Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Mindful Motion Caspari
Mindful Motion Caspari
Mindful Motion
ROLFING Movement Integration Techniques
CONTENTS
Page Number
Acknowledgements 3
Foreword 4
1 Active Lying Down 5
2 Breathing 8
3 Kaya Kalpa 11
4 Toes & Ankle Flexion 16
5 Grasshopper 18
6 Pelvic Roll 22
7 Sacral Roll 25
8 Feet to Pelvis 26
9 Pelvic Clock 29
10 Self Pelvic Lift 31
11 Reversed Pelvic Roll 32
12 Down to the Feet 34
13 Advanced Pelvic Roll 36
14 Heel Drag 38
15 Knee Over 41
16 Leg Circle 44
17 Leg Rotation 46
18 Sensitive Standing 51
19 Sitting 56
20 From Sitting to Standing 60
21 Walking 64
22 Integrated Step 67
23 The Pli 68
2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Vivian Jaye
Robert Schleip
Adjo Zorn
3
FOREWORD
October 1996
4
1) ACTIVE LYING DOWN *
5
do you feel its texture? its temperature?
do you feel the hardness of the wood after the softness of the mat?
do you feel the softness of the mat through the whole extension of
your body?
do you feel the hardness of the wood through the whole extension
of your body?
You may explore active or passive raising of the weight of each limb,
one at a time, without the limb leaving the floor/table at all. The client then has
the opportunity to feel the difference between just touching the floor/table and
coming to rest fully on it. Often the same exploration with the head is highly
interesting and useful.
Examples: raise the weight of your left/ right leg, left arm/ right arm,
without leaving the floor/table. Then allow the limb to come back and fully rest
on the floor/table. Explore it again, feeling the pull of gravity.
raise and lower both arms together and compare the effects to
moving them separately.
raise one leg and one arm together and compare the effects. Feel
the connections.
as you are exploring these movements, are you giving full,
sustained attention to your inner processes?
or:
raise the weight of your head without it leaving the table...and then
let your head fully come back to resting on the table.
explore it again feeling the pull of gravity.
where do you initiate this movement from? your throat? your
forehead? the base of your skull? your jaw? your eyes? your
belly? etc.
does the place where you initiate the movement from have any
relationship to any habitual holding you were not aware of before?
6
how much space do you allow inside your cranium, between your
ears?
do the contents of your cranium breathe?
does your face breathe?
7
2) BREATHING
our breathing, like the waves of the sea vary in size, so now, just
feel the different cycles of your breath, without expectations.
8
does your breathing simply find its way in and out, or do you have
to suck the air in and force it out?
do you feel your breathing finding its way through delicate
meanders and waking up secret regions long closed to your
perception, or long closed to movement?
like the ocean tides that go up and down, allow your breathing to
be patient and with no ambition, allowing softness and sweetness
into whatever opens itself to it, insisting on nothing.
does your breath begin deep inside or does it begin with the ribs
expanding?
next time you exhale, allow your awareness to go to your coccyx.
As you inhale, allow your breath to sequence up the spine, then
back down the spine during the next exhalation.
9
does your internal shape change as you breath?
does your ever-changing internal shape create a pulsating
movement through your body?
do you allow this movement to take over your body?
your whole body?
or do you interrupt it somewhere?
etc-etc
when you feel ready, think about coming into sitting. However,
before you come to sitting, describe your sensations; or describe
the sensation(s) this breathing work awakened in you. Allow these
sensations to stay with you as you slowly come into sitting.
10
3) KAYA KALPA
( Yogas All-Body Free Flow Movement )
Goals :
locate where there is tension blocking the free flow of movement
from feet/legs through axial system
release tension in the ankles
open the ankle joints
prepare for the Complete Kaya Kalpa
relaxation and rest for the axial system
stimulation of response in the axial system as you walk
11
Preparation: lying on your back, with legs straight, feet about a palms
distance apart, arms along your body, your hands about one palm
length away from your body so that the air can flow. Briefly review
Active Lying Down.
Movement: allow your awareness into your ankles, and from there into
your heels. Then allow a gentle rock to begin in the heels, flexing and
extending the ankles in a rhythmic, rather slow motion as a body-
mantra.
Awareness questions:
are your feet relaxed?
are the back of your knees relaxed?
does this rocking flow through the whole body?
where does the rocking get blocked?
what happens if you tighten this ( these ) blocked area(s) even
more?
are you doing this movement or is this movement doing you?
Note: the Heel Rock Kaya Kalpa can be beneficial to wake up the
spine in the morning and to bring some relaxation and rest for the
Rolfer during a busy day between sessions. It is especially interesting
for external body types and people with rigid spines.
Goals :
open and lubricate hip joints.
open and lubricate sacro-iliac joints.
release tension in the thighs.
release tension in the gluteals.
locate and loosen the distal portion of the psoas.
Movement: allow your awareness into your hip joints. Then allow
both legs to roll in together, then away from each other, initiating the
movement from the hip joints in a rhythmic, slow motion body-mantra.
Awareness questions:
are your toes relaxed?
are your ankles relaxed?
are you initiating the movement from the hip joints, or do the knees
want to take this responsibility?
12
are your quads (thighs) doing a lot of work? if so, allow your legs
to roll in and out with the least amount of effort possible.
are you using your abdominal muscles? if so, let them go.
are you allowing your organs to relax into your lower back?
do you feel the head(s) of the femur(s) rolling in the hip socket(s)?
do you feel the back of your pelvis getting wider and heavier each
time you roll your legs in?
do you feel the front of your pelvis getting wider and heavier each
time you roll your legs in?
are you breathing?
do you feel something tugging above and on each side of the
pubic bone (this is the lower portion of the psoas muscle)?
do both sides feel the same?
allow the side that feels tighter to let go and lengthen.
Goals:
open and lubricate the shoulder joint
release tension in the shoulders
release tension in the pecs
release tension in the arms
release tension in the upper back
differentiate the arms from the neck / throat
Awareness questions :
are your fingers relaxed?
are your wrists relaxed?
are you initiating the movement from the shoulder joints, or do the
elbows want to take this responsibility?
are your upper arms doing a lot of work? if so, allow your arms to
roll in and out with the least amount of effort possible.
are you tensing your neck muscles? if so, let them go.
are you tensing your throat muscles? if so, let them go.
are you allowing your middle layer (i.e. your lungs) to relax?
do you feel the head(s) of the humerus (es) rolling in the socket(s)?
13
do you feel the space, between your shoulder blades getting wider
as you roll both arms in?
do you feel the space between your clavicles getting wider as you
roll both arms in?
does the movement feel the same in both arms? in both gleno-
humeral joints?
allow the side that feels tighter to let go and lengthen.
Goals:
open and lubricate the AOJ
open and lubricate the neck joints
release tension in the neck
release tension in the throat
differentiate the neck from the S.G.
Awareness questions:
is your chest relaxed?
is your upper back relaxed?
are your shoulders participating in this movement? if so, allow
them to rest.
is your throat open and relaxed?
is your jaw relaxed?
is there space inside your cranium between your ears?
is your tongue relaxed inside the mouth?
does your head follow the eye movement, or do the eyes follow the
movement of the head? What feels freer?
is the scalp loose, or is it tight around the cranium?
do you feel your cervicals lengthening?
what happens if you increase the amplitude of this movement?
how far to the side can your head roll without dragging the
shoulders with it?
14
Goals:
clean up our patterns
relax the body
help movements find their way through the body
increase body fluidity
increase inner awareness
Movement: gently allow the Heel Kaya Kalpa to happen for a while,
or until you feel your spine relaxed. As this movement comes to an
end, allow the Pelvic Girdle Kaya Kalpa to initiate. Once you are
comfortable with the movement, allow the S.G. Kaya Kalpa to join,
but, as the legs roll in, allow the arms to roll out. Once you are
comfortable, let the head roll from side to side for as long as it feels
right to you.
Awareness questions:
what are you feeling through your body? allow these sensations to
stay with you.
do you feel the inner dynamic forces flowing through your body?
