimportant,seemednecessary.Overtime,thankstohumankind’stoolmakingtalents,therewasareductionin

work effort. There was less walking, stooping, carrying loads, climbing,vigoroushand-and-armengagement,andtherestof thephysicalrepertoire thathadoncetakenmen,women,andchildrenthroughafull rangeofmotioneachday. In its place came an increasingly settled, prosperous toolmaking culture,with each successive generation quietly losing small though vital amounts ofmusculoskeletalsystembalance.

Knock,Knock

Physiciansareprobablydumpedonmorethananyothereliteprofession,withthepossibleexceptionof lawyers.This is incontrast to the respectpeoplehad inanearlierera towardmen with a black bag—and a smaller number of women, many of them midwives. Theaffection for likeable, empathetic, less-is-moremedicoswhomade house calls lives on asnostalgia,fortheold-timecountrydoc’smostpowerfulmedicineswerehislisteningskills,gentlecommonsense,patience,andbedsidemanner.Thiscontrastswiththecurrentimagesofaphysician,which tend tobemore synonymouswith impersonal standardsofcareandinvasivemethodsoftreatment.

What happens when balance goes? There is less energy available to grow,maintain,andsustainthebody;physiologicalsystemsareundermoreandmorestress; chronic health problemsmultiply; and the instinctive awareness of thebody’shealthneedsisdrownedoutbyfear.After many years, fear eventually opened the door to Newtonian medical

science becoming the dominant Western health-care model. The toolmakersjoined forceswith thewatchmakers. Fearful, running lowon energy thanks inparttorapidurbanizationandmassiveindustrialization,ourancestors’thinkingmindsprevailedovertheirfeelingminds.Theybegantothinkthebodywaslikeallmachines,madeupofsmallerandsmallerpartsthatwerepronetobreakingdown. If expertswereneeded tobuild, run,and repair themechanicalmarvelsthatmovedfreight,milledgrain,and loomedtextiles, it followedlogically thatexpertswereneededtorebuild,repair,andrunthehumanhealthmachine.Non-expertssteppedasidetoallowthosewithspecializedknowledgeandtraininginobjective medical science to take over. Thus did once-lowly shamans andherbalists, midwives and barbers, tinkers, alchemists, and quacks evolve intoeducated,respected,wealthy,andlicensedmembersoftherulingelite.A combination of engineering and alchemy sprang up to replace a more

passive formofmedical care that had been practiced by a quasi-priesthood ateasewithmiracles(nottomentionawillingnesstofoistoffcheaptricksforthesakeofaquickprofit)andanemphasisonspiritualhealingasafoundationforphysicalwell-being.

NewtonianOverlap

Foratime,thenewtoolsandtheproceduresinmedicineco-existedwithhuman

awareness.Doctorswereinshortsupply;theaveragepersonrarelysawone.Andwhybother?Thebody’sownpredispositiontocureandcareforitselfprevailedmore often than not, and the placebo effect helped savemanywho otherwisewouldhavebeenkilledbybumblingapprentices.As trial-and-errorexperienceaccumulated, crude, superficial, and relatively benignmedical technologywaswieldedbymanykindandprudentmenandwomenwhoknewbetterthantoriskoverly drastic treatment. They gave medicine a good name. But as medicalpractitioners learned how to control pain, blood loss, and infection, thetechniques grew bolder and more invasive. By the mid-nineteenth century, aquick march was underway toward a dominant and domineering Newtonianmodel.Atthesametime,themanuallaborrequiredinanagrarianculture—digging,

plowing, reaping, lifting, carrying,weaving, andbuildingcottagesorcastles—gaveway to the IndustrialRevolution,with itsheavier relianceonmechanicaltoolsthatemphasizedlesssustainedphysicalmovement,andthereforedecreasedstrengthandendurance.Ashovel,forinstance,isahandtool—andahigh-techoneinitsfirstdays—thathelpedthehandsdigdeeperholesfaster,butpowerfulmusclesandcoordinationwerestillessential to itsproperuse.Asteamshovel,ontheotherhand,doesthediggingwhiletheoperatorsitsandmovesleversandfootpedals.Fewer(anddifferent)musclesareinvolved;thecloseinteractionofjoints, nerves, and physiological processes, including metabolism andrespiration,changesinbothminorandmajorways.UntiltheIndustrialRevolution,manpowerandwomanpowerdidthework.In

otherwords, themovementof thehumanbodyproducedenergy. In justa fewdecades, technology changed that, liberated humankind from drudgery, andstarted a de-conditioning process that has drastically affected human health.Urbanization and industrialization have eliminated at least 50 percent of themuscular and skeletal movement that was once routine. Overcrowding andprimitive conditions were indeed factors in causing devastating outbreaks ofdiseases like bubonic plague, but urban dwellers were threatened by anotherscourge:lackofmotion.Bychasingaftersmallerandsmallerphysiologicalcomponents,systems,and

processesdeemedtobediseasedanddefective,thelatter-dayNewtonianssetoffan explosion of costly medical technology that promises to make the care itoffersusasunaffordableasitisdangerous.Yourbody,everaware,evenifyourthinkingmindisnot,isstilltryingtomakeitselfheard.

WarandPeace

What I am suggesting is to “feel” your way toward musculoskeletal systembalanceandmoveawayfromthebroken-clockanalogy.Ibelieveyoucandoitbecause I have done itmyself and nowknow the incredible peace ofmindofgoodhealth.Ihavehelpedmanyotherpeoplemakethesamejourney.The very fact that you are still reading this book indicates that you are

evaluatingmymessageby the “feel”of it rather than just the “think”of it. Intermsof the thinkingmind,Newtonwasabrilliantconceptualizerandabstractthinker. But your body is even smarter. It won’t let you die without fullydeployingitsgeniusforsurvival.I almost wrote, “It won’t let you die without a fight,” but I don’t feel

comfortablewithhealth-as-warfaremetaphors.Thebodyisfartoowisetoseekwar.Itgoestowardpeace—astatethatcanbeachievedonlybyposturalbalance.

*Newtonwasnot necessarily aNewtonian—hewasway too smart for that.The clockmetaphorwouldprobablyhavestruckhimassimple-minded.Lessermortalsneededanintellectualcrutchtounderstatewhatthegreatmanmeantbytermslike“acceleration,”“velocity,”“friction,”“position,”andthelike.

FOUR

FEARANDLIMITATION

SO,HOWDOYOUFEEL?Takeamomenttothinkaboutit.Betteryet,putthinkingasideandbeaware

ofhowyou feel.Forget for amomentaboutyour thinkingmindandwhatyoumighthavebeentaughtaboutobservation.Instead,trytogetanaccuratereadingofyourfeelings—thatis,yourbody’sresponsestostimuli.It’snotnecessarytominutelyscrutinize,measure,orjudgewhat’sgoingon.Justnotice;payattentionwithout imposing meaning, judgment, or coming to conclusions. Find thisincomingstreamandletitgotoworkonyourperceptions.Induecourse,you’llrediscover how to distinguish the meaningful high-energy input from themeaninglessbackgroundnoiseofsecond-guessing.

OnYourMind

Conscious thought—storing, retrieving, andprioritizingexperiences, including secondhandexperiences, with the explicit goal of solving a problem or influencing an outcome—isprobablynomorethanfiftyorsixtythousandyearsoldasacommonhumantrait.Priortothat,itseemslikelythatconsciousthoughtwasbasicmemoryretrieval.

SettinganEvolutionarySpeedRecord...

Conscious thought has almost entirely supplanted awareness as the prevailing operationalstate of the mind. Awareness still remains fully functional and functioning in the

background,however.Anemergencyoranythingelsethatprovokesemotionalturmoilcanbring awareness to the forefront: “I didn’t think about it. I just rushed into the burningbuilding.”Ifthisfunctiondidn’texist,thethinkingmindwouldcontinuallycontrolevents.Freedfromthedominationofthethinkingmind,theawareandfeelingmindcankeepyou

anchoredinthemomentasitreceivesandrespondstothepresentpanoplyofstimuli.Stimuliare chargedwith living, positive, high-wavelength energy, as opposed to negative energy,such as the forces of obstruction anddestruction sought by the thinkingmind.Awarenessisn’tpassive;rather,itisagratefulacceptanceofenlightenmentgeneratedbyunfilteredandundistortedperceptions.I’llhavemoretosayaboutnegativeenergyaswegoforward.Forthemoment,togetatasteofnegativeenergy,closeyoureyesandslowly,withemphasis,sayaloud: “Failure, catastrophe, ruin, lies.” Pause for a moment to let the meaning sink in.Noticeyourmooddarkening.Negativeenergyissmotheringyourenthusiasmandhope.

Onceyouhavelocatedafeeling,describeit.Bebothgeneralandspecific.Ifthereispain,isittendernessortightness?Doesthepainmovearoundorchangeinintensity?Doesitseemtocomefrommuscles,nerves,orjoints?Summarizewith a word or two: “concentrated,” “weak,” “sluggish,” “intermittent,”whatever. “Don’t know” may be a cop-out. Sometimes it can be an honestreading, yet usually it means “I know but I don’t want to face up to reality;hiding out in dreamland is more comforting.” Examine “don’t know” verycarefully.AsWinstonChurchill said, “Facts are better than dreams”—and farbetterthannightmares.Takeastabatidentifyingfeeling;themoreyoupractice,themoreconfidence

you’llgain.

HowDoYouFeel?

Take a few notes. Keep a journal, as it can help you stay in practice and fine-tune yourability tobeawareofyour feelings.Writedownhowyou’dpreferor intend to feel—youhavealotofchoices.Forexample,Ineverfeelbad.Imakeadeliberatechoicetofeelgood.Imayhaveacoldorbetired,butIinsistonmyrighttotreateachnewdayasanopportunityforenjoymentandsatisfaction.Einstein, the renownedphysicist,oncesaid themost important lifedecisionwemake is

decidingwhetherexistenceisessentiallygoodoressentiallybad.Howdoyouintendtofeeltoday?

WhatDoYouExpect?

WhenIaskanewEgoscueMethodclienthowshefeelsandgetashruginreply,it tellsmethatIamdealingwithapersonwhodoesnotfeelgoodanddoesn’t

expecttofeelgoodeither.Howmuchofthatfeelingisself-inflictedbywayofexpectation?Plenty.Thoughtsarethings.Theyexistasenergy,andassuchtheygenerateforce,heat,andmomentum.Thedirectionofthatmomentumislargelyuptoyou.Frequently,aclientwill tellmeabouthowmuchhisbackorkneehurts. I’ll

recommendasmallposturaladjustment.“Howdoyoufeelnow?”“Ithurts.”“Really?Rightnow?”“Well...notrightnow.Thepainhasgoneaway.Butit’llcomeback.”“So,theansweris:yourbackdoesn’thurtrightnow?”“Yeah,”theyreluctantlyadmit,thoughintheirmind,expectingtobeinpain

amountedtothepracticalequivalentofactuallybeinginpain.Andthatbringsustothenotorious“placeboeffect.”Severalstudiesshowthat

anywhere from 30 percent to 50 percent of the participants in certainexperimental drug-testing programs experienced improvement in theirmedicalconditions after receiving doses of inert pharmacological compounds. “Inertpharmacologicalcompounds”meanstheywereconcoctedfromingredientsthatwerenothingmorethansugar,simplestarches,andwater,forinstance,packagedandpresentedtoresembleadrug.SomeskepticsdismissthephenomenonasthescientificequivalentofUFOsightings:randomoutbreaksoflocalized,collectivelunacy. Others, includingme, believe that anticipated benefits aroused by thecomforting trappingsofmedicalcare—pillbottlesandwhitecoats,careversusdespair, hopeful action instead of fearful inaction—are powerful enough toimprovethehealthofroughlyathirdtoahalfofthosetested.Hence,expectationmayamounttoeffectuation,aprocessthebrainusestohelporganizeexperienceandemotionandhas thepotential impactof improvinghealthproblems. It’s a“mindovermatter”thing.Coulditbethatbeliefchangesconditionswithinthebody?Orarethestudies

allwrong,with 30 percent to 50 percent of all patients faking their illness orrecovery?Mighttherebevastnumbersofsickandinjuredwhoaresimplylucky,orjustunlucky?Ifyouexpectpaininyourforty-year-oldkneeswhenyoutakeaSundayruninthepark,orexpectthatacloudy,winterdaywillmakeyouglum,thereisaverygoodchancethatoutcomewillconformtoyourexpectation.Thisstronglysuggeststhatthediseasemodel—theprevailingunderstandingofwhatcuresandwhatkills—maybewrong.Ihesitate to say that thebodybelieves. I’mnot at all reluctant,however, to

pointout that thebodyperceives.Andbyperceivingbelief, a stateofmind isgenerated that can lead to a state of action capable of overcoming greatobstacles.

PainandPurpose

To say that the human body is an extremely sensitive organism is anunderstatement. Our cells bristle with transmitters and receptors that scan ourinternalenvironmentandthestimuliwereceivefromexternalsources.Nothinggoes undetected and reaction is swift. If we expect trouble, our body willmobilize its defensive resources. Consequently, our body feels like a fortressundersiege:thegatesareclosed,rationsarescarce,andthegunsareloadedandcocked.Nowonderwedon’tfeelgood!Fearintensifiesphysicalpain.Atypicalfear-basedresponsetopainistohold

yourbreath,whichonlyincreasesstressbyreducingoxygenflow.Anotherfear-basedresponseistolimityourphysicalactivity.“Idon’tclimbstairsanymore,”Leroy toldme recently. I askedhimwhynot. “Stairshurtmyknees,”he said.But stairs are a piece of cake compared to climbing trees, scrambling upmountains,dancinga jig, bowling, andmanyother challengeshisknees couldeasily handle. I told Leroy that avoiding stairs would soon mean he’d beavoidinghills,minor inclines,steppingoffacurb,orsteppinginto theshower.Byrestrictinghismovement,hewouldreduce,andeventuallylose,hisabilitytomove. Then the pain would probably spread to his hips, lower back, andelsewhereasitdutifullywarnedLeroyaboutwhathewasdoingtohimself.Pain is not your enemy. It helps to regard pain as a natural occurrence that

serves an important service: it notifies the body of a condition, a state, or astimulus that is detrimental, ranging from themildly irritating to the harmful.Immediatelyrushingtotakepainkillingmedicinewithoutfirstreflectingonwhatthepainistellingyouisunwise.Thepillorpotionmayeasethepaintemporarily—withsideeffects,becausetherearealwayssideeffects—butwhateveritisthatcaused the pain is still there, only now that you’re drugged, you can’t feel it.Seekacure,notjusttreatment.Youhavenothingtobeafraidof.Nothing.Whatexactlyisfear?Fearisanextremeformofexpectation.Mostofwhatwe

fear might happen never does, yet we suffer the ill effects of our imaginaryexpectations as if they had actually come to pass. Stay in the moment: byrelearninghowtobeawareofhowyoureallyfeel,asopposedtohowyouexpect

tofeel,youallowyourbodytosummonitsfullresourcesandgenerateaccurateassessmentsofwhat’sreallyhappening.Thisinformationcanbeprocessedandbouncedbacktoyourawaremindintheformofself-confidence,pleasure,and,amazinglyenough,perfecthealthandpeaceofmind.Beingafraid ispartofbeinghuman,and fearhas itsplace inouremotional

lexicon. Fear is the best of emotions and theworst of emotions.We owe it aspecialplaceofhonor.Without fear,humanbeingswouldprobablybeextinct.However, fear canbe a disease—akiller, themother of all lethal infections—becauseitdivertsenergyawayfromhealthyphysiologicalprocesses.Organscanbedrainedofimportantresourcesandleftterriblyvulnerable.Fear comes in two basic variations: Fear Classic and Fear Lite. Classic is

similar toa forceofnature, likea lightningbolt.WhenFearClassic strikes, itoverridesmostotherphysiologicalfunctionsinthenameofsurvival.It’scalledfight-or-flight mode. There’s a click, and we go to the Fear Classic channelwithoutfurtherado.FearLiteisacompact,specialized,anduser-friendlymutationofFearClassic

—aHammond organ compared to aWurlitzer. Fear Lite plays amean blues,dirges, funk, gangsta rap, and a host of other emotionally negative tunes thatmakeusfeel threatened,uneasy,andtroubledbutnotblastedinto therealmoffight-or-flight.Fear Classic used the prospect of sudden and almost certain death, the

motivator extraordinaire, to keep our earliest ancestors from being served aslunchbeforetheyhadachancetotakeovertheworld.FearLitewasestablished,throughnaturalselection,asateachingtool.Unfortunately,itbecameamainstayof the modern, thinking mind to the point that most contemporary men andwomen have almost forgotten how to reason without turning up the negativesoundtrack. How many times have you caught yourself saying any of thesethingstoyourself?Mybosshatesme;myco-workerisgoingtostabmeintheback;Icouldhaveaheartattack;Ican’tdothismyself;Iamnotgoingtomakeit.Fearisasmuchaubiquitousfeatureofthemoderneraasthecellphone.To

putthebodyintofight-or-flightmode,theperceptionofdangermustcrossafarhigheremotionalthresholdthanonethatwouldoccurinthecaseofanargumentwithaneighbororaconfrontationwithanenemyfromanothertribe.Froma practical standpoint, playing defense is cumbersome and tiring.The

bodyisfloodedwithpowerfulstresshormonesthatcandamageinternalsystems

suchastheimmunesystemwhenhighstresslevelsaremaintainedovertime.Fearisparticularlydangerousbecauseitlocksyououtofthepresentmoment

andblockstheawarenessyouneedtobeincontactwithyourbody.Health-careproviders have difficulty breaking through the wall of fear that seals offindividualsfromthehelptheydesperatelyneed.Fearfreezespeopleandmakesthem believe that change is impossible, even though comparatively minorchanges in lifestyle,habit,nutrition,andhydrationhaveamajor impacton thebody’swell-being.

GoingDeeper

Powervs.ForcebyDavidR.Hawkinsisavaluableintroductiontotheconceptsofpositiveandnegativeenergy.Itisnotaquickreadbutitiswellworththeeffort.

