We recently held a couple of “Ask Me Anything” webinars and it was wonderful to see so many of you there. We did a lot of Q&A in the sessions but there were so many fabulous questions we didn’t get to all of them.
So we’ve picked out a few to share with you over the next few weeks.
“Which Somatic Movements would help with releasing tightness and pain in the area from the tip of the tailbone to the lower back? I do Arch and Flatten but sometimes it tends to flare up the area rather than release it.”
It might not be the movement that’s the issue, but how you’re doing it.
Here are three tips that might be causing discomfort rather than release:
- Too much effort – Pandiculate as if you’re softly yawning and make it pleasant. There’s no need to go for the gold!
- Not releasing the front – though you’re arching and rolling your pelvis towards your feet you may not be fully releasing your front. This can create tension between the front and the back of your body. Put your hands on your belly to help you soften all the way from your pubic bone to your chest
- Using the belly to release – as you slowly release your back out of your arch you may be using your abdominals to push your back or bring your back down to rest. This means you aren’t actually releasing your back! What to do? Put your hands on your belly and, as you slowly release from your arch, continue to breathe softly and release your back without the help of your belly!
When we are braced between the front and the back of our bodies it’s best to focus on one side and then the other. This way you will learn to allow your spine to move gently and easily. Try these suggestions and let us know how it goes!