Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Doing "Something"
(for spine, pelvis and brain, i.e. You)

DOING SOMETHING: FELDIE FUN
Here’s a little movement set that can help with your backs, or your brains, or your skiing, or your breathing, or your posture, or your balance, or ……

1) Lie on the floor or some nicely firm surface. Spend some time coming home to who and how you are with a floor under you. What is touching and what isn’t? How long do your legs feel? Your arms? Your spine? Can you notice a difference in the ribs on the right side and those on the left? How about the two sides of the pelvis? Where is your head meeting the floor? How is your breathing? Add to this and enjoy scanning and returning to yourself.

2) Bring your left foot to standing,
foot to standing
"Left foot standing"
which means the sole of the foot is flat to the floor and your knee is bent. Notice what you can notice just by this change in position. Then begin to gently push this foot, your left foot, into the floor in such a way as to tilt the left side of your pelvis forward, which is up from the floor. Then release and press, each time feeling whatever connection you can between your feet pressing and your pelvis turning and lifting on the left side.
pelvis lifting
Left foot pushes into ground, left hip raises, and pelvis rotates to the right


3) Rest with your legs long and notice any difference side to side.

4) Bring your left foot again to standing and once more press your foot into the floor and raise and rotate the left side of your pelvis. Notice what is happening in your stomach and spine. See if you can be aware of differences in which vertebrae are rotating before which others. Notice a change in pressure on your ribs as you press and rotate.

5) Rest again, again using this time for your brain to integrate and your self to notice. Enjoy awareness and the fruits of awareness.

6) Bring your left foot again to standing and repeat this same movement, and now notice your belly area. Try several times keeping the belly tight and pulled in while you do this. Then try several times loosening and pushing out your belly as you do this? Which is easier? When you push out the belly, notice the arching in your spine. Try this experiment: sometimes as you arch your back and push out your belly, breathe out, and sometimes as you do this, breathe in.

7) Rest.

8) Bring your left foot to the same position. Take your hands each into the opposite armpit, sort of hugging yourself and your ribs. Rotate gently your ribs and chest to the right and to the left. Feel the way this moves your spine. Now, begin to push your foot again, raising and rotating your pelvis, and pushing out your belly. As you do this, rotate your torso to the right.
See how this goes.
torso right as pelvis right
Torso / ribs rotate right as your pelvis rotates to the right


9) Now as you lift your left hip, rotate your ribs and torso to the left as your pelvis keeps rotating, as all along, to the right. Go slow. Notice the difference.
torso left as pelvis right
Torso/ ribs left as pelvis rotates to the right

10 )Rest.


11) Now, alternate, once rotating your torso to the right as you lift the left side of your pelvis and push your belly out, and once rotating your torso to the left as you do this. Notice the difference. Go slow and enjoy both. Notice what is happening in your spine with each alternative.

12) Rest. Scan yourself and notice any differences from the beginning. This could expand for a much longer lesson, and today, it won’t. Slowly, roll to a side, come to stand and walk. Notice the difference when your left foot presses into the floor and when your right does as you walk. Notice if you feel taller and lighter. Notice your breathing. Notice any enjoyment in being alive and moving. Make an idea for yourself of keeping this enjoyment in difference times of your life and day.


And..... some other time,
do this on the other side.
But for awhile, see how this translates into awareness of your whole self,
and your right and left sides.

Enjoy going slow:
go to only
80% of what your "limit" would be,
with 300% of your usual awareness.
A good rule in Feldie lessons,
sports,
and life.



(Note. The essays are rotating through the three blogs, more or less one per day.
So you might want to check:

Tai Chi Yoga Health Weight Loss Joy
and
Life on Earth ::: Slow Sonoma
for the last two essays.)


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