In my opinion, the “modern epidemics” that the sensation-loving newsimpresarioschatterabout—diabetes,autism,fibromyalgia,obesity,autoimmunedisorders,andthelike—areprimarilyconsequencesofputtingthebodythroughthe stress of preparing to confront danger.When you are stressed, your bloodvesselsdilatetoabsorbmoreoxygen,fast-twitchmusclefibersareprimed,bloodpressure increases, the optic nerves rev up, and the kidneys and other vitalorgansslowdowntoconserveenergy.Fearmaybe thehydrogenbombofouremotions: it’s a last resort, an over-the-top response to an existential threat.Insteadof “goingnuclear” once or twice a year as our early ancestors did forsurvival,weliveinanerawherethefearbuttonispushedagainandagain.Fearisaboutescapeandevasion. Itwantsyou to lie low, slinkandscurry, andgetwound up over what could happen rather than what is happening. If you arefearful you expect to be hurt, overwhelmed, or defeated.Whether or not thateverhappensdoesn’tmatter.Youstillsuffertheilleffectsofthoseexpectations.Humankindnowlives,sickens,anddieswiththeconsequencesoflivingdailyinfear.Isthisableakassessment?Yes,butthereisawayout.When you experience anxiety, go take a walk and you’ll see (feel) what I

mean. Just focusonputtingone foot in front of theother, notworrying aboutyourjob,payingyourmortgage,ortakingcareofyouragingparents.Forjusta

while, stop rerunning thepast (wherecouldhaves,wouldhaves,shouldhaves,andmight haves grumble and growl) and rehearsing the future through yourhead,letthefootprintsinthesandleadtogroundzero.Youmayjustbestrollingalong a walking path, but your head is on a harmful journey elsewhere. Theinterludeawayfromfearcanrestorethesoulandregainposturalbalance.Intheprocess,youescapetheemotionalfirestormandrediscoverpeaceofmind.Tryit.If walking isn’t an option, try this quick exercise instead. Please stand up.

Close your eyes (after reading these instructions, of course) and take a deepbreath,but standwithoutdeliberatelybalancingyourweightandaligningyourmusculoskeletal system the way you did in Chapter 2. All set? Now say thewords“Itisbroken”aloudthreetimes.Pause,takeanotherdeepbreath,andsay“Peaceofmind”threetimes.Didyounoticeadifference?Manypeopledo,butsomedon’t.Sotryitagain.For those who do feel a difference, the first part of the exercise tends to

producelow-leveltensionoranuptickofanxiety.Bystandinginanunbalancedposition, you did not draw extra-high-wavelength energy from the universalpower grid that produces feelings of well-being. Instead, you reacted to theenergy content of the words you said aloud. If you were muscle-tested—astandard,albeitcontroversialtechniqueofkinesiology—therewouldlikelybeameasurable decrease in muscle strength when you repeated the words “It isbroken.”Ingeneral this is typicalofnegativewords,stressfulemotionalstates,andevensubstancessuchassugar,salt,drugs,andmanyother thingswehavesubconsciouslylearnedarebettertoavoid.Thesecondpartoftheexercisetendstogenerateafeelingofcalmnesswitha

distinct awareness of inner peace. The muscles express awareness bystrengthening slightly when you say the words aloud. Words are things, andthingsareenergy.

Actionsvs.Ideas

Youmustliveyourideas.Itisnotenoughtobeaware.Youmustactonthatawareness.

UpgradeYourEnergy

David R. Hawkins, a pioneering author and researcher, has compiled anextensive glossary of positive words paired with their negative counterparts,whichhehascross-testedandrankednumericallyaccording to their“Attractorenergy”patterns.Sayingthewordsaloudorjustreadingthemsilentlyproducesameasurable response.Highernumbers indicatewordswith amorebeneficialeffect. Lower numbers correlate with words that align with lower-frequencyenergywaves,whichdeliverfarlesspower.When you lose musculoskeletal system balance and succumb to fear, your

thinkingmindisawashinnegativewordsandideas.Hawkinshasdemonstratedthat like attracts like; negative thoughts lead to a thinkingmind (rather than afeeling mind) crammed full of inferior-grade energy that undermines health.Hawkins calls this “Subtractor” or “Subtractive” energy. It explainswhy self-destructive acts or bad habits are often repeated. The drunk has only low-wavelength energy and therefore pours another drink; the liar cannot tell thetruth because he doesn’t have enough Attractor energy to beat back the easyfalsehood.Hawkins believes that you can upgrade your energy quality by consciously

choosing positive, life-affirming ideas and actions— for instance, “giving”drawshigh-wavelengthenergythatliftsthehumanspirit,whereas“taking”doesnot. I agree. But it is a difficult word-by-word uphill climb that is ultimatelydoomed to failure unless you restore musculoskeletal system balance andreestablishfullhigh-wavelengthenergy.As you discovered while doing the simple exercise in this chapter, it’s

possibletogetasmalluptickinpeaceofmindsimplybyusingpositivewordsaloud(orinthoughts).However,itisasmalltrickleofhigh-qualityenergy.Youcandoalotbetter

thanthatbychangingyourpostureandrestoringbalance.

FIVE

MUSCLEMAGIC

MANY EXPERTS SUGGEST THAT HUMANS rose above other beastsbecauseofourbrains.But I believe thatweoweour special “alphamammal”statustoourmusculoskeletalsystem.Mere muscle and bone, connecting tissue, jointure, and a gossamer neural

tapestryputyouintoanuprightposition,balancedontwofeet.Itallowsyoutowalk, run, turn to the left and right, spin around, reach out and up, use yourhands to throwbaseballs and snowballs,make love, pray,write sonnets,wagewar,andsignpeacetreaties.Icouldgoonandon.Intermsofsheervariety,thehumanrepertoireoflocomotionisindeedextraordinary.

Muscle:Part1

Muscleshave twomajor functions:Theycontract (the fibers shorten)and relax (the fiberslengthen). No other tissue in the body does this. The result is motion: an ability toaccomplishanimmensenumberandvarietyoftasks,activities,andacrobatics.Skeletalmusclesmovebonesbecausetheyareattachedtobonesatbothendsofamuscle

viatendons(the“attachment”ororigin,closesttothespinalaxis,andthe“insertion,”whichisfartherfromtheaxis).Byshorteningitsfibers,amuscledrawstheboneneartheinsertionandtowardtheanchorandthebody’sspinalaxis.

And yet unlike our other major physiological arrangements, themusculoskeletal system gives the impression (a misimpression, for sure) ofbeing rather haphazard, even crude in function and form—too many movingparts, flat spots, and low-tech compromises. To most students of human

anatomy,onceyou’ve seenone small intestine,you’veprettymuch seen themall.Thesamegoesforhealthy lungsandhearts:humanshavemoreor less thesame collection of conduits, bellows, filters, and pumps. However, themusculoskeletalsystemcomesinavarietyofhomelyshapesandsizes—andnotbecauseofsloppyqualitycontrolorcrudedesign.Icanofferatleasttwogoodreasons.One, it operates in a farmore eclectic external environment than anyother physiological system and, two, themusculoskeletal system provides themeans of locomotion for individuals who differ widely in weight, height,muscularstrength,stamina,habits,andactivitylevels.

Muscle:Part2

To move bones back to their starting points, the muscle that made the initial movementpossiblerelaxesandallowsitsopposingmuscletocontractandthereforereturnthebonestotheirrestingpositions.By working in pairs, muscles alternate between contracting-relaxing and relaxing-

contractingto, forexample,allowthebodytobendoverandthenstandupstraight.But ifonemuscle contracts onlypartially or doesn’t fully relax, thebones cannot return to theirproperpositions.Thebodydoesallowfortemporaryvariationsincontraction-relaxationtoaccountfordifferentsituations,butovertimeitwill“forget”itsfullalignmentandbalance.

Arguably,themusculoskeletalsystemhasfarmoredirectexternalinteractionthan other internal systems, which are tucked away deep inside the body’sprotectiveenvelope.Yourleftventricledoesn’tstubitsvalvesonrocksorbangup its knees playing basketball. Only skin hasmore exposure to earth, water,wind,andfire.Italonesuffersfrominsectbites,poisonivy,andrazorburn,nottomentionmoresevereinjuries.Ourworldisaroughplaceofmanyextremes;the sheernumberofplausibleways to live,work, andplay ishuge.While theskin and other organs go along for the ride, themusculoskeletal system is theride.Wemoveit,anditmovesusuntilwedie.Consequently, there is a wide range of performance—and that can be

misleading.Maryistallandthin,walkswithaslightlimpontherightside,andisanokayweekendiceskaterbuttireseasily.Joe,shortandfat,can’tswivelhisheadmore thana fewdegrees ineitherdirection, spendsmuchofhisdayat adeskorsittinginfrontoftheTVatnight,andhasinsomnia.Meanwhile,Sharon,an Olympic athlete, breaks records using the exact same musculoskeletalequipment (the same, that is, in termsof design function).For bothMary andJoe,theirmusculoskeletalsystems,measuredbymilestraveled,loadslifted,and

thedailyroutineofstretching,bending,twisting,turning,andartfullyusingtheirhands and feet, is a remarkable display of endurance and physical prowess,althoughitfallsfarshortofSharon’spotential.Suchwidedisparityistypical—mostpeoplearemorelikeMaryandJoethanSharon—anditcontributestothefalsenotion that themusculoskeletal system is, ingeneral, an inferiorpieceofwork,frail,accident-prone,andinconsistent.Aspiring anatomical architects and engineers fancy that they can devise a

betterspine,astrongerknee,alonger-lastinghip.Butthebodyistrulyingeniousandalreadyknowshowtogivereliablestructureandcoherent,multidirectionalmovementto206orsoskeletalbones.Justbeingabletostandup,bearourownweight,andremaininplaceisaremarkableachievement.Walkingisamiracleofcoordination!Nomatterhowithappened,weareluckythatourancestorsgotanapparatusthatallowedthemandustocounteractgravity,tostanduprightontwofeet,andtosmoothlywalkandrunfrompointAtopointB—becausewe’dneverbeable to invent it fromscratchonourown.Today’sprostheticdevicesareimpressiveinthattheyrestorefunctionstopeoplewhohavelostthem.But,as anyone who wears a prosthesis can tell you, they are only roughapproximationsoftheoriginallimbstheyreplace.

JustinCase

AsIexplainedinmybookPainFree, thedesignofthemusculoskeletalsystemallowsfortemporarymisalignment incaseof accidentsorunusual, life-or-deathconditionswhen thesystemisunderstress,yet this ismeant to last foronlyashort time.Manypeoplesubjectthemselvestoanearlypermanentstateofmisalignmentthatoftenlastsyears.Somethinghastogive,anditusuallydoes.

Pain,limitation,andotherproblemsaren’tcausedbythedesignandqualityofthemusculoskeletalsystemsomuchasthewayweareusingandmisusingitanditscomponentparts.Ourupright,balanced,bipedalposture isaproductof themessy, improvisatorybusinessof climbingdown from trees,gettingourheadsupover tallgrasses,andgettingour forepawsoff theground toholdweapons,tools,andfoodsupplies.Untilthesechangesoccurred,ourdistantancestorswerelittlemorethanabunchofhaplessprimates,thefavoritelunchmeatofcarnivoresnobigger thanFrenchpoodles.Thankfullyforus,humankindstoodupon twolegs,startedmoving,andhasn’tstoppedsince.

Going vertical required skeletal alignment, flexible and resilient jointure,closemuscularcoordinationandorchestration,andameansofstayingupright.Voilà! A two-legged, antigravity machine—an all-weather, all-terrain sportutilityvehicleemergedfromthemistsoftime.Itisobviousthatsimpleskeletalmisalignment drastically impedes the function of the musculoskeletal system.Today,millions of people are slowly collapsing out of vertical alignment andlosing theirbattlewithgravity thanks toasedentary lifestyle.Theydon’tevengettheminimallevelsofmotionrequiredtomaintainadequatemusclestrengthand engagement to support spinal function, skeletal alignment, balance, andproperjointinteractionandarticulation.The Egoscue Method was devised to restore alignment by reintroducing

motion that strengthens and re-engages temporarily dysfunctional supportingmusclesandothermusculoskeletalcomponents.Icallitposturaltherapy,awaytoaddress injuryandchronicpainwithout resorting to toxicdrugsor invasivesurgicalprocedures.Also,itisaneffectivetechniqueforachievingpeakathleticconditioning.Or so I thought. Actually, I was correct, but my reasoning was wrong. I

concluded that postural therapy is effective becausemisalignment is bad, andthatproperskeletalalignmentisgood.Fromaliteralandsuperficialstandpoint,that’strue.Let’scirclebacktotheexerciseIaskedyoutodoinChapter2.Theprimary

purpose of the musculoskeletal system—numero uno— is to download andcirculate high-wavelength energy to fuel the sixty trillion cells in the typicaladult body.All the body’s internal systems functionmore powerfully becauseadequate energy resources are available and, in turn, that enhanced functionleadstotheuptakeofmoreenergy,morecapacity,andanincreasinglyhealthylife.Whilethemusculoskeletalsystemmovesus,italsofuelsus.What’smore,astrong,properlyalignedandengagedmusculoskeletalsystem

makesitpossibleforyourbody’sinternalsensoryapparatustopreciselymonitorand choreograph the complex interplay of the chemical, electrical,biomechanical, andcellularprocesses.Simplyby standingupon two feet—anovertactnotunliketuninganantenna—thebodyisinformedwithinfractionsofseconds tohowwell the liver is functioningandwhether theheart isstraining.Messagesby thebillions streakup the spine to thebrainandorders racebackdown:sample,adjust,tweak,recalibrate,sampleagain....Musculoskeletal system misalignment, visible and measurable, is a reliable

indicator of the body’s inability to take on energy supplies. A misalignedmusculoskeletal system triggers a host of warnings that activate hormonalresponsesthataffectyourmood,respiration,bloodpressure,energylevels,andresistancetoillness.Notonlydoesmisalignmentinterferewiththeflowofmessagetraffic,itsends

messagesofitsownannouncingthatthebodyisliterallylosingitslife.Stiffnessand immobility are two characteristics of a corpse. By cutting off oxygen,freezing joints, and contractingmuscles, themusculoskeletal system concedesthatgravityiswinning,andwillwin.

*

Now I’m going to get a little technical—just a little. It is as if we have twometabolic loops, one for processing and utilizing energy derived from ediblematter, and another for ingesting and digesting high-wavelength energy thatradiates through the space we inhabit. Without the second high-wavelengthenergy loop, the first metabolic loop is under siege, struggling to keep thevarious internal systems efficient andhealthybut losinggroundover time.Byfiring up both loops simultaneously there is plenty of energy. Themusculoskeletalsystemnotonlyprovidesroutinelocomotion,ittellsusdirectly,unmistakably,whetherourenergyintakeishighorlow.Yourcarhasafuelgaugeeventhoughitwillbeobvious—andinconvenient—

when the tank runs dry. The human body has one as well. Instead of a littlearrow pointing at the halfmark, your shoulders and spine do the pointing byroundingandslumping;youloseskeletalalignment,andwithit,balanceisalsolost.As theheadbegins tohangforwardanddown(andothermusculoskeletalcomponentslosetheirverticality),thearrowgoestothequartermarkorless.Asa result,majorposturemusclesare losingevenmoreof theirenergychargeastone,length,andstrengthdwindle.Themusculoskeletalsystemplainlydisplays,inrealtime,howmuchorhow

little energy is on board. I suspect that our earliest ancestors chose mates,hunting partners, and leaders by intuitively making alliances with those wholookedright.Theyreadthebodylanguage,theposture,andcorrelatedit tothelikelihoodofsuccessbasedontheappearanceofthosewhohadsucceededinthepast.Anupright,balancedposturewasempiricalevidenceofstrength,stamina,andprehistoricstreetsmarts.Today, your posture is capable of sending the same positive message or

deliveringadirewarning.Ibelieveyouarecapableofreadingthosewarnings;you’vegotalltherightequipment,andthatiswhyI’mgoingtokeepyammeringatyouabouttheimportanceofmusculoskeletalbalance.Balance,balance,andmorebalance . . .youeitherhave itoryouare losing

yourperfecthealth.

SIX

BALANCEOFFORCES

FROMTHEVERYFIRSTDAYSOFHUMANHISTORY,successandfailure,perfect health and serious illness, happiness and despair have had distinctpostures.Wewearourhealthlikeacloak.Just as a modern sailor knows how to interpret subtle changes in wind

direction,currents,andcloudcover topredictweatherpatterns(they’ll tellyoutheycan feel that theweather isabout tochange),NeolithicwarriorchiefsandRomangeneralscould forecast the impendingvictoryordefeatof their armiesbywatchingthewaytheinfantrymarchedintobattle.Thosecommanderscarefully inspected their troops.Theynotedanuncertain

gait, restricted arm swing, or labored pace, and accurately foresaw disasterahead. Or perhaps they observed heads held high, squared shoulders, self-confidence, boundless energy, and the fierce joy that presages triumph. PureWYSIWYG:whatyouseeiswhatyouget.Yetthoseleaderswouldprobablyhavescoffed at the idea that they could read the army’s combinedmusculoskeletalarsenalthesamewaytheycouldinspectandevaluateabatteryofcatapultsorasquadron of cavalry. Rather, it was a regarded as a hunch, an intuition, a gutcheck,ormaybeevenamagictrick.Actually, theyweretappingintoaspecialhumanresource—feelingsdrawnfromadeeppoolofemotionslinkedtoanevendeeperreservoirofcollectiveexperience.Thesolitarysoldierfeltittooandalsoknewthemeaningofwhathefelt.Today,thepostureyouseecontinuestobewhatyouget—andisderivedfrom

whatyou feel.Butmanyofushavebeenpersuaded todistrust and ignore thefeelingsconveyedbyourposture. Insteadof listening to thosemessengersand

taking heed, we try to silence them with powerful drugs, invasive medicalprocedures, and the opinions of others—a huge irony, since many of us arecertainlydescendantsofmenandwomenwhowereacutelyawareoftheirownfeelings,actedonthem,andlivedtofightanotherday(andpassontheirgenes).Did they at least suspect that what they saw and felt was the result of

musculoskeletalsystembalanceorthelackofit?Idoubtit.Thebodyinforms;itdoesn’texplain.Explanationsaretheworkofthethinkingmindratherthantheawaremind.Does this stimulus feel good or bad? Is it enjoyable or not?Ourancestors used their aware mind to choose the ways and means to sustainpositivefeelingsthatwerebeinggenerated,or,ifthefeelingswerenegative,toavoidasbest theycouldwhatever itwas thatwasproducingbad feelings.Thetruthdoesn’tneedanexplanationorexpertvalidation;instead,itmustfeelright.

