Do you feel like one side of your body is stronger or weaker than the other? Perhaps some muscles are overcompensating for this and maybe it’s even affecting your breathing. This isn’t uncommon. In fact, it’s quite normal and there are systems out there to help address this.

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Mike Cantrell is an instructor for the Postural Restoration Institute (PRI) where he helps all sorts of people gain stability and strength in their bodies. He has a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Emory University School of Medicine and uses his expertise in PRI as well as his sense of humor to break down difficult concepts of human kinetics for anyone to understand.

In this interview, Mike introduces us to the PRI system. This involves recognizing that our bodies are naturally asymmetrical. This impacts everything from the way we breathe to how we perceive our environment. Once we have this knowledge we can start to purposefully breathe, move, and exercise in ways that support both sides of our bodies. Throughout this really fun conversation, Mike shares his unique perspective on many topics concerning our asymmetrical anatomy that will help anyone become more knowledgeable and comfortable in their body.

Have you noticed an asymmetry in your body affecting your movements? Tell me about it in the comments below!

In this episode:

• The natural asymmetry of the human body and why it’s important to understand it
• The asymmetry of the brain and why this matters
• The importance of fully exhaling and why so few of us truly do so
• Your hamstrings as some of the most important yet neglected muscles you have
• The integrative breath-centered PRI approach to dealing with hypermobility and ligamentous laxity
• How asymmetry plays out in the bodies of high-performance athletes and how to use this knowledge to keep them healthy
• PRI activities that you can safely try at home

Quotes:

“PRI is simply an institute that is crystalizing an understanding about human asymmetry. That’s the job and the role of the Postural Restoration Institute, to synthesize and collect research and data on the fact that humans are asymmetrical and that it matters.” [8:56]

“What I would love to see people do is fully exhale before they decide to inhale, or fully load right before they decide to fully load left. Then we can learn ‘em how to fully load left and teach them how to go back to the right. That’s called pendular alternating lateralization.” [15:12]

“The more confident you are about the science about what you’re saying, the more reliant that patient will be upon your instruction — and then the better off you are at prescribing whatever it is you want to do.” [29:47]

Links:

Find Mike Cantrell online

Follow Mike on Instagram | Twitter

Postural Restoration Institute

American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry