Side lying, flexion and extension, all in the same game

Lie on your right side, Have a pillow under your head

and a small pillow between your knees.

Have your knees pointing forward

which is the direction your chest is pointing

take it easy

let your left arm be straight out from your shoulder

on the floor

1. Practice flexion,

which is the rounding of your back,

by the contracting of your stomach muscles

Bring your stomach in

and your left elbow down toward

your left knee

which comes up toward it

then come back to the starting position

do this many times

not far

not trying to reach the knee with the elbow

rest

2. Practice flexion with your knee moving forward

so that you bring your knee forward

with your knee coming up toward your face

as it moves forward away from your chest

as you round your back

and pull your stomach in

and push your middle back backward

and then come back

many times

aware

ease

pleasure

rest

Practice flexion with your arm moving forward

and slightly down

forward and down

stomach in

back rounding

and then come back

many times

aware

ease

pleasure

rest

3 Do both together

Knee forward and a bit up

Hand forward and a bit down

stomach in

back rounding

and then come back

many times

aware

ease

pleasure

rest

4. Extension

(always lengthens the body)

As per yesterday,

Move your hand forward and up

arch your back

and pushing out your belly

and then come back

many times

aware

ease

pleasure

rest

And as per two days ago

bring the knee forward and down a bit

push the belly out

and arch the back

and then come back

many times

aware

ease

pleasure

rest

5. Combine these two movements

so the arch of your back is

sending your hand forward and up

and your knee

forward and down

and then come back

many times

aware

ease

pleasure

rest

6. Let's go backward, just in extension

Bring your left shoulder back and up a bit

pushing out your belly

and arching your back

and then come back

many times

aware

ease

pleasure

rest

Now, bring your left hip back and down a bit

pushing out your belly 

and arching your back

and then come back

many times

aware

ease

pleasure

rest

7. Now, a fun project,

both ways are going to be in extension

Move your hand forward and up

push your belly out

and bring your hip back and down

(those are the same, back arching and belly coming forward)arching your back

return to neutral

and then go into extension

and keep going so that 

your shoulder comes back and up

as your belly pushes out

and your knee goes down and forward

as your back arches 

go back and forth,

arching each way

and then relaxing in neutral

and then arching again as the shoulder 

and hip

move in opposite directions

go slowly

if you don't "get it"

go slower

and play around with some variation

you feel in your body

any movement with awareness

is

good

you are 

good

life is good

More Moving, on the Side, Shoulder, Hip, Brain

Redo, if you have time, yesterday's lesson
and then add this on

Lying on your right side,
a bed
a firm floor with a blanket or several layers of yoga mat on it
a lawn

Today
have your left knee on top of your right knee
either put your right hand
or a cushion of some sort between the knees to ease the movement of the top knee

Have your left arm straight forward from your head on the ground/ floor ( we'll call it floor from now on)

1. Move your left arm slowly forward
and as per yesterday,
forward is the direction your chest is pointing

have the shoulder, your shoulder, move slowly forward and back to neutral
feeling this as a rolling in the top part of your spine
go slowly
and enjoy feeling each vertebra as it gets involved

rest

1.b.
Move the left arm forward and a bit down,
say a 45 degree angle
and as you do this
pull in your stomach muscles
and round your back a bit
then return to neutral

do this a number of times

rest

1.c.
Move your left arm forward and up a bit,
again, about 45 degrees,
and
as you move it forward and up,
arch your back
let your back seem to be pushing your arm
away
( it is),
feel the sternum lifting as you do this

return slowly and with awareness to neutral
and then do this many times

rest on your back and notice differences
side to side

return to your right side after a pleasant rest

2. Move your left leg ,
just a little bit,
straight ahead,
as if tipping off the right knee
and then come back

feel this as pure rotation
and feel the vertebrae move one by one

do this many times

rest

2.b.
Move your knee back and down
not a whole lot
but enough to feel how this works
well with push the belly forward
and arching your back

come back to neutral
go
very
slowly
and feel the back hip knee connection

back and forth,
from no arch and the knee on top of the other,
to arch and the knee back and down

rest

2.c.
Move your knee back and up a bit,
as if you were curling in
and bringing your knee toward your chin
and with this pull in your belly and round your back  a little
so the knee is coming back with a feeling of
curling up in the middle

rest on your back
enjoy the sensations
notice the differences:
beginning to now
right and left sides

stay here awhile,
and then
back to your right side

3.
arching

in extension,
in arching,

move your arm up and forward
while your arch your back
and lift your sternum
and
while you
bring your knee back and down a bit

as if you could keep going into a yoga like thing
with the arm toward up and the leg coming behind you

rest

4
rounding,
belly in

rounding,
flexion

this time
bring your arm down and forward
and your belly in
and bring your knee back and down

