Begin in a lunge position, with the right knee forward. Move the left arm overhead in large circles, feeling for movement through the whole side body. Make sure you’re connecting breath to the movement here. Stay playful and imaginative: perhaps your arm is painting the walls and ceiling, or maybe you’re moving through an underwater […]
Category: Rib Swing
Stand upright, sensing moment by moment for a dynamic, active alignment in your bones. Stretch the arms overhead on an inhalation, feeling for a pleasurable stretch through the torso. On the exhale, simply release your effort and return to neutral. Try several different angles for your stretch. After a few repetitions, add a generous bend […]
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Stargazing
Stand upright, sensing moment by moment for a dynamic, active alignment in your bones. Cradle the back of the skull in the palms, with the thumbs extending downward alongside the neck-spine and the elbows spread wide. Gently lean back into this “pillow,” allowing your gaze to travel upward and your jaw to release open. Stay […]
Stand upright, sensing moment by moment for a dynamic, active alignment in your bones. Allow the chin to fall toward the chest. Slowly, breath by breath and vertebra by vertebra, allow the spine to follow the crown of the head downward into a forward fold. Make sure that the joints of the legs are bending […]
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Seated Breath Opening
This is a quick stretch for your breath that’s relatively unobtrusive and suited for public spaces like waiting rooms. Begin in an upright seated position with your feet planted squarely on the floor and your spine released into length. Folding from the hip joints, drape your torso over your thighs and take several generous breaths […]
This is one version of a classic first step in a Fitzmaurice “destructuring” sequence. Begin in a comfortable position on your back. Allow yourself to feel the support of the floor, releasing into gravity. Slowly begin to draw the front of your body in toward itself. The knees will float up towards the torso, the […]
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Child’s Pose
Starting on hands and knees, send your hips toward your feet, folding your torso over your thighs. Let the knees rest at a comfortable distance from one another, with the feet nearer together. Take several breaths into the back body, feeling for breath movement and allowing gravity to work on you. Crawl the hands first […]
Begin on the floor in a comfortable semi-supine position. Allow yourself to be supported by the surface underneath you for a breath or two, releasing into gravity. Draw both knees up toward the torso, then drop them over to one side. Extend your top arm in the opposite direction from your knees, coming into a […]
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Draping: Back Opening
For this exercise, you’ll need several pillows, bolsters, or cushions. Arrange yourself with your feet near one another, your knees wide, and the cushions in front of you between your thighs. Drape your front body over the cushions, resting your torso and forehead into these supports and releasing into gravity. It’s important that you’re comfortable, […]
For this exercise, you’ll need a pillow, bolster, or cushion. Arrange yourself with the cushion underneath the shoulder blades, supporting the upper back and encouraging the heart space to expand. You may want a second pillow or other prop underneath your head. It’s important that you’re comfortable, so take the time to get your setup […]