15
4) TOES & ANKLE FLEXION
Goals:
differentiate the toes / ankle hinges
open and lubricate the toes / ankles hinges
establish the primary diaphragm in the foot
evoke horizontals in the toes / ankles hinges
Preparation: sit on the floor with your back against the wall and the
sacrum as close as possible to the wall (this may be very difficult for
people who have short hamstrings). Bend one leg, allowing the heel
to stay aligned with the ischial tuberosity. Move the heel of the bent
leg until it is beside the knee of the extended leg. Allow the weight to
sink into the back of the extended leg, especially in the back of the
knee.
Movement 1: you are going to work with the foot of the bent leg :
Awareness questions :
as your toes lengthen forward, do you feel your whole plantar
fascia lengthening?
as your toes arc back, do they all come together? or just the big
toe?
what happens if you allow this movement to start with the 4th and
5th toes, as if they are wings opening to the sides?
16
do you feel something moving along the side of your lower leg?
as the toes come down, do they come down together? do they
widen?
what do you feel in your lower legs as you do this movement?
what happens if before arcing your toes back, you let go of your
gastrocs?
are you breathing?
Movement 2:
Awareness questions :
as you hinge your foot back are the quads relaxed? is the sole of
your foot open? are you breathing?
are you using a lot of energy, or the least amount possible?
are you using force?
as you lower your foot, are you aware of the EOF?
are you allowing your EOF to look into the earth? wide and
deep?
as you hinge at the ankles, does your foot maintain its alignment,
or does your foot pronate or supinate?
do you feel movement in the interosseous membrane?
do the toes and ankle hinge have independent movements?
after having explored this sequence with one foot, you are ready
for your other foot. Allow yourself time to stay with the sensations
in your feet and legs.
What is new? what is different?
as you get up and walk, are you aware of your toe hinges? of your
ankle hinges? do they work each step you take? are you aware
of the EOF? do they make contact with the floor?
17
5) GRASSHOPPER
(Toes-Ankle-Knee Flexion)
Goals:
differentiate toe/ankle/knee hinges
open and lubricate toe/ankle/knee hinges
evoke horizontals in the toe/ankle/knee/hip hinges
evoke movement through the hinges
improve lines of transmission in the entire leg
evoke congruency in the entire leg
connect the leg to the psoas
awaken the LDH
evoke lift
get a sense of the front of the spine (or back of core space at LDH)
POSITION #1
POSITION #2
Preparation: after having explored Toes and Ankle Flexion with both
feet, bend the first leg you worked while keeping the heel aligned with
the ischial tuberosity. This time bring the foot as far forward as
possible still keeping all toes in contact with the floor. If you want you
can help stabilize the knee with both hands.
18
Movement:
as before, allow your toes to lengthen forward.
then up and back in an arc.
next, allow your ankle to hinge as far back as possible and then
down again allowing the foot to plant into the floor.
and finally bring the toes down, extending them wide and long.
explore this movement two or three times and be curious about
how the other foot / leg respond.
Awareness questions:
all of the awareness questions for Toes and Ankle Flexion, plus :
does your knee respond to these movements?
does your knee want to abduct (go out) as you explore toes / ankle
movements?
or does it want to adduct (go in)?
does the back of your knee stay relaxed and open?
is there a lot of force in your gastrocs?
in your thighs?
in the back of your knee?
as your foot hinges back at the ankle, are you aware of the
response in the groin?
do you feel your lumbars also responding by pressing stronger
into the wall?
are you breathing?
are you doing the whole movement with the least possible amount
of force?
is the belly relaxed?
is the pelvic floor relaxed?
is your jaw relaxed?
19
POSITION 3
Preparation: sitting with your back against the wall, the sacrum as
close as possible to the wall and both legs extended.
Movement:
start to allow your toes to float up, then back, in an arc.
at the same time as the toes arc back, allow your ankle to open and
hinge back.
at the same time as the ankle hinges back, allow your knee to
float up, keeping the heel on the floor.
to reverse: allow the knee to sink down at the same time as the
ankle and toes let go, extending the leg through the EOF.
Awareness questions :
all of the previous questions for the 1st and 2nd positions plus:
in this grasshopper movement are the toes, ankle, knee and hip
joint working at the same time?
does the movement flow through all the joints?
as you extend your legs, is there more space in the hip joint? in the
knee? in the ankle? in the toe hinge?
do these joints show horizontals as they move?
if you are doing the movement with the least possible amount of
effort, or force, do you feel the movement flowing through the
whole leg, from LDH to EOF and back to LDH?
does something move inside, around the LDH? (if so, you are
feeling the origin of the psoas muscle)
does your leg move from the LDH through your pelvic floor?
20
Closure awareness questions:
as you get up and walk :
what are the sensations in the hinges you have worked?
are the toes, ankles, knee, and hip joint congruent?
as your leg swings forward into the next step, do you feel it coming
from the LDH? through the pelvic floor?
a) lying on the floor, with the ischial tuberosities touching the wall
and the sacrum heavy on the floor. This position allows more rest
for the whole back and also helps differentiate the leg from the
pelvis, besides helping to drain swollen and tired legs or varicose
veins.
b) lying on the table (or on the floor). When using this position make
sure your client has learned the whole sequence first in the sitting
position. It is also a good idea to always have the leg that is not
working bent to help stabilize the pelvis while you work with the
other leg. The Grasshopper in the supine position can be
excellent in a P.G. integration session (lower 8 or 9) while you do
tracking.
Movement variations: In the 3rd position with the legs extended, after
you have explored the movement with the toes flexed back two or
three times, you can explore the same movement with the toes back
but the foot down :
- allow the toes to float up, then back in an arc.
- at the same time allow the ankle to open in the front, pointing your
foot while keeping the toes back.
- at this time your knee will want to hyperextend: invite it to float up.
This movement variation is especially interesting for those people
who do not use their toes (especially the big toe), in the push-off
phase of the gait.
Awareness questions:
as you point your foot with the toes back are you keeping your
plantar fascia open?
is your thigh relaxed?
as you do this movement, do you feel a different quality of
movement in the lower leg? (as compared to when you flex the
foot.)
21
6) PELVIC ROLL
Goals:
differentiate, open and lubricate hip joints
differentiate, open and lubricate sacral-lumbar joint
evoke mobility in blocked areas
evoke mobility from pelvis up through spine
improve mobility in whole spine
relax whole spine
teach lines of transmission from pelvis into feet and vice-versa
open front and back of pelvis
awaken core awareness
encourage pelvic floor awareness
Preparation: lie on your back, bend your knees, feet flat on the table
about three inches apart (or approximately the distance between your
sit-bones), knees away from each other at the same distance, arms
along the body, and palms down.
Movement: tilt your pelvis back allowing its weight to transfer into the
feet. Hold the tilted position for a while and then let go. Repeat this
movement in a rhythmic, slow motion allowing your pelvis to rock
back and forth.
22
Awareness questions:
1. As you are in the preparatory position :
do you feel your feet on the table?
does your pelvis (sacrum) feel the table?
does your pelvis surrender its weight into the table?
is the lumbar area relaxed towards the table?
does the pelvic floor breathe?
2. As you allow your pelvis to rock back transferring its weight into
the feet :
do your belly contents gently fall back?
does your navel gently fall back towards the spine?
do your knees move towards the feet?
do your feet press into the table stronger?
do your hip joints open or lengthen?
do both the front and the back of your pelvis open?
does the back of your waistline surrender itself to the table?
do your abdominal organs follow the movement or do they want to
be forced out of the navel?
do your gluteals just follow the movement, or do they want to
participate in the movement, squeezing themselves towards each
other? Usually people with a posterior tilted pelvis will tense their
gluteus in the pelvic roll.
do your thighs (quadriceps) remain relaxed throughout movement,
or do they tense up?
do you feel your ischial tuberosities sliding down, towards your
feet as the pubic bone rolls up towards your head?
do you feel the roundness of the pelvis?
do you feel the movement coming through the pelvic floor?
do you feel the movement flowing through the inner aspect of the
legs?
do you feel the movement flowing through the middle of the joints
(hip, knee, ankles)?
does the rocking motion flow up through the spine?
does your neck move?
