Great Goddess Infinity Hips
Grounded, Fluid and Easy in the Low Back:
Dancers of All Kinds, Meditators, Equestrians, Kayakers, Bikers, Stick and Ball People; Desk and Computer People
This Mother's Day week we honor the great feminine by going deep into the hips, eventually coming to the sign of infinity. Grounding into the sit bones and exploring all the permutations of paired circles we explore paths to more stable and flexible hips.
One of my Feldenkrais teachers, Rabbi-to-be Josh Schreiber sums up Awareness Through Movement: "It's always about the pelvis."
The pelvis is the weight center of the body. It transmits the ground forces up through the sacrum to support the entire torso and head. Stability in the pelvis is the foundation of trust - in the ground, in our body, in our movement choices. There is the mystery of creativity hidden within as well.
And that is the focus we will bring to a lesson for meditators, dancers, computer users, kayaker and bikers, equestrians and others seeking solid grounding. A bonus gift: an easy path to a looser, softer low back. (How many hours were at the computer this week? Back feeling it?). Belly dancers - your hip work goes to the next dimension.
This lesson calls for a firm-seated chair. The simple imagery of single and paired clocks - analog and old fashioned - guide our exploration of the forward and back, side to side, and downward movement of the hips. Focusing on one hip and then the other, once-invisible blockages to smoothness expose themselves. We eventually connect hip to hip in a beautiful infinity sign.
Give yourself some time to reconnect your mind to body to explore a new (body) normal that's balanced, aware and ready to play. The Wednesday afternoon class highlights the lessons's practical applications. The evening session is more internally, meditatively focused.
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Any side-to-side movement has "S" hips in it. That applies to walking, dancing, kayaking, biking, swimming. This is a great low back loosener. Keep the movement slow and small to do this Zoomer moment without anyone noticing.
I practiced all winter on skis and saw my tracks get clearer and deeper. Okay - I didn't go any faster, but someone who likes speed can make the S very small and tight and see how deeply the ski digs in around teh gates.
Sit comfortably on a firm chair, with your thighs level with the ground.
Imagine you are sitting on two clocks, one under each sit bone.
Like in the first clock lesson, 6 is in front, 12 is behind you.
3 and 9 are on the sides.
Notice how the "9" of the left clock touches the "3" of the right clock. That is your center center!
Starting on the left side, find "3" under your left hip. Trace around the numbers with your weight from 3 back to 12 down to 9, and then back from 9 to 12 to 3.
You are tracing a half circle around your left sit bone.
Your weight shifts back as you roll back to 12
9 is in the center of your body.
Let your upper body be soft to follow the flow. Go back and forth making the circle as small as possible.
Now on the right side, find "9" under your right hip. Trace the half circle under you bringing your weight forward to 6 and then up to your center. Retrace this half circle a few times.
Now connect the half circles, from 3 on the left, back to 12, down to 9. Connect to the 3 on the right side, trace forward to 6 and up to 9. Retrace this "S" several times to get it very smooth and small.
Try the other S by starting at 9 on the right and going back too 12, down to 3, connect to the inside 9, then down to 6 and up to 3. Got that? Just do it - its easier to do than describe. This S might feel different from the first one. Make it smaller and slower.