Core strength vs core stability

The two are different. Both are important! But one should precede the other. First, let's define.

"The Core" is the region of the body between the shoulder girdle and the knees. This comprises three main regions, the upper core, middle core, and lower core.

The upper core consists of the muscle that stabilize the scapulae and rib cage: serratus anterior, pectoralis, middle and lower trapezius, latissimus dorsi and intercostal muscles. These maintain scapular position, open rib position for free breathing, and essentially hold up the upper body.

The middle core consists of the oblique and transverse abdominals, the rectus abdominis, the QL, diaphragm and psoas. These support the abdominal and pelvic viscera and protect and move the lumbar spine.

The lower core consists of the pelvic floor, gluteals, piriformis, TFL, quads and hamstrings. These muscles move the hip joints, support the SI and pelvis, and the quads and hamstrings move the knees as well.

Core strength refers to the ability of these muscle groups to generate power--the ability to push against resistance as in lifting weight, or generate an impulse as in jumping or running. These are important functions.

Core strengthening exercises include the various squats, deadlifts, lunges, situps and crunches, hamstring curls and leg extensions, bench presses and rows.

Because I am about to say that core stabilization is both different and more important, I have to also say that I know that core strength is important, useful, and worth working for.

But core stabilization is both different and more important.

Core stabilization refers not to the ability to produce power, but the coordination of the muscle groups, the ability for you to sense your body and make decisions—both conscious and unconscious—about how to stand, how to sit, how to move, how to lift, what muscle groups to engage in what order and to what ends.

Core stabilization exercises focus on both sensation: can you feel your hips and lower back and how they move together, and expression: can you maintain a relaxed neutral spine while fully flexing and extending your hips and knees? Can you keep your shoulders properly postured with long collarbones and ball securely seated in socket while you push, pull, rotate, and circumduct?

If you choose to push heavy weight simply to push heavy weight, without sufficient regard to muscle activation, posture, without sufficient proprioception to make choices at all, you are prone to injury.

How can you know if your core is stable?

Three tests:

Supine hook lying, spine neutral, toe taps and psoas lifts.

Lateral hook lying, pelvis neutral, clam shell and hip circles.

Paloff press with scapular stabilization.

The Business Side and The Human Side

Healers need to make a living, too

We all got into the healing arts because we want to help other humans feel their best. Relief from pain, improved mood, better digestion, maybe fertility and sexual health is what inspires you. Whatever your entry point, whatever system you choose to interact through, you're there because you really do care. We share an understanding that healing the world starts with healing individual humans, families, communities, then cities and states and nations.

We arrive at work with the intention to be of service. To hold space, provide guidance and care, and accompany others on their path to better health, adaptability, integration, and expression of their true selves.

AND We need to make a living. We live in a society at a time when we are all expected to literally make our own living. Certainly there are people for whom the imperative to earn money is less, or even zero. But for most of us in this profession, the money we earn for our time, energy, and expertise is the money we use to buy groceries, pay for housing, transportation, our own health care, entertainment. It's how we are able to survive in the world. And you can't thrive until survival is not your main goal.

I am starting this blog because I know too many--WAY too many--skilled and dedicated healers who struggle to meet their basic needs financially. Folks who truly care, who are truly committed to the service of others, but who worry month by month about making rent, or are one big car repair or vet bill from serious financial trouble.

Some healers struggle financially because they find it daunting to promote themselves and their business. Lacking awareness of the real value of your service is a very common theme. "How can I charge for this? I hardly know what I'm doing?". "Other people are way better at this than I am". "I don't think people can afford or want to pay for this".

Others struggle because they were simply never taught how to keep track of money or how and why to plan.

Many, many healers are deeply intuitive and present-moment focused, which is a wonderful quality, but precludes planning, and prevents them from structuring their lives today in the service of tomorrow.

Others struggle because they are anti-capitalist (which I consider an admirable point of view) and simply HATE charging money.

I want to open a discussion about The Human Side of our practice and The Business Side of our practice.

The Human Side is why we're doing it. We love and revere the human potential for healing, We want to see it in action and we want to support and foster it. We want our fellow humans to be as healthy and happy and flexible as they can be, and we're ready and willing to spend our precious time helping and guiding them in that direction.

The Business Side is what supports The Human Side. Without The Business Side, we can't do The Human Side. If we don't actively engage with The Business Side, it sort of happens on its own and it never, ever takes care of itself. If The Business Side falters, we struggle financially, our stress level increases, and guess what? Our ability to be present and effective for our clients decreases.

So I invite you to hallow and revere The Human Side, and the part of you which is inspired to engage with The Human Side. Set the warm, beautiful, inspiring Human Side safely aside, and engage with the objects and processes which the Business Side contains. Set your intention to always have The Business Side act in support of The Human Side, and your conflicts of interest and ethical dilemmas will loosen significantly if not disappear.