The Silk Thread of Gorindo - Ottawa - Canada
Issue 25
- Keeping in Line with Your Spine (Part 3)
- Keeping in Line with Your Spine - Exercises
Cover Roxanne Standefer Sensei 'Air Enso' - Photo by ©2012 Claudio Iedwab
Keeping in Line with Your Spine - Exercises
Mountain & River - Linked Series
Stance: With feet two shoulder widths apart, pivot both feet 90° to the right. Raise arms with hands together, reaching for the sky (a). Legs should be straight but not locked.
Action: Bend the forward knee until the thigh is parallel to the floor, raising the rear heel, and keeping the spine vertical (b). Hold for three breath cycles and concentrate on balance.
For the second phase, lift your hips and place the rear heel on the floor so that the foot is at a 45° angle with toes turned outward. Drop your hands to the sides of the forward foot and straighten both legs (c), raising the hips but keeping the upper body bent forward, with chest close to forward knee. Exhale in that stance for three breath cycles. Next, place both hands palm down on the floor to the left side of the forward foot (d). Allow rear leg to extend behind you, raising the rear knee and heel and dropping the hips toward the floor. Feel the gentle stretch in the hip, groin, and upper thigh. Rest your weight on the whole forward foot, the ball of the rear foot and the hands. Exhale in that stance for three breath cycles. For the last phase of the series, position the left knee and instep on the floor and gently sit on the rear heel (e). With the front leg straight, bring the chest to the right thigh as deeply as you can but without forcing the stance. Hold for three breath cycles.
To return, raise the hips until the knees are at a 90° angle and the torso vertical, then put the left toes on the floor and return to the start position in a relaxed and gradual way.
Turn and repeat on the other side.
Level: Beginners may not be able to drop the hip enough in the first phase without losing balance. Remember, balance comes first, with flexibility and strength second. The same problem might occur with when straightening the leg in the second phase. Extend and straighten slowly until you feel the gentle tension.
Comments: Ensure that the rear knee is raised off the floor in (b) and (d). Keep the spine straight, and do not bounce. Take care not to stand up too quickly. Let the phases of this exercise flow smoothly together.
Note: All the exercises and techniques should be practice only under the direct and personal supervision of an authorized Gorindo instructor, they are presented as a form of an online sample guideline for active and registered ‘Intro Level’ Gorindo students.
by Claudio Iedwab & Roxanne Standefer
Originallly published in the Gorindo Student Manual by Claudio Iedwab & Roxanne Standefer
© Illustrations by Claudio Iedwab
Issue 25
- Keeping in Line with Your Spine (Part 3)
- Keeping in Line with Your Spine - Exercises
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