Session 1 - Finding your line

Purpose: 

This homework is designed to align your body ideally in the field of gravity. In this alignment postural stresses are significantly reduced or eliminated. By learning to stack your body in this manner you are re-educating your nervous system to this ideal relationship.

How Often: 

This exercise is done on an ongoing basis. Every time you are stopped in a standing position.

Directions:

Session 2 - Toes Up Foot Up: Basic

Purpose: 

This homework is designed to re-pattern your feet so they will move and function in the correct planes of movement during walking and running.

How Often: 

This exercise should be done at least 3 times per week. The best time to do this re-patterning is before a walk or a run, but can be done any time.

Directions:

Toes up, Pause, Foot up, Pause, Foot Down, Pause, Toes Down, Soft. Repeat this 10 times.

Switch legs and repeat.
Do 3 sets of 10 for each leg.

If this is too much and causes strain, reduce to two sests of 10 each or even 1 set of 10 until you feel stronger.

Purpose: 

This homework is designed to re-pattern the spine. It will help to re-position the vertebrae in the correct alignment. This is a great exercise to do in the shower. The hot water will help warm the tissue surrounding the spine and may make it easier. It is 
also good to do when you are having any kind of spine stiffness or aches.

How Often: 

This exercise should be done at least 3 times per week.

Modifications:
If You are unstable on your feet or get dizzy do this in a seated

position focusing on your spine and not keeping the legs in line.
Repeat for at least 5 reps, more if you are able.

Advanced:

Purpose:

The advanced version adds the motion of the knee to further train the muscles in the correct walking pattern

How Often:
This homework should be done at least 3 times per week. The best time to do this re-patterning is before a walk or a run, but can be done at any time.

Knee Forward

Toes Up

Foot Up

Knee Back

Toes Down

Foot Down

Soft

Directions:

Sit on the floor with your low back as close to the couch, chair, or wall as possible to allow a lengthened spine. You can also lean back on your palms to lengthen the spine.

Align your legs and feet in front of you as if you standing in your line. Work on one leg at a time, moving the non working leg off to the side.

Raise your knee forward towards the ceiling (allowing your foot to slide toward you slightly) until your knee is an inch or two off the floor. Then continue with "Toes up", Pause, "Foot up", Pause, Then let your knee back down to the floor and finish with "Foot Down", Pause, "Toes Down", Pause. SOFT

Repeat this cycle 10 times.

Switch legs and repeat.

Do 3 sets of 10 for each leg.

Purpose:

This homework develops organized movement in the pelvis. It helps to create movement within the pelvis, especially within the SI joints.

How Often:

To achieve maximum results this homework should be done a minimum of 3 times a week for approx. 5 minutes at a time. This homework can be done as often as needed to alleviate aches or pains.

Directions:

Laying on the floor on a comfortable but firm surface (yoga mat, carpet) start in a neutral position. Neutral is face up, knees up and feet flat. This assures a long relaxed spinal position.

Imagine you are a clock on the wall. Your left side is 3 o'clock, your right side is 9 o'clock, your feet are 6 o'clock and your head is 12 o'clock.

Basic Pelvic Clock

Start at 3 o'clock, allow your knees to go over to your left side at a 45 degree angle. Back to center. Then allow your knees to go over to your right side at a 45 degree angle, for 9 o'clock. Perform this motion 5-6 times.

Next, for 12 o'clock roll your pelvis up by flattening your lower back on the floor. (Feels like you want to slide on your back but in stead just let the pelvis roll up) To find 6 o'clock roll your pelvis down slightly.

ALWAYS END WITH 12 O' CLOCK AND SOFTEN DOWN, IT KEEPS THE SPINE LONG.

Perform this motion 5-6 times.

The key to this homework is to keep your abdominal muscles soft. This motion is initiated from the muscles within the pelvis.

PRECAUTIONS: Do not do this exercise if it creates any kind of pain. Do not do this exercise if you are pregnant.

Neutral

9 O'Clock

Neutral

3 O'Clock

Neutral

6 O'Clock

12 O'Clock

Purpose:

This homework develops organized movement in the pelvis. It helps to create movement within the pelvis, especially within the SI joints.

How Often:

To achieve maximum results this homework should be done a minimum of 3 times a week for approx. 5 minutes at a time. This homework can be done as often as needed to alleviate aches or pains.

Directions:

Laying on the floor on a comfortable but firm surface (yoga mat, carpet) start in a neutral position. Neutral is face up, knees up and feet flat. This assures a long relaxed spinal position.

