To neglect one’s body for any other advantage in life is the greatest of follies.
{Arthur Schopenhauer}
Once you have mastered the Foundation Exercises and understand how to use your postural stabilizer muscles, you are ready to progress to more difficult movements. The Progressive Mat Exercises will challenge these muscles to improve your strength, flexibility, and coordination. As you continue to practice the Spirit cues, you will enhance your body, mind, and spirit connection.
As with the Foundation Exercises, perform 5 to 10 repetitions of each Progressive Mat Exercise unless indicated otherwise. Focus on quality of movement and on your breathing. Be consistent and patient—you are improving with every workout session.
1 Lie on your back in Base Position (page 33) with knees bent ninety degrees, feet flat on the ground, and arms at your sides with palms down. Lift knees up above hips. Extend one leg, then the other.
2 Inhale as you slide your shoulder blades down to stabilize your shoulders and open your chest.
3 Exhale as you curl up your upper body, reaching arms forward at shoulder height. Feel your abdominal muscles contract, particularly below the breastbone. Hold the position for the entire exercise.
4 Pump arms up and down about two to three inches 5 times as you inhale. Pump arms up and down about two to three inches 5 times as you exhale. Each breath cycle (one inhalation and one exhalation) features 10 arm pumps, or beats.
5 Repeat for 10 breath cycles. (The 10 arm beats multiplied by 10 breath cycles equal 100 arm beats, which is how this exercise gets its name.)
Variation
• To remind yourself to keep your chest and back open, keep your palms up as you inhale, and keep palms down as you exhale.
~ one with nature
Feel heat increasing in your body’s powerhouse, or center, below your navel. Imagine a ball of fire growing larger and brighter with each breath cycle. Feel your inner strength and power within the blaze.
If you feel any neck pain or discomfort, support your head with one hand, with your elbow pointing outward and your upper arm as flat as possible to keep the chest open. Perform arm beats with your other arm. Switch arms after five breath cycles.
• Strengthens and tones abdominal muscles
• Conditions shoulder and pelvic stabilizer muscles and neck muscles
• Invigorates and raises energy level
1 Lie on your back in Base Position (page 33) with knees bent ninety degrees, feet flat on the ground, and arms at your sides with palms down.
2 Inhale as you lift both arms upward in an arc without elevating your shoulders. Exhale as you continue moving your arms in the arc, lowering them past your ears. Keep your rib cage grounded.
3 Inhale as you lift both arms back up to the sky. Continue moving, exhale, and keep arcing arms forward as you peel your spine off the ground one vertebra at a time. Pull in your abdominal muscles, flex your feet, and continue to reach forward until your arms are parallel to the floor and your pelvis is in a neutral position. Your neck is lengthened; your gaze is at the ground.
4 Inhale as you lift your upper body. Continue moving, exhaling as you roll your spine down, one vertebra at a time, with your arms naturally falling by your sides and your knees returning to bent position.
5 Repeat 5 to 10 times.
~ one with nature
Feel the rhythm in your body that reflects the rhythm of life itself—your breath, your heartbeat, your movements. Imagine that you are an ocean wave flowing up onto shore and back out to sea. Move smoothly, fluidly, and continuously in the steady flow of life.
Stop if you feel any back pain or discomfort. If your lower back is very tight and you cannot sit upright in a neutral position, continue stretching to increase your flexibility. Try the Knee Hug Stretch (page 96), Shell Stretch (page 99), Cat Stretch (page 100), and Deep Buttocks Stretch (page 101) to stretch your back.
• Strengthens and tones abdominal muscles
• Conditions shoulder stabilizer muscles and neck muscles
• Improves spinal mobility
• Stretches hamstring and back muscles
• Massages the back
1 Lie on your back in Base Position (page 33) with knees bent ninety degrees, feet flat on the ground, and arms at your sides with palms down. Extend one leg straight up. Gently point toes. Relax your shoulders.
