Skiing and .. Playing Guitar?

Skiing and .. Playing Guitar?

Same lesson, completely different applications, all good

Last week, my plan was to prepare for ski season. In this lesson, we laid on our bellies, foreheads cupped in a palm, the other hand holding the top of the head. This set-up immobilizes the head, neck and shoulders, and helps bring attention to how the front of the body responds to spinal movements.  Then we tipped the hips to one side, then the other.  

Immobilizing the head and chest highlights how the spine twists, and the ribs  adjust.  Great for skiing, as it simulates heads and shoulders pointing downhill, and the weight of the knees and hips turning the skis - as long as the spine, head and neck go along for the ride. 

And, as new student, an amateur violinist, pointed out, equally useful for string players who want to soften their arms and chest for more expressive playing.  I immediately did the lesson again with my bass in mind and found a clue to releasing long-frustrating tension in my right shoulder. I also noticed that associated grip in my jaw also softening.

The genius of Awareness Through Movement is that it offers the diagnosis and path to change.  Keep doing the movement: tensions release and new, healthier patterns form.  Skiing, guitar, jaw release - all in one lesson.

Try the mini-lesson below if you are curious about releasing tension in your neck, jaw and shoulders.

If you have 15 seconds (say at a stop light or right now), try this mini-lesson:  Lie on your front. Rest one hand, palm up on the floor and cup your forehead in that palm. Then rest the other palm atop your head.  Spread out the elbows so you feel the shoulders spreading apart.  Spread your knees apart, lift your feet to face the ceiling, and tip your feet in the direction of the "bottom" palm and back to center.  Feel the spine twist all the way up to your neck as you slowly tip and return, tip and return.  Change hands and the direction you tip your feet.  After you've played with both sides, stand up and enjoy how open your chest is,  how your weight centers over your pelvis, and how light and free your head and jaw feel.