The Oak. Upon choosing the second part of the CedarOak name, I immediately realized its personal meaning: connection.

The oak tree connects to many things. It connects to the ground: its massive roots wander in the soil, anchoring it to the earth and giving it sustenance and stabilty. It connects to the sun: its winding branches reach to the sky, drinking sunlight from thousands of miles away. It connects to its environment: wind kisses its dark leaves while animals play on its branches.

Similarly, our nervous system is our connection to the world. We feel the ground beneath our feet, the sun on our faces, and our environment with our hands.

But there are deeper aspects. It is our connection of the nervous system to the connective tissue, our myofascial system, that lets us feel our potential. Try this experiment:

Stand up. Place your feet shoulder width apart. Feel the weight your feet as they press on the ground. Which one is pressing stronger? Is the weight distrubuted evenly? Shift your weight back and forth, feeling the midpoint where your feet are both in balance.

Shift your body weight to the left, letting your left leg take your full weight. Your right leg should be weightless. Pick your right foot up and move it further to the side, spreading your stance. Gently place your foot on the ground. As slowly as possible, shift your weight from the left leg to your right. Then your shift weight to the balanced midpoint.

Feel the change of pressure, the midpoint moving on the ground as you shift your weight. What did you notice? What were you aware of? What you feel is the connection to your myofascial system, and your awareness of your core. This is the hallmark of the Oak session.