It has been a couple weeks now since we wrapped up our 10^th Annual Interdisciplinary Integration Symposium, but we are all still boasting with excitement over the two days that we had on April 19-20^th! It was such a pleasure to host Matt Wallden and Phillip Beach, Osteopaths from across the pond who were our keynote speakers this year. Their clinical and educational backgrounds allowed them to expand on topics of tissue restriction, evolutionary and development factors, archetypal postures, and contractile fields relating to the symposium’s overall topic of “Postural Restriction”. Jacqueline Shakar blended her extensive clinical experience in assessment and treatment of the foot and ankle, with different methodologies, including PRI, Graston Technique, SFMA, and others, giving us all further appreciation of the role that the foot and ankle plays in restriction from the floor up and other areas of the body. Robert “Skip” George shared his personal journey as a chiropractor, the restrictions encountered within his profession and also some of the common clinical restrictions that occur in the cervical spine. Heidi Wise opened our eyes further to the role that extraocular muscles have on (or in response to) postural patterns, and possible restrictions that might occur with the EOMs. Pat Davidson took us through a fun journey reminding us how we have lost “authentic environments” that our ancestors thrived upon, and how this is influencing today’s healthcare and fitness industries. Ron Hruska got to further expand on chest wall restriction and the role of clavicle, hyoid and scapula position and alignment. His discussion on management of hyoid muscle ‘sling’ activity was brought to life with the ‘PRI Suprahyoid Sling Model’ that attendees received to help them further understand, and also educate their colleagues, patients or clients how mandibular and hyoid position/alignment influences suprahyoid muscle activity. And finally, it was an honor to have Gabe Adams speak, dance, and answer questions for our attendees on Thursday evening. His story (along with his father Ron) was more than inspiring, and reminded all of us that the thorax runs the show. With ribcage and thorax movement, you can walk, dance, and live life to its fullest!

While we are still boasting in excitement two weeks later, we are even more excited to be working on next year’s Interdisciplinary Integration Symposium topic and speakers. Save the date for April 11-12, 2019, and stay tuned for the topic and speaker announcements in the coming months!

This past weekend I had the pleasure to present Postural Respiration to a diverse mix of new attendees and "veterans" of PRI at Pro Sport in Redmond, WA. I would rename this weekend "Superior T-4 Syndrome in Seattle" considering how many course attendees presented with this patho-mechanical respiratory compensation and asked so many questions about patho-mechanical rib kinematics as it relates to this subject! We had an opportunity to demonstrate in front of class at least four students that looked like they could possibly be patho-mechanical in terms of their respiration and body type.

One take away is you may suspect a positional issue but always test and retest. Two of the students demonstrated the definitive assessment of decreased left apical expansion after a Superior T-4 manual technique. Superior T-4 came up during discussion on Saturday and was a topic that came up often during the entire weekend on how to define, assess and then treat it both manually and non-manually. One of the students that had non-manual techniques provided experienced the left side of her body in a way that she expressed with an enthusiastic smile and a new place that she could feel and find in her body! In addition, she felt a bit "unstable" when she first started walking and liked it! Welcome to variability! She not only found neutral, but she experienced transitioning right to left side and back again, alternating and reciprocating, lateralizing and realizing what tri-planer position, gait and breathing is all about. What a lesson for all to see, experience and what it means to reduce the reliance on end-ranges driven by asymmetries, respiration and patterns driven by neurology!

The enthusiasm and new awareness of Superior T-4, especially for students new to PRI, was totally fun for all involved including this instructor! Thank you PRI dedicated veterans Erin Rajca and Michael Ball, both PT's and PRC's, for their help and knowledge.

This course was a joy for all with them in attendance providing energy, experience and caring. Thank you Cory and Amanda for hosting at PRO SPORT and all of your hard work! And shout out to all of the students in attendance for your most outstanding questions and persistence in wanting to understand PRI principles especially regarding Superior T-4.

This past weekend the PRI Fitness and Movement course was sold out in Salem, Oregon and the entire west coast from represented from California to Alaska. Thank you to all that attended and traveled in! It really was a great group!

The audience had great diversity with personal trainers, strength coaches, physical therapists, chiropractors, massage and fascial bodyworkers, CrossFit and fitness enthusiasts and it was awesome to see them all working together to learn and enhance their understanding of the PRI science and key biomechanical relationships. This weekend was jammed pack with a ton of lab as I broke down the complex core axial system into digestible parts which could be trained. Breathing patterns along with thoracic and pelvic positions were emphasized to enhance neuromuscular and biomechanical patterning. Great discussions and lab experiences were had all around. Special thanks to Salem’s hidden gem - The Press Room - for hosting, Aaron Hague and his team were gracious hosts and a special shout out to PRCs Minh Nguyen and Joy Backstrum for helping make lab an enjoyable experience for the large group we had! The abs were reshaping the pancakes... and attendees we were feeling the parachuted love!

We will be at the University of Vermont next month and then North Carolina and California. This course keeps getting better and James and I hope to see you there! Check out the Affiliate Course page for more details and be sure to program in some summertime learning today!

We had a fantastic weekend at Pilates Central presenting the second ever PRI Integration for Pilates course to a stellar audience that brought a fun and energetic vibe. I really love presenting a two day course with 2 other faculty members because we can showcase each other's strengths in a complementary way and it increases the likelihood of course attendees connecting personally with one or more of the presenters. Donna Parise Byrne and Sarah Petrich are two professionals that bring a strong combination of experience and ability to the table and the course attendees just love them.

We welcomed a dynamic group of physical therapists, pilates instructors, strength and conditioning professionals, athletic trainers, massage therapists, personal trainers and students. Thank you Jenny LaForest, for bringing your interest in pediatrics all the way from Missoula MT, and Danny Jackowicz, for bringing your interest in performance training all the way from Erie PA. When people who are not in the world of Pilates realize that adding Pilates can powerfully enhance what they do, its awesome. Thank you Glenna Nall, for being a competitive olympic lifter who appreciates the value of breathing and proper core integration, and Mark Cibrario, a personal trainer who still plays high level baseball with athletes 25-30 years younger than he is and doesn't miss a beat. I love it when our attendees really put the principles we teach to work in their lives to enhance body durability and career longevity.

I also wanted to thank Deb and Angel Giordano, the dynamic mother daughter team that brought so much to the weekend. Deb, I know you have a long history with Donna and Pilates Central. Thanks for bringing Angel, because her questions were so helpful to the flow of the class and definitely made the experience better for the rest of the class. It was also special to have Elizabeth Hodges attending this course. She is the one and only PRI Integration for Pilates model for all of our exercise techniques. Her contributions to the manual will continue to bless others for a long time into the future. Thank you Elizabeth and thank you for coming.

Speaking of the PRI Integration for Pilates exercise techniques, I just love what the reformer and the chair allow us to do in terms of creativity, adaptability and successful delivery of muscle and movement integration. I mean, where else does Supine Left Stance with Right Rectus Femoris and Sartorius become Left Leg Footwork Right Develope, Supine Supported 90-90 Synchronized Resisted Glute Max become Butterfly Breathing Thighs in Loops, Supine Supported Thoracic Inhibition with Serratus Reach become Feet in Loops Reach, Paraspinal Release with Left Hamstrings become Seated Gymnast Prep, Standing Left AFIR with Right Glute Max become Left Stance Scooter, Standing Left AFIR with Right Abduction become Speed Skater and Standing Left Posterior Mediastinal Expansion with Alternating Weight Shift become Standing Walking Elephant? I could go on, but you get the idea.

Please consider joining us for one of our upcoming courses this year in Albany NY, Minneapolis, MN or Novato, CA.