Ground movement Alphabet

This series of movements comes to gradually bring the practitioner to a greater wholeness in body composition and movement. If you move honestly, you will gain from it.

While we aim to move fluidly and gracefully in daily life, Seek the deep darkness of the well in this practice. Find and linger and explore where you are awkward and stiff. Enjoy cleaning tension from your joints and connective tissue and learn how your particular operating system can be honed for your needs and tasks at hand.

Once you are at a sticking point. Stop fighting. Avoid doing what did not work at one level harder and play with your parts of the puzzle. Some times more power is the answer to a bind but not always. Consider nature does not waste and work in a relaxed manner. Think as if you are doing the motion ten thousand times. Be motion and let it happen.

Take a long term approach to this undertaking and avoid the fight mind. This comes first for your health and well being. The martial benefits will be greater if you approach the work with a broader scope.

A. TURNING

HOW TO:

Start on your stomach. Inhale and arch your spine, shoulder and hips so you are one your stomach with your chest and legs off the ground. Maintain the arch toward the skies and turn to rest on the center of your back and so on. Take care to start the movement with your  breath and rest only on your soft tissue. Play with the origin of the movement and start it with your legs, arm or body or any combination that you make up.

Tip: Work on hard surfaces but start slowly. All injuries slow or halt progress. Move slowly and benefit without harm from the honest feedback of hard surfaces. Speed comes from self knowledge.

BENEFITS:

Turning back to front lets you gently relocate your inner organs and build resilience to impact. Learning to move while maintaining an arch will keep your spine move lively and be able to play more dynamically with tension and relaxation.

B. PEEUP

HOW TO:

Lie down on your back and breathe continuously. Choose a breath shift and Bend both legs at the hips to one side and turn your body to the same side. Allow the leg closer to the ground to accept your mass en torque and allow your eyes to keep moving so you propel your body to a sitting position. Repeat to each side and play with it.

BENEFITS:

Moving up and down usually brings a sense of fixed vectors and allowing both sensory perception and movement pattern to release both direction and fixation will release tension and thought.

C. ROCKER

HOW TO:

Lie down on your back and breathe continuously. Bring your legs bent to your chest and straighten them away from you as you tense just enough to allow the movement to bring you to sitting on your behind. Rock back on the sides of your back as you also throw your legs upwards and rise to sitting on your shoulders.

BENEFITS:

Rocking with your spinal muscles and letting your mass propel you with the right amount of activation allows for better acceptance and generation of power. Mind to work within the confines of your tissue health and always mind your machine.

D. FORWARD BACKWARD SHOULDER ROLL

HOW TO:

Lie down on your back and breathe continuously. Bring your legs bent past your chest at a 45 degree angle and rock your spine upwards. At the same time, turn your eyes to create an alignment with the dynamic unfolding of your shape and roll backwards over one shoulder. Now, start at your gaze and turn it down and to the side as you bring your knees to the side of the chest and roll forward past one shoulders.

Tip: Continuously breathe and move means that you continue to move and see weather there is contact or there is not. When you meet the ground or moving off the ground. Avoid pushing pulling and bracing, Just move yourself and do not follow with your eyes.

BENEFITS:

Shoulder rolling allows you to release inner horizon holds you keep and allow for better shoulder and body movement in contact. Another benefit is to learn to dynamically align your shoulders and arms with the contact so you take less in and are able to carry on.

E. SIDEWAYS SHOULDER ROLL

HOW TO:

Sit on your behind and bend your knees so your feet are close to your behind. Bring one arm forward and one backwards creating a arched line and release tension in the spine so you relax to the side. At the same time, straighten your legs and turn your gaze to your center so you are able to roll over the shoulders without banging your head on the ground. Release the tension again and roll back to sitting.

Tips: Keep your tongue behind you teeth and Don’t focus on pushing your shape through the movement. It is a concert instead of a solo of one tool/part of your body.

BENEFITS:

Sideways shoulder allow you to further release upper back tension and move as one unit. Remember that if you push, you also push inwardly.

F. BEHIND SWAY

HOW TO:

Sit on your behind and relax your spinal tension a little bit so you sway to one side and rest one one of your cheeks. Relax back and repeat for the other side. Now, Move your hips as you sway from side to side so you walk on your behind forward and backwards. Keep your legs in the air and use their mass to your benefit. Arms too.

BENEFITS:

Behind walk is a great way to learn to move your hips and body under tension and to dynamically guide your mass to your benefit. It is also a good way to create power throughout the body.

G. SHOULDER SWAY

HOW TO:

Rock up and balance on both shoulders. Use your spine tension dynamically to sway your mass from shoulder to shoulder and maintain no pressure on your spine and head by moving accordingly in your shoulders, Shoulder blades and spine. Now, Add the movement of a walking hip and legs to the movement and walk on your shoulders forward and back.

BENEFITS:

Shoulder walking cleans tension in the shoulder belt and strengthens the entire body. Being able to move and make choices under tension is key to freedom.