( the knee back and down is quite odd
go slowly
and figure it out

go very small
and have everything rotating around your movement being led
by your belly coming in

rest

5. Finish off with extension again
it's more natural

arm forward and up
back arched
belly forward
knees back and down

and a general feeling of lengthening

rest

and enjoy

Movement Joy, Hip and Shoulder, three

We've done this before,
and this is slightly "better"

Lie on your right side,
Use a pillow to keep your neck straight with your spine

Bring your left knee slightly in front of your right thigh
Bring your left hand to your sternum in the center of your chest

Be relaxed,
Breathe
Feel yourself in this shape

Rest many times during this

Now

1. Practice arching your back a little
which means:
belly forward
and pelvis rotating to the top of the pelvis goes forward
(forward = the direction your chest is facing)
and the the bottom of the pelvis ( your butt) comes back a little

and then bring the pelvis back.
Do this many times

Rest
in a way that breathing and sensing yourself
is a great joy

2
Do all movement as small as you wish
Much much less
and much slower
and much less force than you are used to

Round your back a number of times
This means
Pull the belly
in
and rotate your pelvis such that the top of your pelvis
( where is meets the spine) goes back with the belly
and
the bottom of your pelvis ( your butt and crotch) come forward
as if towards your nose

Do this many times,
from neutral to rounding and back to neutral

Rest for ease pleasure and enjoyment

3.
Do the arching of your back,
\as you bring your left knee forward
and then pull in your belly a bit to bring it back to neutral

it's as if you are pushing your knee forward with your back

go slow
really slowly

if there's any pain,
make the movement almost microscopic

it's about the brain noticing
differences

many times
with ease
pleasure
awareness

Rest

4
Do the arching of your back as you bring your left shoulder back
and then
simply release to bring everything back to neutral

no stain
all the pulling the shoulders back
is mainly nonsense,
let your back be carrying your shoulder back
easily
slowly
gently
pleasurably

many times
many

Rest

5
Combine the two:
Arch and bring the shoulder back as the left knee goes forward
and then
release back to neutral

many times

rest



EXTRA CREDIT
Do this in sitting

Sit in a chair
upright
most of the weight on the right side of your pelvis

Arch your back and bring your right shoulder back
many times

rest

Arch your back and bring your knee forward
many times
easy
slowly
less
pleasurably

rest

combine the two


EXTRA CREDIT, PART TWO

Do this on your back

Bring your left hip forward by arching the left side of your back
as you press your left
heel into the floor

Bring your left shoulder back with the same
heel pressing
back arching combo

Don't worry to get this right

if it feels good
it's right
good

Movement #3, in bed and easy on your back, great in your brain

Lie in bed on your left side, with your right leg on top of your left leg.

Have your arms extended straight out, forward, which is the direction your nose is facing. Your right hand rests palm down, on your left hand which is palm up.

1. Slowly, slowly, move your right hand forward, feeling the vertebrae of the spine join in one by one from the top down your back. Then bring the hand back and feel the spine moving the other way.

How far does the movement in the back extend?

Go back and forth many times, each time seeing if you can do it slower, easier and with more enjoyment and awareness.

Do this maybe ten or twelve times.

2. Rest on your back.
Breathe easily and notice any difference side to side.

Take a while to just be present to being in a body, in your body, in your body now, with each breath.

3. Slowly, slowly, slowly, move your right knee "forward" as if it were peeking over the edge of the left knee.

Feel this movement moving UP in your back.

4. Rest

Make all the rests an active, awareness enhancing, pleasure increasing feast for yourself.

5. Play with this,

and go very very slowly:

Bring both your right hand and your right knee forward, as

if they were a 

team.

Forward and then back.

Feeling how the ribs roll, how there

is less movement in the spine, feeling

what is happening in your neck and hips.

Really enjoy this.

Breathe easily as you do it.

6. Rest

7. Now, get fancy and go slowest of all
Move the hip and knee forward as

the hand and shoulder move back,

and move your hip and right knee back, 

as

your right hand moves forward.

Stop if you get confused.

Do less.

Rest between "tries."

When you get it, feel how the vertebrae at the top

of your back

are moving in the opposite direction as the vertebrae on the

bottom 

of your back.

Really indulge in noticing and enjoying this.

8. Rest on your back.

Notice the differences side to side

Take a little nap.

Come to sitting (roll up, do not yank up through the middle) and stand and

walk around.

How do you feel?

What do you notice?

Go slowly in your life for another five or ten minutes.

Tis the season to SLOW DOWN.

good.