2 Stabilize your pelvis in a neutral position. Keep your upper body still and shoulders relaxed. As you complete one breath cycle, move your extended leg clockwise in 5 complete circles, starting with a small circle and gradually increasing its size until it is as large as you can manage while keeping your pelvis stable. Allow your leg bone to glide easily in the hip joint. Do not arch your back or neck or hunch your shoulders.
3 Make 5 circles in the opposite direction.
4 Repeat with the other leg.
Variations
• If you’re finding it difficult to keep your pelvis stable, bend the knee of your working leg ninety degrees and make circular movements with your knee instead of your foot.
• If the fronts of your thighs are flexible and you can maintain a neutral pelvis with your leg extended, fully lengthen the nonmoving leg on the ground and use your leg muscles to firmly anchor it in place.
~ one with nature
Imagine that your hip joint is at the center of a gentle whirlpool. Your leg makes large, smooth circles as it flows with the current. There are no bumps, no edges to the movement—only fluid, consistent motion.
If the backs of your legs are tight, slightly bend the knee of your working leg. To see if your pelvis is moving, place your thumb on your hipbone and your pinkie finger on the ground as you perform this exercise. (You may feel a clicking sound in your joint caused by moving ligaments. As long as it is not painful, it is not harmful.)
• Improves hip mobility
• Conditions abdominal muscles and pelvic stabilizer muscles
• Strengthens hip flexors
• Tones thighs
• Stretches hamstrings and deep buttocks muscles
1 Sit on sitz (sitting) bones. Pull both knees toward your chest, gently point feet and place toes on the ground for balance, and place one hand midway down each shin.
2 Inhale as you slide your shoulders down. Exhale as you pull in your abdominal muscles, round your spine, and tilt your pelvis back so you are sitting just behind the sitz bones. Gaze down at your feet.
3 Inhale as you roll onto your shoulders, lifting the sitz bones upward while maintaining the rounded spine.
4 Exhale as you roll back up to the start position, using your deep abdominal muscles to stop before your toes touch the ground.
5 Repeat 6 times.
Variation
• If you are having trouble controlling your momentum, place your hands palms down on the floor beside your hips. Use your hands to assist you by pressing down as you roll back and up.
~ one with nature
Imagine that you are a serene, glowing crescent moon. Maintain the serenity of the moon as you flow through the rolling motion smoothly and rhythmically, with grace and ease.
Do not roll onto your neck or head. Stop if you cannot control your momentum. If your lower back is tight or rigid, you may be unable to tuck your pelvis under sufficiently to roll. If so, skip this exercise until you become more flexible. Try the Knee Hug Stretch (page 96), Shell Stretch (page 99), Cat Stretch (page 100), and Deep Buttocks Stretch (page 101) to stretch your back.
• Increases body awareness
• Conditions deep abdominal muscles and shoulder stabilizers
• Stretches the back, especially the lower back
• Massages the back
• Enhances the mind-body connection
1 Lie on your back in Base Position (page 33) with knees bent ninety degrees, feet flat on the ground; fingertips are held behind head, elbows are out wide, and shoulders are relaxed.
2 Exhale as you lift one, then the other knee above hip joints at ninety degrees. Inhale. Exhale as you rotate upper body to the left lifting your right shoulder toward your left knee, as you draw your left knee in and extend your right leg at a forty-five-degree angle.
3 Pull in your abdominal muscles to stabilize your pelvis. Avoid pulling your neck. Inhale and exhale as you switch legs, rotating each shoulder toward the opposite knee and maintaining the lift in upper body. Inhale as you switch twice; then exhale as you switch twice.
4 Repeat for 5 to 10 breath cycles (one inhalation and one exhalation equal one breath cycle), moving smoothly and rhythmically.
5 To finish, hug both knees to your chest and lower your upper body.
Variation
• If you cannot keep your pelvis still, place both feet on the ground with knees bent ninety degrees. Exhale as you rotate one shoulder toward the opposite knee. Inhale as you roll down through center. Continue, alternating sides, for 5 to 10 repetitions.