H. BACK WALK – FORWARD AND BACK

HOW TO:

Lie on your back and raise your limbs in the air. Sway from side to side by relaxing your hips and shoulders dynamically and releasing your gaze from fixation. Now walk with your shoulders and hips and spine so you progress on your back forward and back.

BENEFITS:

Walking on you back cleans tension from the entire system while creating an efficient locomotion engine for all actions.

I. BACK WALK – SIDEWAYS

HOW TO:

Lie on your back and raise your limbs in the air. Rock gently and make sure you are letting your breath create your tempo. Now start walking by moving your body, hips and then shoulders in a cascade so your walk sideways on your back.

BENEFITS:

Walking on you back sideways creates awareness to how to use the different parts in a natural tempo and so each part contributes to the the creating of the whole in the appropriate and different movement or tempo.

J. FRONT WALK -FORWARD AND BACK

HOW TO:

Lie on your Stomach and relax your limbs on the ground. In this movement, you move your center and your center brings everything along. Sway from side to side and use your gaze and shoulders, hips and spine to add walking on your front forward and back. Make sure you let your limbs freely move on the ground and align naturally without too much garbage being suggested into the system.

BENEFITS:

Walking on you front releases excess tension from the entire system and builds a transfer mechanism of contact into movement or dynamic tension continuum. Contact means go. It does not mean stop.

K. FRONT WALK -SIDEWAYS

HOW TO:

Lie on your Stomach and relax your limbs on the ground. rock forward and back and release your gaze to the direction you choose to move towards. Let your breath lead and rock as you move your spine, shoulders and hips so you move sideways. For example. You arch your spine so as you rock you place your shoulders a bit further and then the hips follow and so on.

BENEFITS:

Walking on you front sideways allows you to integrate your spine dynamic tension into the work and move beyond release into moving within the contact.

L. SIDE WALK -FORWARD AND BACK

HOW TO:

Lie on your side with your arms relaxed by you. Gently roll your angle while you are creating a repeating order of movement where you move sideways in order to move forward. This is accomplished by Bending your spine when it is unencumbered by your mass as you shift repeatedly.

BENEFITS:

The side walk cleans a lot of excess from the breath apparatus and brings bending sideways and slight angle changes into greater focus.

M. SIDE WALK -SIDEWAYS

HOW TO:

Lie on your side with your arms relaxed by you. Gently rock your body while you are creating a repeating order of movement where you move in arches order to move sideways. This is accomplished by Bending your spine when it is unencumbered by your mass as you shift repeatedly.

Tips: You can move either from top to bottom or center and ends of the body in a coupling movement. Either move shoulder center and then hips or center and then both hips and shoulders.

BENEFITS:

The side walk sideways lets you choose where to place yourself and from where to sink in. Being able to play several games at once is something to consider.

N. SQUAT SHIFT

HOW TO:

Start rocking your spine and adding a bit of roll to it so you end up from shoulder stand to sitting on bent legs with the sides of the legs on the ground. Add a forward and sideways release of the spine when you arrive at the sitting stage and shift your mass to the leg that is closer to the direction you aim to squat toward. Let the shift in mass bring up the other leg and and continue to shift your gaze to the same direction while allowing freedom up and down in order to let the spine handle the transmission of mass into motion. Once you are situated in the squat, Release sideways both hips spine and gaze and allow one leg to slide with its side to the ground and return to the rocker.

Tip: Avoid linear contact with the ground using any bone structure. Roll and slide.

BENEFITS:

Shifting from squatting and body on ground in a free from fixed angle and shape method allows for efficiency in further movement and release of held static tension.

O. ROLL FROM SQUAT – FORWARD AND BACK

HOW TO:

Start in the squat and sway your mass from leg to leg by shifting your hips in one direction and your shoulders in another. Let your head move with the movement of the spine and adding as shifting of one shoulder down and one up from the center.  Bring one hip up and the opposing shoulder downward as you align your gaze inward and to the side so you roll smoothly over from a squat but avoid falling forward.

The roll backwards is performed exactly the same only your gaze is headed away from the body to align properly with the spinal alignment.

Tip: Avoid resting or rolling over your spine. That will be accomplished easily when you relax your gaze from a linear heading.

allow your arms to relax on the ground and be probes and gentle guide to your body. Bracing only works at times.

BENEFITS:

The roll from squat forward and back allow for fear release by way of self knowing and avoid holding onto excess tension in the hips and legs that can affect our movement and thinking badly.

P. ROLL FROM SQUAT – SIDEWAYS

HOW TO:

Start in the squat and sway your mass from leg to leg by shifting your hips in one direction and your shoulders in another. Let your head move with the movement of the spine and adding as shifting of one shoulder down and one up from the center and raise the arms slightly forward and backwards. Release tension in one hip and allow your gaze to move with the spinal release of tension so you roll sideways from a squat.

Tip: avoid going to the knee touch on the ground and let both foot and side of leg roll.

BENEFITS:

The roll from squat sideways further releases horizon fixation and helps in the freedom of the spinal movements.