23
does your head respond to the movement?
does your chin move up and down?
do you feel the connection from the pelvis into the feet?
do you feel the connection from the pelvis into the thorax and
head?
do you lengthen inside , through the front of your spine?
Note : The Pelvic Roll can be extremely difficult for some people. In
this case it can be easier to first teach them the Feet to Pelvis Roll.
Note : You can combine the Pelvic Roll with the Arm Drops to
access the axial complex.
24
7) SACRAL ROLL
Goals:
refine most of the goals of the pelvic roll
evoke awareness and functioning of deep internal pelvic muscles
free the external muscles around the hip
awaken the pelvic diaphragm
Movement: as you exhale, let your pelvis tilt back allowing the tip of
your coccyx to gently go up towards the back of your knees. The
movement goes only to the top of the sacrum. Inhale as the sacrum
reverses the motion. The movement goes only to the base of the
sacrum (not the coccyx). Then allow your sacrum to come to a neutral
position, where it is neither flexed nor extended. Rest in this neutral
position, breathing gently into the pelvic floor. Repeat the movement
several times.
Awareness questions:
(many of the Pelvic Roll awareness questions are applicable here)
do you have a sense of the front of your sacrum?
do you have a sense of the back of your sacrum?
from where do you initiate this movement?
25
does something happen in your pelvic floor?
does something happen in the floor of your mouth?
does something happen in the roof of your mouth?
does something happen in the top of your head?
26
8) FEET TO PELVIS
Goals:
introduce the Pelvic Roll
connect the feet into the pelvis and vice-versa
teach the pelvic floor to connect with the EOF
connect feet to lumbars
improve the lines of transmission from the pelvis into the feet and
vice-versa
differentiate the vertebrae from each other
explore asymmetrical patterns in the legs
Awareness questions:
As you are in the preparation position: the same awareness questions
as those for the Pelvic Roll can be used.
1. As youre pressing your feet into the table :
are you pressing the whole surface of the feet evenly? or is there
more pressure on the heels?
are the toes also pressing?
can they lengthen as they press?
27
do you feel the push pattern traveling up through the bones of
your lower legs and thighs into your sacrum and lower back?
from the lower back up along the spine to the head?
do you feel the push pattern traveling up through the ankles, knees
and hip joints?
as you press both feet with equal strength, do you feel one leg
stronger than the other? if so, press again and reverse the
asymmetrical pressure. Repeat this movement a couple times.
do you feel both sides of your pelvis rolling back, with the same
quality?
do you feel your extrinsic lower back muscles lengthening as you
press your feet into the table?
the deep, intrinsic muscles also?
Positional Variation:
Preparation: lie on the floor and press your feet into the wall, keeping
the thigh at a right angle with the pelvis.
28
Movement Variation: press one foot at a time either against the table
or the wall.
Goals:
to deal with asymmetrical patterns
help differentiate cylinders
establish length along the sides of the body
Awareness questions:
do you feel the push pattern only traveling up along the side of the
body from where your foot is pushing?
does the other side remain relaxed?
do you feel one cylinder sliding up?
Note: The 1,000 Dots Foot Stamp pressing one foot at a time, be it
against the table or the wall, is a rather sophisticated modality. Not for
beginners.
29
9) PELVIC CLOCK
Goals:
evoke fluidity of movement in the pelvis
evoke pelvic core awareness
awake pelvic core space
lubricate the hip joints
differentiate the pelvis from the legs and spine
lubricate lumbo-sacral joint
enhance lines of transmission from the pelvis into the feet and
vice-versa
evoke functioning of intrinsic abdominal muscles
Movement: gently and doing the softest possible movement, roll your
pelvis to 9 oclock, then 12 oclock, 3 oclock and back to 6 oclock.
Explore the pelvic-clock in this direction two or three more times and
then rest before reversing direction.
Awareness questions:
are you allowing the weight of your pelvis to drop into the floor?
are you allowing this movement to happen with the least possible
effort?
30
are you breathing?
are you allowing your abdominal muscles to remain quiet and
relaxed?
are you allowing your quads to remain quiet and relaxed?
are you allowing your gluteals to remain quiet and relaxed?
are you allowing your lower back muscles to remain quiet and
relaxed?
from where in your body are you initiating the pelvic clock? the
more superficial layers? the more deep layers?
what is it you feel inside your belly when you allow this movement
to be as small as possible?
what is it you feel in the back and in the front of your abdominal
core space when you allow this movement to be as subtle as
possible?
are you breathing while doing the smallest and most subtle
movement possible?
31
10) SELF PELVIC-LIFT
Goal: to give yourself a nice pelvic-lift whenever you need one and
your Rolfer is not around!
Preparation: lie down, as if you were going to get a pelvic lift from
your Rolfer. Place your hands under your pelvis, palms down, towards
the table, the tips of the thumbs touching each other and the tips of
the index fingers also touching each other, thus drawing a triangle
with your fingers. The tips of the index fingers under the coccyx and
the thumbs under the base of the sacrum, forming sort of a little bed
for your sacrum.
Movement: allow your sacrum to sink down towards this little bed
made by your thumbs and index fingers. Allow your awareness to go
with your breath to the front of your sacrum and gently help it let go
from the inside out. Allow yourself time... Subtly invite your sacrum to
do some micro-movements as if you were sifting flour so that it frees
itself from the two iliac bones. Then rest, allowing your whole body
to breathe. Listen to the inner silence... Feel your inner movements...
When you are ready, with an exhalation, drag the palms of your hands
down along the table towards your feet and to the sides, as if you
were opening dough. As your hands go down and towards the sides
allow your sacrum to lengthen down and open to the sides. At the
same time allow your lumbars to let go, open and fall back towards
the table.
32
11) REVERSED PELVIC ROLL
Goals:
evoke awareness and functioning of the LDH
evoke length in the lumbars
open and lubricate the hip hinges
lengthen the psoas
Preparation: lie on your stomach, feet off the table, arms along your
body, palms down, legs straight approximately two to four inches
apart (or the distance between your sit-bones), and head to either
side.
33
Awareness questions:
are you doing this movement with the least amount of effort
possible?
do you feel the LDH moving?
are you initiating this movement from the LDH?
is your lower back sliding and lengthening towards the feet?
do you feel the ischial tuberosities pointing down towards the
feet?
do you feel the space between the lower back vertebrae opening?
are you allowing length in the front of the thighs?
are you feeling your ASIS and pubic bone rolling?
do you feel your pelvis rolling in the hip hinge?
do you feel the space between the pubic bone below and the
sacrum above?
34
12) DOWN TO THE FEET
(Reversed Pelvic Roll Variation)
Goals:
access and deal with pelvic asymmetries
access and deal with spinal asymmetries
lengthen the psoas
bring awareness and length into the 6th structural hour territory
evoke front to back balance
evoke cylinders differentiation (especially in movement 2)
evoke length in the quads
evoke lateral inclination movements of the pelvis (especially in
movement 2)
Awareness questions:
are you allowing length in the front of your body?
are you allowing length in the back of your body?
are you allowing length from the LDH all the way down to the
heels?
are you allowing length in your plantar fascia?
are you allowing the gluteals to remain relaxed as you tilt your
pelvis back and flex your ankles and toes?
do you feel the connection from the front of your spine, in the LDH
area, through your pelvic floor, through the medial lines of your
legs to the EOF?
does one side of your pelvis seem to roll easier in the hip socket
than the other?
35
does one side of your lumbars seem to lengthen more and/or
easier than the other?
Awareness questions:
are you allowing length in the quadriceps of the leg you are
working?
are you allowing length in the hamstrings of the leg you are
working?
do you feel the external lateral inclination of the pelvis in the side
of the leg youre working?
do you feel the internal lateral inclination of the pelvis in the side of
the leg you are not working?
does your pelvis incline easier to one side?
is it different to initiate this movement from the toes up rather than
LDH down? What changes?
are you allowing the shorter lumbar side to let go and lengthen?
do you feel the left and right cylinders differentiating from each
other through the middle line?
