Friday, March 3: Healthy Backs, 5

HEALTHY BACK, 5
This is about enough for back lessons, or you won’t get excited to come to my back workshops. Rest assured, there is lots more, there is always more fun and wonderful things to discover and improve.

And this is fun to do in bed at night. Lie on your side. Move very easily your top shoulder forward. Move this shoulder on its own, and move it forward by pushing your top hand out away from you on whatever surface on which you are lying. Just go easy. Sense deeply. Notice your breathing, notice your ribs, notice your spine. Forward and then back and do it over and over with attention and gentleness.

Rest.

Now move your top hip forward. How? Let your top knee slide a little forward over your bottom knee. Feel the rotation in the pelvis. Feel the involvement in your lower back. Rest.

Move both your shoulder and your hip forward together.

Now explore moving the shoulder back. On its own. With the hand along the floor, pull the whole arm closer in to your body, and feel the shoulder roll back. Notice the effects and involvement in your spine, your ribs, your breathing.

Rest.

Now, the hip back, your hip, your top hip, bring it backward, by gently allowing the top knee to slide backwards. This feels pretty great in your back and ribs. Notice the rotation in your pelvis. Enjoy this. Rest.

Now move your shoulder and hip both forward and both back together.

Now, the brain attention work. Move your shoulder forward and your hip back and your shoulder back and your hip forward. This is good. You are good.