Post by nancylebovitz on Dec 9, 2008 11:57:17 GMT -5
I can do 21 repetitions of the fourth rite smoothly, easily, and quickly.
While there's been gradual improvement, the big change seems to have been a result of working with the material in Sonnon's Free to Move. It was clear for a while that my problem with the fourth rite was tight shoulders. The book is explicitly about joint mobility, but being able to do the movements involves freeing up the nervous system for smooth movement in what for me are unfamiliar ranges.
I'm still not nearly as aware of my breathing as I'd like to be, and I still want to get more of my weight on to my feet-- I'm pretty sure Carolinda Witt's T5T is correct that weight should be evenly distributed between hands and feet for the fourth and fifth rites. Equal weight distribution in the fifth does a lot to leave me feeling as though I'm strengthening my lower back rather than letting it collapse.
It seems like getting this far has taken forever, but it's actually been about 6 months.
The major effects of the Tibetans for me are more energy and initiative-- not dramatically so, but quite noticeable. My knees are in better shape. Going down stairs is generally not a problem (old injury in right knee), and my knees feel more stable as though the muscles around them are stronger. My lower back is better-- it wasn't very bad, but I don't think it should hurt at all, and it's definitely moving in that direction.
Steve, thanks for pushing the Tibetans.
While there's been gradual improvement, the big change seems to have been a result of working with the material in Sonnon's Free to Move. It was clear for a while that my problem with the fourth rite was tight shoulders. The book is explicitly about joint mobility, but being able to do the movements involves freeing up the nervous system for smooth movement in what for me are unfamiliar ranges.
I'm still not nearly as aware of my breathing as I'd like to be, and I still want to get more of my weight on to my feet-- I'm pretty sure Carolinda Witt's T5T is correct that weight should be evenly distributed between hands and feet for the fourth and fifth rites. Equal weight distribution in the fifth does a lot to leave me feeling as though I'm strengthening my lower back rather than letting it collapse.
It seems like getting this far has taken forever, but it's actually been about 6 months.
The major effects of the Tibetans for me are more energy and initiative-- not dramatically so, but quite noticeable. My knees are in better shape. Going down stairs is generally not a problem (old injury in right knee), and my knees feel more stable as though the muscles around them are stronger. My lower back is better-- it wasn't very bad, but I don't think it should hurt at all, and it's definitely moving in that direction.
Steve, thanks for pushing the Tibetans.