36
13) ADVANCED PELVIC ROLL
(Reversed Pelvic Roll With Knee Flexion)
Goals:
evoke length in the hamstrings
evoke length in the quads
balance psoas / hamstrings
differentiate knees from the upper and lower leg
open and lubricate the knee joints
release tension in the lower back
Movement: As you exhale, slowly allow your pelvis to tilt back, sliding
the pelvis down towards your feet. Then allow the quads and
hamstrings to lengthen and let the knee flex while the lower leg floats
up.
Awareness questions:
are you allowing your lower back to remain relaxed?
are you allowing your gluteal to remain relaxed?
are you allowing the front of your body to lengthen?
are you allowing length in the quads?
are you doing this movement with the least amount of effort
possible?
37
are you allowing space between the femur and tibia as your lower
leg comes up?
are you allowing your ankle and toes to remain neutral during this
movement?
are you breathing?
are you allowing length in front of your spine, from the LDH
through the pelvic floor?
do you have a sense of length and space between the MDH and
LDH?
38
14) HEEL DRAG
(Leg Drag)
Goals :
evoke psoas function
evoke mobility in the back of the core
balance rectus/psoas function
lengthen lower back muscles
lengthen medial lines of transmissions in legs
help differentiate cylinders (see Positional Variation)
Preparation : lie on your back, legs straight, feet two to four inches
apart, arms along your body, palms down. Briefly review Active
Lying Down.
39
flexion), letting the foot slowly come to the table. Keep lifting the
knee until the foot completely touches the table. Rest a while and
then perform Movement 2.
40
do you feel the connection from the LDH to the EOF through the
pelvis, via the psoas?
do you feel the medial lies of transmission in the lengthening?
Positional Variation : Have one leg already bent while you explore the
Heel Drag with the other one. In this case briefly review the Feet
to Pelvis roll. This bent leg position favors people with an anterior
tilted pelvis, as it helps to stabilize the pelvis. It also makes the
Heel Drag exploration easier for the client to monitor the
movement. It also makes it possible to differentiate cylinders as
you extend through heel and EOF.
Movement Variation : after one of the knees come up, let the other
one also float up. Rest for a while and only then allow the first leg
to extend, and then extend the other one. Rest again before
alternating legs. This movement variation for the Heel Drags
makes it easier to perceive psoas function asymmetries, and in a
way is a combination of Heel Drags and Pelvic Roll.
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15) KNEE OVER
(Leg Over With Knee Drops)
Goals:
bring awareness to the hip socket
further evoke psoas function
further balance rectus / psoas function
release tension in lower back
evoke mobility in the upper back
differentiate leg from pelvis (especially with movement 2)
teach the leg to drop through the hip socket (especially with
movement 3)
differentiate upper and lower legs
Preparation: lie on your back, feet flat on the table, with your knees up
and two to three inches apart, arms along the body, and palms down.
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Movement 1: as you exhale, allow one of your knees to float up
and toward the head creating an arc, until the thigh is perpendicular to
the pelvis in the hip socket. Rest a little in this position, (Refer to the
Awareness questions for movement 1), then go to movement 2:
Movement 3 (or Knee Drops): allow your knee to drop back down to
the starting position, letting the foot fall flat on the table.
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are you allowing your abdominal muscles to remain relaxed as
your knee comes up?
are you allowing the weight of your thigh to sink into the hip
socket?
are you allowing the weight of your lower back towards the foot?
are you allowing this movement to initiate with the psoas muscle?
are you allowing the upper back to widen?
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16) LEG CIRCLE
Goals :
lubricate and release tension in the hip socket
restore mobility in the hip socket
Awareness questions :
do you feel holding anywhere around the hip socket?
are you allowing this movement to initiate from the hip socket or
from the knee?
what changes if your knee does the circles and the femur follows
at the hip socket?
Goals :
further lubricate the hip joint
further release tension in the lower back
further massage the abdominals
evoke awareness of the psoas origin at the LDH
evoke mobility at the LDH
evoke awareness to the back of the core space, in front of the
spine
Awareness questions :
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do you feel this repetitive movement pumping into the front of
the LDH?
do you feel the femur rolling in the hip socket?
do you feel the massage this movement does to the lower back?
do you feel the massage this movement does to your abdomen?
does the lower back and abdomen accept this massage?
Goals :
further release tension around the hip socket
further teach the leg to drop through the hip socket
teach the leg to extend through the pelvis, rather than from the
pelvis
Awareness questions :
are you keeping your lower back long and relaxed as you extend
the leg?
are you allowing any tension around the hip socket to let go with
the movement?
are you allowing your leg to lengthen down and away, or are you
controlling the movement?
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17) LEG ROTATION
Goals:
open front and back of the LDH
open and lubricate the hip joints
open and lubricate the sacro-iliac joints
release tension in the thighs
release tension in the gluteals
evoke cylinder awareness
release and lengthen the hamstrings
lengthen the gastrocs
lengthen the psoas
reinforce horizontals in toes / ankles
reinforce lines of transmission in the whole leg
Preparation: lie on your back, one leg straight, the other leg bent with
the foot flat on the table, the knee aligned with the ischial tuberosities,
arms along your body, palms down.
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The Reverse :
foot and toes flexed
foot pointed and toes flexed
foot and toes pointed
foot in neutral position
Movement 2: always allowing the toe, ankle and knee joints to stay as
aligned as possible, and going for horizontals in the joints (refer to
Grasshopper), let the leg do an external rotation first, as far as possible.
Then initiate an internal rotation, also going as far as possible. These
movements should be explored very slowly from the deep rotators at the
hip socket and not the adductors.
Awareness questions:
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are your quads (thighs) doing a lot of work? if so, allow your legs
to roll in and out with the least effort possible.
are you allowing the rotators to let go (lengthen) as your leg
rotates medially?
are you allowing your gluteals to remain relaxed?
as your leg rotates laterally, are you allowing the inner line of the
leg to lengthen?
as your leg rotates medially, are you allowing the lateral line of the
leg to lengthen?
are you aware of the connection of the leg, through the pelvis, to
the front of the spine?
how far up, along the front of your spine, do you feel your leg
rolling out and in?
what do you feel in the area in front of the spine?
what do you feel in the area in back of the spine?
do you feel the unscrewing of the hip socket?
where do you need to let go the most? in front of the hip socket
(especially for internal legs)? or in the back of the hip socket
(especially for external legs)?
are you breathing?
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likewise with the gastrocs?
likewise with the back of the knees?
likewise with the hamstrings?
likewise with the quads?
are you aware of your heel being pushed forward by the lower leg
muscles?
Positional Variations:
Variation I:
Goals: in this position the Leg Rotations will also evoke the
differentiation of the legs and pelvis and will release the hamstrings and
gastrocs even more. Many times it is easier to teach Leg Rotation in
the sitting position because the client can see their feet better.
Preparation: sit on the floor, with the whole back flat against the wall, the
sacrum as close as possible to the wall (this can be very difficult for
those people who have short hamstrings), and the legs extended in front
of you. Allow weight to sink into the back of the legs and keep them
aligned with the ischial tuberosities. Go through the whole sequence
first with one leg then the other.
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Variation II:
Goals: this position helps the client to relax the lower back, release and
lengthen the gastrocs, and differentiate the legs from the pelvis. It is
excellent for when legs are tired. A nice sequence for this is the Feet to
Pelvis with feet on the wall.
Preparation: sit on the floor and put your legs up on the wall, with your
ischial tuberosities as close as possible to the wall, arms along the
body, and palms flat down.
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18) SENSITIVE STANDING *
Start with and use the questions you feel are most appropriate for your
goals.
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are your eyes still active behind the eyes lids?
are your eyelids resting or are they working hard to remain closed?
if you want or need, allow your eyes to open a little to find relief
from the urge to see.
or, if this is the case, allow the urge to see to let go. Do you notice
with this letting go an immediate tension release in the eyes and
eyelids?
do you feel that in freeing these energies that you have also freed
energies for coming to a fuller and more balanced standing?
do you keep your knees locked? if so, when you unlock your knees
do you notice small adjustments in your ankles? in your pelvis? in
your trunk?
