Coordination and Balance

Coordination, Alignment and Balance

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Your Two Best Friends

Start by standing comfortably. This generally means - feet under your hips, feet parallel, feeling for a stable and adaptable base of support under you.
Then (from T'ai Chi) feel for your own personal overhead star. Your Nadir star. The star directly overhead your crown.
Feel for the silk thread coming from that star, down to your crown. The thread that is lifting you, and holding you upright. This is your first best friend.
Then feel for the center of the Earth. Just like your overhead star, you know right where that is. This is your second best friend.
At the bottom of each of your feet there is a place called the "Bubbling Well" in T'ai Chi. It is just behind the ball of your foot. It a hollow-ish area, that is the actual and experiential center-of-gravity for your body (aka Kidney 1 in Chinese Medicine). Feel for your alignment to travel through each Bubbling Well to the center of the Earth.
These are your two best friends: the star overhead, and the center of the Earth. They are always there for you. Rest between them - open, supple, responsive, relaxed.

Turn Under the Ball

Hold the ball up overhead, with either hand
Feel for what is directly overhead
Then turn about under the ball
Re-coordinate, re-calibrate
Make adjustments
Use a light ball to listen. A heavier ball can give you more sensory input, like where you are leaning. A lighter ball can help you feel the fine-tuning better. Note the differences.
Once or twice around can be enough, and you can try it again later

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Activate Your Glutes

Gluteus Maximus!
Start by standing comfortably - feet hip width apart, feet parallel, feeling the alignment with your "two best friends" (see above).
Now squeeze your butt cheeks together.
Feel for how this torques your pelvis open, meaning your front opens out.
Feel for how this brings your knees out.
Feel for how this lifts the arches of your feet.
Let the movement also lift your chest.
Stay easy, open, relaxed - but with activated cheeks.
Now, this part is subtle - but, keeping your pose, now torque your great toe into the ground. Easy. Screw it down for stability.
This is not a stiff practice. This is an activation reminder for glute max - reminding them of a job they have. A little activation reminder and they will stay on the job.
You can practice the stance for empowerment. And you can occasionally activate the pose to keep the glutes engaged.

Occipital Alignment

sit or stand comfortably upright
feel for the alignment where your head can balance most easily
then feel even closer for where it has the feeling it could float, easily, like a small boat on a gentle lake
check that spot by moving off of it and noticing how the floating stops

Balance a Club

Place a club, or a broom stick, or any object (you can make it fun), on your finger, or palm, ... or even forehead, or nose.
Balance it!
Balance it standing still, or walking around, or with one or the other eye closed, or both eyes closed!
Keep yourself limber and agile, letting your body lean and balance too.

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Draw Opposite Circles

Reach your arms out to the sides.
Start by drawing circles with one arm in one direction.
Then add the other arm - drawing circles in the opposite direction.
Keep the rhythm.
Play with symmetry and asymmetry.

Moving in Opposite Planes

Reach your arms out to the sides.
Move one hand back and forth, flat, parallel to the ground.
Move your other hand up and down, perpendicular to the ground.
Change sides.
What happens?

Stop for the Flat

Start with both "hands up".
Then move both arms at the same time.

- one moves between up and down, pausing at each station.

- the other also moves between up and down, but has an additional station where the hand is flat.

Pause at each station.
Switch sides.

Drawing a "6" and Twirling your Ankle

Start by lifting your heel
Circle your ankle in a clockwise direction
Once that pattern is set, draw a figure "6" with you finger.
Try different sides, different combinations.

The Unpredictable Bounce

Arrange an irregularly shaped object (in this case some juggling clubs) against the wall and throw a bouncy ball into it.
The ball will bounce back unpredictably
Your reflexes need to be twice as fast to catch it!
You can arrange your clubs on a table against the wall, keeping the game more upright.

Teeny Jumps

It can be surprising how we rarely, if ever - jump!
This playful practice simply starts to retrain this reflex.
And it can get a bit aerobic rather quickly.
It is stimulating and fun.
Tailor it to your liking. Small jumps are fine.

Standing on a Ball

If you use a heavy ball, this is surprisingly not that hard. I use a 15 lb "medicine ball" - see suggestions on toys
You can also put the ball against the leg of a desk to keep it from rolling, use the wall for your hands, use any props around to help.
Naturally, go easy, slow, feel. This is not a heroic move. Stay in balance.
This can feel really good on the feet too.
Be safe of course, stay in your limits.

