Mental tension and stress cause the body to literally contract. By bringing attention to compressed areas, it is possible to open spaces and recover well-being.
“I’m at my best”; “I can’t take it anymore”; “I think I’m going to explode”, “I have the glass that I can’t fit a drop more”… They are popular phrases that describe states in which relaxation has been lost. We feel impenetrability, we feel thick, rigid, oppressed, overwhelmed, irritable, sometimes even one step away from losing our senses.
If this sensation is constant, it creates a real narrowing and tightness in the body, which prevents the fluidity of blood, nutrients or oxygen. All this brings the dreaded headaches, shortness of breath, haste, contraction or nervousness.
To relieve ourselves, relax and recover the tranquility and freedom of being and being, we propose the following meditative sequence. During this sequence, it is about discovering, distinguishing and appreciating the volume of the body, and cultivating its interior spaces, its looseness and length.
HOW TO DO THE EXERCISES
The exercises must be carried out with the utmost attention: what counts is what is experienced and not only what is done. The path is as important as the final goal.
At the end of the series, you will find an exercise in body recognition and awareness. It is a longer exercise in which we will open spaces in the body and relax it. You can do it at any time, alone or as a complement to the series that you will find below.
If we are very tired, it is better to start with the recognition and awareness exercise that is proposed at the end of the article, then move on to the floor exercises (10 and 11), and continue with the chair exercises (6, 7, 8 and 9). We will leave for the end the standing exercises.
1. THE MORNING STAR
We separate the legs at a distance that exceeds that between the shoulders. We raise our arms laterally until the tips of our fingers face the sky following an imaginary inclined line that crosses the body with the opposite leg.
The shoulder blades should not rise towards the arms, but fall and open to the sides, as if they were small wings.
We repeat it three times.
2. CATCHING STARS
From the previous position we stretch the left arm in the direction of the fingers, diagonally towards the sky. Bend the right elbow slightly towards the right knee. At the same time, we slightly bend the left leg, leave much of the weight on it and stretch the right, which will form a line with the left arm. You have to try not to arch your back.
It is performed three times on each side.
3. THE SUN
Again, from the position of the star (No. 1), we bring the abdomen slightly towards the back and perform a contraction that will be reproduced throughout the body, as if we were embracing a large ball with the front of the trunk, legs and arms.
The movement will produce an opening in the back of the body.
4. LOOKING FOR THE MOON
We bent our legs slightly and opened our torso in the direction of the sky. At the same time, we bring the inside of the arms and hands in that direction, stretching the chest as seen in the photo.
The neck stays away from the ears, as if we were standing. The arching of the body occurs just below the shoulder blades and there is no sensation of shortening or tension but of opening towards the sky.
The same exercise is performed by rotating the chest, arms and hands from the waist to the right and left with the same position of legs and hips.
5. POINTING TO THE MOON
Now we turn the entire pectoral area slightly to the left, and in that position, we direct it to the sky, without forcing the lumbar area. At the same time, we bend the right leg a little and extend the left arm upwards diagonally; The left leg is stretched out.
The right arm is stretched horizontally at chest height, parallel to the ground. We return to the center and repeat the whole process to the right.
6. THE CONSTELLATION OF ORION
Sitting with our hands on our thighs, we try to feel the two ischium bones of the pelvis in contact with the chair. We lift the right ischium and turn the spine spirally: the right part of the trunk moves forward, and the left, back. The head tilts slightly to the right.
We return to the center and restart the process with the left ischium.
7. MOVING THE CONSTELLATION
Sitting with our arms parallel to the ground, we start the process of the previous exercise, lifting the left ischium, but this time, in addition to the twisting of the spine that carries forward the left part of the trunk, we will extend the left arm and shoulder blade forward and contract the right ones backwards. The head tilts slightly to the left.
We return to the starting position and perform the exercise in reverse.
8. LOOKING AT ORION
From the position of the previous exercise, sitting with our arms parallel to the ground, we lift the right ischium but this time, in addition to the twisting of the spine, we slightly stretch the right arm forward while directing the left towards the sky.
The head tilts to the right and, if you want, looks up.
9. PAINTING THE CELESTIAL VAULT
From the sitting position we place the left hand on the stool or chair and the right, free along the body. With the support of the feet on the floor and the left hand on the chair we raise the hip, trunk and right arm turning to the left as if the arm and right hand painted a semicircle in front of the body. At the same time, it turns slightly to the left.
It is repeated three times on each side.
10. THE MILKY WAY
We lie on the floor face up. We separate arms and legs as if forming a star. We feel the contact surfaces of the body with the ground, listen to the breath and perceive the environment. Then, the left arm and knee approach while the trunk and head roll to the left without losing contact with the ground.
The right arm and hand “paint” a vault above the head to the left.
