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11. Releasing the Lower Body November 20, 2003
The pictures above shows the working position to start this session. Usually setting a 20-minute period will acquaint you with the dynamics of this session. If you want to work longer because of the releasing activity just consider your age. If after a session you get up and walk around to feel the results and would like to do some more that is fine. The result can be fairly dramatic since the muscles release to a more aligned position naturally and you will feel some difference.
Some of the keys for alignment, that have been expressed in earlier web logs, will show up such as; the arches can feel more pronounced and the pelvic girdle can have a discernable shift. Most people will exclaim that they feel like the weight of their body is going in to the ground more through the legs or they feel straighter while standing.
The instructions
Lay down with your feet against the edge of the pillows of the couch or soft
chair. Your butt will be about a foot to eighteen inches from the couch and the
position of the legs should feel relaxed. The arms are extended out from the
sides and the palms of the hands are facing the ceiling.
Breathing can be a comfortable in and out breathing while doing this session. If the breathing pattern wants to change go with it.
Allow the legs to come open as far as they will comfortably go and then slowly bring the legs together. An important feeling here is to feel like you are bringing the legs together by pushing the legs together with the outside muscles of the legs, rather than pulling the legs together with the inside muscles of the legs. This is important because it facilitates the releasing action of the legs.
Usually a vibratory shaking or trembling of the muscles of the legs will start within five minutes. This will feel soft and very easy to experience. As the momentum of the opening and closing of the legs persists, you will feel more trembling in different muscles and may travel in to the buttocks and lower back as well. The trembling will find its own rhythm which can be active. The results of this session will be felt when you get up and walk around.
This is a wonderful look at working with what the body presents for release with the gentle movements of expanding and contracting muscle groups. This is one of my favorites for releasing the lower body and can be done as often as you wish.
For the athlete, dancer and us good old folk, this session can be done to rejuvenate the body after work or energetic play. We can listen to music, have a conversation, even watch a movie and still have release. Of course, at first I do recommend being with the body, without distractions so we can both enjoy and appreciate how dynamically our body will dismiss a life time of accumulating stress and tension.
There is a variation to this position; that is working with your feet on the floor and the legs bent half way towards the buttocks. The same opening and closing action is applied and again the same releasing actions will start to occur. My preference for the above position is because more muscle groups come into play.
When you feel you have a good understanding of this position and have experienced release you may work more intuitively by finding areas where the trembling is more intense and playing in that area. This exploration will lead you to working with different movements and release.
Enjoy and please share your findings or questions with us.
Thank you
Posted by harmon at November 20, 2003
Comments
Harmon,
I used to do this spontaneously when I was a kid, along with other bending and flexing movements that just seemed right . . .once I did this one lying on a grassy place near the bus stop, and a woman came up and told me I was behaving inappropriately (and I was wearing pants, not a dress!)
Later I learned something similar as an adult from a yoga class. But when I practice it as you say I don't get any shaking. It still feels like the right thing to do though. . .Ruth
Posted by: Ruth on November 23, 2003
Ruth
As a child we do have openness to following impulses of the body and it’s often a wonder to me that this position is something I am pointing out. The women who said you were acting inappropriately would most likely have benefited from this very exercise.
Usually, this position does evolve into some activity in sessions when I am working with both male and females. Perhaps, with a little more investigation some activity will show up. Should I observe in sessions very little or no activity I might say that the lower body is 1. sufficiently released or 2. different releases have to occur first and switch to something else. However, over a period of sessions I will come back to this position to see if then some benefit from this position is available. Each person presents a challenge when working and what works is different at different times. For people with bad backs or for athletes who have developed a lot of tension in the legs this is a very useful exercise.
An interesting story about this very position occurred while giving a session to a psychologist in Montreal. We were working in this position and the trembling started. He then told me he had done this while working with Bioenergetics for three years and never got any trembling! It is the reason I emphasize that the intention is to bring the legs together with the outside muscles of the legs, rather then pulling them together.
I appreciate any feedback you give while working with what I present about the body. Thank you for tuning in to your body with this position. The revelry of early childhood is in itself an interesting contemplation.
Posted by: Harmon on November 23, 2003
Dear Harmon,
This IS a wonderful instruction........when I first started doing this exercise
regularly the trembling did not occur until two months into the daily routine.
So I would give this tip to those who want the dramatic results and life
changing outcome: HAVE FAITH IN THE INSTRUCTION AND DON'T GIVE UP. The trembling
WILL eventually happen.
Thanks alot, Harmon.
Dr. G
Harvard University
Posted by: Geronimo Sands on November 24, 2003
Outstanding material, Harmon! I am now in the process of experimenting with the technique!