Finding "Blind Spots" and Seeing Into Them

It is not uncommon for there to be areas of our visual fields where we are just a bit slower at noticing that something is there, or coming toward us.
Or areas where we are reflexively slower at catching or responding to something in that visual field.
Hold the ball and move it with your hand.
Make a circle, make figure "8's", make lines, check the edges.
Notice what is true for you, and look into it.

Tunnel or Broad Focus

Start with as wide-an-angle gaze as you can.
Keep your eyes steady, just notice how much you can see and "pick-up".
Then focus specifically on one object - tunnel vision into it.
Notice the changes in your body.
Explore this during your day. How does your habits of seeing affect you?

Where is the Ball?

Hold the ball up high and drop it by your feet.
Close your eyes and cover your ears and "feel" for where it lands.
Keeping your eyes closed, see if you can reach down and touch it with your finger. How close are you?

Back to SomaJuggle

Coordination, Alignment and Balance

Your Two Best Friends

Start by standing comfortably. This generally means - feet under your hips, feet parallel, feeling for a stable and adaptable base of support under you.

Then (from T'ai Chi) feel for your own personal overhead star. Your Nadir star. The star directly overhead your crown.

Feel for the silk thread coming from that star, down to your crown. The thread that is lifting you, and holding you upright. This is your first best friend.

Then feel for the center of the Earth. Just like your overhead star, you know right where that is. This is your second best friend.

These are your two best friends: the star overhead, and the center of the Earth. They are always there for you. Rest between them - open, supple, responsive, relaxed.

Turn Under the Ball

Hold the ball up overhead, with either hand

Feel for what is directly overhead

Then turn about under the ball

Re-coordinate, re-calibrate

Make adjustments

Use a light ball to listen. A heavier ball can give you more sensory input, like where you are leaning. A lighter ball can help you feel the fine-tuning better. Note the differences.

Once or twice around can be enough, and you can try it again later

Balance a Club

Place a club, or a broom stick, or any object (you can make it fun), on your finger, or palm, ... or even forehead, or nose.

Balance it!

Balance it standing still, or walking around, or with one or the other eye closed, or both eyes closed!

Keep yourself limber and agile, letting your body lean and balance too.

Draw Opposite Circles

Reach your arms out to the sides.

Start by drawing circles with one arm in one direction.

Then add the other arm - drawing circles in the opposite direction.

Keep the rhythm.

Play with symmetry and asymmetry.

Moving in Opposite Planes

Reach your arms out to the sides.

Move one hand back and forth, flat, parallel to the ground.

Move your other hand up and down, perpendicular to the ground.

Change sides.

What happens?

Stop for the Flat

Start with both "hands up".

Then move both arms at the same time.

- one moves between up and down, pausing at each station.

- the other also moves between up and down, but has an additional station where the hand is flat.

Pause at each station.

Switch sides.

Drawing a "6" and Twirling your Ankle

Start by lifting your heel

Circle your ankle in a clockwise direction

Once that pattern is set, draw a figure "6" with you finger.

Try different sides, different combinations.

The Unpredictable Bounce

Arrange an irregularly shaped object (in this case some juggling clubs) against the wall and throw a bouncy ball into it.

The ball will bounce back unpredictably

Your reflexes need to be twice as fast to catch it!

You can arrange your clubs on a table against the wall, keeping the game more upright.

Teeny Jumps

It can be surprising how we rarely, if ever - jump!

This playful practice simply starts to retrain this reflex.

And it can get a bit aerobic rather quickly.

It is stimulating and fun.

Tailor it to your liking. Small jumps are fine.

Standing on a Ball

If you use a heavy ball, this is surprisingly not that hard. I use a 15 lb "medicine ball" - see suggestions on toys

You can also put the ball against the leg of a desk to keep it from rolling, use the wall for your hands, use any props around to help.

Naturally, go easy, slow, feel. This is not a heroic move. Stay in balance.

This can feel really good on the feet too.

Be safe of course, stay in your limits.

Tunnel or Broad Focus

Start with as wide-an-angle gaze as you can.

Keep your eyes steady, just notice how much you can see and "pick-up".

Then focus specifically on one object - tunnel vision into it.

Notice the changes in your body.

Explore this during your day. How does your habits of seeing affect you?

Where is the Ball?

Hold the ball up high and drop it by your feet.

Close your eyes and cover your ears and "feel" for where it lands.

Keeping your eyes closed, see if you can reach down and touch it with your finger. How close are you?