Q. FEET IN HANDS HOLD

HOW TO:

Hold either one or both feet in your hands and move in a continuous combination of the movements illustrated here and in between them. Play with turning while holding onto your feet and rolling back and forth.

Tip: Start with one hand holding onto the opposite side foot, Progress to same side hold and then play with two sides hold on the same side and then to a cross hold. Don’t forget to let go when the solution is further than the bump.

BENEFITS:

Holding feet in hands is the longest closed chain in the body. Connecting the hips and shoulder movement thus allows for a transmitting and communication of dynamic tension and a new level of alignment and ability.

R. LEGS TOGETHER HOLD

HOW TO:

Hold both knees and ankles together and move in a continuous combination of the movements illustrated here and in between them.

Tip: Move each leg according to the movement within the confines of this hold. The hips can still turn and the angles are used more when there is no two points apart to make use off.

BENEFITS:

Holding the legs together brings further awareness to the angles and movement of the hips and the awareness to thigh and shin angle increases the quiet within the body through contact and locomotion.

S. PALMS TOGETHER HOLD

HOW TO:

Hold your palms together and move in a continuous combination of the movements illustrated here and in between them.

Tip: Avoid lacing your fingers and note your shoulder blade movement and chest to accommodate the restriction in movement and gross angle.

BENEFITS:

Holding your palms together brings awareness to the chest, shoulder blades and elbows. Creating this fixed loop of contact also further allows you to maximize the movement of one limb through the dynamic positioning of the other.

T. SOLES TOGETHER HOLD

HOW TO:

Hold the soles of your feet together and move in a continuous combination of the movements illustrated here and in between them.

Tip: Move within the confines of the hold and allow your eyes to move freely instead of trying to externally solve the movement riddle as it presents itself. Many times, the solution is evolving within as we neglect to listen to the way each part of the body is part of it.

BENEFITS:

Holding the soles of the feet together allows the hips to open naturally and without increasing tension in them. It further allows for a rocking motion to better manifest in the feet while not in a standing hold. It is important to avoid placing a movement within a posture.

U. HANDS ON LOWER BACK HOLD

HOW TO:

Hold your palms or the back of the palms on the sides of your lower back and move in a continuous combination of the movements illustrated here and in between them.

Tip: This is a short loop of transmission from the upper to lower back. Make sure you avoid trying to lead with one point while maintaining tension in another. Any shape is a key to one door. Be a key-maker and move.

BENEFITS:

Holding the hands at the lower back allows for cleaning of tension and excess movement and bracing in the area of the ribs and middle spine. It allows for better breathing and force transmission.

V. HANDS ON HEAD HOLD

HOW TO:

Hold your palms or the back of the palms on your head and move in a continuous combination of the movements illustrated here and in between them.

BENEFITS:

Holding the hands on the head and moving them on the surface allows for deeper understanding of movement of head neck and shoulders together. It is also good in understanding lines of sight and where you hold yourself from a clear sight.

W. CROSSED LEGS

HOW TO:

Hold any part of any leg over or under the other at an angle and move in a continuous combination of the movements illustrated here and in between them.

Tip: Slide the contact between the legs and switch directions and angles at will.

BENEFITS:

Moving while crossed legged allows for a deeper hip awareness and by dynamically moving on the ground you flow around the block and dissipate it with awareness.

X. LIMBS OFF THE GROUND HOLD

HOW TO:

Hold all limbs and head off the ground and move in a continuous combination of the movements illustrated here and in between them.

Tip: Move the arms and legs from the body and find the angles that require the least tension to move from.

BENEFITS:

Keeping all limbs off the ground teaches deeper awareness to moving from the center.

Y. HAND /FOOT ON THE GROUND HOLD

HOW TO:

Keep a hand or a foot on the ground and move in a continuous combination of the movements illustrated here and in between them.

Tip: Avoid looking at the non moving part of you and change the angle without letting it be twisted and turned by the moving of the rest of you.

BENEFITS:

Moving within fixation when self imposed reveals how we can move ourselves while being held or impacted. Never be led.

Z. HEAD MOVEMENT CONTINUUM

HOW TO:

Move your head without stop no matter what position you are entering or leaving.

Tip: Move slowly and breathe continuously. Know that any movement affects the entire tension frame of the body and any movement in the upper body and especially in the shoulders, chest and shoulder blades help in making head movement more integral if done with awareness.

BENEFITS:

Being aware of gaze fixation is the cure. No matter how good your body or movement is, Your mind leads it in tandem.

CONCLUSION

No one method will bring you to all the places you want to go. Thus I urge you to further explore and hone what you need for your own progress and deepening of the way.  Follow these guidelines and method as it suits you and much more will be uploaded soon.

The steps and work here will give you insight on the inner workings of the body and how they integrate into the whole in your own way. The hard ground is a swift honest teacher. Let it teach you the lessons you need and enjoy the sticking moments and search. Those moments are the keys to each next step.