I've been in and around education for 35 years, and this Joint Opening sequence, combined with the deeper awareness of the body, is by far the most valuable thing I've learned in my journey...this basic knowledge of the body and its interconnectedness was left out of all my years of schooling, and coming to understand this truly simple concept laid the foundation for being able to change so many other things in my life.
- Laraine Herring, author of Lost Fathers, Monsoons, and Writing Begins With the Breath.

There are over 230 movable and semi-movable joints in the human body. Joints are created by the convergence of bones, where many tissues meet and perform together: cartilage, ligaments, tendons, synovium and synovial fluid, nerves, blood vessels, lymph vessels, etc. Each joint serves as a bridge, linking the nerves and vessels that make up the body's vast communication network.

We can easily classify most joints by their shape and function:

• Ball and socket joints: such as the shoulder and hip joints. These allow a wide range of movement.
• Condyloid joints (or ellipsoid): such as the thumb. A condyloid joint is where two bones fit together with an odd shape (e.g. an ellipse), and one bone is concave, the other convex. Some classifications make a distinction between condyloid and ellipsoid joints.
• Saddle joints: such as at the thumb (between the metacarpal and carpal). Saddle joints, which resemble a saddle, permit the same movements as the condyloid joints.
• Hinge joints: such as the elbow (between the humerus and the ulna). These joints act like a door hinge, allowing flexion and extension in just one plane.
• Pivot joints: such as the elbow (between the radius and the ulna). This is where one bone rotates about another.
• Gliding joints: such as in the carpals of the wrist. These joints allow a wide variety of movement, but not much distance.
• Plane joints: such as the synovial joint between the heads of the ribs and bodies of the thoracic vertebrae. These allow for sliding and gliding during breathing and movement of the thoracic spine.

The joints listed above are called Synovial Joints. The synovium is a membrane that covers all the non-cartilaginous surfaces within the joint capsule. It secretes synovial fluid into the joint, which nourishes and lubricates the articular cartilage. The synovium is separated from the capsule by a layer of cellular tissue that contains blood vessels and nerves. Physically, the joints are one of many wonders of nature.

Joints are also the body's spiritual gates. These open spaces enable movement and articulation of our life's purpose. Since any movement you make in your life is dependent on the health and durability of your joints, preserving joint health is essential to living an active and fulfilling life.

Our joints often get abused through poor diet and lifestyle choices, and a lack of understanding about the proper function of exercise to facilitate holistic fitness. Unfortunately, cases of joint dis-ease and degeneration are on the rise. Many people in their 30s already show signs of arthritis and chronic inflammation in their joints. Most of these cases are totally preventable; all of them are treatable naturally.

Joint health is a reflection of holistic well-being. What yogis and Taoists have known for thousands of years, and leading medical scientists are coming to understand, is that the health of any cell in the body is a reflection of the whole system. Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual factors all play an equal role in the health of a single cell.

The joints are one of the most noticeable places in the human body where the cumulative effect of systemic imbalance rears its ugly head. This is both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing in that we have a tangible way to assess the health of internal organs and tissues we can't see or touch. The curse is that because joints are so sensitive, their expression of imbalance is the cause of much pain and suffering for many people.

Joint pain and dis-ease almost never "start" in the joints. Even in the case of a specific injury to a joint, many other factors are often involved in creating susceptibility to injury. For example, poor elimination creates an uptake of toxic debris back into the blood stream through the large intestine. To avoid affecting the internal organs, this waste is deposited into the joints "to be dealt with later" by the body's immune system. Once the immune system gets involved, the downward spiral of auto-immunity begins: the body starts attacking itself. Muscular weakness, loss of structural integrity, and many other degenerative factors result in an increased susceptibility to fatigue and injury. Since the human system functions as a unit, these physical effects are often reflected emotionally as depression and low energy.

With depression, low energy, and decreased mobility due to pain, blood circulation slows, digestion weakens further, and the whole process continues to decline. Once the body/mind is weakened, simply stepping off the curb or picking up your cat could be the cause of a spinal or knee injury.

So whether it is healing from an injury, curing arthritis, or maintaining general health, the foundations of joint health are the same: strengthen digestion and assimilation, improve the efficiency of elimination, restore muscular balance and joint mobility, remove toxic buildup and increase circulation at the joint site.

To specifically address the need for a simple, effective system of joint health and overall fitness, Cain has developed Joint Opening. Based on the principles of Yoga, Ayurveda and Classical Chinese Medicine, Joint Opening is the safest, simplest, and most effective way to restore and maintain the health of your joints, and subsequently your whole body.

Through over 20 years of teaching movement arts, Cain has helped thousand of students reclaim their joint health, find greater ease in movement, and significantly reduce (or completely eliminate) the causes of joint dis-ease. The system Cain has created addresses the unique needs each individual based on age, level of fitness and mobility, current health condition, etc. He has taught students from 10 - 90 years old, from super-athletes to students in wheelchairs. Students of any age and physical condition can benefit from Cain's joint opening system.

There is no prerequisite for regaining your joint health. With a willingness to try something different, and the discipline to practice a little each day, the results are yours.

The best way to learn more about Joint Opening is to attend a course and try Cain's methods for yourself.

Click here for Cain's current teaching schedule.