This is a great principle . . . ok, ok, yes, I know I say that about all of them . . . Debbie does, too. I laughed at her today when she said something like that. Again this principle has not changed since I originally took my Nia White Belt back in 2008. Like I continue to say, the language has changed, the way it is presented, and the knowledge behind it has greatly increased but it is still the basic principle – look at the clues of the body to help you see what is “inside”.
Nia White Belt P10 – X-Ray Anatomy. The triad, as you can see is Bones/Joints, Ligaments/Tendons, and Soft Tissue/Muscles. These are the things we can “see”. We make observations then move from there.
If you see one arm able to reach higher than the other or a pant leg shorter than the other, is it a mechanical situation or is it a structural one? Is there muscle tightness in the shoulder that is preventing the arm to reach high or is one leg actually shorter than the other? X-Ray Anatomy is just about looking and observing. With the insight we gain from observing we can decide how to proceed in moving in a class, in teaching a class, and/or just moving through life. We can then apply our knowledge of movement and anatomy to move in ways to help create ease in the shoulders that will allow the arm to reach its full potential and ease in the legs to allow for their full length. We can also learn to give our body what it needs to find balance and ease even when it is not equal on both sides.
One way we learn X-Ray Anatomy is by Zorro. Zorro is just a term Nia uses to describe making note of the flow of energy or the lines in a body. You can do it by observing people – they can be people on TV or people you see in person. Just quick strokes on paper (or if you have a device you can use) to note the movement of a body.
As I have said, I have posted about Nia Principle #10 X-Ray Anatomy and Zorro before so no reason to go further in this post. Please click on over to those posts to learn more.
X-Ray Anatomy is just what we in Nia call observing a body and how it moves and we use Zorro as a tool to see the flow of energy all with the goal of helping ensure that we and our students are moving in the most safe and efficient way available.
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