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are you squeezing your thighs?
what happens if you allow this holding to let go?
are you tightening up your gluteals?
what happens if you allow this holding to let go?
are you tightening up your pelvic floor?
what happens if you allow this holding to let go?
are you tightening up your belly?
are you tightening up your jaw?
are you tightening up your face?
are you tightening up your eyes?
are you tightening up your scalp?
what happens if you shift your pelvis all the way forward?
backward?
where, in this direction, is "home" for your pelvis?
what happens if you tilt your pelvis anteriorly? posteriorly?
where in this tilting is "home" for your pelvis?
what happens to your neck and head if you allow your spine to
stay long and your arms to reach down a little?
what do you feel if you tuck your chin into your chest?
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what do you feel if you take your chin up, shortening the nape of
your neck?
what happens if you allow the back of your neck to lengthen and
your throat to open?
what happens if you allow the weight of your body into the EOF?
what happens if you allow the weight of your pelvis to be above
your feet?
what happens if you allow the weight of your thorax to be above
your pelvis?
what happens if you allow the weight of your head to be above
your thorax?
now gently touch the top of your head with the palms of your
hands and fingers. (Your intention is to feel through your body. If
you are present and sensitive you will feel not only your hair, but
also the temperature of your body and the life processes and
movements below.)
if you get tired allow your arms to come down.
what is alive between the floor and your hands?
is there a sense of your existence between the contact of your feet
with the floor and the contact of your head with your hands?
do you feel the internal movements that make your body sway?
do you feel this gentle swaying shifting your balance around and
through your vertical axis?
now, slowly flex your knees just a little bit, but still keeping your
line. Feel how your knees, ankles and feet adapt to this movement.
allow the weight of your body to flow down through the joints,
through the EOF, and to the floor.
when you feel like coming up again, gently press your feet against
the floor, feeling the support it offers you
feel the force of gravity penetrating your feet, through your ankles,
lower legs, knees, thighs etc.
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explore this "surrendering down" to the force of gravity and
"surrendering up" to the same force (of gravity) a couple of times
(if you are present and sensitive enough you will actually feel it, in
an almost palpable way)
expand this exploration of the force of gravity up through your
body (it has been said that the force of gravity is the physical
expression of the love Mother Earth has for us.)
what happens if now you slowly open your eyes and allow them to
look at the horizon? what do you feel?
allow your discoveries and sensations to remain present with you
as you take another walk.
what is new?
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19) SITTING
slightly raise and lower your knees, and feel the connection of the
feet with the pelvis; and the connection of the legs with the trunk.
allow your feet to remain where they are, bring your knees together
and then away from each other and feel what happens with the
muscles that connect your legs to the trunk.
feel what happens in your lumbars.
feel what happens to the support for your head in the heart chakra.
now, leave the back of the chair and feel how you come more to
the vertical; reaching down to the seat of the chair and the floor
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while at the same time rising up from them. Explore this a couple
of times. If you are awake and sensitive you will feel the force of
gravity flowing through your structure. As you explore this, also
allow your awareness to be present and sense the readjustments
that happen through your whole structure.
with your eyes closed, raise a little bit from the seat, pause, and
then without opening your eyes or using your hands, sit back
again feeling the moment you touch the chair. Explore this a
couple of times to become more aware of the area where your
sitting originates.
sway your pelvis from one side to the other, and feel your sit-
bones, the ischii.
feel the sit-bones hardness through the softness of the muscles
against the hardness of the chair.
then, raise one buttock and put your hand underneath. Again feel
the bone.
allow this bone to initiate some micro-movements from side-to-
side.
allow this bone to initiate some micro-movements from front to
back.
allow this bone to make some tiny circles in one direction.
then in the other direction.
then, without raising your buttock bring your hand out dragging
your sit-bone to the side.
feel the difference between both sides of your pelvis.
is something more alive? more present? softer? how does your
face feel in the side that you have worked?
now, raise the other buttock, put your hand underneath and work
this side (repeat the sequence above).
after having worked both sides, do your sit-bones feel firmer and at
the same time softer?
do you divide the weight of your pelvis equally between both
ischii?
do you feel space between them?
do you feel the tissues between them?
are your whole feet touching the floor?
are your knees above your feet? what changes if you move your
feet to the front or to the back of your knees?
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do not change automatically, but sense what you do to create more
space for yourself.
do you maybe roll your pelvis from your sit-bones either forward or
backward?
do you feel the round-shape of the sit-bones?
feel the various possibilities: from sitting far to the back of the sit-
bones, slumping, and far to their front
gently place your hands on your lower back.
are your hands imposing their shape to the back below, or are they
feeling for the muscles below?
as you roll your pelvis both ways, what do your hands feel the
muscles and spine are doing?
do you slump only from the sit-bones or from both the sit-bones
and the lumbars?
likewise, do you hold yourself erect, in one block from the sit-
bones up, or do you hold yourself erect from the lumbars?
do a micro pelvic roll several times and feel your femurs in the
acetabulae. Are there any holdings?
are the hip joints independent from the LDH while sitting?
now, sit up straight really holding yourself erect until you begin to
tire. Feel what needs to change for more ease (not what you think,
or what someone told you that you should do, but what you feel
your body would like to do).
then, very slowly, feeling what you are doing, sense what needs to
be done to allow more space for everything that lives inside you.
did you need to roll your pelvis a little back at the hip joints?
did you have to let go a little bit in your lumbars?
did you have to allow more internal movement in the front of your
spine as you breathe?
did you have to let go in front of your spine at the LDH?
did you have to let go in front of your spine at the MDH?
did you have to let go in your AOJ?
did you have to let go of your jaw?
did you have to allow more space between your shoulder blades?
did you have to allow your arms to hang down?
now, gently place your hands on the top of your head, allowing
them to rest lightly on your head without pressing:
how long does your body want to be from your sit-bones to the top
of your head?
how wide are you now in your thorax?
how wide are you now in your pelvis?
how wide are you now in between your sit-bones?
how much space do you have from front to back in your belly?
how much space do you have from front to back in your thorax?
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do you have a sense of life in your back?
do you have a sense of life inside your pelvis?
how deep inside your pelvis do you allow yourself to be? to feel?
are you present from inside your pelvis down to the floor?
are you present from inside your pelvis all way up through your
throat to the top of your head?
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20) FROM SITTING TO STANDING
After you have explored "sitting" with your client and have done a
good piece of education with them, it is a good idea to explore standing up and
down as most of us do not know how to do it in a way that gravity assists the
movement.
Ask your client to stand up and sit down three or four times. Next, ask
the client to repeat this movement sensing what they are doing. There are a
number of different ways the client can stand up. To bring out their awareness,
observe what the client is doing and ask questions, such as:
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where do you initiate the movement to stand up? in the feet? with
the head?
in which direction does this movement go?
does the whole body move in the same direction? or do different
body parts move into different directions?
do you move your feet back and then stand up?
do you bring your knees together as you get up?
do you use your arms to push against the chair to assist you in
getting up?
do you tilt your pelvis forward and your chin up as you get up,
hyper extending your back?
what is it like for you if you allow both your feet on the floor, right
under your knees as you get up?
or one foot slightly in front of the other?
do you feel the push the back foot is offering you to start walking?
as you sit down again, feel your joints working together: the
ankles, the knees, the hip-joints and the AOJ.
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does anything change when getting up if you initiate the movement
by arcing the lumbars forward and also dropping the head
forward?
which way feels better for you: initiating the movement at the hip
joint and keeping the spine "straight but relaxed", or initiating the
movement at the lumbars and allowing the head to drop down?
in the latter case, as you get up and then sit down, do you feel the
flexion and the extension of the spine, respectively?
which movements happen at the AOJ when you explore this
possible way of standing up and down?
how do these adjustments relate to line of vision?
suppose you are sitting at a desk (a dinning table, etc..) and you
want to reach for something:
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which adjustments do you need to make at the hips, LSH, LDH and
AOJ as you go back?
Note : When you explore standing up and sitting down with your
clients be careful not to overwork them. They will be using their thighs
and back a lot and they could end up very sore the next day.
Therefore, be as brief as possible and remember : "More is not always
better !"
