Full Body Gardening, Springtime 3 - Pruning
Even fine tuned pruning can be a full-body gardening opportunity. The bigger the branch, though, the more of yourself you have to use. source: source: www.japanese-gardens-and-niwaki.com/pruning.htm
Full Body Gardening, Springtime 2: Pruning
Using the whole back, from shoulder blades to pelvis to power and control your cuts
Variations on the “(Amherst) Fiddling Arms”
Again, we are ahead of the curve. My colleague Paula Alonzo sent along a link to a NYT article, Gardening Shouldn’t Be Painful. Here’s How to Avoid Common Injuries:
“If you want to garden smarter, you can invest in any number of tools — a telescoping pole pruner that extends your reach so you don’t have to strain quite as much, for example, or a kneeling pad with thicker cushioning. But the investment that really matters is in the most important tool of all: your body. And that requires forming new habits based on an awareness of how your body works when you’re gardening.
That’s the premise behind a new public television series called “GardenFit,” a fusion of garden tours and self-care consultations en plein air, all with a reality-show vibe. The offering: Come for the gardens, stay for the hope of relief from aches and pains exacerbated by all that bending and crouching, and those repetitive one-handed and one-sided tasks.”
This lesson is an ATM in the spirit of “GardenFit: ” using your body to be safe, strong and accurate when pruning. But we explore from the comfort of the floor.
The source lesson is a variation of “The Grand Horizonals” Lesson 2 - Glide Like A Concert Violinist (fiddling arms). This time, the shoulder blades, back, spine play garden instruments: loppers, pruners, shearers, tree saws.
source: https://didyouknowhomes.com/the-importance-of-using-a-tree-pruner-on-fruit-trees
Plum Village Monastic prunes a plum tree. source: https://plumvillage.org:articles/plum-village-in-plum-season
Begin on one side, gently gliding the top hand, shoulder and hip forward and back to build coordination and intention. Hands are soft to protect arms and wrists, to distribute the action from the tool to the shoulders, spine and pelvis.
The lesson expands to open and close the chest as the top arm arcs out to the ceiling and floor. Practice keeping the belly soft to protect the low back. Ground the upper body in the pelvis, and the pelvis to the feet for stability on uneven surfaces.
To wrap it up, the first side will coach the second side to how to move wisely. The finale is on the back, imaginary tool in hand, using the whole body to lop/prune/snip with accuracy and strength.
Side-Lying Set Up:
Firm head support - a folded towel is good - so your chin and nose are level
If you back is tender, a spacer like a rolled towel or bolster between the knees can help
The Voice-O-Meter sounds this week, chosen for their connection to corners:
Stomach - HAAWWWW - grounding, connecting to earth, “martial arts grunt”
If you are up for it, a little Science Nerd Candy review:
The shoulder girdle, 3D Lyon: (2:30) detailed display of bones and joints of shoulder girdle (best prep for this lesson)
How you might feel after this lesson: Chest lifted and open; Breath deep; Shoulder blades resting quietly over the ribs, Neck released; Upper back flexible; Connected from pelvis to sternum, head to shoulders; Connected from hands to the support of the sternum and spine. Full body pruning: lop off those dead branches without destroying your back; deadhead those first blossoms without risking carpal tunnel; stay safe in the garden with awareness of your stance.
Thanks to colleague Anita Bueno for inspiring this series and sharing her lesson scripts.
New Student Registration for the series. Continuing students use ongoing login. $40/month or $15/individual class. PayPal or Venmo: jackisue@aol.com. Or Jacki Katzman, PO Box 116, Bethlehem, NH 03574