~ one with nature
Imagine your body’s center as the strong trunk of a tree and your chest and shoulders as branches reaching in opposite directions. Feel the length and breadth of your body expand along the trunk and branches.
If you feel any neck or shoulder pain or discomfort, keep your upper body on the ground or skip this exercise. Try the Circle Shoulder, Chest, and Back Stretch (page 102) to improve spinal flexibility.
• Strengthens abdominal muscles, especially the obliques
• Conditions shoulder and pelvic stabilizers
• Tones abdominal area and waist muscles
• Encourages lengthening of leg muscles
1 Lie on your back in Base Position (page 33) with knees bent ninety degrees, feet flat, and arms at your sides with palms down.
2 Exhale as you lift the right, then the left knee above hip joints at ninety degrees.
3 Exhale as you pull your navel toward your spine. Feel your pelvis tilt back toward the ground. The hip bones and rib cage move toward each other, shortening your waist and “imprinting” your spine on the ground.
4 Inhale. Exhale as you peel your head and shoulders off the ground, reaching your arms to the outside of your legs.
5 Hold your body in an elevated position. Inhale. Exhale as you extend your left leg at a forty-five-degree angle and draw your right knee toward chest while placing your right hand on your ankle and your left hand on the inside of your right knee. Keep your elbows lifted and wide.
6 Inhale as you switch legs and hand positions twice, pulling the knee toward your chest while extending the other leg. Keep your upper body lifted and pelvis stabilized. Keep your abdominal muscles pulled in. Then exhale as you switch legs twice.
7 Repeat for 5 to 10 breath cycles (one inhalation and one exhalation equal one breath cycle), moving smoothly and rhythmically.
~ one with nature
Imagine a beam of light down your body’s center extending out to opposite horizons. Lengthen your body along this beam from the top of your head through the tips of your toes. When you are switching legs, slide the insides of your ankles and knees along this beam, lengthening your body and focusing your mind with each repetition.
If you feel any neck or shoulder pain or discomfort, keep your upper body on the ground. Try keeping your head elevated during a couple of switches, then rest your head on the ground for the remainder.
• Strengthens and tones abdominal muscles
• Conditions shoulder and pelvic stabilizer muscles and neck muscles
• Stretches buttocks
• Improves coordination and body awareness
• Encourages lengthening of torso and leg muscles
1 Lie on your back in Base Position (page 33) with knees bent ninety degrees, feet on the ground, and arms at your sides with palms down.
2 Inhale. Scoop your abdominal muscles toward your spine, exhale as you reach your hands toward your ankles, peel your head and shoulders off the ground, and gaze above your pubic bone.
3 Inhale. Exhale as you lengthen your arms overhead, moving them in an arc to reach past your ears, holding your upper body in an elevated position.
4 Inhale as you circle your arms out and around to the start position at the sides of your legs. Keep your upper body still during arm movements. Keep your shoulders relaxed and abdominal muscles lifted. Only reach your arms overhead as far as you can while maintaining upper-body lift.
5 Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Variations
• For an easier version, keep one knee bent ninety degrees with foot flat on the ground. Halfway through repetitions, switch grounded leg.
• Alternatively, perform exercise with head and shoulders and one leg on the ground.
• See Double Leg Stretch II (page 78).
~ one with nature
As you extend your arms outward, imagine that you are drawing in life-force energy to rejuvenate your body. Feel this energy surging through your body as you open your heart center to receive all the possibilities of life.
Avoid arching your lower back. If you feel neck or shoulder pain or discomfort, keep your upper body on the ground. Do the Full-Length Torso Stretch (page 98) to stretch your abdominal muscles afterward.
