I want to share a short video I made that gives you helpful tips about 3 exercises in which people might need more guidance. I sent this video link out to everyone who purchased my “Pain Relief Through Movement” DVD. I’m making it available to everyone who’s learned Somatic Exerices – even if you haven’t bought my DVD. Here are some highlights. Read them, then watch the video!
Arch and Flatten:
When you do this exercise, you should feel your back muscles gently arching with equal effort, then gently releasing slowly, again, with equal relaxation. If you’re slightly tighter on one side of your body than the other, you probably arch more into one hip as you “inhale and arch, and tip the tailbone down in the direction of your feet,” rather than down through the center of your tailbone. Of, if you sit at a computer, and have a habit of sitting more into one hip than the other, and then arching your back, you may do arch and flatten and arch slightly “off center.”
Back Lift:
If you’re tighter on one side of your waist than the other – maybe from a previous injury or accident (which would mean that you have a “trauma reflex” going on in the center of your body) you’ll feel as if you’re off center, or heavier on one side of your pelvis than the other as you lie on your front, ready to do the back lift. Self-correcting the pelvis and “anchoring” the opposite side of the body will help you regain balanced control of your back muscles.
Side Bend:
Many people tend to do the side bend and arch their lower backs. This will cause a slight pinch in the low back. It won’t feel good. If you have sciatica, it will really not feel good! Do the side bend as if you’re up against a flat wall. This will help you make sure that when you contract your waist muscles as you lift your top foot and your head (“making an accordion out of your waist muscles“) you’re really contracting the waist muscles, and NOT arching the lower back!
Here’s the video. (in case you’re asked for a password, it’s DVDthankyou1):
Enjoy! Let me know how it goes and whether or not these tips were helpful to you.
Martha is available for phone consultations, workshops, private clinical sessions and traveling workshops. Learn to relieve back, neck, shoulder, hip and joint pain easily, safely and intelligently using methods taught nowhere else!
3 new Pain Relief Through Movement DVDs coming soon! If you’ve learned the fundamental Somatic Exericses from my current DVD, add to your learning by purchasing my Pain-Free Neck and Shoulders, Pain-Free Legs and Hips and Pain-Free Athletes DVDs. They’ll be available before the holidays are here.
This is so fantastic. It would have never occurred to me before you mentioned it, that I would be doing the exercises ‘lopsided’, and therefore not fixing the painful issue. Since hearing about this, I’ve been careful to do my movements with more attention.
I can definitely tell when I need Somatics in a certain day – I mean, when I sit wrong or contort a muscle due to stress. Just a few minutes of your movements releases the stress and pain. Now the trick is to identify all my stressful clenching before I need the Somatics!
Martha – excellent tips. i think i was recruiting the lat / lower back on the side bends which i’m thinking could be leading to my shortened leg on the right side. I’m sure i am twisting to some extent on the back lift. i’ll have to look at that. i really like this post. if there are any other common faults you notice. please post. this is great feedback. I can’t wait to get my dvd’s. thank you
Paul
That’s a very common thing for people. If you have a trauma reflex on one side, that’s usually the side on which you’ll recruit the lats to do the job of the obliques as you attempt to side bend. I’ll think about a few more typical mistakes and post them. Thanks for the request!