The extensors of the back

In prone position, you lie on your front side with your legs extended and feet standing on their toes, the knees and pelvis are lifted, and you push from the toes to the head upwards. Head and arms are in various positions. This creates an arch in the back, which spans from the toes up all the way to the head.

We explore how different head and arm positions affect how movement is transmitted from the feet up to the head. Furthermore, we learn how the movement can be divorced from any head or arm position and thus not being much affected by any specific head or arm position. We learn to get a better feeling for being centered between left and right. This long lesson packs in a number of smaller lessons.

extensionspine-chainprone extension_prone_2

1

Prone position, on your front side.

Rest on your front side

Observe your contact with the floor.

  • Where do you touch the floor? How strongly? This will change throughout the lesson.

Rest on your front side

Observe your contact with the floor.

2

Prone position, hands somewhere next to your head, legs extended and spread a bit.

Bend + extend feet

Stand your feet on your toes and extend them again.

  • See how smooth, slow, and also how fast you can go.

    Notice whether you can bend your toes or if they are stiff.

Bend + extend feet

Stand your feet on your toes and extend them again.

3

Prone position, head turned to the left.

Bend + extend left foot

Your head is turned to the left. Feel how it is on this side.

Bend + extend left foot

Your head is turned to the left. Feel how it is on this side.

4

Prone position, head turned to the right.

Bend + extend right foot

Your head is turned to the right. Feel how it is on this side.

Bend + extend right foot

Your head is turned to the right. Feel how it is on this side.

5

Prone position, face forwards, forehead resting on both hands.

Reference movement

Bend + extend both feet

Observe if there's a difference between the two feet and the two sides.

Reference movement

Bend + extend both feet

Observe if there's a difference between the two feet and the two sides.

6

Prone position, face forwards, forehead resting on both hands.

Bend + extend feet alternately

Slow and also fast. How fast can you move?

Bend + extend feet alternately

Slow and also fast. How fast can you move?

7

Prone position, face forwards, forehead resting on both hands.

Reference movement

Bend + extend both feet

Check again how is now.

Reference movement

Bend + extend both feet

Check again how is now.

8

On your back

Take a rest on your back.

See how it is, observe if your points of contact with the floor have changed.

Take a rest on your back.

See how it is, observe if your points of contact with the floor have changed.

9

Prone position, face forwards, stand both feet on their toes, stand both hands like in a push up position.

Lift knees

Push with your feet upwards, observe your contact with the floor.

  • Feel where you lean on your stomach and chest, and how that point of contact shifts when you lift your knees.

Lift knees

Push with your feet upwards, observe your contact with the floor.

10

Prone position, face forwards, stand both feet on their toes, stand both hands like in a push up position.

Lift knees alternately

One after the other. Start slow, then move faster and faster.

  • How fast can you get?

    How does this movement travel upwards to your chest and head?

Lift knees alternately

One after the other. Start slow, then move faster and faster.

Are you centered?

Are you using your legs equally? Is your pelvis in the center of left and right?

  • The next movements help to sort this out. It's like a mini lesson on it's own, built into this one.

Are you centered?

Are you using your legs equally? Is your pelvis in the center of left and right?

11

Prone position, hands like in a push up position, feet standing.

Head left, center, or right, feet sliding

Rest your head in various orientations. Slide one foot to the outside, or both feet together.

  • Start with the head turned to the left, rest your head. Slide your right foot (and leg) out to the side, and also in towards the midline.

    Move through all possible combinations. See how your pelvis moves or doesn't move. What makes it easier or harder?

    Observe how your whole spine is involved.

Head left, center, or right, feet sliding

Rest your head in various orientations. Slide one foot to the outside, or both feet together.

12

Prone position, hands like in a push up position, feet standing.

Reference movement

Lift knees

Push with your feet upwards, observe how it is now.

  • Feel where you lean on your stomach and chest, and how that point of contact shifts when you lift your knees.

    Is it more symmetrical?

Reference movement

Lift knees

Push with your feet upwards, observe how it is now.

13

Prone position, hands like in a push up position, feet standing, knees lifted.

Rock back and forth

Slow and also fast, push with your feet to rock your body forwards and back again.

Rock back and forth

Slow and also fast, push with your feet to rock your body forwards and back again.

14

Prone position, hands like in a push up position, feet standing, knees lifted

Continuation

Rock back and forth, head left or right

Continue the rocking motion, but once with your head turned to the left, once to the right.

  • Feel how the head position changes the transmission of the push through the torso.

Continuation

Rock back and forth, head left or right

Continue the rocking motion, but once with your head turned to the left, once to the right.

15

On your back.

Take a rest on your back

See how it is, what has changed?

Take a rest on your back

See how it is, what has changed?

16

Prone position, head to the left, left arm extended upwards, right arm alongside the torso, left leg resting, right foot standing on its toes.

Lift right knee, push up towards left hand

Observe the transmission of movement throughout your whole body.

  • By lifting your right knee push your left hand further upwards.

Lift right knee, push up towards left hand

Observe the transmission of movement throughout your whole body.

Head to the left or right?

How does your head position interfere or help with the previous movement?

  • We will try both variations, and then see that the relationship can be free and not influence the movement, a dissociation of the head position from the movement.

Head to the left or right?

How does your head position interfere or help with the previous movement?

17

Prone position, head to the left / right, right hand standing in a push up position, left arm extended upwards, left leg resting, right foot standing.

Push up towards left hand, rocking

Try it with your head turned to the left, and also to the right.

  • See if the head position interferes with the movement, or helps with the movement.

    Push and rock fast and slow, many times. Change your head position many times.

Push up towards left hand, rocking

Try it with your head turned to the left, and also to the right.

