Today's movement follows on nicely from yesterday's pelvic opener. A wide legged forward fold can help the inner thighs and lower back open and it can then feel nice to step the legs in together to increase the stretch in the back of the legs before then bending them and allowing gravity to give the back a final lengthening.
To be honest, I very much feel that with these stretches go with which one feels best for you on any particular day. Some days you may want your legs apart. On other days you will get what you need with them together. Some days you might want them bent and take a more relaxed position.
Wide legged forward fold:
Start with your hands resting on the floor and your legs wide. If you find this too much of a bend then rest your hands on a low stool or some blocks or books. Find lots of length in your spine before folding further from the hips and lowering your body towards the floor. You may wish to just stay with the first position continuing to increase length in your spine from your tailbone to top of head. Go with what feels ok for you.
In either position, can you feel your sitting bones opening up and some release into the back of your pelvis and lower back? Allow your feet to fully open to the ground with weight equally in both legs. Surrender to the position. You may feel a sense of lift in the inner thighs, but do not force this. Some people instead get more of a sense of grounding down to the floor. It will depend on your preferred spacial orientation. Breathe......!
Forward fold:
I generally tend to bring myself into this position after the wide legged stance, but some days I may drop instead down to a child's pose, when I prefer a more restful and restorative movement.
With this forward fold, have your legs either hip width apart or fully together, whichever feels best to you. Hold your hands around your elbows and give as much as you can in your spine to gravity. Soften any tension in the hamstrings by softening your knees. At this point you may want to bend the knees so that you can really feel the release in your spine.
From this position, let your arms hang fully and roll yourself gently up to a standing position like a rag dog standing up to straight. I like to then rag doll myself back down and up a couple of times to bring more movement back to my body.
Enjoy! Til tomorrow then.... x
CT :-) X
(Be careful of these movements if you have known disc disorders and have been cautioned regarding certain flexion movements)
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