DTtruecs

It is the tension that holds your body in the standing position. Isn't it? Without it you fall. Does it change when you close your eyes? Your visual perception may be playing a role in your ability to stand.

Or, do you feel vulnerable when you can't see? To reach a scientific conclusion you must proceed by elimination.

Lying down you can eliminate the tension that holds you standing. Are you comfortable lying down flat on your back? If you are not, find supports that makes you feel comfortable. Depending on your condition, this may range from a small pillow under your neck to cushions under your back and legs as well. Use all it takes to be physically comfortable laying down, breathing normally. Ready?

Close your eyes. What happens? Do you still breath normally? Do you feel secure, or do you feel vulnerable? If you are as comfortable with your eyes close as you are with your eyes open, you may have eliminated all excessive tension off your body laying down. Test for residual tension repeating without using force the tightening scans until you feel relaxed with your eyes open or closed.

If you used cushions to lay down in a comfortable position you may wish to start to remove them. Always without using force, repeat the tightening scans. Peel off cushions as you see fit . Ideally, you may end up with the small pillow supporting your head in alignment with your body. If you feel totally relaxed with your eyes open or closed, you have reached a position free of unusual excessive tension.

If you feel strange or vulnerable when your eyes are closed keep them open. Without using force, repeat the tightening scans until you feel comfortable lying down, keeping your eyes open. Then even if you need some cushions to help you, close your eyes. Do you still have a quizzy feeling? Aim your eyes upwards. Does it trigger a new strange feeling? Is this feeling a form of tension?

Lying down your eyes closed you listen to your body. Unless you are asleep, your hearing takes over. You also perceive messages coming from your body touching its supports. Eliminate sounds and contacts. You perceive messages about the orientation of your body sent by proprioceptors, acting as tension receptors, located in your muscles, tendons, and ligaments, also by your inner ears.

In your inner ears, the vestibular apparatus detects changes in the head's position and helps maintain your equilibrium. Lying down, you can minimize the tension perceived in your inner ears. Adjust the small pillow that supports your head to align it with your body. Then, eyes closed, you perceive only the proprioceptive messages from your body and the mental messages coming from your mind.

This is your reference lying down position. If in this position you perceive some unusual tension you may wish to find its true cause. Is it physical? Or, is it mental? Even if its cause is physical it affects your behavior. Whether you ignore it, you compensate for it, or you cope with it, it comes from a mental decision that contributes to the perceived tension. The true cause of tension is always behavioral.

Reference positions are useful to help analyze the cause of tension. In life and in equitation, they help eliminate distractions from clear perception. Throughout the clinic, we will identify sitting, standing, and riding reference positions that foster clear perception. We shall use them to evaluate in-depth our tension. We will adopt reference positions for evaluating others and horses as well.

In motion, we will identify reference movements performed without the handicap of unusual tension by humans or by equines. We will also identify individual reference exercises that test their ability to move. In equitation, all the reference positions and movements we adopt will play an important role. They will be reference conditions in daily training and landmarks for our equestrian progression.

The search for causes of unusual tension depends entirely on our expectations. Our satisfaction for status quo or athletic ambitions should be compatible with our pursuit of well-being. Each time we experience discomfort, we should go back to a reference position or movement. From the comfort of this condition we can proceed without the use of force. Applying our assets for self-analysis, we have a fair chance to discover the true cause of our tension.

Relevant case studies with Web pages of their own that are listed for reference with a case number, a clickable title, and an abstract.

Put your shields down John Doe (JD) - This JD case is a true story. It shows how unusual excessive tension can be removed with the help of breathing and scanning techniques. It also indicates how the brain may shield itself from painful perceptions.