Health Matrix downloads: the gym

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You can’t just load a program like the movie, but you can…sort of. Wouldn’t it be nice?

Sure, it would be great if we could just sit in a chair, plug a jack into the back of our heads and suddenly download ten years worth of workout and fitness knowledge. Then, step into the gym the next day, knowing how to perfectly execute olympic and power lifting and knowing all the nuances of bodybuilding and nutrition. But it don’t work that way. But, you can take on the equivalent of a 14.4 modem connection and do something novel: hit the gym consistently, at least a few times a week. And if you don’t have a gym? Hit the park, or the trail, just something, anything to practice moving your body. Because that is what it’s really about, learning how to move your body and manipulate it in this matrix environment that we call life. I view the world as a matrix just like the move does. What’s beyond it, I don’t know. But I do know that we have a lot of mental barriers that hold us back from our true potential. ## The current situation Society is riddled with all types of physical ailments and injuries / imbalances that are wreaking havoc on people’s quality of life. It doesn’t have to be that way. We were not meant to just physically fall apart as we age, joints aching and deteriorating, posture becoming ape-like, mental faculties dimming out like an old light bulb. That may have been the outlook a few decades ago, but not anymore, thanks to the vast amount of data and research out there to the contrary. Everything happens for a reason. A poorly treated body that has been misused and malnourished for decades will break down. A healthy and oiled machine that has been taken care of and mastered will not. We have an epidemic of postural problems, especially in the west, with our sedentary, desk job-filled existences and our propensity towards toxic, sugar laden diets. We’re chronically dehydrated. To those that study these things, this is not rocket science…we’re getting exactly what we deserve. And there is one major reason for this, which bypasses all the science mumbo-jumbo and various excuses that we as a culture rely on. ## Learning to use your body Its not about “looking good naked”, although that’s not bad. Its not about “just being healthy” or “staying in shape”. Its about mastering our bodies, you know, that vessel that takes us through life, that we are in 100% of the time between birth and death? I’m not trying to sound snood, but it just seems that in a normal world learning to use our bodies to at least a high potential would be the rule instead of the exception. But its not. And that’s what I refer to as the health matrix. The systems that keep us in a mental / physical prison inside our own bodies and teaches limitation instead of excellence. That keep us reliant on surgeries, drugs and other crutches and teaching to ignore the signs and symptoms that our bodies give us so that we may make changes for the better. Instead of Morpheus asking Neo “Do you think that’s air your breathing?”, in our world it would be “Do you think your knee and back hurt for no reason?” There are two types of pain: chronic and acute. Let’s take the most popular location of pain, the lower back as an example. Acute pain would be if someone took a baseball bat and smashed you in the lower back. Now, you would have a valid reason to have pain. This is the type of pain that needs immediate attention. Car wrecks, slips and falls, improperly lifting things, etc. Chronic pain is what is really causing limitation these days. When coaching strength and conditioning, when an athlete says they have back pain the first thing I ask is their history. Did they have an accident? A fall? More often than not it is something that just gradually got worse over the years. And I tell them if that’s the case then that is fantastic news. Because chronic pain of this sort is a symptom of gradual misuse of the body. In short, many people do not choose to master the motion of their bodies, and pain ensues over time. Because we’re not taught usually how to do these things. Again its the matrix. A purposeful barrier. Any normal functioning society that wanted the best of its citizens would teach at a very young age how to take care of the body because, if the body stays healthy, then that person will be much more likely to be a functioning and productive member of society. So what is really mastering your body? It starts with listening to it, deeply, like a close relationship. Sadly most people do not do this. How do I know? Because every day in the gym I see people moving in the most ridiculous manner and wondering why they hurt! ## How to listen to your body It starts with an almost meditative and relaxed awareness of your body. You can do this at any time and place (although when moving I have found it is most productive). Sitting quietly, or while moving casually, just clear your mind of the endless chatter of thoughts, and pay attention to different parts of your body. I like to call this a diagnostic check. I do it so often it is actually subconscious, its automatic from practice. First, put your attention on your feet. How do they feel? You may notice a small ache, or a tightness. Maybe they feel cold, or hot, or stiff. Then, move up to your calves and ankles. Move your feet. How does it feel? You can also use physical touch. Are they tender? Does the skin move freely or does it stick? Is it sensitive to touch? Next, pay attention to your knees. Do they ache or feel tight? If so, which side? Inside, outside, front, back? Maybe the kneecap is tender to the touch. All of these are symptoms that you can then address. Move slowly up your entire body with this test. Don’t overthink it. It helps to stand so that you can move around and see how each section feels. You’ll notice where you are predominately tight or weak or stiff. Common places are the knees, hips, spine and especially the neck. Physical touch is especially important with the neck area. Sometimes it feels ok, but if you put a little pressure on your shoulder or your traps, or the muscles in your neck you’ll notice immediately how tight these muscles / joints are. After awhile this will become habit; it will be an unconscious behavior. Muscle memory. That’s how mastery works, right? You know that you are really talented at something in particular when you don’t even have to think about it. But things that are new, you have to think about very often at first. ## We can be super human Just like Neo from The Matrix, we have the ability to hack through the b.s. of social norms and achieve far more than we’ve been told we’re capable of. This should be good news right? I’m absolutely stunned by how many people actually get offended by this statement in real life. They cling to their excuses like life preservers. Partly because so many have been emotionally and mentally beaten down by “the system” which rarely offers much hope (think of doctors telling patients they’ll just have to deal with chronic pain for the rest of their lives) and partly because its the easy route to make excuses and whine and complain. Its not meant to be mean, its just human nature. We migrate naturally to the easy route. Sitting on the couch and eating potato chips and watching t.v. is much easier than going out, physically exerting yourself, which can be very uncomfortable and harmful to the ego, so people tend to take the pill or surgery to numb the pain. But it always comes back to roost in the end. Likewise, mastery of the body, mind and spirit, the hard path, the path of Hercules, pays off in the form of health and vitality well into old age. Back surgery combined with a sedentary lifestyle will eventually catch up and lead to a debilitated life. The choice is yours. We live in a time of unprecedented access to information and teachers. With the internet, there is literally no excuse for people to not at least spend a little time learning how the body is supposed to move, how to fix it naturally, how to nourish it and even take it to the next level. For basically any ailment of any kind, there is at least some sort of movement, food, herb, tincture, teacher, book, or other source of healing available. It takes time, a lot of time. But hey, if people have time to watch the entire Game of Thrones series, I think they can at least spend that much time learning about their own physical temples!
Originally posted here: https://steemit.com/health/@zydane/health-matrix-downloads-the-gym