and training in biomechanics and gait analysis, it became clear that the direction and engagement of people’s bodies was generally misaligned. This creates a negative impact on muscles, organs, and the healthy function of the nervous system.

During the pandemic, there was a period when clients could not book in for treatments, so they had to become more aware of their own bodies. They began to accept the responsibility and developed
the capacity to help themselves, without relying solely on a therapist. We created a methodology to help them, which looked deeply into the 3D alignment of each joint and the way bones are designed to move in relation with one another.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME…

It can be difficult or overwhelming to try to learn about our bodies and skeletal structure. By using analogies to compare the bones to everyday objects, we can demystify our bodies and begin to understand ourselves. For example, if we consider the bones as… Needles. They weave and thread us through our daily lives. Without bones – and that strong, moving, interconnected core – the rest of our body would become a pile of mush. The question is: does this system work in a united way, or in isolation?

Scaffolding in motion

Every other system in the body is reliant on the bone structure to retain overall mobility and boundaries, to support and keep the different parts of each system safe and functioning correctly. The pelvis, ribcage and skull are three extraordinary skeletal containers that, when aligned correctly,
have the power to give the space and protection to organs, systems, muscles, and connective tissues.
When they are misaligned, however, protection and space can turn into compression, the bones acting instead like a heavy object that stops the flow and regulation of the body. One could compare this to a heavy brick blocking or reducing the water flow through a hose pipe. This is a great analogy for what happens when the pelvis or ribcage is misaligned and crushing the digestive tract, or when the base of the skull is misaligned and reducing the optimum blood flow to the brain. Both of these examples
are ways in which the bones can compress, subsequently inducing a wide range of pathologies, from irritable bowel syndrome to migraines.

A table

A misaligned skeletal structure cannot return to its correct alignment without the correct foundations. If a table rocks and wobbles, do you focus on everything moving chaotically on the table top, or do you simply go to the leg of the table and find a way to resolve the issue at the source – which then allows everything above to become balanced and stable?

WHY BONES?

Feeling our bones and their movement is an integral part of understanding our bodies. For most people, it helps to anchor and move the body through the orientation of an imaginary clockface. Through our methodology, we teach people to set their feet with their second toes facing 12 o’clock. This will immediately make some people feel knockkneed or like they have a tight back. We work up towards helping them realign their pelvis, spine, ribcage, shoulder blades, shoulder joints, and then their skull and jaw.

Instead of seeing the body as separate parts, we encourage people to realise the interconnected nature of the body through experiencing it. For example, we demonstrate how the movement or alignment of the jaw can impact the movement of someone’s feet, or how the rotation of the wrist can affect the extension or flexion of the spine. Through a seven-week process, we have been able to help people learn how to understand each part of their body and piece together the bigger picture.

JOINTS ACT, MUSCLES REACT

My personal calling was to decipher this term – coined by my mentor Gary Ward, who wrote a book called What The Foot? – into a methodology that a 10-year-old could understand and a 90-year-old could put into practice. I found the best way to teach anyone and everyone the power of understanding their body and bones was to divide each part of the body – starting with the feet – into manageable chunks. This evolved into a methodology of 48 practices over a seven-week period, intended to be spread over five days a week, with sessions only taking up 10 minutes each day. This way it became possible to teach people how they could learn from the comfort of their own home and put these movements into their
basic day-to-day activities.

At Ixchel Therapies, this seven-stage process begins with the 26 bones and 33 joints in both feet; that is 52 bones and 66 joints that connect with the ground with every step you take. They have very special
mechanisms designed to pronate into a flattened foot, or supinate into an arched foot. Unfortunately, for the majority of people in pain, these mechanisms do not work correctly, and this can be the foundational
source of many issues.

Through this methodology, clients develop balance, stability, support, relief, and self-love as they learn what lies beneath their skin. People who have suffered from pain for decades are now able to access the very alignments that are causing compressions and friction inside the body.

We believe that the power from this major part of the muscularskeletal system has been overlooked completely, and are very fortunate that doctors, Pilates and yoga practitioners, trauma specialists, and
bodyworkers are taking the training to share our unique methodology with the world. I am excited to say that the training is spreading throughout Europe, and North and South America.

Within the Ixchel Wellness Community, we teach the Get Into Your Body methodology and are proud to continue our mission to bring people home to their bones!

Victoria Salomon is an award-winning holistic therapist, founder of The Ixchel System, and author of Get Into Your Body Level 1: The Workbook. After years of suffering from misdiagnosed coeliac disease, as well as growing up surrounded by chronic physical and emotional health challenges in her family, Victoria discovered the healing power of ‘alternative’ medicine on a trip to India. She specialises in bodywork and mobility, and helps hundreds of people begin to recover from acute and chronic pain. To learn more about Victoria and Ixchel Therapies, visit her website: ixcheltherapies.co.uk or contact her via Instagram: Ixcheltherapies_, Facebook: Ixchel Massage & Movement Therapies or YouTube @IxchelTherapiesTheIxchelSystem.