Doorway: Diaphragm

Key: Allowing the diaphragm to rise and fall during natural breathing.

Heart of the Matter: The diaphragm acts as a nest for the heart and its ability to rise and fall with ease during breath directly supports the hearts pumping action to move blood through your entire system.

Doorway: Arches of the Feet

Key: Distribution of body weight across the feet, adaptability of the feet and ankles to accomodate different weight distributions based on position (standing, lunging, bending, squatting, etc.).

Heart of the Matter: Ability to allow the structures of the arches of the feet, knees, and pelvis to act as a support system for the diaphragm and heart. Once supported, the diaphragm - and the heart that is nested on it - can relax onto a solid base.

Doorway: Twelfth Rib

Key: The twelfth rib is a floating rib the acts as an attachment point for the quadratus lumburam, latissimus dorsi, and serratus posterior inferior.

Heart of the Matter: Since the twelfth rib extends from the thoracic spine and does not attach to another bone, it is called a "floating rib." When in proper position, it allows the lumbar spine to lengthen into a proper spinal curve and allows for the bottom of the rib cage to expand and contract during breath. This allows the diaphragm and lungs to pump along with the heart's normal beat.

Doorway: Pelvic Floor

Key: Ability of the pelvic floor to contract and expand during normal breathing. Properly functioning pelvic floor muscles allow for ease in elimination and elation.

Heart of the Matter: Sexuality is one of the deepest and truest parts of ourselves. It touches on our vitality, desires, and deepest wounding in life, not just in the act of copulation.

The need to control or hold back from our deepest and most secret desires of our heart are freed with the easy movement of our pelvic muscles.

Doorway: Psoas

Key: Allow for the vertebrae of the spine to move freely with a natural "instability" or freedom of movement while also freeing the swinging motion of the pelvic halves while stepping forwards.

Heart of the Matter: When allowed to lengthen and fall back towards the front of the lumbar vertebrae the psoas muscles coordinate the movement of the femur bones and the spinal bones. The ability of the spinal vertebrae to slide freely front and back in a wave motion and the pelvic halves to rotate on the horizontal plan creates what is called Spinal Engine (Spinal Engine Theory). It is this motion that allows easy forward momentum in life.

With the ability to freely propel yourself through life, you are free to be guided by your heart's magnetic attraction or repulsion to the things, places, and people in your life.

Doorway: Sacrum

Key: Ability of the sacrum to gently turn under and un-turn out during breathing and while walking.

Heart of the Matter: The sacrum is the lowest part of your spine - or the base of your spine - and where it meets the pelvis is called the sacral illiac joints. The ability of the sacrum to move freely with breath also allows for the proper movement of the spine to act as the engine within spinal engine theory.

The sacrum is located on the back of the body and its free movement can be experienced as no longer holding yourself back from moving towards your heart's deepest desires.

Doorway: Sphenoid

Key: Balancing the sphenoid bone at the center of your skull to arrange the position of the cranium bones and the skull into vertical alignment atop the spine.

Heart of the Matter: The sphenoid bone is sometimes called the "butterfly bone" due to its wing like shape. It sits at the center of your cranium and its position determines the position of the cranium bones surrounding it. It can only be directly accessed through the nasal cavaties.

In addition to reducing the experienced weight of the cranium by setting it atop the support system of the spine, a properly aligned head opens the heart mind connection. It allows you to get out of your mind and make heart centered choices in life.

Doorway: Pelvic Girdle

Key: Ensuring the six joints of the pelvis can move through their range of motion to rotate in the horizontal planes, the pelvic halves can move in opposition to each other, and forwards and backwards.

Heart of the Matter: The pelvic girdle includes the pelvic bones, pubic symphysis, hip joints, and sacroiliac joints. Proper range of motion in these joints allows for the spinal to act as an engine that propels the legs into forward movement towards your heart's deepest desires.

Doorway: Shoulder Girdle

Key: Allowing the clavicles, shoulder joints, and scapula to sit comfortably on top of the rib cage and move freely.

Heart of the Matter: The shoulder girdle includes the shoulder joints, sternoclavicular joints, and scapulas. The ball joints of the sternum roll in to protect the heart when it feels threatened causing the sensation of a closed or locked down heart.

This can also happen during daily activities like working on a laptop, driving, and holding a cell phone in a texting position.

Opening the shoulder girdle aids in opening the heart.

Doorway: Major Joints

Key: Range of motion of the ankles, knees, hip joints, shoulder joints, atlanto-axial and atlanto-occipital joints.

Heart of the Matter: The major joints of the body, especially the ball joints (hip joints and shoulder joints), curl forwards and in towards the torso to protect sensitive organs like the heart. This also happens when your body remains in a seated and head forward position common during driving and seated computer work.

When aligned and in a relaxed and safe space, the joints allow the bones to support the heart in its soft and open state.

Doorway: The journey never ends

Key: Daily maintenance keeps the body functioning well.

Heart of the Matter: A living heart beats, grows, contracts, and repeats.

This is the work you do to stay on good terms with your heart and to keep the Doorways of its labyrinth functioning post sessions.