• Strengthens and tones abdominal muscles and thighs
• Conditions shoulder and pelvic stabilizer muscles and neck muscles
• Improves shoulder mobility
• Stretches buttocks
• Improves coordination and body awareness
1 Sit with neutral spinal alignment, with straight legs, slightly more than hip-width apart. Rest your hands between your legs, flex your feet, pull in your abdominal muscles, and relax your shoulders. If your pelvis tilts backward, wedge a rolled towel under it to tilt it forward into a neutral position.
2 Exhale as you dive forward headfirst, rounding your spine. Keep your abdominal muscles pulled in to keep sitting bones in contact with the ground and to keep pelvis in a vertical, neutral position. Slide hands forward as flexibility permits.
3 Inhale as you hold the position, relaxing spinal muscles into a stretch and keeping your abdominal muscles tight.
4 Exhale as you round back up, stacking your vertebrae like building blocks, one at a time from the bottom up. Finish in a tall, neutral posture.
5 Repeat 3 to 5 times, moving smoothly and rhythmically.
Variations
• If the backs of your legs are tight, bend knees slightly.
• Sit comfortably in your chair on your sitz (sitting) bones with neutral spinal alignment, with your feet on the ground and shoulders relaxed. Let your arms hang at your sides. As you round forward, allow your arms to fall toward the ground. Perform the exercise. Finish in a tall, neutral posture.
~ one with nature
As you bend forward, imagine that you are flowing forward and down from the top of your head like a waterfall. Yield to gravity, relaxing and releasing any tension into the ground, as if water is washing away all of your stress. Then unfurl your spine as you sit upright and imagine that you are blossoming as you are drawn up toward the sun, feeling lighter from having released your tension.
After doing the exercise, shake out your legs and massage the tops of your thighs near your pelvis to relieve any muscle tension.
• Improves spinal mobility
• Conditions pelvic stabilizer muscles
• Tones abdominal muscles
• Stretches neck, back, and hamstring muscles
• Increases body awareness and releases muscular tension
• Enhances the mind-body connection
1 Sit with neutral spinal alignment, legs straight. Flex your feet, pull in your abdominal muscles, relax your shoulders, and place your hands next to your hips. If your pelvis tilts backward, wedge a rolled towel under it to tilt it forward into a neutral position.
2 Exhale as you reach your arms out wide in opposite directions, keeping your shoulders relaxed. Inhale as you lengthen your spine from the top of your head, lifting your ribs away from your hips and lengthening your waist. Feel a sense of openness and lightness between each vertebra in the spine.
3 Exhale as you rotate at the waist for two to three beats, moving slightly farther with each beat. Keep your feet still and your pelvis grounded and facing forward. Do not swing your arms; move from the waist only.
4 Inhale as you revolve, returning smoothly to center.
5 Repeat in the opposite direction.
6 Repeat 3 to 5 times.
Variations
• If you prefer, inhale as you rotate and exhale as you return to center.
• If the backs of your legs are tight, bend your knees slightly.
• If you cannot anchor your straight arms in relation to your shoulders, bend your elbows and touch the pads of your thumbs and fingers together, forming a tentlike shape with your hands. Touch the tips of your thumbs to your breastbone with your elbows out to the sides, relaxing your shoulders.
• Perform the exercise sitting comfortably on your sitz (sitting) bones at the edge of your chair, with neutral spinal alignment, feet on the ground, and shoulders relaxed. Perform exercise.
~ one with nature
Root your pelvis firmly in the earth. Imagine a central line of energy from the base of your spine to the top of your head. See this energy as a spiraling wind that uplifts your spirit with each rotation, creating feelings of lightness and freedom as you yield and flow, releasing stiffness and rigidity.
After doing the exercise, shake out your legs and massage the tops of your thighs near your pelvis to relieve any muscle tension.