Imagine you are a clock on the wall. Your left side is 3 o'clock, your right side is 9 o'clock, your feet are 6 o'clock and your head is 12 o'clock.

Perform this motion 5-6 times.

The key to this homework is to keep your abdominal muscles soft. This motion is initiated from the muscles within the pelvis.

Once you are used to the quarter number movements on the clock you will progress to the next phase.

Warm up with the Basic Clock first.

Direction:

Now you will roll your pelvis in a clockwise and counterclockwise motions around the numbers of the clock, beginning at 12 o'clock. You can use the quarter numbers to gauge where you are as you perform this movement.

Again it is important to keep your abdominal muscles relaxed.

Notice the numbers that are more challenging and which are easier.

The harder areas are the ones that need more focus.

ALWAYS END WITH 12 O' CLOCK AND SOFTEN DOWN IT KEEPS THE SPINE LONG.

Perform this motion 5-6 times.

The key to this homework is to keep your abdominal muscles soft. This motion is initiated from the muscles within the pelvis.

PRECAUTIONS: Do not do this exercise if it creates any kind of pain. Do not do this exercise if you are pregnant.

Purpose:

You want to introduce chewing on both sides of the mouth for balance in the jaw

Directions:

Start with chewing your food on the dominant side a few times then move over to the non-dominant side and chew for a bit

Repeat that a few times before swallowing

Caution:

If you have pain in the teeth or other problems that won't allow you to do this please do not do this homework

Note:

Please refrain from eating any hard nuts or candies for the first few days to avoid straining the jaw muscles

Purpose:

This homework develops organized movement in the pelvis. It helps to create movement within the pelvis, especially within the SI joints.

Now that you have increased motion in your pelvis the next phase is to move in diagonal motions.

How Often:

To achieve maximum results this homework should be done a minimum of 3 times a week for approx. 5 minutes at a time. This homework can be done as often as needed to alleviate aches or pains.

Directions:

Laying on the floor on a comfortable but firm surface (yoga mat, carpet) start in a neutral position. Neutral is face-up, knees up and feet flat. This assures a long relaxed spinal position.

Imagine you are a clock on the wall. Your left side is 3 o'clock, your right side is 9 o'clock, your feet are 6 o'clock and your head is 12 o'clock.

Always warm up with the Basic and Intermediate clock before beginning this phase.

Working across the clock 1/7, 2/8, 4/10, 5/11 and then the reverse motion. Once you have performed these movements, cool down with the Basic Clock

ALWAYS END WITH 12 O' CLOCK AND SOFTEN DOWN IT KEEPS THE SPINE LONG.

Perform this motion 5-6 times.

The key to this homework is to keep your abdominal muscles soft. This motion is initiated from the muscles within the pelvis.

PRECAUTIONS: Do not do this exercise if it creates any kind of pain. Do not do this exercise if you are pregnant.

Purpose:

This homework is designed to re-establish strength and integrity in the posterior shoulder girdle. The anterior compartment tendsto overpower the posterior muscles.

How Often:

This homework should be done 3 times a week for 3 sets of 5.

Directions:

Standing with feet slightly staggered, bring your arms out to your side with your palms facing forward. Next, engage your shoulder blades by squeezing them together. As you keep the shoulder blades engaged, slowly bring your hands together in front inch by inch.

Then reverse the motion back to arms out at your side. It is important to keep the shoulder blades engaged at all times. If you feel your shoulder blades wants to separate, move your arms back

an inch, engage the shoulder blades and continue forward again.

Be sure to keep your neck relaxed and shoulders down so your body mechanics are not compromised. If this causes pain, stop!

Purpose:

This home care is designed to re-establish strength and integrity in the posterior shoulder girdle. The anterior compartment tends to overpower the posterior muscles.

How Often:

This home care should be done 3 times a week 10 circles forward and 10 circles backwards in all three positions

Directions:

Standing with feet slightly staggered or sitting, bring your arms out to your side with your palms facing forward, engage your shoulder blades by squeezing them together. As you keep the shoulder blades engaged, slowly make small circles with your arms with thumbs pointing up.

Then reverse the motion of the arms.

It is important to keep the shoulder blades engaged at all times. If you feel your shoulder blades separate, take a break, deep breath and start again where you left off.

Do the same movements with the thumbs pointing forward and down

Be sure to keep your neck relaxed and shoulders down so your body mechanics are not compromised. If this causes pain, discontinue.