String of Pearls/Solid Support - 6 - Catch a Wave (Pearl by Pearl)
Coco Ho, championship surfer and surf board entrepreneur - image by Troy William on Flickr via Wikipedia
String of Pearls / Solid Support
Catch a wave - 6 - Pearl by Pearl
Based a lesson from “Liberating the Neck and Jaw” as taught by David Zemach-Berson, GCFT®
This lesson guides you through the game of connecting the dots from each vertebrae to the easy, natural movement of the head and neck.
This is a side-lying lesson. Both sides, actually. This position creates relationship to the floor and gravity that opens new insights into how the back arches, bends, twists, rotates. Each side may feel quite different as you focus in on one vertebra at a time, guiding it outward and inward, and noting how the whole spine adjusts as you do so.
You might want a little support for your head: just enough to let your neck be long and your bottom ear parallel to the floor. Sitting sideways on a firm chair is a very good alternative.
Science Nerd Candy Bowl (some holdovers, last on new):
How to Draw the Spine - Human Anatomy Artists - Proko (9:15) An artist’s perspective on how the spine supports and moves the torso
Working with the Functional Skeleton in the Sitting Position and Rotation | BONEMAN.pro (1:54) A look at how the spine twists with the pelvis, head and ribs
Movement of the head, TMJ and chest on the functional skeleton model | BONEMAN.pro (1:31) A look at how the jaw moves around the cranium, and visa versa, with torso and spine
Spine or Vertebral column | Spine bones joints | Human Spine Anatomy 3D animation | Elearnin – full explanation of spine anatomy (4:40). I ran it at 1.5x in the class. It’s worthwhile.
Set Up for a side-lying lesson
Lying on a mat. Have support for your head - it will be more than you usually use for supine lessons. Make sure your chin and sternum are aligned. Cervical spine alignment is critical to this lesson, so pay close attention to whether you can easily swallow while lying on your side. If your saliva catches at all, bring some support for the back of your head or neck.
Or sit sideways on a firm chair with no arms. A straight-backed chair will give you something to lean your side against, which will give you some of the sidelying feedback. Sit with sit bones perched at the edge of a flat chair with knees and hips level.
How you might feel after this lesson: All loosened up; Ribs flexible; Breath deep; Spine able to turn, twist, and double twist with ease; Legs comfortable in hip sockets; Shoulders open and relaxed; Neck long and fluid; Spine like a wave, which is very nice.
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
Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush in a very long hug