NeverMind

Haveyou lost yourmind?Don’t bother lookingunder the chair.Younever hadone.Thebrainactuallyexistsascorporelmatter.Asurgeoncanopentheskullofalivinghumanandexaminebraintissue.Thereisnomind,however.It’sbeendescribed—ludicrously,Ibelieve—asanimmaterialsubstance.Awhat?Themindismoreusefullyunderstoodasaprocessofthebrainforrecordingandorganizingexperience.Themindis,ineffect,afaultymemory.Faulty because it leaks its contents—memories, lingering displacement patterns of energywavesassociatedwithpastevents—intoourconsciousness insteadofkeeping themsealedawayinthebackground.Thememory,asrepositoryofnon-extantstimulus,seemstobewalledofffromthepresent

in other creatures; nonetheless, it informs andhelps shapepresent actions.For instance, ahungryseagulllearnsthathangingoutatthetowndumpisaneasywaytogetfood,butthebirddoesn’tconsciouslythinkabouttheconnection,muchlessdeliberatelyassignvalue.Thestomach rumbles and wings flap to the nearest landfill. This scruffy gourmand learns torepeat a past action over and over again, but doesn’t reason. That last step—reasoning—happens only to creatures with leaky memories who have reasoned themselves intopossessionofa“mind”andspentthebetterpartofahundredthousandyearsdevelopingthatfacultybyrelivingthepastandtryingtocontrolthefuture.

Indeed,whatyouseeiswhatyougetistrue.Andwhatyoufeeliswhatyougetiseventruer.Postureisthemechanismthatguideshumanbeingstothisessentialfact. Balance feels good; imbalance feels bad. Without balance you cannotaccessyourawaremind; all emotionsexcept fear arewalledoff,outof reach.But protracted periods of full-blown fear were relatively uncommon (seeChapter 4) until recently. Pleasure was a more familiar emotion, as was its

linkagetosuccessandself-confidence.Thehumanbody is extremely sensitive to imbalancebecause it canonlybe

causedbylackofadequatehigh-wavelengthenergy.Ourancestorsdidn’tknowhigh-wavelength energy from Zeus’ thunderbolts, but when those marchingRomanlegionnaireswerebalanced,theyconsequentlyfeltinvincible.Theyhadthe inner resources—strength, stamina, and willpower—to conquer the world.Outofbalance,theyfeltvulnerable,andtheywere.Byrediscoveringtheprimarypurposeofmusculoskeletalsystembalanceand

achieving that balance, you are in a position to reclaim an important healthlegacy:Peaceofmind.Holdon;don’twriteoffpeaceofmindasahippy-dippy,spacecadetstateof

goofy detachment. Peace ofmind is the pillar that supports courage,wisdom,andhappiness.TheexercisethatyoudidinChapter2demonstratesthatpeaceofmindawaits

yoursummons.Whenyouplugintotheuniversalpowergridbybalancingyourposture and drawing on its high-wavelength energy, the mental and physicalstaticquietsdown;initsplaceareclarityandfocus.Theincomingenergyflowsmoothsturbulencebyaugmentingandsupportingthemetabolicpowerrequiredto renew the body’s cells. That same power is needed to fuel cells and build,maintain, and operate your many systems. This infusion of high-wavelengthenergyservestoremovewaste,fightdisease,andallowyou,ingeneral,tokickback and enjoy life’s pleasures.You are able to live in the presentwhere theawaremindconnectstofeelingsthataccuratelyconveywhatthebodyneedstoremainoptimallyhealthy.YouexperiencedasmalltasteofthatinChapter2bybrieflytryingaposture-

balancingexercise.Ifyouusedproperform,youmayhavefeltthefollowing:

•Yourweightwasequallybalancedonbothfeetsidetosideandfronttoback.•Yourload-bearingjoints(ankles,knees,shoulders,andhips)wereverticallyaligned.

• Those joints, arranged in pairs, were also aligned horizontally on parallelplanarsurfacessidetoside.

•TherewasanS-curveinthespinethatheldtheuppertorsoupright.•Shoulderswerebackoverthehipsandalignedasapaironeachside.

•The headwas level, riding on your neck (the top of the spine) in verticalalignmentoverthepelvis.

• Imaginary lines drawn through thesemusculoskeletal components formedninety-degreeanglesandastablebutflexible,ladder-likestructure.

If someone had snapped a picture of you at the time you were doing theexercise,youwouldhaveseemedyounger,stronger,healthier,andhappier.

AllAboutBalance

Posturalbalancelooksgood—becauseitisgood.Welikethelookofitbecausewevaluethefeelofitevenmore.Farmorethanthecomelinessorathletictalentthatsomepeoplehaveandotherslack,balanceperfectlyequipseachindividualtomovefreelywhileatthesametimeguardinghisorherownhealth.Balanceisnotoptional.Withoutbalance, thosewhobelieve thehumanbodycannotcopewiththedemandsofmodernlifearecorrect.Thereisnosubstituteforposturalbalance.One lookatour friendsMaryandJoe fromChapter5 tellsmeall Ineed to

know. They are out of balance and, consequently, badly lack energy. Theirpostures do not reflect age, accidents, heredity, disease, or bad habits. Diet,weeklytripstothegym,jointreplacement,orexoticpharmaceuticalconcoctionswon’toffermuchlastinghelp.ThebestremedyforwhatailsMaryandJoeisthecourage to make independent decisions based on how they feel about theirhealth. Courage requires energy—a lot of energy. By returning to posturalbalance,they’lltopofftheirdepletedenergysupplies,obtaintheinnerresourcestomakecorrectivechanges,andputanend toyearsofbeingunawareofwhattheirbodieshavebeen trying to tell them.They’llhavepeaceofmind.Andinthe event that those “important things” include warnings of serious illnessbroughtonbytheirlong-termenergydeficits—whichthebodyishard-wiredtodetect—MaryandJoewillbeawareofthemandawareofwhathastobedone.Byreturning tomusculoskeletalsystembalance, theycanaccess theflowof

limitless energy that brings peace ofmind, lack of fear, and strength to heal.Without balance, all of us are left in double jeopardy. We lack the high-wavelength energy to sustain our health, and don’t have the assurance—let’shear it fornationalhealthassurance—thatourbodiesgiveus reliable feedback

on whether our actions (lifestyle, choices, habits, and so on) are helping orhurting. Humans have a subtle yet immensely powerful emotional apparatusassigned to perform those missions. To be cut off from it is a sad fate forcreatures that have clocked more than a million years by relying on theemotional feel of things rather than the think of things (to borrow a phraseattributedtoStanleyKubrick,thegreatfilmdirector).I do not see it as a choice betweenmodernmedical care and faith healing.

Yes,faithisinvolved—faithinyourself,faithinyourinnateabilitytoactinyourownbestinterest.Yet,faithdoesnotprecludeusingtechnologyorexpertiseaslong as your emotional radar is switched on. As complicated as medicaltreatmenthasbecome,youcanstillkeepfaithwiththebody’sunerringwisdom,butonlyifyouregainandmaintainbalanceandlistentoitsmessages.Still have doubts about the essential role of postural balance? I’m not

surprised.Don’t takemyword for it—words rely too heavily on the think ofthings.Getthefeelofitforyourself,andthenyou’llbereadytolivewellanddoitwithpeaceofmind.

SEVEN

HALO...HALO...

I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU to another feeling. This one isgeneratedbyanexercisesimilartotheoneIaskedyoutodoinChapter2,onlyitisalittlemoredramatic.Iamassuming—andbelieveme,itisasafeassumption—thatyouarewayoutofbalanceandrunninglowonpositive,high-wavelengthenergy. If not, good on you, as my Aussie friends say, but a brief refreshercourse won’t hurt at all. The demonstration of Attractor energy can beunderwhelmingtosomepeoplebecause theirenergyresourcesaresodepleted.Thesmallspurtofenergythatisgeneratedbyusingpositivewordsasopposedtonegativewordscanbedifficultforthemtodetect.With thisexercise,youcanraise the intensityof thefeelingandat thesame

time produce a sensation that formost people is unambiguously beneficial. Inotherwords,Ithinkyou’regoingtolikeit.Standnaturally,forexample,likeyounormallydo.Don’tsquareuportryto

balanceyourself. Iwantyou tobe initially in anunbalanced state.Okay, lookaround the room you are in. Spot something that you don’t like: a crookedpictureframe,apileofnewspapers,aclutteredshelf.Thereisusuallysomethingthat’slessthanperfect.Yourthinkingmindisacritic;you’llfindsomethingnottolike.Stareatthemess,andletitsinkin.Tuneintohowitmakesyoufeel—angry

atyourselffornotcleaningup;exasperated;determinedtofixthings;surprised.OneEgoscueMethodclientdidthisexerciseoverthephonefromhisofficeandexperiencedaslightfeelingofbreathlessnesswhenhenoticedhissupplyclosetwas a slum. Hewas ashamed. You should definitely have a reaction to what

seems like confirmation that you are not in complete control of yourenvironment.Closeyoureyesforaboutaminuteandthenopenthemagain.Thesamemess

acrosstheroomhasn’tmoved.Nowcloseyoureyesandsquareup:head,neck,andshouldersback;feethips-

width apart; andweight balanced evenly on the ball of each foot. Take a fewdeepbreathsandexhale.Staythereforaboutaminuteandthenopenyoureyes.Beholdthetroublespot.Whatdoesitfeellikenow?Focus.Giveitamoment.

Has thatoriginal reaction from theunbalancedpositionchanged? Is therenewinformationreachingyou?Manypeople immediately sense that themess, the trouble spot,hasbecome

farlessimportant.Theurgencyisgone,thepressureisoff.Theflakingpaintontheceilingcanwait...thesupplyclosetisfine.Theyaregettingaflowofhigh-wavelengthenergythatistellingthem,“Thisisnobigdeal.Relax.”Let’strysomethingelse.Sitdownandtakeashortbreak.Iwantyoutolapse

back into an unbalanced state. Stand up and keep your posture natural. Nocheating;youdon’tusuallystandwithyourshoulderspulledbacklikethat.Letthemrollforward.Everyonehasasenseoftheirpersonalspace.Canyouestimateyours?Where

does your personal space, that small zone that you prefer to keep clear ofintruders,begin?Onefootout?Twoor three?Whenastrangerapproachestooclosely and you become uncomfortable, he has invaded your personal space.Estimatethesizeofthatzoneandcloseyoureyes.Gothroughallthesquaringand balancing-up procedureswe used earlier. Don’t forget your feet—paralleland straight ahead, hips-width apart.Balance yourweight equally side to sideandfronttoback.Holdtheposturefortwominutes.Openyoureyes.Howfaroutdoesthepersonalspaceextendnow?Yeah,it’sincreased,perhapsbythreeorfourfeet.Youhaveanaura,anenergyfieldthatradiatesoutfromyourbodymuchlike

thehalosonsaintsdepictedbyfourteenth-centuryItalianpainters.PerhapsSaintFrancisofAssisiactuallywalkedaroundwithhishaironfire,butItendtodoubtit.Morelikely,artistscouldfeelthesaint’senergyandweremovedtogiveitaconcreteexpressionintheformofahalo.As you lose balance and energy, your aura shrinks. There’s certainly not

enough to lightupahalo,andpersonalspaceno longerdemarksazoneunder

your control but one that has been breached and cannot supply a sense ofsecurity. A “distant,” “cold,” and “guarded” person is struggling to protectherself from the loss of her aura by throwing up a wide defensive perimeter.Before,shebecameanxiouswhenpeoplecamewithinafootortwo.Now,asheraura drains away, being in the same room with a stranger is troubling. Theoverridingimpulseistorunandhide.

ACloserLookatActionandOptimism

Forthepurposesofourdiscussion,let’sdefineenergyasthecapacityforaction.Thehumanbodyisahighlyorganizedsystemwithatrulyimpressivecapacityandwiderangefortakingactioninat least threeforms:rote,repetitiveaction; innovative,first-of-its-kindactionthatarises in response to anewexperience; and involuntary actionwithout consciousvolition,suchasaheartbeat.Inotherwords,toaddressthefirstandsecondofthethreecategories,wecanrememberhowwemovedanhouragoandduplicatethatactionifneedbe,oractinnewanddifferentwayswithoutpriorexperienceorpreprogramming.Theimportantpointisthatsudden, unexpected changes in circumstances that require innovative action are notmajorchallenges.Witness human history and the unprecedented actions recorded in everythingfromartstosports.Ourinnovativeactiongeneratesadistinctattitudeormoodthathascometo be known as an optimistic outlook. Through aworking partnership of (1) the physicalfunctionsthatdirectlycarryoutinnovativeactsand(2)themindthatacceptstheinnovativerequirementemotionallywhilesupportingitcognitively,thisoptimismleadsustointuitivelyunderstandandembracechangeasabeneficialprocess.Optimismseeksthelongview;itregardstheunavoidableeventsoflife—pain,rejection,

disappointments—notasinsurmountableobstaclesordistressingsymptomstobetreatedincrisis mode but as part of the natural process of change. “Taking things in stride” is anoptimistic lifeview.Thisattitudeexistsonlyas longas the individual retains fullcapacityforaction;thatis,absoluteemotionalcertaintythathehastheinnerresourcestosuccessfullymanagechangewithoutabjectfearoffailure.

Thelowertheexternalenergyfrequency,thelesscapablewebecomemomenttomoment,daytoday,weektoweek.Pessimismreplacesoptimism.Thereisnopillyoucantaketorestorealostaura,althoughmanymedications

attempttosimulatearesponsethatsuperficiallyresemblesacharged-upenergyfield: sleeplessness, highbloodpressure, rapid heartbeat, jumpiness, impulsivebehavior (or its polar opposite, indecision), and the like. Medical researcherskeep looking for ways to replace the “broken” part that produces the aura orother“lost”physiologicalfunctions.Broken?Lost?Not!

EIGHT

STORYTELLERS

“SINGTOMEOFTHEMAN,MUSE,themanoftwistsandturns....”As one who stands in awe of the human musculoskeletal system with its

splendid carrying capacity for heroism and folly, I reread Robert Fagles’translationofthefirstlineoftheOdysseyanditalwaysstunsme.Beforepausingforbreath,Homercastsamagicspelltoconjureupa“manof

twistsandturns...,”deftlycapturingourlegacyofmuscleandmovement.Odysseus—theman of twists and turns—is the firstEverymanof literature,

not counting Enkidu, a character in the four-thousand-year-old Epic ofGilgamesh.Thispoem,carvedonstone tabletsandburied inaMiddleEasterndesert, was discovered a century ago. Enkidu has his fans, yet as a proxy ordouble for the Babylonian warrior god Gilgamesh, he rode on supernaturalcoattails—notfair!—andthereforeloststature.Fiction,whetheritisepicverseormodernpotboiler,isaformofbiography,

an account of events and adventures that take place as the quest for life’smeaning unfolds. Odysseus and Enkidu discover that nothing is permanent,everythingkeepschanging.The realization comes as a great shock to both fictional characters and real

people.Modernstorytellersstillgrapplewiththeimplications.Alllivingthingsareinpermanentnegotiationswiththeirenvironmentoverwhatmustbedonetoaccommodatechange.Each of us creates a story that explainswhowe are andwhywe are. Like

Homer, we commit it to memory (not paper, not even granite tablets) andtherebyimbuethestorywithtranscendentpower.Shakespeare’sHamletbegins

with the question that launches all stories: “Who’s there?” Nearly four hourslater the suspects have been rounded up—adulterers, murderers, lunatics, theheartbroken,vengeanceseekers,theunlucky,andalltherestissilence.Without exception, visitors to an EgoscueMethod clinic bring a storywith

them. I suspect that is also true for every other alternative and mainstreamhealth-careoperationintheworld.Peopleneverleavehomewithouttheirstory.Over the years, I have learned to listen closely to those stories, and I have

discovered just how important they are. The narratives can be filled withinsightful information, plot points, character development, surprises, growth,confusion,crisis,andsuspense.Manyphysiciansandotherhealthpractitionersthink theydon’thave timefor thesestories.Theyspeed-listen for tenminutes,homeinontheusualsymptomaticpatterns,orderupafewtests,anddiagnose.TheirNewtonianmicro-medicine—thequest to find thebrokenpart,nomatterhowsmallitis—rulesoutotheroptions,eventhoughmodernmedicinetendstotreatthesymptomsandnottheproblemanyway.In the process, there is a huge disconnect.The physician is unable tomake

more than a cursory use of an invaluable resource, and the patient cannotdeterminewhetherthepersonheorshehasturnedtoforhelpfullyunderstandstheir situation.Theuncertaintycancastadarkshadowover the relationshipattheprecisemomentitneedstobeonthefirmestpossiblefooting.So, it is another example of bad doctors and good patients who are poorly

served,right?No,notreally.Thefault lieswiththestories.Severemusculoskeletalsystemimbalanceand

the resulting acute energy shortage have frightened people facing unwelcome,unavoidablechange,doubt,complexity,andmystery.Storiesthatonceweretoldtoprovidehope,strength,andpatiencenowsparkdreadandhelplessnessinthestoryteller. In short, our stories have little in commonwith Odysseus’, whichgavehimthestrengthtofindhiswayhome—throughtwentyyearsoftwistsandturns,throughbravery,trickery,andbloodshed.Another important point about these stories: they are irrelevant. Change

quickly washes away context. For example, a valid observation about yourhealthormentaloutlookthatadoctormadesixmonthsago,letalonesixyearsago,has lostallbut theslightest shadowof itsoriginalmeaning.Change is sopervasive—from the external stimulus of a changing environment to the innerlandscape that results from the body’s response. Stories are generally woventogether using incidents, episodes, and individual crises to form an overview.

