The Whole and The Parts...are you achieving optimal performance?

The parts are only as good as the whole and the whole only as good as the parts. Make the parts work as a whole, in synchronicity and harmony/balance and the whole will perform optimally.

Lets take a look at the human body. It is an integrated machine that best functions and when all its part are working together in unison and under optimal conditions. Now, this is not something we see on an everyday people as most of us operate in an imbalance state systematically and muscularly. The challenge with this is the undue stress that this places on other areas that now have to pick up the slack for the areas that are out of tune. The beauty is the human body is amazing piece of machinery that is able to adapt, improvise and overcome. However, this can mask great issues and lead to bigger challenges along the way and then we are like a dog chasing our tail. Thank goodness for modern medicine and its ability to help us out of these challenges.

However, we should, for the most part not need to rely on medicine and other things to save our asses. Instead, we should focus on creating the balance in our life and lifestyles that minimize the likelihood of things being out of tune and us living an unbalance, unharmonious life.

Taking a look at the body and the muscular system many of us move with an imbalance that affects our posture, our physical performance and can lead to pain, discomfort and injury. Much of this is due to pattern overload, or doing too much of the same movements. From the Taoist perspective and yoga perspective this is often associated with too much Yang energy or activity and too little Yin energy or activity. Ok, in laymans terms ☺ and in relation to movement and pattern overload, examples include running, cycling, weight lifting through the same movements patterns and often for most without any rhyme or reason. This action will create an interesting environment and it can be deceptive

So, what many of us will notice is an increase in performance, i.e. better time, stronger poundages lifted, etc. But there is silent inhibitors working in our bodies, which comes about due to the improper planning and strategy related to our own programming choices. These is known as reciprocal inhibition, CNS fatigue and poor neurological function hormonally and muscularly. Despite the improvements we truly are failing to gain the optimal benefits because our system on the whole is suffering from improper function due to dysfunctional parts.

Therefore, in order to perform at our optimal levels we need to be in an optimal state. This requires an intelligently designed system that is uniquely arranged for each individual and based on human performance principles such as Anatomy, Physiology, Psychology, Nutrition, and basic lifestyle of the individual. Adding the Yin will help with much of this and in practical terms this means adding recovery principles such as sleep, rest (off days), nutrition too meet the demands of our lifestyle, specific stretching, some form of meditation or quiet time where we can focus on calming and de-stressing, etc.

Thoughts??