• Improves spinal mobility
• Stretches middle and lower back
• Conditions shoulder and pelvic stabilizer muscles
• Tones arms and shoulders
1 Lie on your side; establish a neutral spine position with your pelvis perpendicular to the ground. Pull in your abdominal muscles and lift up your waist so it is not touching the ground. If you let your abdominal muscles relax, your waist will sink into the ground. Rest your head on your outstretched bottom arm, keeping your neck long. Place your top arm on the side of your ribs, bend your elbow ninety degrees, and place your hand on the ground in front of your navel like a kickstand. Keeping your top leg straight without locking your knee, lift the leg to hip level.
2 Inhale as you flex the foot of your top leg. In a smooth and controlled fashion slowly swing the top leg forward as far as possible, keeping your torso still, and pulse your leg twice at end of the range of motion. Do not rock your body forward or backward or lose your neutral spine position.
3 Exhale as you point the foot of your top leg and sweep your leg backward as far as possible without moving your torso, keeping the pelvis in a neutral position.
4 To finish, return your top leg to hip level directly above your lower leg.
5 Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Variations
• To increase difficulty, place your top arm on top of your thigh, keeping your balance as you do the exercise.
• To further challenge your upper-body muscles, place your bottom elbow directly under your shoulder, with your forearm and palm down on the ground. Align your shoulder, hips, and legs in one long downward-slanting line. Bend your bottom knee and rest it on the ground. Keep your top leg straight. Push down into the ground through your elbow as you use your core muscles to lift and hold your hips and upper torso off the ground, balancing on your elbow and knee. Keep your shoulder joint open—avoid collapsing your shoulder onto your arm bone. Perform the exercise as described above.
Note
When performing part or all of the Side Series, perform exercises on pages 66 through 73 first on one side, and then on the other side.
~ one with nature
Feel the inviting expansiveness of the sky and the firm stability of the earth as you keep your body light and your chest and back open. Breathe in to connect with your body’s powerhouse, or center. Exhale and release any limitations on your ability to hold your position and use your inner strength.
Stop if you feel any shoulder or lower-back pain or discomfort.
• Conditions shoulder, spinal, and pelvic stabilizer muscles
• Tones abdominal, hip, and thigh muscles
• Stretches hamstring and hip flexor muscles
• Improves balance, coordination, and concentration
• Integrates core and lower body
• Enhances the mind-body connection and movement control
1 Lie on your side; establish a neutral spine position with your pelvis perpendicular to the ground. Pull in your abdominal muscles and lift up your waist so it is not touching the ground. Rest your head on your outstretched bottom arm, keeping your neck long. Place your top arm on the side of your ribs, bend your elbow ninety degrees, and place your hand on the ground in front of your navel like a kickstand. Lift your straight top leg up to hip level.
2 Flex your top foot. Exhale as you lengthen and lift your leg up as high as possible without moving the pelvis. Keep your waist long; pull in your abdominal muscles.
3 Inhale as you lower your leg to join your bottom leg. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.
4 Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Variations
• To increase difficulty, place your top arm on top of your thigh, keeping your balance as you do the exercise.
• To further challenge your upper-body muscles, place your bottom elbow directly under your shoulder, with your forearm and palm down on the ground. Align your shoulder, hips, and legs in one long downward-slanting line. Bend your bottom knee and rest it on the ground. Keep your top leg straight. Push down into the ground through your elbow as you use your core muscles to lift and hold your hips and upper torso off the ground, balancing on your elbow and knee. Keep your shoulder joint open—avoid collapsing your shoulder onto your arm bone. Perform the exercise as described.
Note
When performing part or all of the Side Series, perform exercises on pages 66 through 73 first on one side, and then on the other side.
~ one with nature
As you inhale, draw in the life-force energy that empowers and strengthens you. Breathe smoothly and evenly, allowing your leg to flow up and down smoothly, appearing effortless like a tree branch swaying in the wind.
If your neck is uncomfortable, place a rolled towel under your head on top of your arm. If you have difficulty maintaining a neutral pelvis and lifting your waist, place a rolled towel under your waist.
