When the surface is hard, the body needs to move and soften.
When the surface is soft, it accommodates a harder body that holds tension.
Whether it’s shoes, your mattress that you sleep on or your couch, if you shift to a thinner, harder surface your body is forced to soften a little just to stay comfortable.
We see this with cats and dogs. Always supple and often preferring to lie down on concrete and other hard surfaces.
This is another reason why in conscious down-regulation practices we always have a hard surface. We are looking for the spine to lengthen and the muscles to relax as this happens.
It can take time to adapt, but sitting on the floor, sleeping on a thin, harder mattress and wearing “flats” for shoes are three simple and massive tools to help your musculoskeletal system.