11. THE EARTH STAR
Continuing the previous movement, the body folds onto the left side. We listen to the breath and undo the posture: we start the stretch of the right arm and leg and roll on the ground to the right. The right arm and hand paint a vault to the right and the position of photo 10 is recovered.
We feel the breath and how the contact with the ground has changed. Everything is repeated on the other side.
BODY RECOGNITION AND AWARENESS EXERCISE
We lie on our backs with our legs bent or stretched out and our arms at the sides of our body. We feel the surfaces of the back of the body that are in contact with the ground. We notice the space inside the mouth. We distinguish the vault of the palate and the free hollow of the throat. Also, its connection with the nostrils.
We perceive the entry of air and the path that runs through the neck and trachea to the lungs. We watch as air moves the empty space between the lungs and ribs. We try to feel the hole in the esophagus, stomach, bladder, large and small intestines, and gallbladder.
THE WIDTH OF THE ARMS AND SHOULDER BLADES
Then we perceive the volume of the right arm, its density, as if we were putting a loop around it. It continues with the volume of the elbow, forearm, hand and fingers of the right hand, comparing them. Gently slide the right arm extended on the floor until it is as close as possible, but effortlessly, to the ear.
It will be noticed that the space between the shoulder blade and the nape of the neck is compressed. We stay in this position for a moment and, with the expiration, we slide the arm to return it to the side of the body; We felt how the narrowing space takes amplitude. The same movement is repeated with the hand in the form of a fist.
We rest, we notice the changes. We roll our head slowly to the right and left to feel its movement, and if it resonates in the back. We rested for half a minute. Then repeat the process with the left arm. Next, we bring the right shoulder to the ceiling, we remain in this position, feeling which parts are enlarged or narrowed.
Then we let the shoulder return to its position and the space is restored. We imagine a hand on the collarbone and another on the shoulder blade, we perceive the space between the two. With the breath we try to carry, in our imagination, a light or a fluid between the shoulder blade and the clavicle. We look at whether the rhythm or breathing space has changed. The process is repeated with the left shoulder.
THE VOLUME OF THE LEGS
Now we feel the volume and inner structures of the right leg, as if we were taking a journey through it. We imagine a thick fluid entering from the hip to the toes, giving it an inner massage. Then we slowly push the right hip along with the right leg and foot down, towards the heel, so that the leg lengthens decompressing the joints.
Try to keep your lumbar vertebrae on the floor, let your whole body help you make the movement and concentrate on the volume of your right leg. Even if the left moves, we remain focused on the right. Then the right leg shrinks as if it wanted to be brought to the ribs of the right side, which will raise the right hip and lower the left.
We rest for half a minute and feel the changes on the right side of the body. The above process is repeated with the left leg.
EMPTINESS IN THE THORAX AND BODY
We visualize a cylinder that wraps the trunk from the pelvis to the neck. When we inhale, we feel that this area is filled with air or light or a dense fluid such as honey, so that the spine lengthens, and space is created between the vertebrae. From there, we slowly slide our arms across the floor, upwards, bringing them closer to the head, effortlessly; The trunk, head and arms are aligned in the same direction.
The legs will be slightly open, as if there is a straight line from the right foot to the left hand and another from the left foot to the right hand. And we return to the movement described above in which one leg is lengthened from the hip, the other is shortened, and vice versa. It is done seven or eight times.
We can observe that when we lengthen the right hip and leg, then the left shoulder and arm approach the spine, and vice versa. We lengthen and contract the legs several times alternately feeling how the tissues of the leg lengthen and shorten and how the movement travels through the spine, elongating and contracting the opposite shoulder and arm and, at the same time, how the body expands.
We rest for half a minute and breathe. We lengthen and contract one arm and another alternately to perceive how the movement travels through the trunk and pulls the opposite leg towards the outstretched arm. It is very important not to stretch your arms vigorously, but to give them space. We rest for half a minute; we feel the contact of the body with the ground.
VISUALIZATION
To finish we visualize that when we exhale, when we empty ourselves of air, clarity enters from the sky through the anterior part of the body, which illuminates the cells; And as we breathe in, we imagine light gliding toward the earth. Then we perceive the total dimensions of our being as they appear in the mind and open three spaces: one in the fontanelle, the highest point of the head, another in the soles of the feet and the third in the palms of the hands, which communicate with the outer space and its vibrations.
We thus open ourselves to what surrounds us and is invisible to the eyes. It is practiced for half a minute. Finally, the two previous visualizations are made face down.
We get up from the ground and feel the new spaces that have opened up. Something inside us has changed and we have another point of view about the environment. We let that space recovered thanks to attention and imagination accompany us during daily life.
Remembering is the beginning so that the amplitude is installed in us habitually and get to feel it without having to lie on the floor, but simply while sitting, standing, walking or doing anything else.