By Melinee Prochasson The St. Petersburg Times It’s the middle of a December afternoon, and in a spartan hall in northwest Moscow, a group of men and women of various ages are lying on the floor, while others are defending themselves from opponents wielding whips. This is not some sado-masochistic ritual, but a seminar devoted...Read More
In his January, 2020 Systema Seminar in Durham, NC, Emmanuel Manolakakis presented a unique approach toward understanding the four pillars or Systema; study body weight. I, for one, thought this was brilliant. Body weight has to be one of the most basic elements of self, yet I had no idea what my body weight felt...Read More
Anyone who is an avid Systema practitioner knows that Systema is a philosophy that improves all aspects of life. My name is Bobby Schwartz, and I am a Board-Certified Physician in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, a Fellow in Vascular Medicine and an avid Systema practitioner and instructor. I often get asked why I think Systema...Read More
We often think about structure and function affecting pain, and understand that tension only adds to pain, but we don’t often consider the impact that tension has on structure and function. Tittel’s muscle slings illustrate how we are wired from a structure, function and tension point of view. Tension can affect structure and function Whether...Read More
Breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. The idea is that when you inhale from the nose you get oxygen quicker to your brain and that helps to reduce tension. While you may not actually be directly increasing oxygen to the brain with this technique, you are likely activating your autonomic nervous...Read More
What might you do if traditional diagnostic testing is not enough? Certainly there are situations when just that happens. Consider the instance of tension. In this instance, while traditional tests may address anxiety, they don’t really address tension. When this occurs physical assessment techniques may be more fruitful. Examples might include trying to perform cross...Read More
I hear it all the time: “I used to exercise but then my knee went bad”. It is common. Some just stop exercising and others look for alternatives but lack the enthusiasm they once had for their new sport or activity; many see their overall health decline. That creates internal tension as options are reduced....Read More
Taking personal ownership in your health is not as easy as it sounds. Most people take their health for granted. Life can be so demanding that finding the time to take care of oneself can seem like a burden so when things are OK, why worry? But when things are not OK and we are...Read More
Move your square. What square? Your torso. The portion of your body between your shoulders and hips. When moving your square its a good idea to maintain posture. Think of stature. Stand tall and keep your head balanced. Your ears should be over your shoulders (your head should not be in front or...Read More
Freedom from chronic pain, a life with less tension, fewer limits and more options are things all of want. The problem is we just don’t know how to get there. We need help to learn new tactics and strategies to help us get well. Sometimes in order to achieve such lofty goals we have to...Read More
