It was revelatory

The retraining and reprogramming of muscle memory ensues.

My lower right back had been acting up. Of course I attributed it to work. I began stretching more, tweaking my posture in the truck, exploring the fix.

One morning a couple weeks ago before a particularly late start, I was hunkered down in my office chair, reading, legs very crossed. It’s comfortable, warm, I love doing it. Usually right over left, but the alternate is cozy and sometimes makes more sense contextually.

After sitting like that for well over a half an hour, as I readied myself for work and bent over in a different chair to strap on the shoes, the trouble spot went ZING!

The light went on. Crossing my legs was torquing things to one side, stretching and altering balance, being centered. I stretched out the zing over the next couple days, determined to test my theory.

I REALLY want to cross my legs, especially in this chair, but since I’ve stopped, my back is cooperating. It brings to mind all the things we do to our bodies, how something can be detrimental despite being comforting.

The pursuit of balance and being centered is a metaphor as well as a literal reality, at least in this house, chair.

Program, deprogram, reprogram!