The first of our spine articulations and such a powerful tool to get you started!
HANDS can reach long in line with the shoulders (as long as you maintain the smile of the chest) OR hands can hold on to the back of the thighs to help assist you in using the abdominals to move.
THE EYES as always, are SO IMPORTANT when articulating the spine.
Remember: Where your eyes go, head goes, your neck goes, your spine goes. They should progressively trace from the wall in front of you, to the floor, your feet, legs, pelvis, abdominals and back up as you go down and back up in your articulations.
THE SHOULDERS should stay drawn down and away from the ears while maintaining the “smile of the chest” (no rounding your shoulders forward just because your chin is toward your chest).
THE SPINE: We’re going to paint a picture for you. Imagine a pearl necklace in the sand (romantic, right?)…That pearl necklace is your spine. If you pick up one side and pull it up toward you, each pearl (vertebra) is going to get its turn to come up off the sand. Subsequently, when you’re laying it back to it’s place, each pearl will get a turn to replace back down. No pearls cut in line, and your spine should work the same way as you place it on to the mat.
THE TUSH: Keep the kiss in the bum engaged the whole time. This isn’t an aggressive squeezing of the glutes, but instead just a small, as we put it, “kiss.”
Keep the kiss engaged and you’ll better be able to stabilize your pelvis and transverse abdominals for more benefit and control from any of the Pilates work.
This movement is a rockstar in getting you started in a Pilates practice. Any skill level can modify and perform Spine Articulation into Reclining (not clients with osteoporosis, but that’s a different conversation to have with your Pilates teacher).
If you’re loving our mini Matness lessons, be sure to like, comment, and share with those you love to start making choices for a healthier spine in 2019!
