FELDENKRAIS EXERCISES

May 13, 2008

CLOUD 9

HORSE CARE AND EQUINE MASSAGE

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Feldenkrais Exercises for the Horse Rider

The following is an excellent exercise to equalize the left and right side of your body. Your equine athlete will thank you for it.

Sitting and turning comfortably

Sit towards the front edge of a chair, preferably one with a hard flat seat. Have your legs and feet apart about shoulder's width, feet are flat on the floor with the knees lined up over your feet. Start by turning to look over your right shoulder and notice how far you go comfortably and take note of a spot on the wall where you can see while turned. Come back to face front. Place your left hand on your left knee and right hand on the right knee. Begin to take your left knee forward as if to push a button that was right in front of it, leaving the feet where they are. Do that several times and notice what happens to your left hip. Then notice what happens to your right hip and right knee. Pause and rest.
Sit at the edge of your seat again, hands on your knees and this time withdraw your right knee as though someone were pushing on the front of it. Do that several times. Each time notice something different about yourself when you do it. For instance, what is your left hip and knee doing? Does your head move? Do your shoulders move? The next time you do the movement, keep your head and shoulders pointing to the front while the right hip and knee move back and think of taking the left hip and knee forward at the same time. So you are combining the first and second movements. Pause facing the front. Now do the original movement of looking over your right shoulder and see if you can see farther along the wall then take a rest. Seems like magic, doesn't it? It's not.
Sit at the edge of your chair again, hands on knees, take your left knee forward, right knee back at the same time you look around to your right. Stay there and return just your head to facing forward and then back around to the right. Do the movement with your head several times, leaving everything under your head (shoulders, hips, knees) still turned towards the right. Only go as far is comfortable for your neck and go slowly enough so you can notice if you are really keeping your shoulders and lower body turned as if to look to the right. Also notice if your right or left buttocks is heavier on the chair. Bring everything back to face the front and rest.
Turn again to look around to the right and stay where it's comfortable. While everything else is turned for looking to the right, alternate taking your right knee forward then your left knee forward. Do that movement with your knees and hips several times continuing to have your head and shoulders turned looking to the right. Make the movements of the hips and knees small, gentle and comfortable. After several repetitions bring everything back to the front, pause and then turn to look around yourself to the right again and see how far you are able to see and notice the comfort of your turning. Feel how involving more of yourself makes the movement easier and at the same time larger.
One more time, look around to your right, stay there in a comfortable place and close your eyes. With your eyes closed take your eyes to the right then left several times. Notice your breathing. Notice if you feel yourself turning any more with the movement of the eyes. After several times, bring everything back to the front, pause and then do the simple movement again to look around to your right to see if there is any improvement after the movement of your eyes. Rest again.
This time, leave your head and eyes facing forward while you take your left knee forward and turn your shoulders as though to look around to the right. Do that a few times. And then as you bring the shoulders and hips back around to the front, take your head and eyes to the right. Alternate in this way several times taking your head and eyes opposite your shoulders and hips. Make the movements slow, continuous and smooth. Pause for a moment then look around yourself to the right.
Stand up from your chair, move away from it and stand with your feet apart. Shift your weight to one leg then the other. On which leg do you feel more stable? Now look around yourself to the right then the left. Actually walk in a little circle one direction then the other and notice the difference in the two directions.
Sit on your chair again and let's do a few things to balance out your experience a little. Start by pushing your right knee forward as you withdraw the left knee. Feel how that effects your lower back and waist area. Are you already involving your shoulders and head more on this side? Pause.
Do the same movement and this time add looking around to the left with your shoulders and head. After a few times, stay turned around to the left and close your eyes. Staying there, take your eyes a little left and right. Pause, return everything to the front and then try looking around to your left now to notice the changes. Rest a moment.
Now let's move the head and eyes in opposition of the shoulders and hips. Start by taking everything to look around to the left. Stay there and take just your head and eyes to face forward. When you bring your head back to look left, take your shoulders and hips to the front. Alternate like this a few times, keeping all the movements smooth and coordinated. Rest in the middle. Notice your comfort in sitting now and how has that changed?
Go back to looking around to the left to notice any changes in the quality or range of your movement. Go ahead and look around to your right once, then to the left. Feel if the two sides feel more equal.
Now, please stand up with your two feet a comfortable distance apart and look around yourself to the right then the left and notice the difference. When you like, right now or at another convenient time you can repeat the lesson on the other side, reversing the directions of left and right.

Does each side of your body feel balanced and equal? This will seem like a lot of reading and work but your body will benefit and you will move freely in your hip joints and throughout your spine and neck.

SIT UP AND BREATHE ~ Your horse will also be happier as you ride centered and balanced. So, do yourself and your horse a big favor by doing these exercises at least 3 times a week.

I have personally tried this exercise several times and IT WORKS!!!

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