Finding your line: Identifying & Treating Postural Patterns and Imbalances in the Rider to Improve Awareness and Enhance Neutral Alignment with Meredith Stephens
Saturday 2nd November 2024 @ 14:00 HRS GMT
Finding your line: Identifying & Treating Postural Patterns and Imbalances in the Rider to Improve Awareness and Enhance Neutral Alignment.
We live and ride in the field of gravity. Our inherent structural asymmetries, movement practices and habits all influence our posture. Associated postural compensations can be a source of altered alignment that can affect movement. Over time, our altered alignment becomes the ‘new neutral’ and we are not even aware that we are dis-oriented in space. In riding, the lack of postural awareness and asymmetry can impact the horse/rider relationship. Ultimately, malalignment can create weakness, influence movement strategies, riding biomechanics and cause degeneration in the spine and joints.
This webinar focuses on identifying common postural patterns and relationships in the body that can alter weight bearing, body mechanics and alignment. We will introduce the concept of myofascial-skeletal tensegrity, relational anatomy in postural assessment and simple techniques and strategies to use with riders that enhance awareness and realign the body for improved balance and relationship to gravity.
For all attendees, CPD certificates available as well as a “view only” recording of the webinar with a 30 day access pass. There will also be a Q and A session with ample opportunity to post questions via our interactive Q&A panel.
Meredith Stephens
Meredith Stephens holds a master’s and doctorate in Physical Therapy and a bachelor’s in Exercise Physiology. She is a certified STOTT Pilates instructor, Board Certified Structural Integrator (BCSI), licensed board certified massage therapist. She has over 25 years experience in health, wellness and rehabilitation and has long been fascinated by the relationship of the fascial system and the central nervous system (CNS). Of particular interest is the role myofascial continuities and tensegral relationships play in force transmission, postural patterns and movement and how these are impacted by injury, pain as well as daily movement practices and activities. This holistic view strongly influences her treatment approach.
Dr. Stephens is a Certified C2 Schroth Barcelona School Physical Therapist- Rigo Method scoliosis physical therapist and focuses her practice on adults with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and degenerative lumbar scoliosis. She integrates her work as a structural integrator and Schroth practitioner to assist a wide variety of clients in finding a more neutral static and dynamic alignment.
She has worked over 12 years for Anatomy Trains as an instructor, content creator and US Education Manager and has presented both nationally and internationally in fascia, tensegrity, regional anatomy, postural assessment, scoliosis, osteoporosis, fascial movement and manual therapy interventions. She co-created STOTT PILATES Fascial Movement course with PJ O’Clair.
Meredith has worked with professional sports teams, dancers, equestrians and athletes and has presented at symposiums and conferences for Physical Therapists, Athletic Trainers, bodyworkers and exercise professionals.
“My goal is to educate and inspire students to learn more about the workings of the human body, fascia, tensegrity and how they can affect positive change in their clients.”
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