Sharon Friedman – Vigilance and Tranquility

Simple. Stand up with feet pointing forward and rise to your toes without leaning to any side and go back a few times. Be mindfull of even the tiniest tilt or roll. Now rise on your heels and afterwards do the same with feet pointing to the side. Take note of which parts of you tensed up as you first rose and in either position. Do you tense your behind with feet to the sides ? I sometimes do and I have to relax it to be able to do a grand plie (ballet move) parralel to a wall. Vladimir Vasiliev shows some drill using the wall and like the hard floor it is a good friend that tels you right and wrong. Try to squat with your back to the wall without leaning on it and it will help you do it on the spot without pushing your behind to the back and tell you if you are really aligned.

As you walk, keep your posture both aligned and relaxed. Tense up and relax the body fully a few times on both inhale and exhale. It will bring you into the body and help you become aware and awake in the morning. As you walk (deja vu eh ?) Lift the leg without placing any mass on it. Lift it as it is not supporting anything (in the air, think about it) and place it lightly on the ground. Only after the foot is secure, move your weight to the forward leg and repeat. It will help as you relax the shoulders and hips by checking them in all three dimentions, gently roll them on themselves (like a spiral that moves water but stays in place)  if every step is seperate you can manouver with no ressistance because there is no momentoum to govern you.