Healing therapies, exercise and The Miracle Ball Method: What’s the Difference?
Every day, we make decisions not just about what we’re going to do, but how we’ll do it. From choosing our clothing to deciding how much food to pack for lunch, which is the best route to travel, there are details. Thoughts underlie every moment of our day. We often take them for granted, adjusting based on circumstance. When it comes to our bodies, I hope people explore more details. This blog aims to distinguish between different movement therapies, exercise, and The Miracle Ball Method.
The Miracle Ball Method
Having worked at a hospital-based wellness facility for over 15 years, it became clear to me that most people perceive movement as either active or, in the case of relaxation, inactive. But just as in our daily choices, every movement involves a network of responses that we often overlook. The Miracle Ball Method helps you become aware of these responses and determine whether they help or hinder you.
Recently, I was teaching a man who I’ve worked with for some time. Despite rarely getting injured, he was recovering from one that had left him emotionally shaken. He couldn’t understand how, despite warming up, he got injured playing his favorite sport. He said, “I even warmed up.” Having observed his progress, I realized he still hadn’t grasped the basics of the Method. As we focused on his hips, I noticed he was holding his breath and tensing his shoulders. His response was, “I’m trying to relax.”
“Relax” isn’t a cue our bodies easily comprehend.
At that moment, I realized these are the two primary choices for most people: relaxing their muscles or tightening them. The Miracle Ball Method offers a third option. “Relax” is the outcome of our actions, not an instruction the body can easily do. For many, including myself and thousands I’ve taught, simply saying “relax” doesn’t work. Our muscles may be tense for various reasons. They need directions that include our senses, not our intellect alone.
The Third Option for Chronic Pain and Injuries
For those experiencing chronic pain or recovering from injuries that don’t seem to heal fully, the Miracle Ball Method operates through the nervous system. The nervous system underpins many bodily systems. When we move, countless sensations occur simultaneously; focusing solely on one area while neglecting the rest is impractical. Each part relies on the next part. Its how those other parts respond, or in many cases, don’t respond, that either keep injuries chronic or allow us to be flexible. These are the details that need to be observed, not even fixed. Like my student who was “trying to relax” those words meant little. I would likely connect to the feeling of holding rather than trying to get rid of it.
What Can We Do?
Recognizing this third option allows you to sense your body’s feedback. There’s a constant dialogue between body and brain that we can’t fully manage throughout our day. However, practicing the Method acts as a reset. Learn its directions: it’s not about exercising on the ball or deep breathing to relax. These directions introduce a third way, allowing your body to provide feedback for you to respond to. It can be remarkably straightforward, applicable even during intense workouts or meditation. The third choice is your body’s miraculous ability to adapt, change, and realign itself—simply by feeling it.
Sounds Too Easy?
It’s not. Like my student, our intellect tends to categorize our body’s actions: “I’m relaxing now,” “I’m playing a sport.” Don’t put yourself in the box. It prevents the body from adapting to new ways of moving that it can provide. However, underneath every action lies an instrument that needs periodic tuning, a reboot to function optimally. The process is simple yet counterintuitive. Your body can vastly improve, becoming your ally rather than your adversary when you learn to work with it. Don’t fix it—feel it.
Getting started:
Go to miracleballmethod.com. Watch the videos. Learn more with The Miracle Ball Method book: Revised Edition.
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