How we use PRI inside Loa Movement classes
If you follow me on Instagram (@dr.lauren.shelton) then you know I use Postural Restoration (PRI) as my framework for understanding the human body.
If you’re reading this and you have no idea what PRI is, here’s my elevator pitch:
Postural Restoration is an Institute that recognizes the body as being inherently asymmetrical. Our Left and Right sides are not mirror images of one another.
At the core of this asymmetry is our breath.
Our internal breathing patterns shape our outward posture.
We can use our breath to restore our body’s ability to alternate, to fully access both sides of our body.
Woof. That was deep.
But ultimately, when we are stuck in a pattern, we end up strength training in a pattern, breathing in a pattern, eating in a pattern, etc. etc…
So how can we use this complex, complicated framework in a virtual fitness setting… where the goal is building muscle versus rehabilitation?
Here are 3 concrete ways that you’ll experience PRI inside a Loa Movement class:
1. Bookend with Breath-
If our breath shapes our movement, then it’s the perfect place to start.
You’ll see we breath in positions that aren’t always the same on the right and left sides- that’s because of our asymmetry. Our goal is to breathe in a position that inhibits compensatory patterns and facilitates helpful ones.
We end class with breath too, so you’re setup for life off the mat once class is over.
2. Alternate-
If the goal of PRI is to restore our body’s natural ability to alternate, then one of the best ways to do this is… Alternating.
You won’t see us doing a bilateral chest press, but rather alternating- pressing right, then left, then right, then left, and so on.
It may seem simple, but it feels totally different in our bodies. When we chest press bilaterally, our body naturally wants to extend.
BUT, when we alternate, our body naturally wants to rotate! Totally difference experience.
3. Full Body Setup-
Our body experiences everything in all places.
A chest press isn’t only happening to your Pec muscles, but to your entire body. We are a system.
That’s why we care about the POSITION of your ENTIRE body.
You can perform a chest press lying on your back, arching your spine and flaring your ribcage… OR, you can perform it in a 90/90 position where your shoulders have a better relationship with your ribcage and you’re able to breathe effectively.
