Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1481961
18 m a s s a g e & b o d y wo r k n ove m b e r/d e ce m b e r 2 0 2 2 When I moved to Southern California over 20 years ago, it was not my first choice. But I followed a boy, who later became my husband, the father of my kids, and later, my ex-husband. But that's not the story. The story is that moving from Boulder, Colorado, to Southern California was a culture shock that took me years to get used to. I missed the mountains and the open space. And no one could convince me of the positive parts about living here. Until recently. My kids are now teenagers and getting ready to leave the nest. One is off to college and the other isn't far behind. As this chapter of our lives comes barreling down a lot faster than I want it to, both of my kids have remarked, on numerous occasions, that they love where we live. They are so happy to have been raised here. This is a beautiful thing, and although I am deeply appreciative that this is their experience, I never would have predicted it. I never saw it coming. The thing that surprises me the most, though, is that, as I find myself driving through the streets where my kids grew up, I can see why they love it here. It has taken me two decades and a lifetime of parenting, but I look at where I live now through the eyes of my kids, and I see what they see. The point of this story is not to tell you I went through something difficult and have now found peace. It's about the notion that we can be convinced about something; and, totally believe it so deeply that there is zero ability to see otherwise. And then, most unexpectedly, it can change. I see this with clients a lot. They become convinced of a thing—their hip pain is sciatica, or their neck pain will never go away. Working with them can be like punching a brick wall. No matter what I do, they seem stubbornly attached to their pain. Getting them to see what I see—how amazing their tissues are and how capable they are of change—becomes the hurdle. For me, this experience can be most exemplified by one particular muscle in our body: the serratus anterior. It is a muscle located in an area that teeters on the edge of being either very cool or very troublesome, TECHNIQUE By Allison Denney KEY POINTS • Convincing clients to change their perspective about "troublesome" muscles can be a hurdle to relieving their pain. • Learning how to find and work with the serratus anterior will help your clients understand the muscle's unique capabilities. An Unexpected Perspective of the Serratus Anterior THE REBEL MT