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21) WALKING
Awareness questions:
while standing, ask the client to:
slowly start shifting the weight of your body from side to side,
slowly enough to perceive how it is received and how it is allowed
to flow through your whole structure to the floor.
do your feet actively participate in the delivering of body weight to
the support bellow? or do they remain passive as the weight flows
through them?
do your knees actively participate together with all the muscles
related to them, or do they receive and transfer the weight of the
body as if they were static chairs?
do the hip joints actively participate in these movements?
what happens to the leg during the brief moment when it is free of
most of the weight transmission? does it allow itself to rest and
refresh or does it remain in a working attitude?
still standing, but now with a foot in front of the other, shifting your
weight from front to back and vice-versa:
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how is the weight of your body allowed to flow through your whole
structure to the floor?
do you feel you hold your bodyweight in any joint?
are your feet actively participating in this movement?
how are your ankles participating in this movement?
if you put the other foot forward and explore the same movement,
what do you notice?
how do the adaptations progress up the body? is it the same on
both sides?
how are your knees participating?
how does the knee participation in this movement relate to the
adaptations of the pelvis to this movement?
how do both hip joints participate in the movement?
does the lumbar area respond to the swing of this movement?
place both your hands on the lumbars and feel what moves there.
feel how the movement progresses up through the trunk.
explore from the knees up with the other foot forward.
let go of your arms and keep exploring the same movement.
does the movement flow up and through the shoulders?
from the shoulders to the arms?
from the arms through the elbows to the forearms?
do the wrists allow the movement to flow to the hands?
do you identify your hands as belonging to you?
are you conscious of the tips of your fingers?
explore the same movement, but now allowing the focus of your
attention to go up to your neck and head:
how does the neck respond to the swing?
how does the head respond to the movement of the neck?
how does the throat respond to the movement of the neck?
how does the jaw respond to the movement of the neck?
how does the AOS respond to the movement of the neck?
and slowly allow this movement to quiet down.
briefly review for yourself, the most relevant findings that
happened during this piece of work.
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and what do the muscles under the hand on the back do?
moving your hands up and down, very slowly, explore how far up
and how far down along the spine you feel this movement.
now allow this movement to come to a closure and let your arms
rest hanging down.
then place your wrists on the iliac crest with the palms down,
towards the legs.
as you roll your pelvis to the back and to the front what are the
muscles under your hands doing?
how do the muscles of the thighs adapt to these movements?
how do the hamstrings adapt to these movements?
when you are ready, place your hands on the lower abdomen and
sacrum and slowly start tilting your pelvis to the front and then to
the back.
what do the muscles in the lower back do during this movement?
what about the muscles in the belly?
how does your spine adjust itself to this movement?
how far up in your spine does it go?
or how far up in your spine does it initiate?
how does it affect your breathing?
how does it affect the contents of your belly?
how does it affect the support and comfort of your head?
is something more alive inside?
what is different? stay with it and take it into your walking.
as your client walk you can ask them all of the previous questions and
feel what changed in the quality of their gait.
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22) INTEGRATED STEP *
(Standing Closure)
Awareness questions:
do you feel your toes, especially the big toe
helping propel you off the floor?
do you feel your foot absorbing the impact of
your weight on the floor and then helping it up
again? acting as a spring?
Note: for some clients it can be interesting to explore The Integrated Step in
front of the mirror after, and only after, they have explored the Grasshopper
and the Integrated step with no mirror.
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23) THE PLI *
(Standing Closure)
Awareness questions:
do you feel your joints (hip, knees, ankles)
working evenly? Congruently?
as you do the pli, do your feet lengthen
forward?
do they adapt to both the floor and your body above?
do you feel the EOF opening?
do you feel movement in the interosseous membrane?
Note: for some clients it can be a good idea to explore The Pli
profile in a mirror: it will help them get a sense of the alignment of the
two major body segments - the pelvis and the thorax - and how to
keep them aligned in movement (as they pli).
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24) ARM DROP & ARM CIRCLE
Goals :
teach the tip of the elbow to come out of the middle layer
open and lubricate the arm socket
differentiate the arm from the shoulder
differentiate the arm from the neck
evoke arm/scapula balance
release tension in upper back
release tension in shoulder (levator scapula)
teach letting go of control in the arms
teach support for the arm from the pelvis
teach support for the arm from the center
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(Bottom picture illustrates the movement variation)
Movement III: after exploring the Arm Circles, let your elbow bend
as it relaxes into gravity and drop the arm into the table without
controlling the movement.
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Note : Rest for a while before repeating the whole sequence and
before going to the other side.
Awareness questions for Movement I :
are your fingers relaxed?
is your wrist relaxed?
is your elbow relaxed?
are you doing this movement with the least possible amount of
effort?
are you allowing your elbows to lengthen down and to the side to
move out on a horizontal line that goes through the diaphragm?
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are you breathing into the axilae?
are you keeping your upper back wide and relaxed?
are you keeping your pectoral muscles relaxed?
is there a difference in the quality of movement from one direction
to the other?
Positional Variations:
I. support the clients knees by pillows. This position helps the client
keep more focus on the arm work itself, rather than dividing it with
the feet/pelvis.
II. position the clients legs straight forward. This position
encourages a lumbar curvature in people with a posterior tilted
pelvis.
Movement Variation:
- explore the whole sequence (arm up, arm circles and arm drops)
with both arms at the same time.
Awareness questions :
what is the quality of movement of each of the arms?
do the arms do micro-adjustments at the gleno-humeral joint?
do the elbows allow the movements to flow to the lower arms?
do the wrists allow the movements to flow to the hands?
do you feel your arms as a property of yours, that you need to
guide and regulate, or are they you?
Note : you can combine the Pelvic Roll with the Arm Drops (skip
the Arm Circles) to access the axial complex.
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25) BEACH BALL
Goals :
bring the Arm Drops into gravity
find support for the arms in the pelvis
differentiate the arms from neck and shoulders
teach arm connection to middle layer
explore arm use in sitting position
deepen the awareness of the arm connection to pelvis
Awareness questions :
As you reach down with your arms :
do you feel your feet pressing the floor a little stronger?
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do you also feel this pressure traveling up your legs into your
pelvis and trunk?
do you also feel your spine lengthening up?
are you breathing?
do you feel space being opened in the gleno-humeral joint?
are you maintaining the distance between the ears and shoulders
and the same length along the sides of the neck throughout the
movement?
are you allowing the front of your chest to stay wide and open?
are you allowing the space between your shoulder blades to stay
wide and open?
are you allowing your axilae to stay relaxed?
are you breathing?
As you relax your elbows into gravity and let your arms down:
are you allowing your shoulder blades to remain down?
are you allowing your chest to keep its volume?
are you allowing the space between your shoulder blades to stay
wide and relaxed?
are you aware of the upward thrust of the pelvic girdle/trunk
supporting the shoulder girdle?
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26) SHOULDER DROP
Goals:
evoke support for the S.G. from the P.G.
teach P.G./S.G. alignment
teach letting go of the arms into the pelvis (ischial tuberosities)
release tension in the shoulders
open and lubricate sub-scapular surface
Movement: allow your shoulders to move up, hold for a while and
then let them relax into gravity while you let the weight of the shoulder
girdle fall into the pelvis.
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Awareness questions:
are you allowing your shoulders and arms to fall down with as
dead a weight as possible?
are you allowing the impact of this weight falling on the rib cage to
help some of the air out of your lungs?
are you aware of your shoulder blades sliding up and down as the
shoulders go up and fall back down?
as the shoulders and arms fall down, are you aware of their weight
reverberating all the way down into your pelvis?
is this weight falling on top of the ischial tuberosities? (if not,
explore leaning your trunk a little forward or backward (usually
forward will do it).
are you aware of the pelvic floor also receiving this weight?
are you allowing your elbows to relax into gravity?
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27) SIDELYING ARM CIRCLE
(In Classical 3rd Hour Position)
Goals:
teach arm connection to thoracic core
decompress peripheral tension in S.G.
open palmar fascia
release and lengthen intrinsic muscles of the arm
open and lubricate the arm socket
differentiate the arm from the shoulder
find support for the arm in the glenoid fossa
teach mid-line to the arms
release tension under the scapula
teach letting go of control in the arms
Preparation: lie in the Classical 3rd hour position, with a pillow under
your head, its height the same as your shoulder length. Let the top
arm rest along the body, palm down and keep the spine straight.