The product is then used to explain the past. In the hands of someonewith anegative mind-set, this overview becomes an encyclopedia of excuses—anautobiography of failure.Worse, this method of storytelling is held up as anindispensablewaytoprepareforthefutureandmanageoutcomes.Storiessuchastheseareinthesameleagueastheutterancesoffalseprophets.A ten-year-old story is worthless. The client who brings it to us is not the

samepersonashewaswhenithappened.Buthemaytrytobe,therebycreatinghavocthroughpoorchoices,frustration,andanger.For roughly my first twenty years as a postural therapist, I considered the

storiesmyclientsbroughtwiththemontheirinitialvisitstotheclinictobe,atbest, a package of clues that explainedwhy theywere in pain or, at worst, asocial nicety that allowed us to build a solid working relationship. I hardlynoticedtheobvious:theclientswhomadethemostprogressoncorrectingtheirmusculoskeletaldysfunctionswere theoneswhoreadilyput theirstoriesaside.Theyfocusedonhowtheywerefeelingat thatmoment,notonthememoryofhowitfeltwhentheyweretoldatagefourteenthat theyhadscoliosisorotherchronicconditions.AsIencouragedthemtochange theirpostureandrangeofmotion,theyfeltthepaindiminishandfunctionreturn.Theoldstoryceasedtomatterasanewautobiographytookshape.Iconcludedthatitwasbesttogetthestorytellingoverthesoonerthebetter,

andtoencouragetheclienttopayattentiontohowheorshefeels—nothowtheyfelt. That protocolworked, except for a small percentage of peoplewho usedtheirstoriestoexplainwhytheycouldn’tpossiblygetwell.Frustrated,Iwouldoften—waytoooften—shootholesintheirstorytoforcethemtogiveitup.Aslongasthenumbersweresmall,IcouldpersuademyselfthattheEgoscue

Methodwas amazingly effective.We are nowup to close to amillion peoplewhohavebeenhelpedbythemethod.Thefailurerateformanyyearswasabout3 percent. Statistically speaking, that’s pretty good. But the thought that Icouldn’t help some three thousand people really bothered me. Even moredisturbing, the failure rate beganmoving higher asmusculoskeletal imbalancebecamethenewnormal.Aftermuch soul searching, I decided that the only solutionwas to devise a

wayfortheclienttochangehisorherstorywithoutbeingforcedtoadmitthathewas changing it. Reworking the heath-care paradigm one story at a timewasextremely daunting until I realized that all the problematic stories were fear-based. Furthermore, each fit into one of three broad variations that can be

deconstructedlikethis:

• I’ve been to everyone and tried everything.Nothingworks. I don’t knowwheretoturn.Helpmeifyoucan,butyouprobablycan’t.Thisisnotmyfault.

•I’mdeterminedtofigurethisoutandtotakecontrol.What’syoursolution?There are so many moving parts. Your recommendations are in conflictwithother schoolsof thought.Haveyouconsidered . . . ? I need anotheropinion.Areyouawareofthisnewstudy?

•Whatmakesyousosmart?Noneofthisstuffworks.It’sallascam.Nobodyhasananswer.Proveit.Idon’tfeelanydifferent.

I hope that captures the emotional and behavioral predilections of the threewithoutholdingthemuptoridiculeorsuggestingthatoneoranotherismoreorlessdesirable. Idonotwant tooffendyou—becauseyourstorymayfitoneofthesecategories.Thestorytellersbehindallthreeofthesevariationsareafraidtogoinwardto

obtainandmarshaltheresourcesneededtorecoverorsustaintheirownhealth.Thestorieswereself-createdtoshieldthemfromfearandtoallowthemtogoonlivinginthepresenceofit.Thestorytellersinadvertentlywalledthemselvesoffby denying personal responsibility, insatiably seeking new facts and treatmentoptionswithoutmaking commitments, or unintentionallywrapping themselvesintheTeflonofcynicismtostandaloofonthesidelines.Your own story is much richer, deeper, and meatier than my abbreviated

outline,butifyoucanfeelyourwaytotheessenceofthestoryIbelieveyouwillfindaplatformfromwhich,together,youandIcanworktorestoreyourposturalbalance,yourlimitlessenergy,andyourperfecthealth.In thenext threechapters Iwilldescribe themusculoskeletalmarkersof the

three story lines and personality types. There are physical and functionalcharacteristicsforeach.You’llbeabletopickthemoutofacrowd;betteryet,you’llbeabletolookinthemirrorandrecognizeyourself.ThenIwillpresentmenus of E-cises (Egoscue exercises) that can help recover musculoskeletalsystembalanceandwhicharetailoredtoworkwithyourspecificstoryandtype.Ratherthanfallingbackonyourstorytoexplainwhyyoucan’trestoreyour

balance—I’m too busy, it’s too late, it runs in the family, it’s a birth defect,Egoscue’stoopushy—focusonhowyoucanreallydothis.

Really.Youareenough.

NINE

BLAMEBLAM

NEVEREXPLAIN,NEVERCOMPLAIN isaprettygoodrule,yetI’mgoingtobreakhalfof it. I’mnotacomplainer,butwhenIblowit, the leastIcandoisgiveyouaheads-upaboutwhatwentwrongandwhy.Inmyfirstbook,TheEgoscueMethodofHealthThroughMotion,Idescribed

the outward physical characteristics of three categories of musculoskeletalsystemdysfunction,andofferedguidanceonhowreaderscouldeasilyfigureoutwhether theyfit intoConditionsI,II,orIII.Theideawastoprovideaprocessfor self-diagnosis that would set the stage for the next step: do-it-yourselfposturaltherapythataddressedthespecificsofeachcondition.AsIwroteatthetime, when you know what to look for, musculoskeletal misalignment andimbalanceareeasytospot.

StrikeThree

Whatsurprisedme,however,wasthatmanypeoplecouldn’tdoit.Inparticular,readerswhoseposturewasmostsimilartoConditionIIIwereentirelyconfusedby the drawings andwritten description.Only themost intrepid readers couldbring themselves to gaze into the mirror and admit they looked that bad.ConditionII’swereslightlybetteratself-diagnosis,butnotbymuch.Both Condition IIs and Condition IIIs, even if they were in horrible pain,

tended to choose Condition I, which led them to follow an E-cise menu thatdidn’tworkaswell.

Amazingly,Istillgetravereviewsforthebook.PeoplecalltheDelMarclinicoutofthebluetotellmehowgoodthoseE-cisesmakethemfeel.WhenIaskafewquestionsaboutwhat’scurrentlygoingonwiththeirbodyandhearanswersthatindicatethattheyareclassic,industrial-strengthConditionIIIs,I’velearnedtosay,“GototheE-cisesforConditionIII.Don’tlookatthepicturesorreadthedescription; just try theE-cisemenu.”Often they sound shocked that IwouldeventhinkoflinkingthemtoConditionIII.Ifearthatsomeofthemputdownthephoneand,convincedtheyorImisunderstood,gostraightbacktoConditionI.There’snoharmdone(onthecontrary,alotofhelpisdeliveredregardlessofwhichmenuisused),buttheyarenotgettingthefullbenefitofthemethod.The sad truth is that today,more than ever,my unvarnished description of

ConditionIIIinTheEgoscueMethodiswhatmostAmericansandmostaffluentandmiddle-classpeoplearoundtheworldlooklikeandhurtlike.Tragically,thatlook of imbalance and musculoskeletal misalignment has become the newnormal.Whentheoldnormalwalksby—ararerandrareroccurrence—heorsheseemsstrange.

EasyRider

The individual vertebrae of the spine ride on cushions— spongy disks that resemble jellydonuts—thatactasshockabsorbers.Imbalanceandmisalignmentresultintheweightoftheupper torso andhead squeezingdownon thedisks unevenly to cause the “jelly” to eitherbulgefrombetween thevertebraeorrupture(itactuallypops likeaballoonand thefillingoozesout).Eitherway,theresultisapainfulnerveimpingement.

Yet,even though thisnewnormalhas takenhold, thereare still threebroadcategories of readily observable musculoskeletal system conditions. They areaccompaniedbyovertbehavioralpatternsthatareexpressedasactions,attitudes,andemotions.Icallthem“AAEpatterns.”Toputitmoreplainly,it isnotjusttheposturesthatmatter—it’syourhead.

Tohelpyoumakeaself-diagnosis, Idon’thave toshowyouanyexamplesofdysfunction.Hallelujah!There’s no need to scare youwith lurid depictions ofdesperatepeoplewhoareabouttocrashandburn.Instead,Iwillhelpyoufeelwhat’sgoingoninyourhead,inyourheart,andinyourbody’scoresystemsthatmonitor and operate this amazing thing thatwe so casually refer to as humanhealth.Bestofall,youwon’thavetotakemywordforit.Youknowmoreabout

yourbodythananyexpert,becauseyoufeelitandtheydon’t.I started thisbookbyasking,“Howdoyoufeel?”However, somepeople—

perhapsyou—can’tanswerthatquestionbecauseoneofthethreemostcommonAAE patterns is disrupting their ability to get an accurate reading from theiremotionalfeedbackloop.Example:J.B.’sbackwashurtingwhenhecametoseemeacoupleofyears

agoattheSanDiegoclinic.Hetoldmerightoff,“I’vegotaherniateddisk.”Okay.Thatisnotanicethingtohave.Iaskedhimtostandpigeon-toedwith

bothcheeksofthebuttocksandhislowerandupperbackagainstthewall.Tryityourself:levelyourchinandmakesurethebackofyourheadisagainstthewall,otherwisethereisatendencyfortheheadandnecktocomeforwardanddown.Nowputyourshouldersagainstthewall.“How’sitfeelnow?”“Stillhurts.”“Really?”“Yeah,really.IcanshowyoutheX-rayofthedisk.”“Butitstillhurts?Nochange?”“Ofcourse.”

MakingChoices

Instead of starting with a demonstration of how postural balance can switch off the painsymptom,wehaveadiscussionofwhethertheclientwantsacureortreatment.Surprisingly,aboutoneintwentyclientssaytheywanttreatment.

I didn’t arguewith J.B., but I knew that the pigeon-toed stance temporarilyrepositioned his hips and in so doing moved the affected vertebrae off thedistended disk to free the jammed nerve. Without the impingement, themagnitudeofthepainhadtodecrease.Whiletheremighthavebeenanechooftenderness,theworstofthepainwentawayalmostimmediately.J.B.’sreactiondidn’tsurpriseme,though.HisfeelingswerebeingdistortedbyhisdefaultAAEpattern.Hewasabig,strong,courageousguy,yetfearandahistoryofpainhadswitchedoffhisabilitytoaccuratelyassesswhatwasgoingoninhisback.

Pain is not a disease, not an injury, not even an effect of aging. Pain is asymptom—inJ.B.’scase,a symptomofpostural imbalance.Not theonlyone;thereweremanyothersthatproducedlittleornopainatall.Thewayheslicedagolfball,forinstance(painfreeaslongasyouweren’tinthelineoffire),andthecontortionshewentthroughtogetinandoutofhiscar—J.B.drovealow-slung Italian job, and he struggled to lower himself into the driver’s seat—caused seriouspain.Eventually,he sold it andbought somethingmore sedate.ButevenhisnewluxurysedanwasachallengetoJ.B.untilhegothisfunctionalpostureback.Symptoms are irrelevant—go for a cure. Cures come about only when the

bullet of intervention is aimed at, and hits, the actual cause of a condition.Shootinginnocentbystandersusuallyservesonlytocreatecollateraldamageandcostlymedicalbills.

GotYourBack

Favoritesymptomatictreatmentsofherniateddisksincluderemovingthediskinconjunctionwithfusingtheadjoiningvertebrae,ortrimmingawaytheruptureddiskmaterial.Nomatterwhat, thespine isstillunbalancedandunevenlysqueezingtheremainingdisks.Fusingthevertebraeworsenstheimbalanceandcreatesstressontheshoulders,hips,knees,andankles,and snipping off the protruding disk material probably means you’ll be having a lot ofrecurringbacksurgery.

For J.B., the cause of his conditionwas lack of energy.His back pain andpostural imbalances were symptoms of an energy deficit that always occurswhen the body is left unplugged. Just as the ice cream stored in your kitchenfreezerwillmeltiftheelectricitygoesoutforacoupleofhours,whenthebodygoes off-line and loses contact with the universal power grid, it too melts.Musculoskeletal formand function arequickly lostwithout a constant flowofhigh-wavelength energy. Why? Death dematerializes living tissue. Only thesubatomic structures endure forever. Short of death, the early, obvious, andprogressivestagesofdematerializationarethebody’smeansofwarningusthatsomethingishappeningthatinmanycases—farmorethanwethink—iswithinourpowertosubstantiallyaffect.Byignoringthemessageormerelyaddressingpain symptomswith painkillers, joint replacement, and other formsof surgery

(treatment),themostimportantmessageofallislost.This is one of themost important points in the book.Yourmusculoskeletal

system is the tripwire that setsoff the firstofmanyalarms.Whenourearliestancestorsfirstshowedupondryland,theydidn’thavethetechnologicaltoolstoexploreinsidethebody,surfthebloodstream,test-drivetheimmunesystem,andthe like. Instead, they relied on a simple awareness of seemingly superficialchangestakingplaceonthebody’ssurfaceorclosetoit:Myleftfootisturnedout instead of pointing straight ahead;my spear-chucking arm seems stiff;orI’m having trouble keeping pacewithmy favorite hunting companions.Thosefolks weren’t rocket scientists, yet they were smart enough to recognize thatsomethinghadchanged.Nothingcomesofnothing.Theylearnedtoeitheralterthe stimulus that was causing the change (finding a dry place to sleep inmonsoonseason,forinstance),ortheylivedwiththeconsequences,whichoftenmeantdyingsoonerrather than later.Naturalselectionfavored thosewhotookaction based on awareness, and their biological heirs are still blessedwith thetripwireprovidedbythemusculoskeletalsystem.J.B.hascomealongway,buthehasmisplacedhisawareness.IfIcouldhave

waved a magic wand to instantly restore J.B.’s postural balance, his energylevels would have quickly topped off. What prevented that—aside from mywandbeingintherepairshoptohaveitsabracadabrageneratorrebuilt—wasthathewasafraidtoaccepttheideathatsomethingassimpleasposturalbalancewastheanswer.Heresistedtreatmentinordertokeeppursuingfactsthatheregardedasmoreplausibleandreassuring.J.B. found more comfort in seeking and collecting new facts, theories,

information,andsuchthathegotfromlivingtrulypainfree.Factcollectingisacommon AAE pattern (remember— actions, attitudes, emotions). J.B.’s bodywasawareofthedangerousshortageofenergyandinformedhimofthesituationwith a variety of messages, including pain symptoms and such non-painsymptomsas fatigue, irritability, and lackof focus.Buthis thinkingmindhadoutsmartedhisfeelingmindbypersuadinghimthathecouldexertcontroloverthese symptomsbyusinghishigh IQandpractical experience.Likemost factcollectors,however,thesearchforanothersetofnewfactsprecludesfact-basedactions.What’sthepoint?Thenewnewfactswillblowawaytheoldnewfacts.J.B.chasedfactswhenallhehadtodowasstandthereandfeeltheenergybeingrenewedandhishealthrestoredashisbodywastemporarilybroughtbackintobalance.

I’llreturntoJ.B.inamoment;meantime,Iwanttostopherebrieflytodealmore directly with the invisible elephant in the room: physical limitation, thewerewolf of postural therapy. I’ve already discussed the importance of anindividual’s story. The story frames what would otherwise be a meaninglessjumble of events, incidents, and sensations. The various pieces of a narrativegivemeaningandvaluetothelifeitrepresents.Astorymaybetrueorfalse,andin a general sense is neither good nor bad. It just is. Yet a story infused byforebodings of physical limitation and what they portend has the power tointerferewithyour feelingmind.Asacreatureof thenight, ithas sharp fangsandahairyface.J.B.sawtheworldasadangerouslycomplicatedplace.Consequently,hehad

todiscoverwhatmakesittick.Hesearcheddiligentlyforfactsthatwouldgivehim the ability tomanage the present, predict and prepare for the future, andsurvive.Itwasanever-endingquest,becausenewfactsareconstantlytrumpingoldfacts.Asaresult,heneverneededtomakeachoiceandruntheriskofbeingwrong,whichinacomplicated,dangerousworldcouldbelethal.Hence,J.B.’sstoryiscrippledbyhiscompulsiontokeepcollectingfacts.The second of these AAE patterns is skepticism. Like fact collecting,

skepticism isalsodrivenbyanxietyaboutphysical limitation,which lodges inthe emotional catacombswhen themusculoskeletal system first experiences agapinitsrepertoireofmovement.L.J.,achildpsychologist,freelyadmittedshewasskepticalofanyoneandanythingwhoclaimedtobeabletosolveproblemsor accomplishobjectives.Shewas alwaysonguard against being conned.Forher, everyonewasa suspectwithahiddenagenda. ItwasL.J.’s job to find it.Acute skepticismprotectedher fromevermaking an affirmative decision, andhenceshewasneverresponsibleforherownproblems,includingherhealth.The third AAE pattern is pessimism, the most extreme form of limitation

dread.Tommyworkedinpessimismthewaysomeartistsworkinwatercolors.Hesoughthelpfromdozensofhealthcarepractitionersandwasalwayswillingtotryanothertherapeuticprogram,butbelievedthattheywouldfailbecausehedidn’tdeservetosucceed.I am about to introduce three chapters that will offer more information on

these behavioral patterns, including recommendations for postural therapyprograms that have a demonstrated ability to overcome them. The catch is, Idon’tknowwhichoneofthemisaffectingyou.It’sgoinghavetobeyourcall,yourdecision.

Ican’tknockexpertswhoareready,willing,andabletoassumeresponsibilityforyourhealth,butIamacompleteexceptiontotheirrules.Iconcedethattheroadfromhereonbelongstoyou.NoticethatI’veavoidedlinkingthepatternsclosely toan individual. Itdoesn’tmatterwhoyouare,whatyoudo,or ifyouareyoung,old,male,orfemale.Readallthreeofthefollowingchaptersand—bythefeelofit,notthethinkofit—decidewhichofthemmaybeaffectingyourabilitytolivepainfree.Trytheposturaltherapyprogramthatisthebestremedyforyourspecificfearpattern.Again,bythefeelofit,notthethinkofit,decideifthe program works. If not, reread the chapters (or the entire book) and tryanotherprogram.Youmayneedtotryallthreebeforeyoufindthebestoneforyou.Takeyourtime;stayinthemoment.Justaskyourself—HowdoIfeel?

