BEWARE the low pony
Hey there and good evening, sunshiners! Thank you for opening this message ✨
I just had to send a quick message tonight as a public service announcement.
I’ve been seeing a lot of low buns and ponytails lately 😬
Did you know that your clothes, hairstyles, and glasses could all be causing issues for your spine and nervous system?
Think about it. Haven’t you ever worn something that fit you a little bit badly?
👚 A top that was too big in the neckline? Or too tight in the shoulders?
🤓 Glasses that were too tight? Or slipping down?
😳 A sleeveless dress that you had to struggle to keep in position?
👞 A pair of shoes that were a half-size too small?
How did you feel after wearing the ill-fitting items?
After a day? And then what if you wore them for a week or a month??
Chances are that even after a day you felt stiff, sore, achey, or tired.
It makes sense, when you think about it.
You had to hold your body a certain way to keep it on. Or it changed your gait. Or you couldn’t relax because you had to keep readjusting 😫
You know enough by now, both intellectually and intuitively through care with me, to know that when it comes to the spine and nervous system, seemingly small effects compound quickly over time 📈
Let’s say you wear a pair of pants that are a little too big in the waist, and you don’t have a belt.
After the first day, you might notice how your lower back feels a bit tight.
(People tend to stand with their lower backs arching forward and their bellies sticking out to keep their pants up with an over-large waistband).
You might notice those effects more over the coming days until. . . you notice the problem LESS.
After weeks and months have gone by your spine, body, and nervous system have “adapted” to this new situation.
Now your nervous system has put extra tension not just in your lower back but in your shoulders, hips, neck, and jaw. Everything is re-arranging. And NOT for the better.
And now you’re feeling the aches and pains and activation through your fight or flight nervous system more and more often, but it’s getting harder to tell where the problem is coming from 🤨
Sunshines. I’m not saying that that certain clothes, glasses, or hairstyles are definitely “off-limits.”
But I need you to be aware that ANYTHING that has you hold extra tension in your spine and body, or hold your body and spine awkwardly, is definitely going to cause tension and misalignments that will negatively impact your feeling and functioning.
Now let’s discuss what in my opinion is the biggest offender these days; it’s the LOW PONYTAIL 💥
I see it EVERYWHERE.
At stores. Out on the street. And worst of all, at the gym working out! (Which is really going to compound the spinal problems!)
People with long hair in a low pony tail or low bun.
And for some reason there is something about this style that has people holding their necks so stiffly!
And their chins are jutting forward! And their jaws are tense and clenching. The shoulders are pulling forward too 😱😱😱
You guys– it’s hurting me physically sometimes just to see some of these folks out in life 💔
Because it’s bad. And they don’t even know how bad it is.
Over time they have adapted to having this much tension. Part of the adaptation is that the nervous system disconnects from this bad situation, and now problems are piling up elsewhere/everywhere.
I believe it is possible to wear a low ponytail or bun without this cascade of negative issues resulting 💥
But it’s going to take you using the skills you have learned through Network Spinal care at New Day to bring awareness, connection, and ease through your head, jaw, neck, and shoulders when you are wearing this style.
Your time on the table is your practice time. It is your sensitization.
Whatever it is you choose to wear or however you choose to style your hair please notice how it affects your nervous system and body.
You can change what you wear. And it’s also possible to change how your nervous system and body are responding to what you wear through your awareness.
Thank you for reading my public service announcement, sunshine! I look forward to seeing you tomorrow and next week 💖