Movement I: reach with your arm down toward your feet, starting with
the fingers along the lateral line, then allow the arm up in an arc,
towards the ceiling, perpendicular to the body. Let the humerus find
home, dropping into the glenoid fossa.
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Movement II: reach with the arm up towards the ceiling, then let it rest
back into the scapula and the glenoid fossa. Explore this movement a
couple of times and with different amplitudes.
Movement III: with the arm resting back into the glenoid fossa, start
drawing some tiny circles with the hand and gradually allow the
circles to get a little bigger. After a while change the direction and
slowly allow the circles to become as small as in the beginning, until
you draw the smallest possible circle.
Movement IV: progressively relax the fingers, wrist and elbow into
gravity, and let the arm return to the starting position. Rest a little and
explore the whole sequence once more, or go to the other side.
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do you feel some of your lower arm muscles lengthening?
are you leading with the 2nd and 3rd fingers? What do you feel if
you lead with your other fingers?
do you feel your humerus first sliding down, and then, as your
hand describes an arc in space, do you feel it dropping into the
scapula?
are you breathing?
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as your arm goes back to the starting position, are you allowing it
to rest on top of your body, along the lateral line?
as you breathe, does your rib cage expand to the sides? if yes,
does this movement nudge the whole arm up towards the
ceiling?
do you feel your arm as an extension of your lungs?
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28) ARM ROTATION
(Arm Gestures)
Goals:
access and explore the gestures indicated by each position
evoke movement of elbows coming out of the middle layer
connect the arms to the LDH
open and lubricate the gleno-humeral joints
lengthen intrinsic musculature in the arms
differentiate the arms from the shoulder blades
differentiate the neck from the shoulder blades
release tension between the scapulas
de-rotate internally rotated shoulders
Movement I: feel the back of your upper arms in contact with the
table. Allow the arms to lengthen down through these surfaces, the
elbows leading the movement and coming out of the middle layer,
(through a horizontal line that goes through the diaphragm). When
your arms have reached as far down as comfortable, allow them then
to open to the sides, palms still down, until the hands are at a
horizontal line that goes through the diaphragm.
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Movement II: with the palms down, while you exhale allow the arms to
go straight up, bringing the back of the hands towards each other
until they are about four inches apart, right above your solar plexus.
Relax and breath in this position for a while. Then on an inhale allow
your arms to return down to the beginning position, without resting
them on the table.
Movement III: next, laterally rotate both arms from the gleno-humeral
joint a fourth of a turn so your thumbs are up towards the ceiling.
Repeat the raising of your arms above your solar plexus as you
exhale, this time thumbs towards each other (they do not have to
touch each other). Relax and breath in this position for a while. Then
on an inhale, allow your arms to slowly return down to the beginning
position for this movement, without resting them on the table.
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Movement IV: again, laterally rotate both arms from the shoulders a
fourth of a turn so that now your palms will be up. As you exhale,
raise your arms above your solar plexus bringing the palms towards
each other (about four inches apart). Relax momentarily, breathing in
that position, and allow your arms to slowly return down to the
beginning position for this movement, without letting them rest on the
table.
Movement V: once more laterally rotate both arms from the shoulders
a fourth of a turn so that now you baby fingers are up. As you exhale,
allow your arms to move up, hands above your solar plexus, relax
while breathing. Then as you inhale, allow your arms to move back
down, without letting them rest on the table.
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Movement VI: Now you reverse the sequence. Start exploring the
previous movements again.
Movement VII: this time, allow your shoulders and upper arms to
remain where they are and medially rotate your lower arms from the
elbow a fourth of a turn so that the palms are up. Again allow your
arms to move up and down.
Movement VIII: again medially rotate your lower arms from the elbows
a fourth of a turn. Now the thumbs are up. Allow your arms to move
up and down above solar plexus.
Movement IX: the last rotation is again initiated from the elbows to
rotate the palms down. Then allow arms to move up and down above
the solar plexus. Finally allow the arms to come down, resting
alongside your body.
Awareness questions :
For Movement I:
are you present all the way to the tip of your fingers?
are you allowing the eye of the hands (palmar fascia to open)?
are your elbows coming out from the middle layer?
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are your hands soft?
are you breathing?
are you allowing the line between your mastoid process and tip of
shoulders to remain long?
are you allowing the sides of your neck to remain long?
When your arms are back to the original position, before you rotate
them :
are you aware of the span of your arms, from hand to hand?
are you allowing this space to open and lengthen?
both in the front and in the back?
As you move your arms up and down, and as they are up, you can ask
the same questions for these activities that were asked for Movement
II.
For Movement IV :
As you rotate the arms from the shoulders:
are you aware of the head of each humerus rotating in its arm
socket?
are you aware of the scapulas sliding further down?
are you allowing the space between the shoulder blades to stay
open and relaxed?
are you aware of different lines of lengthening and letting go in the
arms?
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As you move your arms up and down, and when your arms are up,
you can ask the same questions for these activities that were asked in
movement II.
As you move your arms up and down, and when your arms are up,
you can ask the same questions for these activities that were asked in
movement II.
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29) ARM PYRAMID
Goals:
evoke mobility in gleno-humeral joint
release tension in the shoulder joint
open and lubricate the arm sockets
differentiate the arm from the shoulder
release tension in the upper arms
lengthen the upper arms
teach the tip of the elbow to come out of the middle-layer
evoke a lateral line from the lateral iliac crest to the elbow
open the thoracic core space
teach support for the arm from the rib cage
teach support for the arm from the center
Movement I: feel the back of your upper arms touching the table.
Allow the arms to lengthen down through these surfaces, the elbows
leading the movement and coming out of the middle layer through a
horizontal line that goes through the diaphragm. When your arms
have reached as far down as comfortable, allow the arms to describe
an arc forward and up towards the ceiling until they are on a vertical
axis. Allow the humerus to fall back into the gleno-humeral fossa (arm
socket). Allow the fingers to spread wide open and let the hands move
towards each other until the thumbs touch.
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Movement II: next, allow the elbows to move out to the sides until the
index fingers touch each other (making a pyramid with your fingers
and another one from your hands to the elbows). Allow the arms to
straighten up again until only the thumbs are touching. Explore this
sequence two or four more times.
Movement III: maintaining the pyramid and on the next exhale, bring
your arms over your head towards and as close as possible to the
floor. Stay for two or three whole breath cycles in this position and
then on an exhale go back to the previous position (making a pyramid
with your fingers and another one from your hands to the elbows).
Explore this sequence two or four more times.
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Movement IV: with the pyramid over your solar plexus, lengthen your
arms up towards the ceiling until the thumbs touch each other,
allowing both arms back to the vertical axis, then let the arms drop
down letting your elbows bend as they relax into gravity, and then
letting the lower arms drop into the table without controlling the
movement.
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As you elbows go in :
are you allowing your upper chest to stay open and relaxed?
are you allowing your shoulder blades to stay back (or do they
have to come forward?)
do you feel this movement coming from the MDH?
are you allowing the thoracic core space to remain open?
are you still allowing space in each axilla?
are you allowing the whole length of your spine to drop back into
the table?
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30) FREEING THE HEAD
Goals:
evoke spaciousness inside the head
evoke breath into the face
evoke letting go of and relaxing the eyes
evoke letting go of and relaxing the tongue
teach to look through the eyes rather than from the eyes
teach pelvic-floor to floor of the mouth connection
teach balance at the place where the neck is longest in the front of
the spine
teach head hinge
teach intrinsic movement for the head/neck
open and lubricate the TMJ
evoke letting go and relaxation of the masseters
teach head responsiveness
Preparation: lie on your back, knees bent and supported by the feet,
which are two to four inches apart (or have knees supported by
pillows), arms along the body. (If a client has a hunchback or a very
short neck, it is useful to use a small pillow under the head.)
Awareness questions :
are you aware of the area in the back of your head in contact with
the table?
are you allowing your head to rest into the table (or the Rolfers
hand)?
are you allowing your brain to be heavy inside the skull?
are you aware of the space inside your head between your ears?
are you allowing your breath to go into that space?
are you allowing that space to widen?
are you allowing more weight into the back of the head?