TEN

THEWEIGHTOFEVIDENCE

IN THE LAST CHAPTER I PROMISED to introduce you to the threepersonality types that are the most threatened by musculoskeletal systemimbalance.Of the threepersonality types,factcollectorsaremyfavorite.Theyrequireasteadysupplyofnewfacts,andusuallytheyarequiteeasytodeliveraslongwearecarefultodistinguishbetweenexternalfactsandinternalfacts.Thehumanmusculoskeletalsystemisasymphonyoffacts,butasobsessedas

theyarewithcollectingthem,factcollectorslikeJ.B.(whowasfeaturedintheprecedingchapter,soifyouskippedoverityoumightwanttobacktrackalittle)are conditioned to gather only facts from external sources that legitimize,sanction, and officially confirm that what the collector sees, smells, tastes,touches,andhearsistherealdeal.Asaresult,J.B.rarelylookedwithinhimselftodiscoverandauthenticatethosefacts.Thisisaproblem,tosaytheleast.By establishing a higher authority to validate facts, J.B. disenfranchised

himself.Humanshaveagiftfordiscerningtherealfromtheunreal, truthfromfalsehood, the genuine from the fake. If we didn’t, our species would havebecomeextinctthousandsofyearsago.There’sfartoomuchquicksand,thinice,slipperiness in the dark, and dangerous places and creatures to not have areasonablyeffectivemeansforscreeningoutthephonyandthefallacious.Thankstoyourancestors,wholearnedthehardwaytoliveonandruleover

thisplanet,youarenobody’sfool.Beforetherewasathinkingmind,therewas—andstillis—anawaremindthatallowshumanstoquicklydistinguishbetweenthings that are promising and those that are perilous. The aware mindaccomplishesthisbyaccessingsubjective,road-testedstandardsimbeddeddeep

inoursensoryapparatus.Objectivefactshavelittleornorelevancetotheawaremind,whichistunedtoadifferentfrequency.Itdoesn’tgiveadamnaboutthethinkofthings.Subjectivefactsrule.Gatheredoverthecourseoftimelikescartissue,theyareapotentdistillationdrawnfromtherawingredientsofpersonalexperiences.Whatdripsoutofthespigotisone-thousand-prooffeeling.Fact collectorshave lost contactwith theawaremind.To them,a factmust

haveapedigree,asealofapproval;otherwise,itisanopinionoflimitedvalue.J.B.andhiscohortscometotheEgoscueclinicswithMRIs,X-rays,filefoldersstuffedfullofmedicalrecords,andvocabulariesbristlingwithLatinatejargon.Iusedtorefuseto lookat thematerial,preferringinsteadtodirectlyobservetheindividual’s posture. Just as a connoisseur of pre-ColumbianpotterywouldbeputoffifIrefusedtoadmirehertreasures,thefactcollectorswereaffrontedbymy indifference toward their precious, authenticated facts. Now, after a goodtwentyormoreyearsofbeingobtuse, Imakeapointof reviewing therecordsandagreeingthat,Yes,theX-rayshowsthediskisrupturedor,Nodoubtaboutit,thatkneeisbadlyswollen.Storyattemptstoprovidemeaning.Byshapinganarrativeoutofall thebits

and pieces of existence—here’s the beginning, the middle, and the end—storytellers try to create coherence out of confusion. J.B.’s story, the one thathelpshimmakesenseofhislifeandcalmshisfears,isbuiltaroundacorebeliefthat he can be safe (or safer) as long as he can put a wall of facts betweenhimself and the predator that is stalking him. Predators in this casemight notconsist of grizzlies and tigers, but, rather, limitation, illness, pain, aging, anddeath.Afactcollectorbelievesthatifhecanassembleallofthe“true”factsofhis situation, a solution will emerge. In other words, his story is a classicwhodunitwiththefactcollectorstarringastheheroicprivateeye.Factsbecomeall-important.PeoplelikeJ.B.shopforfacts,savorfacts,trade

indentedandscratchedoldfactsforbright,shinynewfacts.Itdoesn’ttakelongforfactfindingtobecomeasubstituteforaction.Insteadofmakingadecisionand following through on it to change the conditions that are causing orcontributingtothepainorothersymptoms,factcollectorsseekdifferentsetsoffacts that are obligingly generated by medical science, the pharmaceuticalindustry,andexpertsofeverysort.Theyarefreetochooseafacttotheirlikinganduseitasabasisfortreatmentorcure—andthat’sfine.However,mostoftenit is an excuse to avoid treatment altogether, since a new fact is waiting justaround the next corner. Fact collectors also possess a tendency to passivelysubmittosomeoneelse’sopiniononwhatisbestbecausethatpersonisoffering

aconvincingpresentationof thefacts—whichmighthappentocoincidewithasymptomthathasbecometoopainfulorunpleasanttobeendured.My challenge as a postural therapist is to figure out away to get the inner

voiceoftheawaremindwithinearshotofafactcollector’sinnerfacts.Oncethathappens,theneedforanothersetofnew,externallygeneratedfactsusuallyfadesaway. Feelings are better than facts. A balancedmusculoskeletal system feelsright(anditis!).ByofferingJ.B.afewE-cisestostabilizehisposture,Icouldthenask,“Howdoesthatfeel?”andgetausefulanswer.“Itfeelsalittlebetter.”“Good.Youstillhavearuptureddisk—that’safact.”“That’strue.”“ButtheseE-cisesaffectedthepain—thatalsoseemstobeafact,doesn’tit?”“Yeah.”“DoesitmakesensetoyoutocontinuetheE-cisesandseewhathappens?”“Well,theE-cisesdoseemtowork.Mylowbackfeelsdifferent.”Mostfactcollectorswillgohomefromtheclinic,thinkabouttheirfirstvisit,

andcomebackwithacoupleofotherfacts.Maybethey’vecalledtheirdoctororgoneon the Internet.TheWeb is teemingwith facts. I’ve learnednot toarguewiththoseexternalfacts.Thebestapproachistoreturntotheinnerfacts.“Howdoyoufeel?”“Alittlebetter.Butmyleftkneehasstartedtohurtagain.”“What’sthattellyou?”“MaybeI’mstandingupstraighter,andthekneeisn’tusedtothat.”“Ifyouare,weareimpactingthedysfunction,jump-startingdisusedmuscles.

Let’sseeifwecanbuildonthisprogress.Wanttogiveitashot?”

TheRoleofEnergyDepletion

I don’t have the slightest interest in being in the external-fact business. I’minvitinghimtobelievehisinnerfactsandtolinkthemtothegraduallyrecedingpainandothersymptomssuchastheknee.Iusedtothinkthatposturalbalance—even partially restored balance—felt so good that clientswould always feelcompelled to respond immediately. But I now believe that when high-wavelengthenergyisdepleted,itmaytakeseveraltriestogetitbacktoalevelthat is sufficient to completely switch off the craving for external facts.Awarenessrequiresenergy.Whenyoucan’tgothere,itusuallymeansthatyourmusculoskeletalsystemimbalancehasdrainedyourenergysupplytotheextentthat it is almost empty.Yet just bymaking a brief reconnect in the formof asimplebalancingE-cise,energystartsflowingagain—alotofenergy.Evenso,a factcollectorwillbe tempted tostopandcarefullyscrutinizeher

vastfactcollection,comparingthenewcomerstotheoldfavorites.Thiscanbefrustrating. Insteadofmovingforward,shedigs inherheels, seeks toquestioneverything,andarrangesandrearrangesthefactsinordertoassignmorevaluetosomeandlesstoothers.Hairsaresplitandangelsdanceontheheadsofpins.Ithelpstohaveanabundanceofpatience;otherwise,factcollectorsstarttoseemunreasonablyrigidandpronetowillfullyobstructingacure.Indeed,rigidityistheoverarchingposturalandemotionalcharacteristicoffact

collectors.Theyaretight,stiff,tense,constricted.Thefactsdon’tgivethemanywiggleroom.Lifeisn’tmuchfun.Whentheylooktotherightorlefttheycannotjustmovetheirhead;theirwholebodyrotates.Ifyouhadremovedthedriver’s-sidemirrorfromhiscarbeforehiscure,J.B.wouldhavebeenunabletoglanceover his shoulder at the traffic approaching from the left rear. His peripheralvision was poor; when walking he plodded along. There was very littlespontaneityorvariationinhisstride.Whenhefirstcametotheclinicandstoodsidewaysnexttoaceiling-to-floor

plumb-line,J.B.’sanklewasonthelinebuthisknee,hip,uppertorso,shoulder,neck,andearfellinfrontofit.Hethoughthewasstandingstraight,buthewasactuallyrakedforwardlikethebowofaship.Thebody’sinternalsensorsreadhispostureandconcluded thathewasonlya fewdegreesaway from topplingforward.Redalert!J.B.’smuscleswerecontractedfromhisheadtohisfeet.Hisjointswerelockedtightlytoholdhisbodyupright,sacrificinglateralmovement

androtationalflexibilityintheinterestofkeepinghimfromgoinghorizontal.Bear inmind that this is not routineposture foranyone. It is thepostureof

crisisandcalamity.Whenevera factcollector isonhis feet, the internalalarmbells are ringingbig-time, thenervous system is firedup, and energy is beingpouredintovitalphysiologicalprocessesthatforall theyknowareabouttobeaskedtofunctioninastateofemergency.Andourguyisonlywalkingfromhiseasychairtothebathroom!Ironically,mostfactcollectorsaren’tcouchpotatoes.Theykeep fairlyactive. I see themrigidand running, rigidand inline skating,rigidandgolfing,andrigidlyplayingavarietyofweekendsports—becausethefacts say theyneed tokeep fit.Theyalso frequentlyhurt themselves,atwhichpointtheystartcollectingfactstoprovethatrunningwhenyou’reoverfortyishardontheknees,tennisracketsstressyourelbow,andgolfishardontheback.However,thoseareexternalfacts.Restoringbalancebyjust10or15percent

delivers an instant energy payoff. By accumulating high-wavelength energyratherthanrunningadeficit,eventhemostdedicatedfactcollectorquicklystartstofeelbetter.Onceposturalbalanceisrestored,helosestheurgentcompulsiontograbatexternalfactstoexplainhissenseofpanicandforeboding.Hisawaremindisre-invigorated.J.B.andotherslikehimcanliveinthemoment,drawingpleasureandpeaceofmindwhereheoncehustledafterfactstocompensatefornotbeingpresent.Are you a fact collector? Before you answer, mull over the following

questions:

•Howdoyoumakedecisions?Fastorslow?Isiteasyordoyouagonize?•Areyoupronetosecond-guessingyourdecisions?•Doyoufrequentlychangeyourmind?•Howdoyourateyourselfasadecisionmaker?•Areyouafraidofmakingmistakes?•Whatwasyourbestdecision?•Whatwasyourworstdecision?•Areyoustubborn?•Areyouaperfectionist?•Whoisthesmartestpersonyouknow?•Doyouwelcomeresponsibility?•Areyourigid?

•Doyougobythebook?•Aretheredecisionsyouprefertoavoid?

So?Ordoyouneedmorefacts?Here’sone—balance.Tryit.Please.

E-ciseMenuforFactCollectors

STATICBACK

ThisE-ciseusestheforceofgravitytosettlethehips,back,andshoulderstothefloorandputthemintoaneutralposition.Lieonyourbackwithbothlegsbentat rightanglesand restingonachair,abench,orablock.Restyourhandsonyourstomach,oronthefloor,belowshoulderlevel,andwithpalmsup.Lettheback settle into the floor. Breathe from your diaphragm. That is, do stomachbreathing—the abdominal muscles should rise as you inhale and fall as youexhale.Stayinthispositionfor10minutes.Relax.

KNEE-PILLOWSQUEEZESINSTATICBACK

Stay in StaticBack position.Widen your feet to allow a fat pillowor a foamblock to fit between your knees. Squeeze the knees together using the inside(abductor)musclesof the thighs.Give thepillowa firmsqueeze, then release.Don’ttightenyourabdominalmuscles.Do3setsof20repetitions.

Tolearnmoreabouttheexercisesinthischapter,pleaserefertotheE-CiseMenuforFactCollectorsonthePainFreeLivingDVD.

HIPLIFTS

ThisE-ciserepositionsandlevelsyourhips.Lieonyourbackwithbothkneesbentandyourfeetflatonthefloor.Crossyourleftankleonyourrightknee,thenpressyourleftkneeawayfromyourbody.Whilemaintainingthisposition,liftyour right foot off the floor, bringing both legs toward your chest.Make sureyourhipsstaysquaredandonthefloor,thatyourleftkneeisstillpressingout,andthatyourrightlegisinlinewithyourrightshoulder.After1minuteswitchthelegsandrepeatontheotherside.

HIPCROSSOVER

ThisE-cisecounteractship rotationonbothsides.Lieonyourbackwithyourkneesbent andyour feet flaton the floor.Placeyourarms flaton the floor atshoulder level. Cross your right ankle over your left knee, and rotate theankle/kneecombinationtothefloortoyourleft.Turnyourheadsothatyouarelookingtotheright,andrelaxyourshoulders.Pressyourrightkneeawayfromyourbodywiththerighthipmusculature.Switchtheankle/kneecrossover,andrepeatontheoppositeside.

FROG

This E-cise positions the pelvis symmetrically left to right. Lie on your backwith your knees bent.Make sure your feet are centered in themiddle of yourbody,and letyourkneesand legs fall away to thesides.Put thesolesofyourfeettogether.Yourlowbackdoesnotneedtobeflatonthefloor,and,infact,theremaybeanarchduetothehips’changingposition.Relax.Donotpressthethighsoutanddown.Feelthestretchintheinnerthighsandgroinfor3minutes.

STANDINGARMCIRCLES

ThisE-cisestrengthensthemusclesoftheupperbackthatareinvolvedwiththeshoulders’ball-and-socketfunction.Standfacingafull-lengthmirrorwithyourfeetparallelandtoespointingstraightahead.Placeapilloworinflatableblockbetweenyourknees.Curlyourfingertipsintothepadsofeachpalm(thefleshyareaat thebaseof thefingers),andpointyour thumbsstraightout. (Thishandposition,called the“golfer’sgrip,” is imperative to thesuccessof thisE-cise.)Squeezeyourshoulderblades together,andbringyourarmsout to thesidesatshoulder level, elbows straight. With your palms facing down and thumbspointedforward,circleupandforward.Withyourarmsstilloutatshoulderleveland palms up, circle up and back. Remember to keep your wrists, arms, andelbowsstraight,withtheshoulderbladessqueezedtogether.Don’tcontractyourstomachmuscles—the circlesmust come from the shoulders.Keep your neckandheadback.Do30forwardrepetitionsand30backrepetitions.

STANDINGQUADSTRETCH

Hip rotationshuts thequadsoff; thisE-cise turns thembackon.Standononefootandbendtheotherlegback,placingthetopofthefootonablockorachairseat.(Theelevationshouldbesomewherebetweenthebottomofthebuttockandyour hipline, and the amount of stretch depends on how high your foot ispropped.)Keepingthehipsandshoulderssquareandthekneeseven,tuckyourhipsunder to feel thestretch.Holdon tosomethingforbalance.Onesidewillprobablybetighterthantheother,butdonotvarythefootelevationfromsidetoside.Stretchfor1minuteforeachleg.

CATSANDDOGS

ThisE-ciseworks the hips, spine, shoulders, and neck in coordinated flexion-extension. Get down on the floor on your hands and knees,making sure thatyourkneesarealignedwithyourhips,wrists,andshoulders,andthatyourlowerlegsareparallelwitheachotherandwithyourhips.Makesureyourweight isdistributedevenly.Smoothlyroundyourbackasyourheadcurlsdowntocreateacurve that runs fromthebuttocks to theneck—this is thecatwithanarchedback. Smoothly sway the back down while bringing the head up—this is theperkydog.Makethesetwomovesflowcontinuouslybackandforthratherthanallowingthemtobedistinctandchoppy.Do10repetitions,witheachcat-and-dogcombocountingasasinglerep.

ELEVEN

THESKEPTICANDTHEGOSPELOFDOUBT

READANYGOODAUTOBIOGRAPHIESLATELY?Youhaveifyoulookedintothemirrortodayorglancedatapassingstranger.

Posture isautobiography,anexternalembodimentofour innerstate. It recordsandexplainswhatwedidandwhoweare.Yourdistinctiveposturalprofileexposesallsecretsofcommission,omission,

andsubmission.Don’tworry—theevidenceisnotadmissibleinacourtoflaw.Yet it isextraordinarilyuseful ifyouwant tobe truly freeofpain,depression,self-doubt,andself-destructivehabits.We already looked at the fact collector personality type; the second

personalitytypeistheskeptic,whoisfatedtolivealifeindoubt.The skeptic expects to be cheated.Theworld, he is sure, is full of bandits,

incompetents, and hidden pitfalls. Only the vigilant, the canny, the toughsurvive.Hearmor-plateshisegoandrefusestobeluredoutintotheopen,wherehissuperiorIQmightbedefeatedbytrickeryorbadluck.Skepticsare indeedsmart.Quickwittedandusuallywelleducated, theycan

be fun tobearound.But there ismoredarkness than light to theirpersonality.Their cynical expectations rob them of their primary power and their greatestgifts:positiveenergy,joy,andpeaceofmind.Whentheycometotheclinic,thetypicalskepticisinpain.Thereisaposturalcondition(mostlikely)thathasleftthem unbalanced and energy depleted.Without being directly conscious of it,they are afraid—afraid of illness, injury, aging, limitation. Their actions are

intended tomakefeareasier tobear,but itactuallymakes thingsworse.Muchworse.Theskeptic’smantraisaformofabsolution,fullofself-forgivenessandself-

soothing: I am not to blame; Iwas cheated by the system; I had no choice; Iinheritedmygrandfather’shighbloodpressure.Therearemanyvariations.Still,theskepticcan’tescapethefear:SinceIamclearlynottoblame,maybeIwon’tbe punished.Our egos punish us when we fall short of perfection. A perfectperson does not get sick or injured. Of course that’s nonsense, but our innerscold,acriticandall-aroundharpy,bedevilsuswithasteadystreamofbackseatdriving.She rationalizes her doubting, blame-shifting attitude as awareness and

acceptanceofpersonalresponsibility.Itseemssaferandeasiertohidebehindatough, know-it-all negativity than to face up to the responsibilities that comefromputtingherselfout there.To theskeptic, itseemsmuchharder to takeonthe tasksof recovering lostbalance, retrieving lostknowing,andrediscoveringpeaceofmindthansittingfirmlybehindthetoughexterior.Asaposturaltherapist,skepticsusedtogivemefits.Theyhavealwaysbeen

among thebrightestofmyclients,yetwhen theyhadcompletedan item fromtheirmenuofbalancingE-cisesandIaskedhowtheyfelt,oftentheanswerwas,“Feels the same.” I could seewithonequickglance that theE-ciseshaddonetheirwork—theshoulder,hip,orwhateveritwasthathadbeenmisalignedwasatleastbeginningtomovebackintoitsproperplace.Itsurprisedandbaffledmethat thesepatientsdidn’tfeel theeffects.Formanyyears,Iassumedtheywereeither willfully, perversely refusing to cooperate, or that some physiologicalmechanismwasoverridingwhattheyshouldhavebeenfeeling.Bybeingpatientandforcingmyself to listenandobserveclosely,Idetected

that skeptics did feel the change; they simply did not trust it enough toacknowledgeittomeortothemselves.Whattheyfeltcameandwenttoofast,ordidn’t stand out against the background noise and distractions of their self-abnegation. The positive feelings associatedwith realignment seemed like thememoriesofafleetingdream.Ihadtofindawaytomakethosequickflashesoffeelinggoodcohereintoanenduringawareness.Aclient,L.J.,gavemethefirstbreakthrough.Therewaspaininhisrighthip.

