Sitting and folding, for fun and...

“Anti-aging” and happiness #2, Leaning forward:
Sit in a chair. Sit up more or less straight. Feel your pelvis at the chair or bench or rock or log below you.

Breathe and feel what that’s like and how that involves or doesn’t involve your ribs.

Lean over and move toward touching the floor. Easy, go a few times, breathe, explore.

Sit up again and rest.


Now, put your left forearm on your left knee, and prop yourself a bit, and from this position take your right hand down your left calf, caressing this and letting your head and eyes look to the left and right , while your neck hangs freely. So you’re “bending” forward, but just with your right hand, and it is taking the easy path of caressing your left calf. If it gets to the shoe or sock or foot, fine, it can keep going. But don’t effort, and come up to a “neutral” position each time: leaning on your left elbow on the left knee and leaning your right hand on your right thigh. Pause and integrate a bit each time before lowering yourself again.

Go up and down, and then after twelve or so times, come upright and rest.

Imagine doing this on the other side.

Now do this on the other side.


Now: take your left knee in your left hand and put your right hand behind your head. Do three things here: 1. Gently, gently bring your knee up toward your head. 2. Gently, gently bring your elbow toward your knee. 3. Gently, gently bring your elbow and knee toward each other.

This is not gym class, not “ab” strengthening, though it will. This is learning to love and use your spine and self and brain.

Do this slowly a number of times. Sometime take the hand from behind your head and press on your sternum so it goes down and you lean forward and lower your head and bring your knee up.

Rest. Imagine doing this on the other side.

Then do this on the other side.


Now go back to the first position. Left forearm on your left thigh. Lean down to the left, caressing as before your left calf with your right hand. Do you go farther and easier?

Go up and down several times, and then when you get to the down and left position, easily circle your right hand. On the floor. On your left foot. In the air. Doesn’t matter. Feel the circle releasing you a bit, and let your head hang easily the whole time. Circle both directions.

Come up and rest.

Then do this on the other side.

And rest again.


Put both hands on both thighs and alternate pushing your belly out and arching your back a bit, and pulling your belly in and letting your sternum go down, and rounding your back as if the look between your legs. Easily. Slowly. Gently. Many times.

Each time feel and enjoy something new about you.

Rest.

For extra credit, if you are in the mood, do the previous arching and rounding movement with these variations: your chin is tucked toward your chest; your head is vertical while your stomach and chest and pelvis go through the movement in their many shapes.

Rest.

Now, just feel yourself on the chair.


And…. tada: Reach down as in the beginning and see and feel the difference. Please enjoy sensing your spine all day long.

5 lines, folding on the back, a couple of variations, a good start

We can do something in sitting and then again on our backs, and experience the way life can be amazing when we try things out in a variety of ways.

A few posts back, we went into an exploration of sensing our five lines and of folding forward from the sitting position. Today we’ll lie on the floor or a firm bed or table, and do the same sequence, again as slowly and we as much awareness, enjoyment and playful discovery as possible.

First lie down, and simply sense yourself on the floor or table. Where is touching? How big do you feel? Can you feel each leg, and each arm and your spine, the five lines of you? Can you notice your breathing?

Can you notice a difference that come to the floor and leaving gravity behind makes in your ability to release, so called “relax,” and not so called, but for real, pay attention to yourself?

Now. Lets go through the same sequence.

1) First feel down your left leg, from knee toward your foot with your right hand.

It is of no importance if you “get there” or not, just take it easy and feel each part of your back and ribs and pelvis that is available for you to pay attention to.

Go back and forth slowly, and without any effort to “go to the limit.” And each times you aren’t folding in, come all the way back to the table or floor and release any effort.

2) Rest. Feel yourself on the table, and what is new in your awareness.

3) Bring your right hand behind your head and your left hand behind your left knee, and bring your right elbow toward your left knee. Slowly, not trying to “get there,” any there. And coming back to complete release between each movement. And each time feeling a little more in your spine and ribs and pelvis.

Keep your neck and breathing free. See how to make this pleasure, not “crunches.”

4) Rest again, fully and enjoyably. Not look to the left and put your right hand behind your left ear, and your left hand behind your left knee. Bring elbow toward knee again, each time allowing yourself to twist a little as you fold and each time coming back to the table and completely releasing any efforting.

Do this many times, with ease, slowness and curiosity. And pleasure.

5) Rest again. Last variation (though you can invent ten or twenty more, if you wish). Hold your left leg as you did in sitting, left hand at the left knee and right hand and the left ankle, and bring your leg and head toward each other.

Many times, releasing, folding, releasing, learning. Enjoy.

6) Rest.

7) Go back to the original move, or exploring down your left lower leg with your right hand. Enjoy.

8) Lie back and sense the differences, in feeling/ sensation in your back, in breathing, in length of your spine, in internal ease. Enjoy.

And today, if you wish, fold and unfold in sitting and lying down, and sense your five lines all you wish.

Good.