Brains do 'interesting' things, sometimes for no reason, sometimes for a reason you don't understand. So this morning, half awake, a memory came to me about the time I was hosting Nell Znamerowski (spelling?) as she did a tour round northern BC. Turned out she was here over Canadian Thanksgiving, and the official local hostess was unable to have her for the holiday, whereas I could. It was an unexpected opportunity to get to know someone who had a very high profile in the handweaving community at a time when I was quite a new weaver.
So I tidied up the guest room, warned her that my house was always a bit of a mess (an understatement, going into the sales season!) but she seemed to be accepting.
When I picked her up, I let her know I had an early morning physio appointment the next morning, showed her the kitchen, pointed out where the coffee and tea were, and invited her to help herself to breakfast if she got up before I got home from my appointment.
She gave me a long look and asked why I was seeing a physiotherapist. I mumbled something about having a 'bad' back. She snorted and observed that ALL weavers have 'bad' backs.
Which is, I think, the spark that really got me wondering about weaving and ergonomics.
If ALL weavers have bad backs, perhaps it was something about weaving that was causing issues?
My background in ballet and sports and being coached meant I had a pretty deep awareness of when things felt uncomfortable and I'd already fine tuned a lot of my processes, but I began to do so with more awareness that there were certain jobs in weaving that could just be made a little bit more friendly to the body. And I began to question the physiotherapists I was working with, then the massage therapist when I discovered that actually helped more than the physio. Being a reader, I started reading more about anatomy and physics. And then applying what I learned to the work I was doing.
Over the years I read about different disciplines and how ergonomics was being applied to those activities, talked to people with degrees in body mechanics, body movement, yoga instructors, and so on.
As I have aged and body parts started wearing out, I adapted myself (first) and then my equipment in order to keep weaving.
Over and over again, the health community emphasizes that staying active in some fashion is critical for people to keep moving and keep going. Over the years people would earnestly urge me to join an aerobics class, which I did for a time, when I was younger and had more energy/money. But as I got older (and had little money to spare) I stopped buying such activities and just focused on my weaving. Because that was how I earned my money. So it made sense for me to 'save' my body for what was 'important' to me. An aerobics class was all well and good, but at the end of it all I was was sweaty. When I wove for an hour on the AVL, not only was I sweaty, I had a couple yards of fabric to show for it.
From time to time someone will contact me and comment that my advice has been invaluable to them. They have given me feedback from *their* health providers that my suggestions are sound. A few have said that they are now able to weave again after having had treatment for physical issues and their therapists have approved my approach as being 'not harmful' - so long as they remember to rest, stretch their muscles, and pay attention to their body and not go beyond what they are capable of doing.
As I age, I have had to adjust my own expectations of what I can do and what I should maybe do less of. It's been a tough time accepting that my body simply cannot be pushed like I used to be able to do. But otoh, I'm supposed to be retired.
So I keep my weaving to two sessions a day (or about 120 minutes total) spread out over the day. Because weaving brings other benefits - a time to shut out the current 'interesting' times and get away from the stress of life in the 21st century. The intellectual stimulation of designing a new quality of cloth. The challenge of working - as much as possible - from my stash. And keeping my skills fresh so that when I teach (or engage online with people having problems) I can answer questions.
But mostly I would like to keep teaching, even if it is reduced in quantity, or online rather than in person.
I have, however, offered to do a four day (four Saturdays) Beginning to Weave class for any local person interested. The guild has been having requests for such a class and there really isn't anyone else who feels comfortable teaching (yet). If I am to grow the weavers here, then I need to step up.
Since I am immune compromised, I've told the guild that it will be only for those willing to wear a mask, even if they are vaccinated, even though the room has a hepa filter, there will be multiple times when I will be demonstrating and the five of us will be crowded close together). And given the growing 8th wave, there is no telling where we will be given covid in Jan/Feb.
One of the other reasons I decided to teach locally is that I want the people I know to work in a way that will do the least damage to their body. Given Nell's observation, and my own observations of people weaving, with poor posture/position at the loom, using techniques that are putting excess stress on their bodies, I feel it is part of the reason I'm still here, still doing what I do - to educate people not on just to weave, but *how* to weave without causing themselves harm/pain.
So, hat tip to Nell and her comment. She helped turn me into a more *intentional* weaver.
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