Hello movement enthusiasts, I am Charleston Samu RII Marquis and I would like to welcome you back to the Bodyhood Pilates Therapeutic Exercise of the Month Series!
Over the last 30 years I have collected and experimented with specific therapeutic exercises from all over the world. These have noticeably contributed to my body-mind development and so influenced the way I teach. Because the benefits of these exercises have been clearly perceptible for me, I would like to share them with you. Every month there will be a new therapeutic exercise for you.
I am really convinced of the therapeutic exercises I share with you. I have empirically tested their therapeutic value. By therapeutic value I mean that the exercises create a kind of unity between our different body parts. This body unity then enables a movement that positively influences our body as a whole.
Our therapeutic exercise today is the ‘Anti-gravity Foot Exploration’. Through our central nervous system, we will sense how our feet are connected to our whole body.
For a better stance!
Everything is interconnected
nothing is neglected
by the central nervous system.
Every action triggers a reaction.
Everything is One and One is All.
Our feet express this drama of our nervous system. They therefore also express who we are.
Our feet are not like slippers that we wear to walk around our home. Our feet are more like the tyres of a car. If the tyres of a car do not rotate evenly, we cannot drive the car well. The spinning of the tyres has a negative effect on the functioning of the car as a whole. It is similar with our feet. Our feet cannot tread evenly if they do not tread in a certain geometric path on the ground. The tread of our feet inevitably affects the rest of our body.
How our feet influence our body?
Keeping my feet on the ground
How do we keep our feet on the ground? Our pelvis needs to swing in harmony with our legs. We lose the ground beneath our feet, if instead of having our legs hanging down out of our pelvis, our pelvis hangs up towards our shoulders. This causes the different parts (bones, muscles, tendons) of our pelvis to fight against each other – like a ship on a stormy sea. Better it would be if the parts of our pelvis worked together. Because only a ‘united’ pelvis can swing in harmony with our legs. What can we contribute to this?
Let’s watch the ‘Anti-gravity Foot Exploration’ video right below. Then I will explain how to do it in detail. Click and enjoy now!
Starting position
Lie on your stomach with stretched legs and your feet together.
The procedure
Bend your right knee and start the following sequence. Move your right foot 10 times alternating from flex to point. Then circle your foot 10 times in each direction. Put your foot back and take some time to notice how your right leg feels. Stand up and sense how your right foot touches the floor. Lift your right arm and again take some time to sense how your arm feels.
Try the exercise sequence with your left foot.
Coaching keys
Use our coaching keys to support the effectiveness of the ‘Anti-gravity Foot Exploration’. Say them and visualise them …
- I ground my pelvis well to the floor when moving and circling my feet.
- I avoid using my back muscles to circle my feet.
- I let go of my neck while moving and circling my feet.
Therapeutic value
The ‘Anti-gravity Foot Exploration’ creates a change in how we perceive
- our ‘working’ leg: The leg appears longer.
- our stance: The feet ground themselves better on the floor.
- our ‘working’ arm: The arm feels longer.
And last but not least …
The Pilates connection
The ‘Anti-gravity Foot Exploration’ changes our perception of our legs in Pilates exercises such as the Single and Double Leg Stretch, Side Leg Kick and the Side Leg Lift Series. Your legs will feel longer and lighter afterwards.
Try it & fly with it!
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