The beginnings of the McCall Method, in a way, date back to those first days humans stood upright and began to walk. More than 20 years ago, when I was trying to unify my yoga teaching and our daily movements, I read about how people in different global cultures enjoyed moving and working through their days without pain in their joints or muscles. The author, Angie Thusius, had been introduced to this ability to move and work without pain in different international communities by Noel Perez.

For years, Perez researched how men and women from different ethnic backgrounds walked, carried heavy loads and moved through their lives without pain. Thusius developed the Kentro Body Balance guidelines from Perez’s research.

With my knowledge and experience as a physical therapist with more than 20 years experience, along with the work of Thusius and Perez, I developed the McCall Method. We all agree on one fundamental: how Western civilization defines “correct posture” and ways to move is often much different than in other global cultures. These ethnic and indigenous groups lead lives that demand an excessive amount of manual labor, yet they do it with comfort, strength and ease. Looking for examples of this movement closer to home? Just watch the way children play and move through their days, especially before they start attending school. We can learn so much from their natural movement in their early years before adults begin teaching them “correct postures.”