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I've been noticing how in the world of dance and body awareness we pass through times where a certain postural adjustment will be in fashion. Consider the pelvic tuck. We've really been working this one for the past several years, and for good reason: to offset the swayback tendencies of tired backs and weak abs that came from the era before. So we discovered the invaluable pelvic tuck and put it into our practices most universally, and we found different ways of achieving it and we perfected it... At some point we discover that there are actually problems that can arise from too much pelvic tuck, or a tuck not initiated properly for a particular body type, and people begin to find that certain pelvic tuck tendencies can lead to certain structural problems. Too much focus on the tuck can result in tight glutes and sacral joint, psoas strain, flattening of the healthy lumbar curve, a pressing forward of the upper femur bone which can cause various issues in the hip and knee joints and elsewhere. So the point is, every body is a little different, and we have to be so aware of our own growth and structure, trying to find an active and growing balance between strength and flexibility in our bodies as we make upon them the demands of the day. Don't get me wrong: I encourage the pelvic tuck for most people; it should be initiated by the abs, and balanced by that inward spiraling of the thigh bones that blossoms the booty open in the back in opposition to the tuck. There in that opposition lies a healthy vibrancy that I think we can strive to attain and be comfortable with.
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Re: balancing posture paradigms over time
Wed, May 24, 2006 - 4:17 AMAndrea Olsen is a professor of dance and in her book Body and Earth she writes:
‘In an efficient vertical stance, the skull, thorax, and pelvis are balanced around an imaginary plumb line or vertical axis. If we draw three ovals, representing these body weights, and connect them with a vertical plumb from the top of the skull to the feet, we have a diagram of postural alignment in the body.’
I think its best to work with nature rather than against it and each dancer is different. The fact that research for dance encourages dancers to question current trends must benefit dancers of all ages.
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Re: balancing posture paradigms over time
Thu, July 6, 2006 - 11:40 AMI'm curious about the relationship between pelvic dropping (I'm trying to work "tuck" out of my vocabulary since it tends to suggest too extreme a position) and the position of the navel.
I'm used to performing two movements when I want to stand tall and be engaged in the core. I draw the navel toward the spine and give it the gentlest lift -- just enough to grow a centimeter taller, enough to radiate lift. Then, when I'm behaving well, I drop the tailbone down. So there's a two-way action going on.
Today I went to a Pilates class, and the instructor was talking with a student about navel positioning. The woman was a singer who was firm on keeping her diaphragm open, and she was critiquing the "in and up" position of the navel for squishing her diaphragm. The teacher agreed with her and suggested that she bring the navel toward the spine by tilting it slightly downward, as though the navel were moving out through the small of the back or slightly higher -- just a downward curl.
So I experimented with this action while listening to them, and voila! My navel was engaged with the ole tailbone dropping down deliciously. Even my cheeks blossomed outward in the happiest fashion. I was very excited to learn about this connection in my body, though now I'm not quite sure what to do with method #1, described above. Is it outmoded, misguided? Does anyone know much about this connection between the engagement of the navel and the position of the tailbone? Do different movement disciplines simply encourage different alignments?
As a yogi, I'm all about multi-dimensional actions, moving things in different directions simultaneously to create suspension. So if I stick with method #2, I can draw upward through the crown of my head if I want to create the effect of balancing opposites, the up-and-down-at-the-same-time suspension. So maybe I'll play around with method #2 for a bit and just see how things go.... -
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Re: balancing posture paradigms over time
Fri, July 14, 2006 - 7:55 AMYes, multidimensional actions, alternating focus along a continuum... I think that we can benefit from knowing all the paradigms available. For instance, let's say I'm in a Bikram yoga class and engaged in what might as well be an hour long standing bow pulling pose. First the instructor may tell me to even out my hips, open my chest, give my spine a gentle twist, engage the standing leg as well as the pulling leg... Then I might go through my body and try to soften a couple things: relax my neck, my toes on the ground. One instructor sometimes suggests lifting the toes on the ground to even out balance on the foot, and spreading the toes in the sky to engage and level that foot. Continuing to breathe, I might wander through the Anusara loops: make sure my chin is not jutted out but my neck is long; the side body long and chest open, shoulder blades scooping under heart; expanding the kidney area of the back with the breath, pulling the lower ribs in (yes, even here!); and gently engaging the navel for pelvic loop. Well that is certainly enough! At this point though, I might experiment with a navel lift; I think this may add lightness as it protects the spine using core strength. Then I can try the navel in and down- let's call it navel grounding!- perhaps that will give me more groundedness as it also protects the spine. Whoo! Are we still in the asana? Well, maybe now's the time to check out some chi gong energy loops to charge the chakras while I'm here...
Anyway, I like this new one you've found. I will definitely play with it. -
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Re: balancing posture paradigms over time
Fri, July 14, 2006 - 12:53 PMMmmmm, talk about the dynamic stillness of a yoga pose! Yes yes yes!!
You know, I played more will my navel yesterday, the option #2, drawing the navel a few vertebrae down the back. And the craziest thing happened -- my pelvic floor lifted up with it, a spontaneous connection of bandha! Like bandha to bandha -- uddiyana to moola -- but in one action! All working together! It was so cool, I walked around like that for a few hours. Sneaky sneaky!
I think I should do some research and see if yogic literature offers multiple ways of engaging the bandhas.
The drawing in and up is so beautifully uplifting, but the grounding version is lovely and earthy too. Hmmmmmm...... -
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Re: balancing posture paradigms over time
Wed, July 19, 2006 - 11:41 AMWhen you get back into town let's do this in one of your yoga classes and then see how we can incorporate it into BD class!!!!
I do feel that sometimes when I tell people to tuck, they go overboard with it.
So I also sometimes say engage your lower abs to tilt your pelvis or pull it under you.
But I want to play with this too now!!! I'm trying to do it in my chair at work and I do feel the pelvic bowl tilting and it feels pretty good to the low back too. -
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Re: balancing posture paradigms over time
Tue, January 30, 2007 - 7:44 AM*****a tuck not initiated properly for a particular body type, and people begin to find that certain pelvic tuck tendencies can lead to certain structural problems. Too much focus on the tuck can result in tight glutes and sacral joint, psoas strain, flattening of the healthy lumbar curve, a pressing forward of the upper femur bone which can cause various issues in the hip and knee joints and elsewhere.AGH! Why didn't I find this a long time ago?******
AGH! Why didn't I find this out a long time ago. IN my other post to a related question, I mentioned that I go to the extreme and I have to concentrate on releasing it the whole time the instructor is reminding everyone to tuck. I have a lot of the issues you mentioned and I never considered that this might be the cause. Thank you for bringing it to my attention! Besides something like the cobra, can anyone suggest poses or stretches that will help me create a more natural curve?
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