Like A Natural Woman - Extra Extra - Great Hip Balancer / Opener
Like A Natural Woman - Extra Extra - Great Hip Balancer/Opener
Strengthening, Balancing continued, with internal leg rotation
Based on “AY 269 Hip joints by way of lengthening” by Moshe Feldenkrais
"Elegance is the only beauty that never fades" - Audrey Hepburn
There’s more to last week’s lesson, which was a continuation of the week before. The first look emphasized the relationships between the tops of the legs and the hip socket. Last week, that developed into noticing the outward rotation of the legs and how the chest opens and public bone drops in that orientation.
This week, it’s the inward leg rotation and its relationship to the spine. In this case, the low back flattens, the public bone rolls in, and the movement waves up the spine to the skull, catching the ribs and shoulder blades if you let them.
As with the external rotation, I was reminded of my habit of gripping my right hamstrings and medial glutes, which ties up the right ribs. The ‘balancing’ effort of the right ribs is something I hadn’t been able to tease out, let alone start releasing it.
Until this lesson. The inward rotation highlights my pattern, and offers some effective alternatives. There’s a deep possible twist that usefully engages every part of the body: a new job that is better than the old one.
I’m already seeing the benefit of this work in yoga. Today’s class emphasized leg rotation in relationship with the pelvis. I consciously aligned my pelvis for a slight low back arch, felt the pelvic floor release a little and the femurs lock in and stabilize. My heels connected to the floor in a whole new way and … I got a “good Jacki.” (Who doesn’t love a little noticing.)
We will begin with a recap of the previous supine, outward leg rotation sets, move through the soles-together, ‘butterfly position” variations that open the hips and invite the spine and ribs to move. We finish by rolling the legs inward to experience all the ways the leg can stabilize the hip. These final variations are easiest on a slippery mat.
Science Nerd Candy Bowl:
Hip Joint Biomechanics: Femoralacetabular Joint Kimematics Open Kinematic Chain -(4:49) animation on different movement patterns of the hip joint with introductory explanations
Side Bending (Lateral Flexion) - Muscle and Motion (0:58) - how the ribs and pelvis are connected by muscle and fascia
Anatomy Trains: The Superficial Back Line - Muscle and Motion (2:17) Reminder of the lines of force that connect foot to pelvis to spine to crown of head. All relevant for this lesson.
Set Up for supine lesson with leg lifts:
Lying on your back with the support you need. Support under knees might be helpful.
For the final variations where the foot slides back, you might want to lie on some extra slide, if that’s easy.
How you might feel after this lesson: Got your groove on, girl!; Pelvis and shoulders connected; Clearer sensation of pelvis rocking with the breath; Taller; Tuned into your root chakra/pelvic floor; Open to the relationship between breath, pelvis, glutes and ring muscles; Aware of the subtle ring muscle coordination of the eyes, nostrils, lips, palms and soles of feet; Stand with the elegance of Audrey Hepburn, and sit down as well.
If you have a Wednesday 9:30 am or 6:30 pm class registration, keep using it. If you were registered for the 12:00 pm Wednesday session, you’ll need to register. Registered, paid students receive the lesson recording link on Thursday. $40/month; $15/single lesson. PayPal or Venmo to jackisue@aol.com. Or check to Jacki Katzman, PO Box 116, Bethlehem, NH 03574
For new student registration, Click Here
With her sisters in 1967