Stand near a wall>
Decide which foot is your stable foot,
and which your free foot
Stable is usually right for left handers, and left for right
Free is usually right for right handers, and left for left
Lift one foot
That one's your free foot
Stand a foot and a half or so from the wall,
adjust so that you feel moderately or a lot comfortable
leaning the top of your head into the wall
Use your hands for support if need be
ONE
Bring your free foot behind your stable foot,
so that it is on the opposite side that it usually is
and
both feet are pointing toward the wall
Shift your weight very slowly from right to left
and then back
Many times
Feel the transition as if 10%, 20%, 30% in one foot
as the weight gets more very gradually
Enjoy this
and notice how different it is to have the weight to your left side
on your right foot
and
the weight to your right side
on your left foot
Rest
by gently pushing to upright
and leaving the wall to walk around a bit
TWO
Everything as in One
same foot behind,
and now shift the weight from heels to toes
and back
Many times
Rest with your head on the wall
Now, do a circle of weight distribution:
Left heel, left toes,
Right toes, right heel
Many times,
and
then
reverse the circle
Now the longer rest, standing and walking
THREE:
Put the free foot in front and across to the other side
again, both feel pointing to the wall
and do the three stages from above;
Left and right
Front and back
Around the circle in both directions
Stand and walk for a rest
FOUR:
Take your stable foot behind the standing foot and to the opposite side
and
do all three
then rest and stand and walk
FIVE
Take your stable foot in front of your free foot and to the opposite side
and
do
all three:
Right and left
Front and back
Around the circle in both directions
Rest by walking and stay out of normal actions for awhile
Take a walk outdoor is you can,
though it's cold this time of the year most places
This is fun for all
and especially useful for people who are getting older,
who have fallen, or been in an accident,
or had a stroke,
and wish to improve their balance.
There will be one today,
and another tomorrow.
One:
Stand near a wall, about a foot and a half away,
( You can adjust this)
and putting your hands on the wall,
and then
bow a bit forward
so that you can press the top of your head into the wall
Rest here a bit
and feel the weight of you going up from your feet
through your spine
through your skull
into the wall
After you are comfortable,
begin to shit your weight from your right foot
to your left foot
back and forth,
Rest
Now shift your weight left and right
Very slowly
with a lot of pleasure and attention
and
as you shift to the right,
raise your left heel and rotate your left foot to the right
and
rotate your pelvis to the right,
and
rotate your head to the right, so your nose is pointing to the right.
and as you come back
bring your head to the middle
and both feet on the ground
and as you go to the left
raise your right heel
and rotate that foot and hip to the left
and rotate your nose and head to the left
if you can do this with your arms dangling down,
fine
if you need to keep your hands on the wall steadying you
that's fine too
many times,
at least 12
as many as you like
go for each time feeling slightly different
and each time more awareness of a new part of
yourself
and each time
a deeper sense of ease and pleasure
rest, but slowly using your hands to stand upright,
and walking around a bit
TWO;
You are going to do everything you did in the more
complicated version,
except that your head is going to go
the opposite way of the rotation of your hips
that is happening from the weight shift
and raising your heel
so:
rotate your pelvis to the left
by raising your right heel
and rotating your hip and leg to the left,
and
as you do this
(slow, slow, slow, slowly, slowly)
take your head and nose to the right
and easily slowly gently reversing this
so that as your pelvis goes to the right
with your left heel raising, and your left leg and hip rotating,
your head goes to the left
this won't be easy
and
if you go slowly enough
with enough attention,
will profoundly reorganize your nervous system
to balance far better in gravity
rest as above,
coming off the wall and walking around
THREE:
This is a fuller version of the second part of ONE
with your right hand on the wall, and your right hand dangling down,
and the top of your head on the wall,
rotate to the right by lifting your left heel,
rotating your hip,
turning your nose and head to the right,
and this time
the nose and eyes will be following the loose right hand, and arm,
which will rotate up to shoulder height to the right
then reversing down and the other way:
the hand will come down
and up to the left
the right heel will raise
the hips and leg will rotate to the left
as the head and nose and eyes follow your hand
back and forth
many times,
slowly
gently
pleasurably
with ease and
breathing
and discovery
and grace
rest as before by walking around
FOUR:
The same as above with the other arm
as the pendulum that goes side to side
followed by your eyes and nose
enjoy this,
really
slowly
completely
easily
slowly
gently
breathe
breathe
breathe
Take it easy for 10-30 minutes after and let this integrate
Naps and walks are the best integration
Good
Sit in in a chair>
Breathe
Notice your relationship to gravity
Mull over how long it has been since you've been aware that you are in gravity all day
Breathe smile
Feel what feels good
Feel what doesn't feel so good
Smile
One:
Lean down between your legs and reach for the floor
Easily
Don't strain
Go as far as easily
Two:
Lean to the left with your head
Come back to the middle
Do this many times
Let your weight come onto the left side of your pelvis
Your left "sit bone" ( Sitz bone as it were, but we'll just call it
the left side of your pelvis)
rest a bit
feel your body and breathing and
relationship to gravity
Three:
Lean to the left again
and
each time you do, take your left hand
down the left side of the chair towards the floor
Come up, slowly, enjoying
the touch on the chair
Do this many times, easily
Rest
Now test how leaning down toward the floor
between your legs feels
easier
further
more pleasurable
how could you make it more pleasurable?
Four:
Again,
lean to the left
and lower your left arm along the chair towards the floor,
and leave it as near as it goes,
don't push it,
and let it come forward and backward
moving your head back and forth as it to follow the arm
Five:
Put your left hand over your head and hold your right ear with your left hand
In this configuration
a) Rock to the right side of your pelvis
b) Let your ribs go to the right
c) Gently pull your head to the left
So this time you are leaning left
but with a shift to the right side
of your pelvis
Do this many times, gently,
feeling the curve in your spine
and
enjoying it
Rest
Try our reaching for the floor again
Six:
As in five,
but now
when you get all the way to the left with your head
do the "cat and cow" we've done in earlier lessons,
that is
( all while curved left and sitting on the right "sitz bone"
have your
belly go out
roll forward on this right side of your pelvis
arch your back and bring
your head back a bit
then
roll back on the right side of your pelvis
pull your belly in
bring your tilting head a little forward
go back and forth like this
rest
test for the floor reaching
rest more
Seven
get up and walk around
notice differences side to side
Eight:
If you want,
do this sequence on the other side
