Twisting Your Way To Elegance and Power: Flexibility, Coordination, Power:Yoga twists, Kayak and Bike turns, Sticks and Balls Games
Twisting Your Way To Elegance and Power
Flexibility, Coordination, Power:
Yoga twists, Kayak and Bike turns, Sticks and Balls Games
(especially Tennis and Golf)
When Baxter the Pointer runs he sidles. His front and back front and back seem to move separately, mysteriously attached somewhere in the middle. He turns on a dime.
We two-leggeds can emulate that running twist. And that is the focus of this week's lesson - exploring how to use the hips and shoulders, separately and together, to get easier torso twisting.
If you are a golfer, this lesson is going to help you keep your arms long and your back/hips loose during the swing. Kayakers can hallucinate about getting back on the water: placing feet on pegs, rocking the boat to get steady, and using your hips and shoulders for powerful, steady strokes. Bikers - same same in the vertical plane. And if you play tennis, translate the golf benefits horizontally and watch your shot zing. Yoginis don't need to be told about deeper twists, but I'm inviting you nonetheless.
This lesson starts sitting or lying down. First we tip the hips in one direction, then drop your outstretched arms and shoulders the other way to get that twist going. Add in rolling the spine and finish with a self hug, and you will find yourself with new ideas about how easier twisting can improve your day. And the day we finally get outside to play.
Give yourself some time to reconnect your mind to body to explore a new (body) normal that's balanced, aware and ready to play.
If you are Zoomed out, and need a little break, try this mini-lesson:
Sit comfortably on a firm chair, with your thighs level with the ground. Wrap your arms around yourself in a big hug. If you can reach your shoulders, that's optimal. But hugging your belly and holding your elbows works fine.
Use your left hand to draw your right shoulder forward. Just the shoulder to free up that side. Then come back to center. Try to keep the left shoulder quiet. Do that a few times.
Now use the left hand to draw the entire torso around, leading with the shoulder. Keep your nose pointed straight ahead while you huggy-turn left. Return to center. Repeat the huggy-turns a few times.
Continue huggy-turning, but now look the other way as you turn. Then everything returns to center, to home. Don't strain your neck but allow the twist to happen. Try exhaling as you twist, and inhaling as you come back home.
Change sides, first holding your head in the center as you draw the shoulder forward, then huggy-turn the whole torso. Then turn your head and torso in opposite directions. Inhale on the return home.
If you keep your movements small, your Zoom buddies may not notice. But you might notice you feel just a tiny bit more relaxed. Maybe your peripheral vision is a bit wider?
If your meeting is over, get up and check if it's snowing again at the end of April. Hopefully not. Notice if your neck is a bit less frozen.