Iaskedhimtostandonhisrightfootwith theleft legbentat theknee.In thisposition, the left footcouldbestretchedback toallowthe toes tohookbehindhimon the front edge of awaist-high countertop.*He had been standing that

wayforthreeminutes.WhenIaskedhimtoputbothfeetbackonthefloorandmovehis righthipa little tosee if it stillhurt,hemuttered flippantly,“Dreamon.”As soon as his footwas off the countertop, though, his eyeswidened indisbelief.“Well?”Iasked.“Same.”Itwasacompletelie.Actually,itwasanincompletelie—L.J.’seyesrevealed

thetruth.TheE-cisehadrepositionedhiship,puttinghispelvisinalevel(rightto left) position insteadof dropping away to the right,which left thehip jointgrinding in the socket. Rather than challenge him, I surrendered, or at least Ipretended to.“Iguessyou’vestumpedme.” Iwenton tosaysomething to theeffect that what the clinic was offering just wasn’t right for him and that wewouldrefundhismoney.L.J.immediatelyrejectedtheofferandsuggestedthatIwasbeingtoohastyandthatmaybe,nowthathehadachancetothinkaboutit,hecouldfeelachangeinhiship.Thatwasthebuy-inIwaslookingfor.Insteadofclosingthesale,Iborrowed

alittleofhiscynicism:“Justgotlucky,Iguess.”Thatresponseendurestothisdaywheneverwedealwithaskepticinoneofourclinics.Iadvisemytherapistsnottoattackthestory—instead,Irecommendthattheyrideithomeintriumph.Justgot lucky isokaywithme.After thinking itover,verysoon theskeptic—makethattheformerskeptic—willrealizeittoo.Ihavealwayssuspectedthatevenself-proclaimedcynics(whatI liketocall

“skeptics on steroids”) never completely succeed in fooling themselves intobelievingtheirowncynicism.Theyareactuallyseekingconfirmationintheformofroad-testedpersonalexperiencethatitissafetohavefaith.Weallknowthathaving faith in oneself is the source of peace of mind. Knowing that we areenough is indeed enough. Thoughts, even cynical ones, pertain to a humanbeing’sroleinco-creatinghisorherownhealth.Bynotimmediatelyrequiringacynic tobuy into theneed foranunshakable faith inself, Iambrieflysharingtheir story, their secret, and allowing them to be present and aware ofwhat’stakingplace.Itwon’tbe longbefore thiscauses thecynicalstorytofallaway,revealingthetruth.Skeptics lookas if theyaremoving sideways—and theyare.Theyuse their

witsanddeepdistrusttosliparoundobstacles.Ashoulderorahip,oftenboth,arerotatedforwardandtotheleft,whichgivesskeptics,bothmaleandfemale,anappearanceofdriftingoffatanangleastheywalkforward.Andtheywould

driftwithoutsomeartfulcounter-torquingby theirknees,by thesocketsof thehip joints, and by head fake-outs (tilting, turning, and thrusting) that serve asrudderstokeepthemoncourse.AmIsayingthatthereisaskepticmusculoskeletalsystemtypethatispaired

withthecorrespondingpersonalitytype?Yes.

TakeaPlane

If the musculoskeletal system is fully functional, your major load-bearing joints are inhorizontalandverticalplanaralignment.Aplaneisaboundlessflatsurfaceofinfiniteextentandnothickness,encompassingthreeormorepointsnotonastraightline.

Ourposture revealshowwemove.Howwemove iswhoweare.Skeptics’movementisbasedontryingtoprotecttheirheart,bothasaworkingpumpandtheplacewhere love,courage,andgenerositydwell.Askeptic feelsextremelyvulnerableadvancingstraightattheworldwithhispreciousheart,spiritualandotherwise,exposed;consequently,headoptsadefensiveposturebyrotatingthepelvis and the upper torso so that the shoulders and rib cage shield the heart.This rotation is thecruxofmusculoskeletal systemdysfunction. Itdisrupts thevertical load-bearing alignment that allows us tomove forward smoothly in astraightline,changedirectionwithoutlosingourbalance,hopononefoot,carrya load, and, in general, get around without mishap and injury. The preciselycalibrated,invisiblescaffoldingthatmakesusoneofthemostmobilecreatureson earth is comprised of the alignment of and interaction between just a fewplanes.Thefourhorizontalparallelplanesof thebodyconsistof thosecreatedbytheshoulders,thehips,theknees,andtheankles/feet.Whencombinedwithtwo vertical parallel planes formed by the paired load joints (right or leftshoulder,hip,knee,andankle/foot),themobilebodyisformed.By rotatingher shoulders andhips, a skepticdisruptsherbalance.Toavoid

falling, she resorts to a variety of dodges that strain hermuscles, damage herjoints,andseverelylimitherrangeofmovement.Atthesametime,thiscreatesadistinct,misaligned,non-verticalposturethatismistakenlyregardedasafamilytrait,lifestylechoice,randomselection,oraging.Whenyouloseyourverticalandhorizontalintegrity,theposturedisplayedis

a symptom of illness. Itmay not hurt yet, but it soonwill. The dysfunctional

posture is interferingwith thebody’sneedforhealthy,unrestrictedmovement,anditisrelentlesslyunderminingvitalphysiologicalprocesses.Natural, unrestricted movement allows several degrees of smooth,

spontaneous, rotating motion both horizontally and vertically. It serves as aregulatingmechanismthatwillcontinueaslongasthebonesinvolvedcanreturntorestinneutral.There’snothingwrongwithrotation;inanemergencywemayneed extra flexibility to avoid stumbling or to jump out of harm’s way.Incomplete rotation is the problem—frozen, stuck, jammed rotation that neverreturns to neutral and thereby prevents muscles from resetting for repeatedcontractions.Skepticsarealwaysrotated;usuallyrighttoleftsothattheheartispulledback

withtherightshoulderandsideinterposedtowardthefront.AsIpointedoutinTheEgoscueMethodofHealthThroughMotion,youcanseetherotationinthemirror.Oneshoulderorhiplookscloserthantheother.Ifthereisshoulderorhiprotation(orboth,whichiscommon),yourpostureisoffbalance.Repeatafterme:thebodyisaunit.Itisanimportantmantra.Everythingisconnectedtoeverythingelse.Ifyourshouldersarerotated,that

affectsyourspine.Yourspineaffectsyourhead,andyourhead’spositionaffectsvision, balance, hearing, and neural functions. And that’s just for openers—rotatedshouldershavean impacton the lowerbackand thehips too.Thehipsareinclosecollaborationwiththeknees,theankles,andfeet.Iusedtorelyonthepain-on/pain-offapproach.Ithoughtthatturningoffthe

painbyeliminating the rotationwouldconvinceaclient that the restorationofpostural balance was the cure he or she sought. I didn’t understand that theskeptic’sneedtoprotectthehearttookprecedence.Theirfearofbeingdeceived,tripped up, and trapped blocked their awareness. They stuck with their storyunless I gave them time and encouragement to realize that by being fullybalancedtherewasnodangerthattheycouldn’tsurmount.Isetouttocreateanon-threateningatmospherethatallowsbalancetoslowly

re-emerge for the skeptic. Without undergoing the humiliation and fear, theygradually wean themselves away from the need for their story. By becomingbalanced,pluggingbackintotheuniversalpowergrid,re-energizing,andbeingpresent in themoment, theygainpeaceofmind.They’vegotenergy,strength,calmness,gratitude,andgreatjoy.Howdotheyknow?Theyfeelit.

*

Areyouaskeptic?Doanyofthefollowingapplytoyou?

•You’vebeensaying“Bull!”throughoutthischapter.•You’renocynic,justa“contrarian.”•You’vealreadysampledsomeoftheE-cisesanddon’tthinktheyseemveryeffective.

• You bought one of my other books and your back, knee, shoulder, orwhateverstillhurts . . . so thisbookmustbemoreof thesameold,sameold.

•Youregardlifeasugly,brutish,andshort.•Youareapessimist,ormaybeanoptimist?Orisitalittleofboth?Maybeyoudon’tevenknow.

•Yourbody is lettingyoudown.Orareyou lettingyourbodydown?(Wasthatastupidquestion?)

•Youwonderifitistoolateforyou.•You’renotsurewhatkindofpersonalityyouhaveorwhatyoubelievein.•You’renotsurewhathurtsorwhy.•Youhaven’tlookedatyourselfinthemirrorlately,especiallynotinafull-lengthmirror. If youdid,perhapsyoudidn’t likewhatyou sawordidn’tknowwhattodoaboutwhatyousaw.

•Youdon’tknowhowyoufeelorwhy.

Takea long, leisurelywalk.Thinkabout thosequestionsandanswer twoorthreeofthem.Bythetimeyougetbackhome,decideifyouareaskeptic.Ifyouare,dotheE-cisesthatfollow.Ifyoudecidethatyouarenotaskeptic—andthatisentirelypossible—goontothenextchapter.Tolearnmoreabouttheexercisesinthischapter,pleaserefertotheE-Cise

MenuforSkepticsonthePainFreeLivingDVD.

E-ciseMenuforSkeptics

FOOTCIRCLES/POINTFLEXES

ThisE-cise restores ankle flexibility and strengthens the flexionandextensionmuscles. For FootCircles, lie on your backwith one leg extended flat on thefloorandtheotherbentwiththekneetowardthechest.Claspyourhandsbehindthebentkneewhileyoucirclethefootclockwise20times.Meanwhile,keeptheotherlegonthefloorwithtoespointingstraighttowardtheceiling.Reversethedirectionof thecircling footand repeat.Changesidesandrepeat,makingsuretheknee stays absolutely still,with themovement coming from the ankle, nottheknee.For Point Flexes, stay in the same position on your back with one leg

extendedandtheotherbent.Bringthetoesoftheextendedlegtowardtheshintoflex the foot, then reverse the direction to point the foot. Do 20 flex/pointcombos,thenrepeatwiththeotherfootforanother20(40total)reps.

SITTINGFEMURROTATIONS

ThisE-cise introduces full lateralmovementof thekneeandanklevia thehipsocket.Sitonthefloorwithbothlegsextendedstraightinfrontofyou.Yourfeetshouldbe8to10inchesapart.Forsupport,placeyourhandsbehindyourhipsbyabout4inches.Tightenyourthighmuscles,flexyourtoes,androllyourhipsforward to archyourback.Usingyourhip sockets, rotate yourknees and feetinwardandthenoutward.

Itisimportanttokeepyourhipsrolledforward,withthighsandtoesflexed.Donotleanbacktooheavilyonyourhands;trytositupstraightwithyourheadandshouldersback.Eachrotation-in-and-rotation-outcombocountsasa repetition.Do3setsof20reps.

CROCODILETWIST

ThisE-cise promotes bilateral activity bywringingout the posturemuscles ofthespineand thehip,making themcontractandreleaseequallyonbothsides.Lieonyourbackwithlegsextendedflatonthefloor.Pointthetoesofyourrightfootattheceiling,heelonthefloor.Puttheheelofyourleftfootonthetoesofyourrightfoot(therightbigtoewillbetheprimarycontactpoint).Extendyourarms to the side, levelwith the shoulders, palms facing the floor. Tighten thethighmuscles (quadriceps) of both legs and roll your feet to the right, gettingthemtotouchthefloor,whilekeepingonefootalignedatoptheother.Asyoudothis,liftyourlefthipoffthefloor,pointingitattheceiling.Yourheadlookstothe left (getyourearasclose to theflooraspossible).Holdthispositionfor1minute and breathe; keep the thighs tight. Reverse the feet and repeat on theothersidefor1minute.

CATSANDDOGS

ThisE-ciseworks the hips, spine, shoulders, and neck in coordinated flexion-extension. Get down on the floor on your hands and knees,making sure thatyourkneesarealignedwithyourhips,wrists,andshoulders,andthatyourlowerlegs are parallel with each other and with your hips. Evenly distribute yourweight.Smoothlyroundyourbackasyourheadcurlsdowntocreateacurvethatruns from the buttocks to the neck—this is the cat with an arched back.Smoothly sway the back downwhile bringing the head up—this is the perkydog. Make these two moves flow continuously back and forth rather thanallowingthemtobedistinctandchoppy.Do10repetitions,witheachcat-and-dogcombocountingasasinglerep.

STANDINGATWALLWITHPILLOWBETWEENKNEES

ThisE-cisepromotesproperpositioningofall loadjoints.Standatawallwithyourfeetparallelandhips-widthapart.Yourheels,hips,upperback,andmaybeyourheadareagainstawall.(Maybe,becausesomepeoplehavesevereshoulderrotationand/orslumping,whichpulltheneckandheadforward.Ifso,bringyourheadup andback toward thewall as far as itwill gowithout forcing it.OvertimeasyoudothisE-cise,themuscleswillgraduallystrengthenenoughtobringthebackofyourheadintocontactwiththewall.)Relaxyourstomachmusclesandmakesure thatyourfeetremainpointedstraightahead.Asmall, inflatablepillowor blockbetweenyourknees should feel as if it is slightlypushing thekneesapart.Donotpushintothepillow;itistheretotriggersomeofyourhipmuscles to provide stabilization while you are in this position. Hold for 4minutes.

STATICEXTENSIONPOSITION

ThisE-cisecounteractshiprotation.Startonyourhandsandkneesonthefloor.Move your hands forward by about 6 inches, then move your upper bodyforwardsothatyourshouldersareaboveyourhands.Yourhipsarenowinfrontof your knees by about 6 inches. Keep your elbows straight, and allow yourshoulderbladestocollapsetogetherwhileyourlowbackarchesasyourhipsrollforward.Dropyourheadandstayinthispositionfor3minutes.

SITTINGKNEEPILLOWSQUEEZES

ThisE-cisepromotesbilateralpelvicextensionandencouragespelvicstability.Sittowardthefrontedgeofahardchair(don’tleanintothechairback)withathick pillow or inflatable block between your knees, and your pelvis rolledforwardtoputanarchinyourlowerback.Keepyourfeetpointedstraightaheadand your upper body relaxed. Squeeze and release the pillow between yourknees;keepthearchinyourlowback.Remember,yourfeetarepointedstraightahead.Do3setsof20repetitions.

SITTINGABDUCTORPRESSWITHSTRAP

ThisE-cisedevelopsbilateralpelvicextensionandencouragespelvicstability.Afour-foot-long,non-elasticstrapwithabuckleisneededforthisE-cise(oryoucanimprovisewithanoldbeltoralengthofrope).Sitinachairwithyourfeetpointed straight ahead. Buckle or tie the strap around your knees, with yourknees hips-width apart, and your pelvis rolled forward to put an arch in yourlowerback.Donotleanback.Maintainingthespinalarch,pushoutwardagainstthestrapatyourkneesandrelease.Do3setsof20repetitions.

STANDINGARMCIRCLES

ThisE-cisestrengthensthemusclesoftheupperbackthatareinvolvedwiththeshoulders’ball-and-socketfunction.Standfacingafull-lengthmirrorwithyourfeetparallelandtoespointingstraightahead.Placeapilloworinflatableblockbetweenyourknees.Curlyourfingertipsintothepadsofeachpalm(thefleshyareaat thebaseof thefingers),andpointyour thumbsstraightout. (Thishandposition,called the“golfer’sgrip,” is imperative to thesuccessof thisE-cise.)Squeezeyourshoulderblades together,andbringyourarmsout to thesidesatshoulder level, elbows straight. With your palms facing down and thumbspointedforward,circleupandforward.Withyourarmsstilloutatshoulderleveland palms up, circle up and back. Remember to keep your wrists, arms, andelbowsstraight,withtheshoulderbladessqueezedtogether.Don’tcontractyourstomachmuscles—the circlesmust come from the shoulders.Keep your neckandheadback.Do100forwardrepetitionsand100backrepetitions.

*IfyoutrythisE-ciseandhavetroublegettingthebacklegintoposition,usetheseatofachairinsteadofacountertop.Standstraightwithyourheadandshouldersback.Keepthehipsevenandlevel.Usethebackofanotherchairtohelpkeepyourbalance.Ifyouarehavingproblemswiththisone,itconfirmsthatyouneedalotofworkonyourhips.

TWELVE

MAKINGTHEWORSTOFIT

PESSIMISTS DON’T JUST TELL THEIR STORY—they are their story.Pessimistsarecertainthattheyliveunderanunrelentingsiege.Theycollectthedamnedandtheunluckythingsthathavehappenedintheirlivesandboltthemtogethertoserveasbothascriptandasanalibifortheirlives.Pessimiststhinkandtalkabout:

•Howbadthingshappentoagoodperson.•Whytheworstcasetrumpsthebestofintentions.•Theaddicting thrill of identifying theonewhobears theblame for all thepain,limitation,anddespair.

Yes,apessimist’sstoryisalitanyofwoethatgoesfromonenegativeincidenttoanother,eventbyevent,typicallycoveringtentotwentyyearsofsoapopera–likeplotdevelopmentinwhichboundlesshope,themostpowerfulmedicineofall,giveswaytooppressivenegativity.Butthat’snosoapopera—it’sthestuffofreal,personaltragedyandsearingemotionalpain.No,Ishouldhaveknownbetter.No,thatwasamistake.No...I’mafraidit’stoolate.Pessimists are willing to take long treks into the distant past to relive

accidents, illnesses, disappointments, and assorted mishaps. They pass harshjudgmentonthemselvesandothers,wallowinrecriminations,andfulminateatthe injustice. Their stories are epic and comprehensive.Great heaps of rubble

blockthewayandkeepthenarrator-protagonistfromeithermovingforwardtoafreshstartortowardtakingresponsibilityfortheirownhistoryandhealth.Pessimistscanrecovertheirpositiveenergyflow,peaceofmind,andperfect

health only byputtingdown the burdenof theirwoeful story and reopening aconnectiontothepresent.It’snoteasy.Butyoucandoit.Youareenough.

*

When I was a youngMarine second lieutenant in Vietnam, my commandingofficergotfedupwithmyindecisionduringafirefight.

