Chapter 8
Availability Exercises
Video 8.3
Suspension and Effort
Transcript
Suspension and Effort
- Lift your right arm in front of you and parallel to the floor. Notice how much effort is required to do so. Do it few times to become fully aware of the effort you are using
- Lower your arm
- Now, take your left arm and reach for the ceiling. Think of expanding upward and downward while maintaining soft feet
- Still reaching for the ceiling with your left arm, raise your right arm parallel to the floor once again
- It likely felt easier to move your right arm
- The increased suspension in your body allows you to take up more volume, offering more room inside the body for movement
- Suspension allows the body to get out of its own way and makes every movement less effortful
- Allow your body to maintain its suspension as you lower your arms
- You will likely feel taller and you may have actually gained about an inch in height
- (Starting posture superimposed for comparison)
Video 8.5
Soft Feet Warm Up
Transcript
Soft Feet Warm Up
- The goal of warming up your feet is to have them remain in contact with the floor as you transfer your weight from leg to leg
- Part One: Place your feet a little wider than your shoulders and transfer your weight from leg to leg. As you do so, keep your feet soft and in full contact with the floor
- Part Two: Twist your torso a bit from side to side while allowing your feet to remain soft and in full contact with the floor
- Part Three: Move your torso forward and back, while keeping your soft feet in full contact with the floor
- Part Four: Make random movements of your torso always keeping your soft feet in full contact with the floor
Video 8.7
Inverse Stretching: Torso-Arm Exercise
Transcript
Inverse Stretching: Torso-Arm Exercise
- Most stretching exercises are primarily concerned with stretching the arms and legs. Inverse stretching is designed to exercise and encourage greater availability in the torso
- To begin, place your hand on a nearby wall. Allow your fingers and the surface of your hand to be soft and in full contact with the wall
- Now, move the rest of your body any way you want. Remember to allow your hand to remain soft and in full contact with the wall. It is okay to move your feet, bend your knees, twist, etc.
- Radom movements will generally be more beneficial than repetitive movements
- This exercise can be performed with the hand in multiple configurations:
- Thumb down
- Thumb left
- Thumb right
- Thumb up
- You may also vary the height of your hand on the wall. These variations will activate your Torso-Arm muscles differently
- Before doing this exercise with your other hand, take a moment to feel the difference between your arms
- Notice how light the first arm feels now that all of the muscles of the Torso-Arm are working
- Now, repeat the exercise with the other hand
Video 8.8
Inverse Stretching: Torso-Leg Exercise
Transcript
Inverse Stretching: Torso-Leg Exercise
- This inverse stretching exercise is designed to increase availability in the Torso-Legs
- To begin, place one foot on a flat surface. The ground, a chair or a step will all work nicely
- Different heights will activate the muscles of the Torso-Leg differently
- Regardless of what surface you choose, allow your foot to be soft and in full contact with the surface at all times
- Now, move the rest of your body any way you want, leaving your foot in place and in full contact with the surface
- You may twist, turn, lean, reach behind your back, etc. You may even reposition your other foot to explore your full range of motion
- Radom movements will generally be more beneficial than repetitive movements
- Before doing this exercise with your other foot, take a moment to feel the difference between your legs
- Notice that the first leg likely feels lighter and longer now that all of the muscles of the Torso-Leg are working
- Now, repeat the exercise using your other foot
Video 8.9, Video 8.11 and Video 8.12
Movable-Masses (Torso) Exercises
Transcript
Movable-Masses (Torso) Exercises
- These exercises will explore three directions of movement in order to promote availability in the Movable-Masses
- Bending backward and forward
- Bending left and right
- Twisting left and right
- As you do these exercises, remember that your spine is constantly expanding and contracting and that your spine expands up and down simultaneously
- Also remember to keep your feet soft and in full contact with the ground at all times
- Part One: Bending backward and forward
- Simply bend backward and then bend forward. Try not to tighten up anywhere as you do
- Remember, your spine is expanding and contracting as you bend
- Pause while bending forward and breathe a few times. You will probably notice that your spine will bend a bit more with each breath
- Pause while bending backward and notice the effect of your breathing on the expansion and contraction of your spine
- Part Two: Bending sideways
- Bend sideways to the left and then bend sideways to the right. Try not to tighten up anywhere as you do
- Allow your spine to expand upward and downward as you bend
- When bending sideways, there may be a tendency to compress the side you are bending toward
- To avoid this compression, think of your spine as though it were lengthening around an exercise ball
- Part Three: Twisting left and right
- Twist to the left and then twist to right. Try not to tighten up anywhere as you do
- Here are a few tips to help increase your range of motion
- Think of the movement as also going up and down instead of only turning and you will be able to twist further
- As you twist to the right, think of your right shoulder moving backward while your left shoulder is moving forward (in opposition)
- Let your pelvis, legs and ankles be part of the movement. Allow them to coordinate with the twisting motion