Posted by: Solstice on November 24, 2003
I
recently went to Las Vegas to attend the Mr Olympia bodybuilding show and there,
I started to wear the
body down. In the spa for two days in a row I decided to push myself and the
capabilities of the mind. I
decided to see how long I could stay in the sauna for before reaching my limit,
and then immediately
afterward proceed to the cold plunge tank for a maximum stay. As long as I was
breathing and not
moving I could stay for about 5 min.
The second day i pushed a bit further, as an unspoken game of "I can stay longer
than you" broke out. I was
determined to win, and I did. I also broke my own record for "longest Stay" in
the cold plunger. So
much so became quite dizzy. Another trip to the steam room cured that.
Needless to say, after a red eye flight back to Florida, and working on the
condo the next day, then
working a job I hated for three evenings in a row I got SICK. Very sick.
Respiratory illness. I was off
work for a week, and taking antibiotics. After that is was back to work and
stress full force. This
lasted for 6 days before my body decided that was enough. The first illness
seemed like a party to what
I got the second round. More antibiotics and rest. Not that I had a choice.
At
this point I decided to take the healing more into my own hands. Being as the
primary illness was in my
chest causing me LOTS of distress breathing, I decided the best way to get
better was to have a few all day
Hathaway Style breathwork sessions. Although it was a bit painful at first it
was THE ONLY WAY I could
breath without respiratory challenge. Four days of being excessively ill and it
had passed. I believe it
was in large part because of the breathwork that I was able to clear an illness
of great magnitude up.
Getting a bit into other aspects of alignment like the bodywork was something I
did not do, but there was
an interesting thing that did happen. At one point I was laying on my back, legs
bent and separated and I
started experiencing a rather strong "vibration" in both of my legs. Just from
the breathwork, and the
position. I feel I am well enough to work because of prayer, breathwork, and
positive thinking, perhaps
more.
Posted by: Paul on November 24, 2003 10:28 PM
Dr. G, Always good to hear from you, I do value your insights. Maybe you have a story or two where you have seen some interesting results with your students. Bless
Solstice, Thank you. Let me know how it goes, of course one fine day I will see you and I’m sure a whole lot of shaking will go on.
Paul, Good to hear from you. I am glad you were able to work out of the physical
difficulties. I have found that people may drop some of the breath work for a
while and then pick it back up when some difficulty arises. It is fortunate that
you have this knowledge to work with. With episodes as you describe, the
understanding will grow.
Thanks for stopping in
Posted by: Harmon on December 1, 2003 10:06 AM
I got this e-mail from a friend that worked with me in a session and with her permission I am posting this because I feel it gives another perspective of working with the session of releasing the lower body.
Hi Harmon
"I
wanted to tell you that I had a little breakthrough with the bodywork last
night. For the first time I felt a noticeable change as a result of my own work.
That was very encouraging. I did a lot of the leg work with focus on buttocks
shaking. Also, I did some upper torso and full body shaking. This felt really
great. Then I did the walking as we talked about it. That helped. My leg is
still a problem. I think that is a big factor in the misalignment. (It's been
going on about three weeks now) Today I put some quan loong oil on (same as
icy-hot). Last night I also did numerous leg and back stretches. The result
later on when I was in bed was great. I naturally released about 30 pops in my
spine, so I think things are starting
to loosen up. Hopefully this will continue in this direction."
thank You Chris Chalfant
Posted by: Harmon on December 8, 2003
Harmon,
I am so grateful to you for the work you have been doing with me. I had a major breakthrough this week which caused a big shift in my energy. I have been doing the lower body shaking at least two times a day, experimenting with different areas of vibration. I particularly like it when I rapidly alternate foot movements against the couch. When the legs are closer together, I feel the vibration in my sacrum. When the legs are more open, I feel it more in the soar muscles (mid-back). I also find it useful to move the buttocks upward and back rapidly, which helps loosen the buttocks. It is the rapidity of the movement, whichever position, which I think is especially helpful.
After all of this, I went to a Bikram yoga class (hot yoga) Monday (which was also a full moon and the day Venus went direct). This was the first time I felt this much energy since my back injury in September! I actually felt like I could do things that I could do in my twenties! Later that evening I had a total bowel release, which meant that there was a huge letting go, and now I feel much lighter and am without injury! (but I'll still do the exercises)
Posted by: Chris Chalfant on December 10, 2003
Chris
Thank you for this input. It does illustrate how effect this session can be when
explored. Once we understand how to work with our bodies any activity we
undertake will yield the inherent benefits of that particular modality.
Blessings
Posted by: Harmon on December 11, 2003
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