What it is, and how to build it for balance and ease in movement.
Where do you think your core is? Most people think it is just in their abdomen.
But your core actually goes from the bottom of your feet all the way up to your head!
Just like a tree has a core of denser rings closer to the center, so does the human body in the way of having shorter stabilizing muscles all the way up the center of our body.
Have you ever watched a tree swaying in the wind? It can maintain its stability and stand up to the push and pull of the forceful wind with this denser core maintaining its center of gravity.
We too, with a conditioned and integrated core, are able to maintain stability within the powerful forces of our daily movements and the influence of gravity.
Our connective tissue is the key to integrating core stability.
The Intricacte Web
Recent research has revealed that the intricate web of tissue called fascia, is woven throughout our bodies and has an important role in body integration for functional movement.
Many fascial connections in the body have been identified from the extensive work of Tom Meyers, a pioneer in the world of fascial research. The muscles closer to the bones, all the way up the body is a ‘core system’ deep within our center that Meyers calls the “deep front line”.
Take a look at how the main core muscles (depicted in pink) in his model of the “deep front line” start at the feet, go up the inner legs, into the deepest areas of the trunk, and even into the neck and head.
The full body core muscles are meant to work together to create an integrated center that dynamically supports you in all of your movements.
When we need to balance or do dynamic movement we can stabilize and mobilize from the inside out!
Functional Stability
Functional stability is knowing when and where to engage your core and when to release it according to the activities that you are doing. This is important to avoid becoming too rigid in your movements, relying on the joints for support or overworking one area of your body over another. This can lead to muscle strain, joint issues and harmful compensation patterns.
As you build functional stability in your core through movement practices, you are also building body resiliency by increasing responsiveness, coordination and range of motion.
There are many benefits to developing functional stability in your core:
- Prevents muscle strain
- Protects the joints from injury
- Improves balance
- Supports functional diaphragmatic breathing
- Develops an upright posture
- Increases fluidity in movement
- Builds body confidence
How Yoga Builds your Core Strength
Yoga challenges the full body core by offering multi-directional movement and balancing poses facilitated by the breath and mindfulness. As you move in and out of the poses your full body core is learning to stabilize in different ways as it responds to the bigger movements of the outer muscle groups along with gravity and varied limb positions:
Balance
Challenges the core to engage from the bottom up!
Side Bends and Twists
Lunges and Back Bends
Forward Bends
Core in Action
Connect with your core through the power of the breath and supportive yet challenging sequences that encourage you to find your edge. This class will help you to build confidence in your everyday movements as you learn to balance stability with mobility.
Tuesdays 9-10:15 a.m.
10-week session, September 9 – November 11
Starting September 9th!
Fall Session
- Core in Action Yoga, Tuesday mornings
- Somatic movement and Yoga Nidra, Tuesday afternoons
- All Levels Yoga, Thursday evenings
- Somatic Movement and Breathwork, Friday mornings
- A Fall Equinox Ayurvedic and Yoga workshop, September 21st
- Individual therapeutic offerings for balancing your own unique needs