Itwasmyfirsttimeleadingtroopsincombat,andasIconferredwithhimonthefieldradio,Iditheredbackandforthbetweenoptions.Hebarkedatme,“Makeupyourmind, lieutenant . . .don’tdiewondering.”Thatwasgoodadvice.Sostopwondering. If you’re unsure, assume you are a pessimist, so you can dosomethingaboutit.In the clinic, we help pessimists put down their burdensome stories by

reintroducing postural balance,which always calms themind and restores theflowofpositiveenergy.IfIwereforcedtodotriage,Iwouldturnawaythefactcollectors and the skeptics andworkonlywith thepessimists.Theyare in thedeepesttrouble.Usually someone living in a bubble of pessimismbecomes offended by the

suggestion thathe is toblame,even thoughno such implicationwas intended.The story, while deeply disturbing, is familiar and comforting. It’s a securityblanket and, rather than give it up, the skeptic backs off, loses interest in theEgoscueMethod,makesexcuses,orstartsarguing.Perversely,heisproudofhisstory and fiercely protective of it. After all, he is at the center of the tale,heroicallyenduringoutrageousslingsandarrows.

ParsingPronouns

Aword or two about gender and pronouns: I switch genders to establish that personalitytypesarecommoninbothmenandwomen.Nogenderhasamonopolyonanycharacteristicorpersonality.Pronounsaretotallyinterchangeable.

Pessimistsloveshow-and-tell—themoredramatic,thebetter.Theirstoryisonaconversationalloopthatplaysandreplays.Evenso,I’mwillingtolistentoastoryoverandoveragain,waitingfortheopportunitytoask,“Whatwouldyouliketodonow?”Often,theanswerissomethinglike,“Ijustdon’tknow.I’vetriedeverything.”“Youtoldmethatyourneckhurts—nineandahalfonaten-pointscale.Since

youareheretoday,doyouthinkitmakessensetoseeifwecanknockthatdownalittle—saytoasixorseven—ifwecan?”“Idon’tknow.Youcantry....”Cue the fireworks, the balloon drop, and confetti. In the initial phase of

workingwith thepessimist, “I don’t know.Youcan try. . . .” is asgoodas itgets.Hedoesn’thavetheenergytoinvestinevenlow-gradeenthusiasm.Heisrunningonempty.Theremarkablethingisthatheisevenrunningatall.Theirstories have blotted out every survival instinct except one last trace of hope.Instead of quitting, they hang on to a last vestige of against-the-odds belief—belief,not in themselves,but in theexpertswhomtheyhave turned to foraid.Thisisamixedblessing,butifthat’swhatwe’vegottoworkwith—sobeit.

HighHopes

Whenapessimistfirstarrivesatoneofourclinics,sheiscertainwewillrescueher from pain. Tommywas a good example. He had researched the EgoscueMethod and was convinced it was the silver bullet. Yet that certainty wasunderminedbyhisconvictionthathewouldscrewitup.Why?Hisstoryprovedit.Timeandtimeagain,hehadconsultedthebestmindsofmedicineandhealthcare, mainstream, experimental, and alternative practitioners who have stellarreputations and solid track records. He followed their advice, underwentunpleasant treatments, and dutifully submitted to expensive tests, intrusiveexaminations,andpatronizinglectures.Itwastypical.Undauntedonthesurface,our pessimist friend kept at it, but the only things to show for his effortweremorepain,lessenergy,andanotherchaptertoaddtohisstoryaboutamanwhotried and failed. There is noway to argue the pessimist out of this poisonousmind-set.He listened intently, nodded gravely, and said, “What you’re sayinghasmerit,butIjustdon’tknow.”Andhow right hewas!Hedidn’t know.Hehad to feel hisway to positive

expectations that can serve as the fulcrum for action. By gently nudging thepessimisttowarddecidingtotakeactionbasedonwhathefeels,andbyframingit in low-key terms, I leave the story in place without directly disputing thefailure expectation that is its foundation.Openly challenginghis self-defeatingstorywouldprovokeastubborndefensethatusuallyleavesthepessimistoptingtogoelsewhereforhelpratherthangiveuphisstory.IfIwanthimtostickwithmeanddecide to take thenext step, ithas tobehischoice.Typically,expertslike to make decisions. This is true of experts of all sorts. Experts areprofessionallyandemotionallyinvestedinatreatmentmethodology,standreadyandeager to implement it,andassume—notatallunreasonably—that theyarebeingconsultedpreciselytomakethosedecisions.

Unawareness

Meditation and other similar techniques provide a means of conscious access to andawareness of actuating beliefs. Emotional turmoil is a consequence of one’s inability toachieveanenlightenedawareness.

Inreality,pessimistswantexpertstovalidatetheirstoryandcuretheproblem,butthat’simpossible.Why?HumanhealthisinfluencedbywhatIcallactuatingbelief.ThosewhowanthelpwiththeirhealthhavetoacceptthatI’minchargeof their health.Total buy-in is required.To do that, however, the expertmustrepealExistentialHealthLawnumberone:Healingandhealthcomefromwithintheindividual.Passivebystandersandexpertsareoutsidersbydefinition.Hence,apessimist

only thinksshebelieves that theexpert is theanswer toherprayers.What sheactually believes is just the opposite.Her awaremind, not the thinkingmind,instinctively embraces all the fundamental realities of existence because theyactuate existence itself, thereby becoming forms of unalterable transcendentbelief.Anindividualmaynotbeenlightenedenoughtobeconsciouslyawareofanactuatingbelief,buthisorherphysiologicalsystemsarefullyattuned.That’snottosaythatactuatingbeliefsshieldusfromthefollyofourthinkingmindsorourinabilitytofullyaccesstheawaremind.Theunaware—theunenlightened—pay a high price. They persist in taking actions (thoughts are both forms ofactionandformsofmatter/energy)thatunderminetheirhealthandwell-beingby

divertinganddrainingoffpositive,high-wavelengthenergy.Bydeferring toexpertsandhandingover to thempersonalresponsibilityfor

herhealth,thepessimistlosesimportantbenefitsthatwouldotherwisereachherbywayoftheactuatingandactionablebeliefthathealthcomesfromwithin.Sheis closing down a vital feedback loop that provides energy, strength, andconfidence. If thishappenedonlyoccasionallyor temporarily, itwouldn’tbeabigdeal.Thehumanbodyhasageniusforproblemsolvingandcopingwiththeunexpected, butwhenexperts take chargebyorchestratingonslaughtsof toxicchemical compounds and traumatic surgical intervention, on top of a modernculture that featurespoornutritional standardsandacutely sedentary lifestyles,thecumulativedamagecanbeenormousandlasting.Itisnotpossibletosimultaneouslybelieveanddisbelieve,whichiswhatthe

pessimist attempts to do.As powerful as the thinkingmind is, it cannot eraseexistential belief derived from biological reality. Thoughts are things. Thethought, confirmed by the experience of allowing the expert to usurp power,delivers themessage you are not enough, and that attitude suppresses healingwhen a pessimist is chased away from her rightful, paramount role as theprimaryhealthgeneratorandguardian.That’swhatImeanwhenIusetheterm“actuatingbelief.”Bybelieving in theexpert anddisbelievingherownpower,sheendsuplosingtheverythingshedependsontoguaranteehealthandwell-being.Beliefisthemind’sthumb.Likethethumbsofourhands,whichallowusthe

flexibility, control, strength,anddelicate touch tomakeandgrasp tools,beliefgivesus thepower touse themind inadeliberateandstructuredway. It linksthoughttoaction.Ifyoudonotbelievetherearefishinthepond,youwon’tgofishing. Indeed, the practical effect is the same no matter what the actualconditions—no fish. If you don’t believe that the aspirin will get rid of yourheadache,youprobablywon’ttakeit.Ifyoubelievethechemotherapywillkillyoubeforeitcuresyourcancer,youprobablywillrefuseit.Belief can serve as an on-off switch that activates or deactivates important

supportingphysiologicalmechanisms.Notice that Iuse theword“supporting.”Medicaltreatmentisn’tmagic;mostlyitischemistryor,inthecaseofsurgery,sophisticatedformsofcarpentryandplumbing.Hitlivingtissuewithahammerand it reacts,butafter thathappens, thenwhat?Physicaldiscomfort,pain,andhealthingeneralareextremelysubjectivestates.Oursensesreceivestimulithatlack a uniform objective basis because sensory perception is unique to the

individual. Humans raise physical sensation to the level of perception byassigning meaning and value to a biochemical and neurological event thatinvolvesimpingementonreceptorcellsofasensoryorgansuchastheeye,ear,orskin.Avastrangeofsensorymechanismsisonlynowbeginningtobefullyappreciatedbycutting-edgescience.Bytransferringresponsibilitytotheexpert,apessimistsitsbackandwaitsto

feelapositiveornegativesensation.Andwaitsandwaitsandwaits.Deepdown,he really expects the negative. What he thinks he believes in, usually half-heartedly—the expert’s educational credentials and state-of-the-art tools—areunlikelytoproduceasensationcapableofovercomingthepervasivefearthatisblocking the flow of positive energy he needs to regain health. The body’sinternalscanningmechanismfindsonlyanoveractivethinkingmindcopingwithanidea—powerlessness—thatisatoddswithbiologicalexperience.AmIsayingthatallmedicalandexpert-managedinterventionisineffective?

No.Buteffectivenessisadirectconsequenceof theindividual’sbeliefsystem.Inthecaseofthepessimist,thatbeliefsystemisimpairedbyanexpectationoffailure,muchofitgeneratedbyastorythatneatly“confirms”thatanineffectiveoutcome is inevitable. Successes that occur are a result of treatment that justhappens to get under the radar of those negative expectations, principally bytriggering deep-seated unconscious beliefs (and their supporting positiveemotions) thatmanagetooperate independentlyof thefailureexpectationsandcounteracttheirdeadlyeffects.Access to the aware mind is of great importance. By putting the pessimist

backinchargeofherexpectationsandherhealththroughreestablishingposturalbalance,itispossibletoplaceheratthecenterofthings,whereshecandecidetotakeupherresponsibilitiesinsteadofhandingthemofftooutsiders.Restorationofposturalbalancewon’thappenallatonceandmaynothappenatall.Evenso,itisessentialtotrytomoveintherightdirection,toencouragethepessimisttoresumetakingsmallportionsofresponsibility,whichcanbegraduallyexpanded.It is a way to slowly regain lost confidence, ratchet down the sense ofhelplessness,muzzlethefearofpowerlessness,andbegintorebuildthecapacitytoabsorbpositiveenergy.Youcanfeelit!You’llknowwhenit’stimetodropthatstory.Pessimists have lost their aware minds. The obsession with story blocks

awareness by leading them back into the past and/or ahead into the future(usuallyboth).Only thepresent isenergized,however.Everymoment that the

mind spends outside of the present by rehashing events and situations that nolongerexistasawaytolearnfrommistakes—whichisreallyanexcusetofindfaultwith oneself—is amoment disconnected from the universal energy grid.Similarly,imaginingfutureeventsthatwillmostlikelynevertakeplacealsocutsher off from the supply of high-wavelength energy that would restore herbalance.Pessimistsareinthehabitofrelivingthepastandpre-livingthefuture.Consequently,theyareinanacutestateofenergydeprivation.Theirdespairispalpable.InTheEgoscueMethodofHealthThroughMotion,

IdescribedConditionIIIsashavingthepostureofdespair:hipstiltedunderasthoughapairofhandshadgrippedthemfrombehindandyankedthemforwardandthendownwithtremendousforce.ThisflattenstheS-curveofthespine.The“S” is actually reversed (like this: ) so that when the pelvis tilts under, thelowercurvenolongerbelliestotheleft.Thisleftcurveiswhatgivesusspinalstrength,balance,andflexibility.Thissendstheshouldersforward,roundedandslumped, and leaves the head to jut forward. It is the signature posture of thepessimist.Stiffandunbalanced,shestrugglestostayuprightasgravityseekstotopplehertotheearthface-first.Hershouldersandkneestorqueandwobbletokeep her moving forward in a straight line. She trips and falls frequently.Walkingisstressful,climbingstairsisagonizing,andrunningripsupjointsandcourtsaheartattack.Apessimist’slifestyleisnottoblame,heredityhaslittletodowith it, and there’s nothingwrongwith thedesignof her body.This lookslike energy starvation—and it is energy starvation. The pessimist is veryfamiliar.Shelookslikeyourneighbor,daughter,boss.Glanceinthemirror;shemaylooklikeyou.When asked how they feel right now, pessimists don’t have the vocabulary

handytodescribethepresentmoment,sotheylaunchintoareportonwhattheirphysician believes is wrong, the latest side effects of the medicine and theheadaches that interferewith their resolutions togetmoreexerciseandagoodnight’s sleep. These stories are layered with symptoms, tests, mistakes, andunforeseencomplications.I’ll respond: “No, that’s how you felt last weekwhen youwent to see the

doctor.Howdoyoufeelrightnow?”“Thesame.”“Tellmehowthe‘same’feels.”“Ithurts.”“Where?”

Pessimists seem almost reluctant to pinpoint the pain. The reason is that aspecificlocusofpainhasmorphedanddiffusedintoageneralsensationthatispartpain,partfear,partmetabolicslowdown,andpartphysiologicalexhaustion.Pessimistsarefloodedwithincomingcallsfromtheir internalsensors,warningthattheirsystemisslidingintoacatastrophicstateofdeterioration.Actualpain—the I-can’t-bend-my-knee-without-screaming kind of pain— is the least oftheirworries.Mostpessimistshavegottenaccustomedtofeelinglousy,butitisimpossible

tofakeasunnyoutlookonlife.Theyareglum,anxious,andweary.WhenIaskwhere it hurts, the idea of being able to focus on a single ache or pain seemsstrange.Itwouldmakemoresensetoaskwhereitdoesn’thurt.Theyhavecometo expect to feel bad, and deal with it by treating their symptoms likecantankerous old friends or beloved pets that must be coddled and indulged;otherwise they’ll act up and behave badly. As for the future, they don’tanticipateachangeforthebetter.Thereisareverseplaceboeffect(knownasthenoceboeffect)thatpessimists

bring into the offices of health-care practitioners of every stripe that makesprogress extremely unlikely. If a patient believes the visitwill helpmake himfeelbetter,hewill actually showsignsof improvementadayor sobefore thevisit takesplace:aclassicplaceboeffect.Butwhen thepessimistbelieves thatnothing will help—guess what? Nothing helps. The powers of intention,attention,andexpectationhaveenormouseffect.Thoughtsarethings.Thebodyresponds to the mind by adjusting blood and brain chemistry, altering thepermeabilityofcellularmembranesandincreasingoxygenflow.Athirdpower,thepowerofawareness,isatworktoo.Bytuningoutthepresentandfocusinginsteadonherstoryfilledwithshadowsofthepast,apessimistcannotmarshalher fullphysicalandmental resources. InShakespeare’sHenry IV,Part1, themouthy Welsh warlord Glendower brags that he can win a crucial battle bycallingonsupernaturalpowersfromthe“vastydeep.”“Why,socanI,orsocananyman,”repliesHotspur,whothenasksblandly,

“butwilltheycomewhenyoudocall?”Apessimist’sformidableinnerpowersmayneverhear thecall to join in today’sbattlebecauseshe is looking towardthepast,notthepresent.Asaresult,theforcesofhopeandlifedonotcometotherescue.Worse,theyareactivelyturnedaway.Energy surrounds and saturates all living things like the sea that washes

around a coral reef, bathing, nurturing, and healing its teeming efflorescence.

Thelivingreefisembracedbythesea’slife-givingenergy;itopensitselftothecurrent and lives. The embrace is all. As long as the powers of intention,attention, expectation, and awareness are switched off or pointed elsewhere,therecanbenotransferofenergy,noembrace,andsoon—nolife.Thethrillingthingaboutpessimistsisthattheycanturnonadimeoncethey

getalittletraction.Byputtingtheirstoryasideforaslittleastenminuteswhiletheyconcentrateonafewbasicbalancingexercises,arushofincomingenergycanblastthepessimistoutoftheholeshehasdugforherself.Thepresentfloodsinandsaturatesherwithasenseofwell-being.By encouraging pessimists to take small, simple steps to restore

musculoskeletalsystembalancewithouttyingittothestoryonewayortheother(if the story is never heard of again, good riddance!), a postural therapist canquicklyhelpboosttheirmetabolismandsendtheirmoodsoaring.Inshortorder,thepessimist’sstorystartslosingrelevanceandpower.Withinaveryfewdays,asherposturalbalanceimproves,shefindsthatherfocushasshiftedawayfromherstoryandontothepresent.Herawaremindblossoms;fearnolongerstalksher.Shemarvelsattheenjoymentderivedfromashortwalktovisitfriendsandabriskstrollonthebeachatlowtidetocollectshells,somethingshehasn’tdoneforyears.Youareenoughafterall.Comeon,giveitatry.Embracethepresentmoment.Alwayscatchtherain.Tolearnmoreabouttheexercisesinthischapter,pleaserefertotheE-Cise

MenuforPessimistsonthePainFreeLivingDVD.

E-ciseMenuforPessimists

STANDINGPIGEON-TOEDATTHEWALL

This E-cise is for proper pelvic tilt. Stand with your heels, buttocks, back,shoulders,andyourheadagainstthewall.Feelbothyourshoulderbladesagainstthewall.Makesurethebackofyourheadcontactsthewallandthatyouarenotarching your shoulders. Feet should be parallel and about hips-width apart.Swivel your feet inward so that the big toes touch, and maintain this angleduringtheE-cise.Relaxyourstomachandtakedeepbreaths.Ifyourheadwon’tstayagainstthewall,rollupatoweloruseaninflatablerollandputitbetweenyourneckandthewall.Keepyourhandsatyoursides,thumbsfacingforward.Holdfor4to6minutes.

IN-LINEGLUTEALCONTRACTIONS

This E-cise works the glute muscles (musculus gluteus) in the buttocks forpropermovement of the feet, to keep the pelvis from tipping forward, and toallow leg extension for stair climbing. Stand with the heel of your left foottouching the tipsofyour right toes.The feetwillbe flaton the floor and inastraight line,withknees locked.Balanceyourhipsevenly to the right and left(they may want to rotate and swing your torso around) by equalizing yourweightonbothfeetandkeepingyourheadandshouldersback.Simultaneouslycontract and releaseboth the right and leftglutes.Do3 setsof20.Switch thefeet(rightinfrontofleft),contract,andreleasetheglutesforanother3setsof20.Don’tuseyourabdominalmuscles.Makethecontractionsfull,smooth,andslow. If you have trouble retaining your balance, use a chair or a wall forsupport.

