kinesophics.ca

One of my favourite ATM's. I first learned a variation of this on The Open ATM Project run by Sharon Moyano.

For me one of the key features of this ATM is the awareness of the connection between the ability to straighten the leg/s and engaging the muscles of the back and abdomen.

I studied yoga for many years from a variety of books and not once did it ever occur to me to do anything other than try to straighten the legs as isolated limbs - whether lying on my back or sitting or standing.

It was a great day when I discovered through this ATM that engaging the muscles of the back and abdomen would allow me to straighten the legs with hardly any effort at all. In fact it was - for me - so simple that I thought I must be doing something wrong or 'cheating'.

I know many people, young and old, who suffer from lower back pain. In my own case it started happening a couple of years ago. I noticed that after I had been walking for an hour or so, I began to suffer from a dull throbbing in my lower back. But after a week of doing this ATM every day, I noticed that the back pains had gone.

Now I don't know why, but I can guess it had something to do with an unconscious tightness in the leg muscles - thighs - hamstrings - calves and even ankles - and it's clear that this tightness affects the natural 'sit' of the pelvis as well as the muscles of the back.

Also the back pain seemed to be worse when I was anxious about something in life and without realising it I had begun to tighten my legs as if to protect myself - to stop myself from falling. Yet another example of the psycho-physical at work - the Fear Response.

I find rolling up to sitting without using a lot of pendulum motion with one or both legs quite difficult. But doing the lesson today I realised that the reason for this is I have a tendency to let the head hang back and not to engage the breastbone. But when I listen to what the body needs to do, then lifting the head using the larger muscles of the back, tucking the chin into the chest and at the same time allowing the breastbone to sink down, allows me to come up to sitting with very little effort.
Best wishes
Laurance Rudic

This is the first chance I’ve had to work with Lynette’s excellent online ATM lessons. They really awaken my curiosity - she ends the lesson leaving many questions unanswered.

Is the clue in starting both movements in tilting the pelvis forward onto the tailbone, instead of the habitual tendency to tilt it back and dig the lower back into the ground?

When I do this movement and its reverse, it’s always about what my head wants to do first. When I want to roll down, I tend to tilt my pelvis back, lifting the tailbone off the floor slightly and digging my lower back into the floor. To control rolling down I put considerable strain on my abdominal muscles and lower back..

The same when I want to roll up to sit – I tilt my pelvis back and press the lower back into the ground as if to prepare for a sit-up. Of course this is well-nigh impossible and creates enormous effort. The only way to get up is to use large pendulum movements of the leg/s.

But if I think of moving the pelvis in the non-habitual way from the outset – tilting it forward instead of backward, so that I come onto the tailbone, and at the same time leave my legs the freedom to straighten or bend slightly, then I use the large central muscles around the pelvis to easily control both rolling down and rolling up. But there is a natural timing here – in the use of the head - feeling when to tuck the chin into the chest - and in bending and straightening the legs. I admit it’s not quite there yet but it feels like it’s the obvious thing to do.
Regards Laurance

http://www.laurancerudic.blogspot.com