Refinement is defined as the improvement or clarification of something by the making of small changes. This doesn’t mean that the impact from the small changes is minimal, refining can create the greatest changes overall.

The hands are these marvels of nature that have the capacity to do many things; to hold a child and give love and warmth, to play an instrument to delight the masses, to create a piece of art to be viewed for centuries, or to do the more mundane tasks like feeding and washing ourselves.

Whatever it is that we want or need to do, having the dexterity in the hands to accomplish tasks makes life easier and more enjoyable. We also take for granted that which we always have. Only when an action is taken away due to insult or injury do we even become aware of the lack of freedom that it creates, and how daunting even the mundane tasks become.

In order to support the multiple uses for the hands and fingers, we need to consider the foundations that support them. As always, every cell in the body is connected, so even the alignment of the calves and feet are crucial to supporting the ability for the hands to work freely. But more specifically, the ribcage and how it collapses into the core from incorrect breathing will pull the shoulders out of alignment causing the arms to internally rotate. By the time we pass the elbow joints, forearms and finally get to the hands and fingers, there is a ton of twisting that has taken place, which negatively affects function.

In examples of the most extreme conditions, you can see the knuckles twist and bulge in those who have rheumatoid arthritis, or you can see the fingers coiling into the palm in those who have Dupuytren’s contracture. These present major limitations to those afflicted and can make activities like tying your shoes and brushing your teeth an arduous task. Forget about movements that require refined and specific alignment, as these abilities would have been lost long before.

In life, this is seen in every corner of our existence. Refinement moves toward the direction of improvement. Like playing an instrument, you don’t pick it up and play like a professional, it takes years of practice to get to that level. You start with the gross motor movements to coordinate specific actions to create harmonious sounds. With time, those movements become more controlled so a greater delicacy can be garnered to create the sounds of mastery.

This is true of everything. Even when beginning to make sound, we don’t suddenly speak like a professional, we start with gurgling noises and work our way to words, then sentences, and then in time, we develop the ability to articulate our ideas with precision and confidence.

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We begin with the basics to engage the body's deeper healing ability through conscious breathing, then work our way out from the center to the extremities, opening the channels for flow to reach every corner of the body.

Deanna Hansen - Founder

When beginning Block Therapy, this is also the approach. We begin with the basics to engage the body's deeper healing ability through conscious breathing, then work our way out from the center to the extremities, opening the channels for flow to reach every corner of the body. Once the basics are underway, we can get more specific to those deeper adhesions that are holding the body from its greatness, releasing tensions and improving flow to feed the cells previously blocked.

To do this we start at the base. As mentioned above, even the calves and feet affect the alignment of the hands. Once the foundation is corrected, then we work up the chain to continue the progress, with the goal of reaching every restriction present, so to provide smooth transport of blood and oxygen to every cell. The forearms themselves are fascinating, with many muscles and tendons passing through into the hands to create specific and localized movement for all the digits, as well as to give each finger the dexterity to create even symphonies on a keyboard.

Refinement isn’t a necessity to keep us alive, it is an opportunity we are given with time and practice to continue to improve quality. Not everyone can be a concert pianist. For me, even after 8 years of training as a child, I can only play one song, the Entertainer – lol. However, my dedication to my work has allowed me to use my hands in unique ways to support others on their healing journey. The difference -- I didn’t enjoy playing the piano and my practice was lacking in dedication and commitment. My work on the other hand is a different story. With over 50,000 hours working in the fascia system, and loving every minute of it, it became a joy to improve, refine and redefine the work. This however came with moments of pain and fatigue as overuse caught up with me. The beauty of the body though is its ability to heal when given what it needs, and this is what Block Therapy does.

If you would like to learn more about this practice and be with a community of like-minded people who are here to support you with your health goals, join our private Block Therapy Facebook community. We would love to see you there, hear about your challenges and provide you with a direct approach to learn to thrive in your life.

Breathe & Believe

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