A Glimpse of Leg, A Hint of Hip - 2 - Leg Lines
Painting on stockings source: www.perfumepassage.org/news/paint-hosiery-during-war-years
A Glimpse of Leg - 2 - Leg Lines
Deep Alignment of the Femurs in the Hlp Socket
A Variation of “AY 351 - Swinging the legs on the side” as taught by Arlyn Zones in “Voice, Breath and Posture”
Centering the femurs in the hip socket isn’t easy. The acetabulum (hip joint) lies deep within the pelvis. The rounded head of the femur and neck are somewhat horizontal, while the shaft takes a turn at the trochanter and continues downward mostly vertical. (The female femurs angle more towards the center line than do the male. ) At the distal end of the bone, the thick, concave condyles connect the femur to that fantastic piece of machinery, the knee. Below, the shins, ankles and feet all affect the femur’s alignment.
That’s a lot going on!
This week’s lesson brings attention to how the entire leg contributes to the femoral/pelvis alignment via the (ReCentering) front/back/side/side awareness technique. Imagine a line running down the outside edge of the leg. How does that line connect the outer knee to the outside edge of the hip socket? What rotations or weight shifts might bring a more centered sensation. Repeat imagining an inner leg line, a center front and center back.
At the end, if I’m not cut off by Zoom, I’ll drop a few hints on the graceful way to spiral up from lying to sitting.
I found this lesson transformational. Feel into how the femurs rest in the hip sockets, and how subtle shifts in placement can level the hips, realign the knees and ankles for smooth motion, shift weight in the feet for better balance, and enable to spine to elongate.
Female skeleton, lower body. Source: http://focusedcollection.com/160220396/stock-photo-human-leg-bones-and-joints.html
Set Up:
Lying on side on mat.
OR side sitting at the edge of a flat-bottomed and armless chair, knees and hips level
Lying on back with a bolster or rolled blanket under the 'high side' of the body - enough to give the hip some flex.
Note: You may want a blanket or bolster to put under your cheek in side-lying. A bolster between the knees helps keep the legs aligned more easily in the joint.
Science Nerd Candy: Same as last week - still good information if you haven’t yet looked.
Anatomy of the Knee Joint – Rodale Seachrest - (10:57) There’s a whole lot going on in the knee.
Hip Anatomy – Animated Tutorial – Rodale Seachrest (9:44) Big joint, big bones, big veins and nerves. But not too complicated, really.
How You Might Feel After This Lesson: Femurs centered deeply and optimally in the hip socket; Feet, knees, thighs supporting the pelvis; More familiar with the tan dien - the belly center from which all martial arts move originate; Improved balance; Longer spine; Completely rearranged. Could transform your swing, punch hip shimmy and other practical stuff.
BY ZOOM New Students: Register here