18

Prone position, head to the left / right, right hand standing in a push up position, left arm extended upwards, left leg resting, right foot standing.

Continuation

Push upwards, flatten left side to the ground

Continue the same movement, do anything that's necessary to bring down your left armpit more. Experiment with having your head turned to the right and also to the left.

Continuation

Push upwards, flatten left side to the ground

Continue the same movement, do anything that's necessary to bring down your left armpit more. Experiment with having your head turned to the right and also to the left.

19

Prone position, head to the right, right hand standing in a push up position, left arm extended upwards, left leg resting, right foot standing.

Continuation

Push with right foot

Continue the same movement, once with your palm facing to the ceiling, once to the floor.

Continuation

Push with right foot

Continue the same movement, once with your palm facing to the ceiling, once to the floor.

20

On the back

Take a break

Lie on your back and see how it is, what has changed?

Take a break

Lie on your back and see how it is, what has changed?

21

Prone position, arms extended overhead, feet standing on the toes. Knees, pelvis and head are lifted.

Rock

Push and pull your spine with the help of your feet.

  • Build this movement step by step, not everything at once. Explore each step.

    Push with your feet upwards, to your chest, allow your arms to be supported by push of the feet, and the rocking, to reach further up.

    Rest when tired.

Rock

Push and pull your spine with the help of your feet.

22

Prone position, arms extended overhead, feet standing on the toes.

Continuation

Lift knees, pelvis, and the head

Start with lifting both knees, then your pelvis, then your head.

  • Do this many times.

    Lift your head, knees, and then your pelvis, higher and higher.

Continuation

Lift knees, pelvis, and the head

Start with lifting both knees, then your pelvis, then your head.

Are you centered?

Are you using your legs equally? Is your pelvis in the center of left and right?

  • The next few movements will help to sense this better, and thus find center.

Are you centered?

Are you using your legs equally? Is your pelvis in the center of left and right?

23

On the belly, both arms extended overhead, head centered. Right leg extended. Left foot standing on its toes.

Lift left knee, push up

Feel the push going to your right hand, and how this asymmetrical setup affects the movement.

Lift left knee, push up

Feel the push going to your right hand, and how this asymmetrical setup affects the movement.

24

On the belly, both arms extended overhead, head centered. Left leg extended. Right foot standing on its toes.

Lift right knee, push up

Feel the push going to your left hand. Then lift left and right knee alternatively.

  • After having explored the movement with each leg separately, lift one and then the other.

Lift right knee, push up

Feel the push going to your left hand. Then lift left and right knee alternatively.

25

On the belly, arms extended overhead, both legs extended and feet standing on its toes, pelvis lifted.

Move pelvis right and left

Keep your pelvis lifted, also pay attention to everything you've learned in this lesson so far.

  • Feel your midline, and when you are left and right of it. Feel how your arms are being pushed up alternatively.

    Feel how every minute change in position changes the mechanics and dynamics of this movement.

Move pelvis right and left

Keep your pelvis lifted, also pay attention to everything you've learned in this lesson so far.

26

Prone position, hands like in a push up position, feet standing, knees and pelvis is lifted

Reference movement

Push upwards, various head positions

Pelvis is lifted, push with your feet upwards, observe how it is now.

  • Feel where you lean on your stomach and chest, and how that point of contact shifts when you lift your knees.

    Is it more symmetrical?

Reference movement

Push upwards, various head positions

Pelvis is lifted, push with your feet upwards, observe how it is now.

Finally, does the position of the head really affect the movement?

  • The following movements will help to release this compulsive relationship (if it was there).

Finally, does the position of the head really affect the movement?

27

Prone position, left foot standing on its toes, left knee lifted, right leg extended, right arm extended overhead, left arm down alongside of the body

Push with left foot, right arm extended

Push upwards through your spine to your right hand. Head once to the left and to the right.

Push with left foot, right arm extended

Push upwards through your spine to your right hand. Head once to the left and to the right.

28

Prone position, left foot standing on its toes, left knee lifted, right leg extended and resting, left arm extended overhead, right arm down alongside of the body

Continuation

Push with left foot, left arm extended

Push upwards through your spine to your left hand. Head once to the left and to the right.

Continuation

Push with left foot, left arm extended

Push upwards through your spine to your left hand. Head once to the left and to the right.

29

On the belly, right foot standing on its toes, right knee lifted, left leg extended and resting.

Continuation

Same pushes on the other side

Do the previous two explorations also on this side, see how it is.

Continuation

Same pushes on the other side

Do the previous two explorations also on this side, see how it is.

30

On the belly, both feet standing on its toes, knees lifted, hands in a push a position.

Lift head, lead with eyes

Little by little lift your head more and more, as if your eyes would follow an object.

  • Make it smoother every time. Once have your right eye closed, once have your left eye closed.

Lift head, lead with eyes

Little by little lift your head more and more, as if your eyes would follow an object.

31

On the belly, both feet standing on its toes, knees lifted, arms alongside the body.

Lift your pelvis

Alternately with your head to the right, and to the left.

  • Let your pelvis and knees rest down to the floor after lifting. Start a new movement every time you lift your pelvis.

Lift your pelvis

Alternately with your head to the right, and to the left.

32

On the back

Rest on your back

See how it is. Is your lower back off the floor? How is your contact with the floor now?

Rest on your back

See how it is. Is your lower back off the floor? How is your contact with the floor now?

33

On the back

Flexion movement

Curl up, stay there, slowly roll a bit forwards and backwards.

  • After such a long lesson of extension movements we need to counter it with a flexion movement. Otherwise the body might stay in extension and strain the lower back.

Flexion movement

Curl up, stay there, slowly roll a bit forwards and backwards.

34

In standing

Observe

See how it is in standing.

Observe

See how it is in standing.