• Strengthens outer thighs
• Conditions shoulder, spinal, and pelvic stabilizer muscles
• Tones abdominal, hip, and thigh muscles
• Encourages lengthening of legs
• Integrates core and lower body
1 Lie on your side; establish a neutral spine position with your pelvis perpendicular to the ground. Pull in your abdominal muscles and lift up your waist so it is not touching the ground. Rest your head on your outstretched bottom arm, keeping your neck long. Place your top arm on the side of your ribs, bend your elbow ninety degrees, and place your hand on the ground in front of your navel like a kickstand. Lift your top leg slightly wider than your hip.
2 Gently point your toes and rotate both legs so heels are inward and kneecaps face outward. Exhale as you lengthen and lift the heel of your bottom leg to meet the heel of your top leg. Keep your waist long; pull in your abdominal muscles.
3 Inhale as you lower your leg. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.
4 Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Variation
• For an easier version, instead of lifting your top leg to hip level, place the foot of your top leg either in front of your lower leg or behind it, with your top knee bent. Perform the exercise as described.
Note
When performing part or all of the Side Series, perform exercises on pages 66 through 73 first on one side, and then on the other side.
~ one with nature
Concentrate on stabilizing your powerhouse, or center, as you lengthen and use the strength in your legs. Notice your ability to experience your entire body at once, truly cultivating your body-mind connection.
If your neck is uncomfortable, place a rolled towel under your head on top of your arm. If you have difficulty maintaining a neutral pelvis and lifting your waist, place a rolled towel under your waist.
• Strengthens inner thighs
• Conditions shoulder, spinal, and pelvic stabilizer muscles
• Tones abdominal, hip, and thigh muscles
• Encourages lengthening of legs
• Integrates core and lower body
1 Lie on your side; establish a neutral spine position with your pelvis perpendicular to the ground. Pull in your abdominal muscles and lift up your waist so it is not touching the ground. Rest your head on your outstretched bottom arm, keeping your neck long. Place your top arm with palm down on your top leg.
2 Gently point toes, keeping heels together. Exhale as you lengthen simultaneously lift both legs and upper body off the ground in a “smile” shape. Slide your top hand down your thigh toward your feet, drawing ribs toward hips. Avoid falling backward or forward.
3 Inhale as you lower your legs and upper body back to a neutral spine position.
4 Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Variations
• For an easier version, keep your upper body on the ground. Lift and lower your legs only.
• For an even easier version, place top arm on the ground in front of your body like a kickstand. Lift and lower your legs only.
Note
When performing part or all of the Side Series, perform exercises on pages 66 through 73 first on one side, and then on the other side.
~ one with nature
Imagine a line of energy streaming through the middle of your body. As you bend and contract your waist, imagine that you are effortlessly floating up into a warm, beaming smile. Send this warm smile to every cell in your body as you appreciate your body’s strength and grace.
If your neck is uncomfortable, place a rolled towel under your head on top of your arm.
• Strengthens waist
• Conditions shoulder, spinal, and pelvic stabilizer muscles
• Tones hip, thigh, and abdominal muscles, especially the waist
• Enhances the mind-body and upper- and lower-body connections
1 Recline on your side, with a straight arm and your palm on the ground directly under your shoulder and with your chest open wide. The bottom knee is bent up to ninety degrees as needed for additional support (the more the knee is bent, the easier the exercise becomes, as less balance is required), the top leg is straight, and the top arm is in front of body, palm up.
2 Exhale and push your palm into the ground, lifting your hips up into a neutral spine position, leaving both feet on the ground as you sweep your top arm in an arc up and over your head. Balance your weight through your palm and the sides of your feet. Do not hunch your shoulders; keep your back and neck long. Pull in your abdominal muscles and keep your buttocks tight to stabilize your pelvis. Do not collapse your shoulder. Keep your chest and back wide.
3 Inhale as you lower your body to the start position. Keep your chest facing directly forward. Do not rock forward or back.
