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pain), or when dealing with a taxing medical condition (such as cancer). Motility is often subtle, and is therefore sometimes challenging to detect for practitioners used to more active mobilization work. But subtle does not mean insubstantial; motility techniques can be quite tangible, profound, and effective. One mobility technique that has appeared here is the Breath Motility Technique, from "Working with Whiplash, Part I" (Massage & Bodywork, March/April 2010, page 113). If you are inexperienced in motility work, this technique is a great place to start, as it uses the motions of the breath, which are easily palpated. FEELING FOR CONNECTION A third way that we work with bones is using them to feel for connection, alignment, and whole-body integration. Bones transmit force, both within their individual architecture (Images 12 and 13), and in concert with other bones through long chains of related structures. One example of this is transmission of the upper body's weight to the ground through the long chain of pelvis, leg, and foot bones (and conversely, the transmission of the ground's reactive force back up through these same bones in gait, jumping, and running). When boney relationships are in alignment, the compression forces of standing are borne by the skeleton and require very little muscular effort. We employ this principle in integrative phases of the work, such as the Core Point Technique (Image 11), where gentle but firm static pressure is applied to a sweet spot just distal to the calcaneus on the sole of the foot. This sends a gentle, compressive force through the limb and up through the torso. When the right spot and vector are found, the movement of this gentle pressure on the bottom of the foot will be transmitted through consecutively aligned bones and can be seen (and felt by the client) as far up as the atlanto-occipital joint. Once the connection is found, it is held with a static touch to allow it to be registered by the client's awareness. The purpose of this technique is to establish a proprioceptive sense of connection and integration, which is different than our previous goals of release, mobilization, listening, or following. In this way of working, the practitioner's touch serves to light up a path of aligned force transmission in the client's proprioceptive awareness, demonstrating the sensations of aligned and connected function. Following our artistic metaphor, you could say that the bones are the tools we use to paint on the canvas of proprioception, and we're painting an image of alignment and connection for the client's appreciation and education. The Core Point Technique is usually employed as a finishing move once individual structures have been differentiated and released with mobility or motility work. It can also be adapted for the upper limb or head. Michelangelo's innate understanding of his medium, born out of his early years in the marble quarry, allowed him to make some of the most compelling and enduring sculptures in Western art. Although we all have a long way to go before we come close to Michelangelo's mastery, spending time in the quarry with the fundamentals of our work can help our own genius flourish, at any stage of our practice and work. Notes 1. M. Buehler, "Molecular Nanomechanics of Nascent Bone: Fibrillar Toughening 11 In the Core Point Technique, gentle compression allows both the practitioner and client to feel the boney connections that are part of aligned weight bearing. Image courtesy Advanced-Trainings.com. Used by permission. 12 13 The lattice-like trabeculae inside hollow bones trace lines of compression and tension forces. Gentle pressure along the neutral axis of a limb stimulates our clients' proprioceptive sense of the bones' connection througout the body. Image 13 courtesy of University of Cambridge. Except where otherwise noted, content is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License. © 2004-2013. by Mineralization," Nanotechnology 18, no. 29 (2007): 295102. 2. M. Miller and M. Kasahara, "Observations on the Innervation of Human Long Bones," The Anatomy Record 145 (1963): 13–23. Til Luchau is a member of the AdvancedTrainings.com faculty, which offers distance learning and in-person seminars throughout the United States and abroad. He is a Certified Advanced Rolfer and the originator of the Advanced Myofascial Techniques approach. Contact him via info@advanced-trainings.com and Advanced-Trainings.com's Facebook page. www.abmp.com. See what benefits await you. 117