Live An Active Balanced Life

Increase Your Body Awareness

Are your Occiput, Sacrum, Calcaneus tawkin’ to each other?

Let’s begin with a brief anatomical reference:

1) Occiput

Back of the skull

2) Sacrum:

“The holy bone” It is at the bottom of the spine between L (lumbar) 5 & the coccyx (tailbone).

3) Calcaneus:

“The heel bone” It is the large bone that forms the foundation of the back of the foot and connects with the talus and cuboid bones.

Moving on…

Tips To Make Your Life a Moving Meditation

et’s start with an awareness exercise to connect the Occiput, Sacrum, and Calcaneus. This will also be an introduction to “Ideokinesis 101.” Ideokinesis is the use of imagery to increase one’s body awareness and enhance one’s movement quality. Think of it as muscular re-education. Don’t laugh, I paid good money for this at New York University – but this shit really works! Here we go:

1. Sit comfortably, feet hip width apart – or even the “Subway Man Spread” position will work. (Google it if you need!)
2. Inhale and gently lift your toes, then the middle of your feet. Exhale and reach your heels (calcaneus) lightly into the ground.  Feel the weight of the heels evenly from right to left side. Maintain that connection as you place your toes long on the floor.
3. Tighten your “core” muscles (the muscles you use while in a plank position) with a 5 count inhale, hold for a moment, gently release the breath, but hold the muscles in around the breath as you exhale. Feel your sacrum balanced on your seat as if it were the tiller on a scale.
4. Next, for the occiput, if you are a trekkie follow the next image, (4A), otherwise go to step 4B!

A) “ Spock Ears” Picture Dr. Spock. Picture Dr. Spock ears. Inhale and imagine being lifted up by the tips of your Spock ears, floating your head off your shoulders.  Exhale as you think of growing even taller, longer, and that those lifted Spock ears really help to lift you to sit tall.

B) “Helium Head” Inhale and imagine your head being filled with helium (insert a sarcastic remark here, go ahead, I dare ya), hold the breath for a moment and as you exhale, feel as if your “helium head” is floating away, and feel taller, longer, lighter.

When those three bony landmarks communicate, energy flows more freely through the body. My clients often feel aligned and more energetic.

Posted in: Body Awareness, Mindfulness, Moving Meditation, Pilates, Posture