Be Mindful With Your Movements
When I’m in the shop I am focused on the job. I am planning out my steps, thinking through what needs to happen next so I don’t make an accident I have to fix later. I build my design in my head as I’m going through the process to ensure everything will work, and when I find an issue I can head it off before it becomes a problem. Even when I do the physical tasks, my brain is working away, listening for the sound of chatter or tear out from my plane iron to give me feedback on potential changing grain. I watch the shavings as the exit the chip breaker, ensuring I’m taking an even bite. I slide my hand across the surface feeling for unevenness or rough spots.
My brain processes and my body does.
Not plywood but 6/4 (1.5 inch thick) 10 foot long, 18 inch wide white oak. Makes my back hurt just looking at it.
That’s one of the reasons I love woodworking. It gets me up, out of my desk chair, engaging my muscles. The small hand muscles pair end grain with a chisel. Then I switch to the long leg muscles to push my plane across a panel. And who could forget the mighty back, hefting those 4x8 sheets of plywood up and out of my truck.
What I have realized is I need to pay more attention to my movements. To be mindful of not what I’m doing, but how I’m doing it.
I rock climb, well, I boulder. Bouldering is a form of rock climbing where you only climb boulders or short walls. Bouldering started as a way to practice the hardest parts of a climb from the safety of being near the ground. If you fall, you can quickly try again as you only fell 2-4 feet, not 20.
I have spent many hours in the gym, learning how to move up a boulder. How to use my body to leverage my way up and around obstacles. How to balance on a toe and trust my hands and feet to feel for purchase around corners and up ledges.
Sometimes rock climbing is full of fluid, elastic movements with the climber smoothly swaying between holds to bound up the wall. Other times it’s a battle between rock and climber where success is only won through grit, determination to hold on, fighting gravity and the wall with every motion. In those moments where the fight starts, I am upping my odds of injury by pushing myself beyond my limits.
Me jumping on a wall to “Boulder” in Colorado Springs for a photo. Notice the tennis shoes, if this were serious climbing I’d need proper climbing shoes and a crash pad. Stay safe, rock climbing is dangerous.
One time I was on this route where my hips and legs were parallel to the ground and I had my left arm stretched all the way across my body to the right of my right shoulder latched on to a great hold where I could burden it with most of my body weight. In that stance I felt the muscles and tendons protesting but I didn’t care. All I needed to do was reach up with my right arm to the next purchase so I could swing my legs back under me and jet up to the finish. I had the goal in mind and made my move, releasing my right hand when suddenly. POP! I felt my left arm being pulled out of it’s socket, stretching beyond its limits. I immediately let go and fell to the mat.
Luckily my shoulder popped right back into place. I don’t know if it was me letting go or the jarring of hitting the mat that bumped my shoulder back into place. All I know is it hurt. The immediate stabbing pain was quickly replaced by a long lasting dull throb. I also was unable to lift my arm above my head and only regained the ability through months of physical therapy.
All of my pain could have been avoided if I would have listened. My body told me stop. It protested and begged me to find a different way, but my arrogance pushed me right past those warning signs and I got a harsh dose of reality.
I’m still learning. I find myself powering through, pushing the plane hard to get it done now instead of taking the 5 minutes it takes to sharpen the iron. I have to remind myself to pay attention to what I’m doing and how I’m doing it.
One of the ways I’m learning is by starting to practice yoga. I took some yoga classes in college and really enjoyed it. It was a peaceful way to engage muscle groups I wasn’t used to using. So much of yoga focuses on the core, on balance, and on connection to your body.
I’m learning more about my body just by paying attention to it. I’m doing this at home and found Yoga with Adriene. Adriene has free YouTube videos and offers classes on her website, I haven’t been brave enough to sign up for one of those, yet.
I have poor posture. I have for a long time, but it has only gotten worse as I’m hunched over my computer, sitting immobile in my chair for hours on end. I get used to slouching and leaning forward, letting my neck become more and more curved forward. I’m doing it right now and just reminded myself to sit up straight.
One thing that helps is a phrase I learned from Adriene. “Head over heart, heart over pelvis.” That phrase reminds me to align my spine by pulling my head back and up, straight above my heart. Then I roll my shoulders back, sitting up straight, aligning my upper back above my lower back, straight up from my hips. Do it with me and you’ll feel the affects. Notice how you feel taller. Keep at it for a couple of weeks and you’ll notice you feel stronger. Take a big deep breath in. Notice how it’s easier and feels better. Try the same while slouched. Did you notice how you can’t seem to fill your lungs all the way to the bottom?
It is amazing how one small change can make such a big impact. I’ve taken my yoga learnings into the shop and started to notice how small changes make a big difference.
When using my hand plane, I used to rely on my upper body. Now I’m spreading my legs wider, starting with my weight on my back leg and using my hips to bring my weight forward through the cut. Not only is it easier because I’m using my leg muscles to power my movement, I’m also noticing it’s smoother. It’s almost the same motion as taking a step forward. Intuitive and smooth. I have more control over the plane because I’m using my lower body for power. My upper body can now concentrate on keeping the plane aligned and moving where I want it to go.
I notice the same thing when I’m running a board through my table saw. When I setup right to let my lower body help me push the board against the fence and through the blade I can now free up my right arm. No longer is it holding the board and pushing forward with the bicep. Now it can concentrate on keeping the board flat against the table and firm against the fence while my hips help move the board forward.
It’s amazing how a simple thing like body position and stance improve woodworking. We don’t work with just our hands, it’s an entire body effort.