There has been some fanfare across the internet due to an
article from Newsweek/The Daily Beast.
Entitled “Is the Web Driving Us Mad?,” delves into some of the
newest peer-reviewed research correlating excessive web exposure (Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube) and our mental health. There
are even new diagnoses like Facebook addiction, and phantom-vibration syndrome
floating around therapy circles. These
basically boil down to forms of ADHD and OCD at best, and “reactive psychosis”
at worst.
As a Rolfer®, my interest is what happens to our
physiology, our posture, our relationship with ourselves and with others as a
result of all our internet usage. In
Rolfing™, we talk about “core” and being balanced in gravity. [Our perspective on “core” tends to be
different from personal trainers, yoginis, Pilates and Gyrotonic instructors—click here for a great article describing “core” from one Rolfer’s perspective
which I think sums it up pretty well].
As you work with your laptop or smartphone in front of you
(while reading this article), notice where your hands are, and what fingers you
use—where the tension is in your hands or fingers; does it take you a few
seconds to uncurl your last two fingers?
Notice how your shoulders feel—are the elevated, do your
muscles feel tense or tight?
Notice the position of your head, neck and eyes—do you feel
tension here?
Have a full breath—do you feel breath up to your
collarbones, or does your breath stop around the middle of your chest?
And finally, notice how your back feels—are you slouching
while you’re texting?
This brings me to another concept of Rolfing: we have two centers of gravity. We are the
only beings on earth that stand and walk upright on two legs. For our “core” to be active, both centers of
gravity need to be in balance. The lower
center of gravity (approximately around our navels) relates us to the ground,
and ourselves. Our upper center of
gravity (approximately around the middle of our sternum, or our heart center)
relates us to our skyhooks, and to others. This is how we stay in relationship
with others. And a balance between the two allows us to dynamically feel and
stay in connection with our core while being in relationship with others.
Can too much lower, or too little upper center of gravity
lead to ADHD or reactive psychosis? I
don’t know. But I do feel confident in
saying that slouching over our heart center (upper center of gravity) can lead
to decreased lung capacity, neck and/or lower back discomfort, while continuing
to separate us from each other in lieu of our technology.
In his essay “Is the Web Driving Us Mad?,” Tony Dokoupil
concludes that:
“…it doesn’t matter whether our digital
intensity is causing mental illness, or simply encouraging it along, as long as
people are suffering. Overwhelmed by the velocity of their lives, we turn to
prescription drugs, which helps explain why America runs on Xanax (and why
rehab admissions for benzodiazepines, the ingredient in Xanax and other
anti-anxiety drugs, have tripled since the late 1990s). We also spring for the
false rescue of multitasking, which saps attention even when the computer is
off. And all of us, since the relationship with the Internet began, have tended
to accept it as is, without much conscious thought about how we want it to be
or what we want to avoid. Those days of complacency should end. The Internet is
still ours to shape. Our minds [body/mind/spirit] are in the balance.”
So, stop reading!
Turn off your laptop or smartphone, and take a walk, ride your bike,
swim in your favorite swimming hole/lake, and breath our fresh Vermont air—preferably
with a friend.
...And check out my new class at Healthy Living Market
Learning Center, Can 2 much texting Agrv8
Ur #Backpain?, Sept 9th at 11am (please call Healthy Living to
register for the class, even though it’s free)