STANDINGFORWARDBEND

This E-cise loosens the hamstring muscles. Place your feet flat on the floor,parallel and about hips-width apart. Slowly bend over at the waist, kneesstraight, touching your fingertips to the floor (or as far as you can get), headhanging.Breathe.Feelthestretchequallyinthebackofbothlegsbutdon’tforceit.Holdfor1minute.Tocomeoutoftheexercise,unlockyourknees,lettingthemmovetowardthe

floorasthehipsreleaseandtheuppertorsodipsforwardandupward.Or,asyouunlockyourknees,restyourhandsonthethighsjustabovetheknees,unlocktheknees, and transfer the weight from your lower back to your hands. Pushupward,archyourback,andshiftyourweightbacktowardthehips.Withlevelhips,lifttheuppertorsointoanupright,fullyverticalposition.

STATICEXTENSIONPOSITION

ThisE-cisecounteractshiprotation.Startonyourhandsandkneesonthefloor.Move your hands forward by about 6 inches, then move your upper bodyforwardsothatyourshouldersareaboveyourhands.Yourhipsarenowinfrontof your knees by about 6 inches. Keep your elbows straight, and allow yourshoulderbladestocollapsetogetherwhileyourlowbackarchesasyourhipsrollforward.Dropyourheadandstayinthispositionfor3minutes.

CATSANDDOGS

ThisE-ciseworks the hips, spine, shoulders, and neck in coordinated flexion-extension. Get down on the floor on your hands and knees,making sure thatyourkneesarealignedwithyourhips,wrists,andshoulders,andthatyourlowerlegsareparallelwitheachotherandwithyourhips.Makesureyourweight isdistributedevenly.Smoothlyroundyourbackasyourheadcurlsdowntocreateacurve that runs fromthebuttocks to theneck—this is thecatwithanarchedback. Smoothly sway the back down while bringing the head up—this is theperkydog.Makethesetwomovesflowcontinuouslybackandforthratherthanallowingthemtobedistinctandchoppy.Do10repetitions,witheachcat-and-dogcombocountingasasinglerep.

DOWNWARDDOG

ThisE-cisere-establisheslinkagefromthewriststothefeet.Assumetheperkydogposition in theCats andDogs exercise (see theopposite page).Curl yourtoes under, and pushwith your legs to raise your torso until you are off yourkneeswith theweightrestingonyourhandsandfeet.Keeppushinguntilyourhipsarehigherthanyourshouldersandhaveformedatight,stabletrianglewiththefloor.Yourkneesshouldbestraight,yourcalvesandthighstight.Keepyourfeetpointingstraightaheadinlinewithyourhands,andnotcreepingbackward.Your back should be flat, not bowed, as your hips press up andback into theheels.Breathe. If you cannot bring your heels flat onto the floor, get them ascloseaspossible.Don’tforcethem.Itmaytakeseveralsessionsbeforetheygoallthewaydown.Remaininthispositionfor1minute.

TOWEL-ROLLSETTLEWITHSTRAP

ThisE-cise allowsgravity to relaxand release themusclesof theupperbody.You’llneedtworolledbathtowels.Lieonyourbackwithkneesbentandheldtogetherwithabeltornonelasticstrap.Yourfeetshouldbeflatonthefloorandplacedparallelabouthips-widthapart.Placeoneoftherolledtowelsunderthebackofyourneck(don’t restyourheadon it; it is there tosupportyourneck)andtheotherunderyourlowerbackjustabovethehips.Holdthispositionfor10minutes.

CATSANDDOGSSeetheinstructionsonCatsandDogs.

*

Don’trushthroughthese;takeyourtimeandenjoythem.

THIRTEEN

UNSTICKTHIS

OKAY.THEBIGTHREE.You’reup—it’stimetomakeadecisionandtakeaction.Sonya,awell-knownHollywoodactor,facedthesamechallengeaftermaking

only threevisits tomySanDiegoclinic.Shewashesitatingandwhen Iaskedherwhatshewantedtodo,sheimmediatelyreplied,“Whateveryousay.”I guess we know where she was coming from—straight from Planet

Pessimism.What I said to her also applies to you, no matter where you arecomingfrom:“Whynotgowithwhateverthebodysays?”Fortunately, he or she who hesitates is not lost, just bogged down. Start

gettingunstuckrightherebyansweringacoupleofeasyquestions:Howdoyoufeelafterdoingeachof theE-cisemenusthatI introducedinChapters10,11,and12?What happenedphysically and emotionallywhen you read themoverand—most important—when you tried them? Focus. You’ve just finishedstimulatingwhatamountstothemostsensitive,hyper-responsivelifeformthathaseverexisted.Fromthesolesofyourfeettothetopofyourskull therewas(andstillis)anuproarofsignals,enzymereleases,hormonedrips,adjustments,and status reports.More than100millionproteinmoleculesper cell arebeingconcocted,dissolved,andre-assembledatanygiveninstant.Itisabsurdtothinkthatsuchanintricate,hair-triggerdevicejustsitstheredeadinthewater.Ibelievetheawaremindcandialintoanysinglecellinthebodytoreceivea

precisely detailed weather report. Yes, you can fine-tune your awareness tolisten inonall thisand infinitelymore.Even ifyouaredealingwithaseriouschronic illness, the content of themessage traffic is overwhelmingly positive.

Onlyatinyfractionofthecontentisreportinganomalies.Ourearliestancestorsjoyfullybelly-floppedintothetorrentofpositivedataandwerecarriedfortensof thousands of years straight into adventures that drove other seeminglysuperior life-forms intoextinction.Sadly, asof late, the triphas takenusonadetourfrombrashself-confidencetothedoorstepofself-loathing.Butweareintheprocessofgettingbackonthemainhighway.

*

Andyourdecisionis...?Oh, you haven’t done the E-cises yet. (If you have—good! Skip the next

paragraphasyourreward.)I have been taking it easy, maybe too easy, on giving a lot of explicit

instructions in each chapter, because Iwant you to call the shots.This isn’t acookbook thatyoucan flip through, reada recipe, imaginehowgood it tastes,andthenturntothenextrecipeandthenext.Iusetheterm“menu”forareason.For one thing, “routine” and “program” make it sound like drudgery. TheallusiontoeatingisaptbecauseyouneedtogetthebenefitsoftheseE-cisesintoyoursystem.Ifyoudon’tactuallysampletheitemsonthemenus,thenyouareletting your thinking mind control the play. This is where your story startsgetting in theway.A fact collector is probably thinking, “I needmore facts.”Theskepticconcludes,“Itcan’tbethatsimple.”Andthepessimisthidesoutinhis steadily shrinking comfort zones,muttering, “I can’t do thismyself.” Theplotalwaysthickens.Itisthereasonourstoriesgrowsolargeandcumbersomethateventuallyweareunabletomoveforward.We all experience occasional brief bouts of indecision. However, chronic

indecision is a symptomof a serious energy deficit. It takes a huge supply ofenergy tomake important decisions and carry them out promptly, particularlythosewithmanymovingpartsandpotentialcomplications.Individualswhoarebalanced, aware, and at peace with themselves effortlessly can draw on theirabundantenergyresources.Hence,decisionmakingisnobigdeal.Anyenergytheyuseispromptlyreplaced.Incontrast,whenthefuelgaugeisstuckonlow,the tendency is to cut back on consumption; even small decisions seemenormous.Whentheenergyshortageisprolonged—forthosewhoareoneofthethree archetypal stories— the body is forced to retreat into the thinkingmind.Thissubstitutesvariousdodgessuchaswaitandsee,passthebuck,orgeneralcynicism because other options requiring action further deplete the already

inadequateamountofenergythatremainsavailable.Whatwearetryingtodoisgetyououtofyourthinkingmindlongenoughto

jump-start the flow of positive energy.You don’t have to go into the E-cisescold;doashortseriesofwarm-ups:

•Standwithyourweightevenlydistributedoneachfoot,eyesclosed.•Inhaleandexhaledeeplyandslowlytoacountofthirty.•Listentothesoundsinsideandoutsidetheroom.•Imaginethatyouarelookingdownonyourselffromabove.•Begratefulforthemoment.

Animportant thingis takingplaceduringthesepreliminaries:Iamsneakingyou extra energy, just enough to clear away the fog and engage your feelingmind. In addition, each item on the menu itself will supply a small spurt ofenergyasitrestores(alittle)posturalalignmentandbalance.One of these three menus will prompt your body to speak up louder and

clearerthantheothersbecausetheE-cisesandtheirsequencingarehavingmoreimpact on your musculoskeletal system’s dysfunctions and misalignment.What’smore, theyarealsogetting through toyouremotionsandbeginning tocalm your mind. I suggest you try one—start with any of the three—andcompleteadifferentfullmenueachdayforthreedays.Onthethirdday,standina balanced positionwith your eyes closed, count slowly to thirty focusing onyour breathing, and then,without pondering, choose. Just choose; don’t try toexplain,weigh,grade,orjustify.Gowiththemenuthatfeelsright.WhatdoImeanby“right”?That’saquestionIcan’tanswerforyou.You’ll

knowitwhenyoufeelit.Dothatmenuonceadayfortendays.Aftereachdailysession,spendfouror

fiveminutesquietlylisteningtoyourbody.Deliberatelyfocusyourattentiononareaswherethereispain,restriction,or limitation.It isnotnecessarytojudge,evaluate, or compare; just become aware of the available sensations.Use thistimetocelebrateyourbody’smanygifts.Thesimpleactofappreciation,ofgratitude,canchangetheinteriorclimateof

thebodyfromstressfultoblissful.Itisanantidotetothewavesoffearthatcanroilthebodyandwreakhavoconthefinelycalibratedprocesseswhenwelosefaithinourperfection.Painisnotanenemy.Youhavenoenemieswithinunless

youopenthegatesandinvitethemin.Gatekeepingisoneofyourbody’smostimportantfunctions.Themembrane

ofeachcelladmitsonlycarefullyscreened,beneficialmaterial—thatwhichhasbeen signed, sealed, and delivered by evolution—while denying access toeverythingelse.CellbiologistBruceH.Lipton’sbrilliantresearchshowsthatthecellmembranescrutinizestheincomingmatterinsearchofakey.Whenfound,it activates the formation of a corresponding keyhole-and-lock mechanism (anecklace-likestringofaminoacidscomprisingaproteinchain).Thekeyopensachannelintothecellonlyifthereisanexactmatchofkeyandkeyhole.Inotherwords,sustainingthecellwithfood,fuel,andotheressentialsistheworkofthevigilantmembrane—notDNA.Thegatekeeperclosestheborderwhenitdetectsdanger.Hence,slightchangesinvalance,pH,turbidity,resonance,andahostofothersubtlecharacteristicscanleadtoaprotectivecelllockdown.Fear sends out powerful neurotransmitters that lead to the equivalent of a

code-red alert. Apparently even imaginary fears, pessimism, doubts, habitualnegativity,andanxietycanleadtopartialorall-outrestrictionsincellularaccesssince suchemotionsmaybe legitimate symptomsofdisease.Theenvironmentoutsidethecells,therefore,affectstheenvironmentwithinthecells.Blockadingtheresupplyroute into thecells,even if it isonlya fractionof theentiresixtytrillion,createsnegativecapability.Fundamentally,allactionsareanexpressionof belief.Our beliefs—life is essentially good versus life is ugly, brutish, andshort—essentially control our health by allowing expectation to express ordistort perception. Bruce Lipton refers to it as “the Biology of Belief.” He isexactlyright.Biologists use electronmicroscopes to discern cell behavior on this level; I

contend that all you need is a mirror. In it is visible the tangible, physicalexpressionofthebiologyofbeliefintheformoffunctionalposture.Ifactionisanexpressionofbelief,postureisanexpressionofaction(s).Bywayoforiginalintent, posture’s purpose is to effectuate common, everyday actions andfundamentalbelief—walking, running, throwing, stretching,embracingamate,cuddling a child, striking an enemy, giving a gift to a friend, and so on—allexpressionsoffundamentalbeliefinthewisdomofthebody.Onequicklookatourposturetellsuswhatwearecapableorincapableofdoing.Glancing in themirror—literallyand figuratively, sinceweneedno looking

glass to trulyknowourposture—theperceptionprocessesof thebodyprovidefeedbackonwhoweareandwhowecanbe;ourconfidenceebbsandflows;and

energy levels adjust. Best of all, posture is what-you-see-is-what-you-get. Itprovidesanhonesttemplateofenormouspotentialandawesomenobility.

*

TheseE-cises have thepower to switchpostural awareness backon.Youwillfeel the body responding to the stimulus and informing you about what isworking andwhat isn’t. Be patient. Expect success. If you are still uncertain,don’tforceit.Takeadayortwooffandthentryagain.Asyourunthroughthemenu,noteanychanges.IsanE-ciseharderthanthelasttime?Easier?Give the menu another full ten days. Meanwhile, bump up your physical

activitylevels.Goforawalk,workinthegarden,dance.Monitoryourmoods,sleep,andappetite.Youshouldfeelchanges.Ifnot,runthroughthesameseriesofstepswiththe

othermenus.

FOURTEEN

WALLTOWALL,Y’ALL

IWOULDBEHUGELYDISAPPOINTEDifthisconversationofoursendeduplost in a thick fog of words. To avoid the danger of ending this process inconfusion,Iwillinvokethe“lessismore”rulebyturningtoaclassictechniqueforachievingbrevityandclarity:theChinesewallposter(myversion).First,animportantadjuration(nowthere’sawordfromthethesaurus).Lessis

more when it comes to cool 1950s-ish Studebakers, Barcelona chairs, orBauhaus-inspired office buildings. More is more when you are sucking uppositiveenergy,balance,awareness,andmotion.Itisimpossibletooverindulgeintheitemsonthismenu.Foreveryoneofmywallpostersaddtwoorthreeorthirtyofyourown.Crankupthepositivevibes.Goforit.

ThehumanbodyteachesthoseWhopayattentiontoput

Cynicismaside.

IfsomethingseemstoogoodTobetrue,

Itprobablyistrue.

Asymptomispartofaprocess,Notanevent.

ChangeIsnotsomething

Todo.Youmustallow

Change.

AllowChange

FromtheheartAndyourheadwill

Follow.

SufferingIs

Optional.

YouareNot

Broken.

AskWhy.

Don’tKeepscore,Havefun.

NegativethoughtsArethesingleworst

Healthhabit.

ItisneverasBad

Asyouthink.

ApathWithoutobstaclesHasnodestination.

YouAreprettySmart.Butyourbodyis

Smarter.

Ahealthexpert—Anyhealthexpert—

CannotTellYou

AnythingYoudon’talreadyknow.

NeverfearYourself.

PainisThebody’svoice.

ListentoYourBody.

FIFTEEN

CONCLUSION

SOMEAUTHORSENDABOOKWITH a carefully composed overview, ortheyofferupaninspirationtomotivatethereadertoapplythelessonstheyhavelearned.ButI’mgoingtorewindtoChapter2andpushthe“play”button.

*

Takeoffyourshoesandsocks.Andstandup.Please.Areyouin the libraryorabookstore?Peoplearegivingyoufunnylooksas

youremoveyoursocks,aren’tthey?Don’tworry—youwon’tgetarrested.

*

Read the rest of this paragraph, and then shut your eyes and follow theseinstructions.Standnormally.Relax.Letyourfeet,shoulders,andheadgowheretheywanttogo(anddogowhensomeoneisn’tbarkingoutorders).Keepyourfeet inplace, and inhaleandexhaleacoupleof times.Takeyour time.Noticehowyourweightisdistributed.Onelegmaybeworkingharderthantheother.Isittherightleg?Orisittheleftleg?Feelwheretheweightsettlesinthefeet—isitintheheels?Maybeit’stheinsideedge,outsideedge,ortowardthetoes.It’slikely to be in a different spot for each foot. Let two or threeminutes go by.Breathe.Now, open your eyes. Read some more. Did you notice what was going

throughyourmindwhenyouwereanalyzingtheweightdistribution?Wastherea jumble of ideas, images, and sensations? A little of this and that? Quick,

arrhythmicburstsofactivity?Asensoryjigsawpuzzlewithabunchofmissingpieces?Attheendofthisparagraph,closeyoureyesagainandpayattentiontoyourmentaltraffic.Giveitaminuteandreopenyoureyes.Now,I’d likeyou todistributeyourweightevenly.Read thisparagraphand

close your eyes again. Standwith both feet roughly parallel, pointing straightaheadandabouthips-widthapart.Now,turntheminwardalittle,untiltheyareslightly pigeon toed. Easy does it. Carefully swing your torso, shoulders, andheadarounduntilyoucanfeeltheweightmoveinyourfeet.Didyoueverplayflashlighttagasakid?Thebeamoflightmoveslikeadisk,

right?Yourweightwillhavethesamecharacteristic:itwillfocusandslidehereandthere.Nudgethedisksintotheballsofyourfeet.Bobalittleat theknees,andtweakyourhips.Somepeoplewillreallyhavetocrankthemselvesaround.Itmayfeelstrangeorprecarious.Believeme,though,whentheweightrestsovertheballsofthefeet,yourpostureisinabalancedposition.(Thecontortionsandmuscular effort to hold you there are necessary because yourmusculoskeletalstructure is fighting to pop out of the temporary alignment I’ve put you in.)When you get theweight centered, notice how it feels, and noticewhat yourmindisdoing.Goahead,tryit.When we have clients perform the same exercise in one of our Egoscue

Methodclinics,mostofthemsaythatinthefirstunbalancedpositiontheirmindsare whirling, jumpy, and chaotic. They feel troubled, uncertain, uneasy.Balanced,however,isadifferentstory.Themindcalmsdown.Itlosesthejitteryquality.There’smoresteadinessandclarity.Bychangingyourposture,you’vechangedyourmind.Theresultissimilarto

switching channels on a radio or TV.A distant signal wavers and breaks up;adjusted to a closer, stronger frequency, the transmission sharpens and settlesdown.

ABOUTTHEAUTHORS

Pete Egoscue, an anatomical physiologist since 1978, operates the EgoscueMethod Clinic in San Diego. His exercise therapy program is acclaimedworldwidefortreatingchronicmusculoskeletalpainattributedtoworkplaceandsportsinjuries,accidents,aging,andotherconditions.Hehasbeenconsultedbysomeofthebiggestnamesinsports.Heistheco-authorwithRogerGittinesofPainFreeatYourPCandTheEgoscueMethodofHealthThroughMotion.

RogerGittinesisajournalistandwriterbasedinWashington,D.C.

AbouttheEgoscueMethodclinics:Twenty-fourEgoscueMethodclinicsoperateintheU.S.,Europe,andAsia.Tolearnmore,visittheEgoscueMethodwebsiteat:www.egoscue.com.