Variations
• For an easier version, lift up onto bottom knee, instead of the side of the bottom foot.
• To increase difficulty, in the start position, begin with both legs straight and your top foot in front of the bottom foot. As you exhale and push into the ground, lift your hips and knees, balancing your body on your feet and palm.
Note
When performing part or all of the Side Series, perform exercises on pages 66 through 73 first on one side, and then on the other side.
~ one with nature
Press your hand firmly beneath you, drawing strength up into your body. As you arc your arm above, imagine that you are painting rainbows across the sky. Open your chest and back wide as you feel the energy of the earth and sky stream through your body.
Stop if you feel shoulder pain or discomfort. To improve wrist comfort, instead of placing your palm flat on the ground, place a rolled towel or a thin mat under your palm, with fingers touching the ground, to reduce severity of wrist angle.
• Strengthens waist, shoulders, hips, and thighs
• Conditions shoulder, spinal, and pelvic stabilizer muscles
• Stretches back and sides of torso
• Improves posture
• Enhances the mind-body connection and integrates the entire body
1 Lie facedown, with arms out and palms down. Bend elbows ninety degrees, so that your arms, together with your head, form an E shape. Rotate feet inward. Pull in your abdominal muscles to support a neutral pelvis position.
2 Exhale as you lift upper body and arms without moving pelvis, lengthening spine upward.
3 Inhale as you lower to the start position.
4 Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Variation
• For an easier version, keep your arms on the ground. Do not push your hands down as you lift; simply rest your arms as if they were floating on the surface of water.
• To increase difficulty, extend arms out in a Y shape, with palms facing inward. Avoid hunching shoulders. Slide shoulder blades down and use shoulder stabilizer muscles to keep shoulders in place. Perform the exercise as described.
~ one with nature
First, connect your pelvis with the earth. Then imagine that you are a bird soaring upward as you are lifted by the wind. With each lift, allow your chest and back to float skyward, lengthening and lifting like a bird in flight.
Stop if you experience back pain or discomfort or are unable to stabilize your pelvis. To stretch the abdominal and back muscles after this exercise, do the Shell Stretch (page 99) and Cat Stretch (page 100).
• Opens up chest and straightens rounded shoulders
• Strengthens and tones back muscles
• Conditions back, neck, shoulder, and pelvic stabilizer muscles
• Increases spinal mobility
• Improves posture
1 Lie facedown, resting head on hands, with legs extended and kneecaps touching the ground.
2 Gently point toes. Exhale as you pull in your abdominal muscles to establish a neutral pelvis position.
3 Inhale. Exhale, keeping your pelvis stable and squeezing your buttocks, as you lift one leg off the ground. Be careful not to arch your back or bend your knees.
4 Inhale as you lower the leg.
5 Repeat with that leg 5 to 10 times and then switch legs, or alternate each leg for 5 to 10 repetitions.
Variations
• To check whether you are maintaining a neutral pelvis position, take the hand on the same side of your body as the working leg and place it palm up on the small of your back. Pay particular attention to your lower back. Do not arch your back or hike your hip up toward the ribs. If feel your lower back or hips moving, you lose your neutral position and you are no longer training your pelvic stabilizer muscles.
• When your abdominal muscles and pelvic-floor muscles are strong enough to stabilize your pelvis, lift both legs off the ground. Do not progress to this level until you can lift one leg 10 times without arching your back.
~ one with nature
Connect with your body’s powerhouse, or center. Imagine a line of energy streaming from your center out through the soles of your feet. With each lift, imagine streaming energy all the way out to the distant horizon, lengthening and strengthening your legs.
Stop if you feel lower-back pain or discomfort. Practice Shoulder Bridge Prep (page 47) to build strength.
• Strengthens buttocks and hamstring muscles
• Tones buttocks, hips, and thighs
• Conditions spinal and pelvic stabilizer muscles
• Enhances mind-body connection and integrates core with lower body