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allow your breath to go to your face, as if you wanted to smell the
aroma of the woods.
are you allowing your breath into your maxillary sinuses?
are you allowing your breath into your sphenoid sinuses?
are you allowing your breath into your frontal sinuses?
is your whole face breathing?
does the back of your head offer support for your face?
does your face accept this support?
allow your eyes to soften back into that space (the back of the
head).
are your eyes relaxed behind the eyelids, or are they active?
are your eyelids relaxing on top of your eyes, or do your eyelids
require a lot of effort to stay closed?
are you aware of tension in the tiny muscles around your eyes?
gently open your eyes and look through them, rather than with
them.
are you allowing your eyes to focus softly?
what happens to your vision when you focus softly?
allow your mouth to stay slightly open and move your jaw from
side to side.
are you doing this movement with the least possible effort?
When your jaw goes to the right what happens to your left
temporalis and vice-versa?
are you allowing the floor of your mouth to let go of the tension?
are you allowing the soft palate to let go of tension and widen?
as the TMJs and floor of the mouth let go of their tension, are you
also aware of tension letting go in the pelvic floor?
as the space between the left and right TMJs gets wider, does the
space between the two ischial tuberosities also feel wider?
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are you allowing the cervical vertebrae to weight heavy towards
the table?
with your mouth gently closed, lower and upper teeth touching
lightly, and the tongue relaxed inside the oral space, nod yes
with a small movement to find the place where the front and back
of the neck can both be long.
are you aware of the openness of the throat in this position?
does your breath flow easier in this position?
this time as your head (skull) moves back, as if you were to nod
yes, allow your jaw to move down at the TMJ, and then reverse
to the starting position. Explore this movement a couple of times.
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31) SITTING-HEAD INTEGRATION
Goals:
balance the head over the S.G./ diaphragm/ pelvic floor/ in the
sitting position
evoke awareness of the head hinge in the sitting position
open and lubricate the head hinge in the sitting position
teach support for the head hinge in the sitting position
teach support for the head from MDH
teach looking through the eyes rather than from the eyes in the
sitting position
explore support for the head coming from the MDH
explore the relationship between the head hinge and eyesight level
teach head responsiveness
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Awareness questions:
are you aware of your pelvic floor?
is your respiratory diaphragm balanced over your pelvic floor?
is your S.G. balanced over the respiratory diaphragm? (if
necessary, briefly review or explore the Shoulder Drop)
are you allowing your chin/occiput to balance over the front and
back of the shoulder girdle?
are you allowing the weight of the face to find support from the
sternum?
are you allowing the weight of the back of your head (the occiput)
to find support from the spine?
gently nod yes and find a place where the chin/occiput are
balanced with maximum length in the back and the front of the
neck.
what happens to your eyes as you collapse from the MDH and want
to look at the horizon? Do they tend to go up?
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what happens to your eyes as you hyperextend from the MDH and
want to look at the horizon? Do they tend to look down, over your
nose?
now allow your head to balance over the S.G. again:
are you looking from your eyes, or through your eyes?
are you allowing a soft focus?
nod a big no with the eyes focusing softly and then contrast with
a harder focus:
what changes in the quality of your movement?
balance your head over the S.G., and this time move only your
eyes up, as if you wanted to look high above the horizon:
what do you feel in your occiput and nape of the neck?
come into standing and observe how your head responds to the
movement.
as you stand: are you allowing your head to be balanced over the
feet, pelvis, respiratory diaphragm, and S.G?
as you walk : are you allowing your head to move and respond to
the walking movement?
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32) MASK WORK
(Habitual Expression Release)
Goal:
to release habitual face expression(s)
Preparation : lie down on your back, knees bent and supported by the
feet, two to four inches apart (or have knees bent and supported by
pillows), and arms along the body. Briefly review Active Lying
Down.
Exercise I: with your eyes closed, put on a mask that is your habitual
smile and feel how it affects:
the muscles of your face.
your sense of spaciousness inside your head.
your sense of presence and weight in the back of your head.
the head hinge (explore nodding yes and no with this
expression on your face).
your breathing.
your core space.
the quality of energy in your whole body.
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Exercise III: after exploring a couple of masks, repeat the same
exercises, but this time, after putting on each mask, walk it! and feel
how it affects :
your walking.
the response of the head to the walking.
the quality of your bodys energy.
To what extent is the way you walk across the room affected by the
expression on your face?
Note: consider that all the expressions (masks) that you have
explored are emotions that we human beings have. Emotions are not
good or bad in themselves, they just are.
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33) TENNIS BALLS
The idea when you use a tennis ball is to introduce yourself to the
ball and vice-versa. As if you were introducing yourself to someone: feel the
tennis balls shape, consistency, texture, and temperature. Next, allow the ball
to feel your shape, your consistency, etc... Gently, and always allowing your
breath to go where the ball is, meeting it from inside yourself. Allow your
holdings, tensions, pains, whatever to flow to the ball. Ask the ball to receive
and contain your holdings, tensions, pains, and gently allow the area being
worked to soften, to let go, to come to life again. Also, ask the area being
worked to make room for the tennis ball, as if it could enter that space.
Allow time when using the tennis ball. Usually our holdings are old
and chronic, therefore, you must be gentle and patient. Force and haste will not
do it (so stay at least for five whole breathing cycles in any spot).
Play contrast: after you have worked on a spot and have taken the
tennis ball away, allow time to feel how the area is feeling and compare it to the
corresponding area on the other side. Only then should you complete your work
on the other side.
Usually when you first work with the tennis ball it tends to be quite
painful, but if you work with it again and again, you will soon notice that the
area in discomfort gets less and less sensitive. However, when you are working
on an especially painful area, if the pain or discomfort does not diminish as you
stay with your work, you should move the ball a little to either side of the area or
lessen the pressure over the ball. Wherever your body positioning allows the
tennis ball to be without building tension somewhere else. In other words: find
ways to overcome any resistance that you cannot otherwise let go.
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The following is a list of areas where you can use the tennis balls after
having explored them in class for details of careful explorations. We are also
assuming that you have in mind many of the Awareness questions proposed
from the previous movement techniques. The following list was organized along
the preparation position rather then around a recipe.
Standing:
1.under feet, one foot at a time. You may use the wall to help your
balance. In a way, the tennis balls under the feet work like a whole body
massage. Explore this whenever you are very tired, when your legs hurt from
too much walking or standing, or when they are swollen because of heat (or
pregnancy).
2.under arm-pit, reaching down with arm (avoid compressing nerve).
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8. along the scapula (medial and lateral borders).
9. at the superior angle of the scapula, at the insertion of the levator-
scapula.
10. under the lateral angle of the scapula, on the teres muscles, (you
can reach down with your arm to deepen the process here.)
11. along the superior border of the scapula, on the supra-spinatus
and superior trapezius.
12. along the occipital border (hold the tennis ball in place with both
hands and move the head).
13. directly under where your head is touching the floor. Explore this
area with a nice smooth river-rock: ask your head, your scalp, your
being to listen to what the rock has to tell you. What is its secret?
1. along TFL.
2. around the trochanter.
3. along the illio-tibial band.
Sitting :
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Biography
Monica Caspari was certified as a Rolfer in 1989, completed her Rolf Movement
Training in 1992, and the Advanced Training in 1993.
Her curiosity is in the interface between
structure and function and her work
emphasizes the quality of movement as
an expression of the many aspects of
Being.
Before becoming a Rolfer her interest
was with pregnant women and with
children. Thus she developed an unique
approach to body work during
pregnancy to promote easy deliveries,
and worked with it for 19 years in a full
practice.
Her interest in structure and touch led
her to teach Hatha Yoga and to practice massage therapy.
Monica also holds a B.A. in nutrition from Universidade de So Paulo.
Other influences have been Therse Bertherats anti-gymnastics, Eutony, Kum-
Nye (Tibetan buddhist body work), Continuum, Psychoanalysis and recently the
study of Somatic Experiencing and the G.D.S. Muscular Chains method of
movement re-education.
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