Tell Your Bones What To Do. March 2026

Why the Skeleton Is the Best Teacher

Tell your bones what to do when learning movement is one of the most personal things you can do. Every body — and every mind — is different. That’s why I use the skeletal system as my foundation for teaching movement and body awareness.

The bones give us common ground. No matter your size, strength, or experience level, we all share essentially the same skeletal structure. When we focus on the bones and joints first, the muscles naturally follow.

Alignment Starts with the Bones

The goal is simple: line up and balance the bones and joints, and the muscles will respond. This approach also reveals how our muscle patterns are affecting our posture — and what’s possible when we change them.

Bones are also much easier landmarks to work with than muscles. Whether you’re lying on your back, on your stomach, on your side, seated, or standing, it’s relatively straightforward to feel where your bones are and how they relate to the space around you.

A Simple Example: Heel Alignment

Try this: lie on your back with your legs stretched out long. Notice where your heels fall.

Do they both fall outward? Both inward? Does one go one way and the other the opposite direction? Do you even know where the middle of your heel is supposed to be?

These questions aren’t meant to judge — they’re meant to build awareness. And when you do find that neutral heel alignment, notice how it feels. That feeling is information.

Tell Your Bones What To Do

There’s a phrase I learned years ago that I come back to again and again: “Tell your bones what to do.”

It means this: visualize how the bones move, then move them. It sounds simple, but the research behind it is powerful.

A recent study found that visualizing movement changes how our brain networks are organized, creating more connections among different regions. You can read more about this research at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-visualizing-your-body-doing-something-help-you-learn-to-do-it-better/

Meet Bone-ita

At our studio, we have a full-size skeleton named Bone-ita. She’s one of our most valuable teaching tools.

During class and individual sessions, I use Bone-ita to physically demonstrate how the bones move during an exercise. Seeing the skeleton move — rather than just hearing a description — makes the concept click in a completely different way.

Movement for Every Body

This skeletal approach is one of the reasons our teaching works for such a wide range of people. When you understand movement at the level of the bones, you’re working with something universal — something that connects every person in the room, regardless of their background or ability.

The bones are your foundation. Learn to listen to them, and everything else becomes clearer.