How to Approach Body FLow

[jimmy23]

Hi, I am wanting to begin to incorporate a regular Body Flow practice into my daily routine. I am not sure how to go about selcting exercises, or how to begin this. Let me state what my goals / problem areas are, and if anyone has any suggestion, I would be very apprciative :)

1 space- I have an area that is about 8' by 8' to practice, it is carpeted

2 time- I would like to do this routine in the mornings, either before or after my breathing exercises

3 health and perofrmance issues - my two main goals are respiratory enhancement and joint stability. In addition , I just want to "wake up" my body , without exhausting myself for the day ahead

4 Two exercises I want to incorporate are the Quad Switch and the LEg Thread. The Quad Switch just looks cool, and I feel that the Leg Thread has a direct application to groundwork

In addition, in the morning I do some balance drills, some breath work (yoga based) and some basic exercises.

I am looking for any helpful insights or suggestions . I have had some pretty big life changes lately (almost all for the good ), and want to "go with the flow" and change my morning routine as well, by doing something lively and active , something that will enhance my health and mental state and begin my day by consciously enaging it.


Thanks in advance for any suggestions

[bob_stra]

We could go back and forth here, discussing anatomy and motor control (and I be very happy to do so, if you'd like), however my advice boils down to this in the end.

Do exactly as you feel is best, given your interest & experience.

How long for? - until it gets boring, or as long as you have.

A routine? - make it up as you go along. You like the (A) Quad Switch and the (Z) Leg thread? Find a way to go from A-Z, via B. What will "B" be? That's part of the exploration!

Maybe after that, you can go A-B-C-Z. Then ABCDZ. Then ZABCD. Then DZBCA?

Quad Switch, front ground engagement, leg thread, leg thread, Quad hop. I dunno - I just made that up ;-)

Let pleasure of movement be your number 1 guiding principle.

I know on the surface this advice sounds really flip. But it's merely the distillation of an otherwise longwinded post.

IMHO the purpose of BodyFlow / GTB is to explore / patch movement together. If you play with awareness, I don't think there's a wrong way to do that.

[jimmy23]

going to make me think, are ya?!?!?!??!!


You dirty rat.......


thanks for the advice, bob :)

[Robert V]

You have enough space for the entire Warrior Wellness program. That should be no trouble.

You have enough space to practice all the individual biomechanical exercises.

The Quad Switch is dynamite. If I only had one movement pattern to do, that would be it. As you do it, aim for perfection. Focus on keeping your hips up in the crab and chest open. In the quad, keep those limbs 45 degrees and back flat. Feel what's going on. It can be a heck of a cardio/muscle endurance practice. Get your form first.
5-10 minutes of that is good.

Use the leg thread to warm you up and cool you down. Do it until your movement is "silk". Coordinate your movement with your breath to get in a "Zen-like" zone. Use your arms to shoot out. As you progress in form and comfort, begin to raise your hips until you are doing the arching leg thread.

Additions: Begin to add a Scorpion in your Quad Switch and a Swing Split.

Later, begin to add a double leg swoop to augment your leg threading.

Then, follow your flow, experiment with different BME and just "be it".

Robert

[bob_stra]

going to make me think, are ya?!?!?!??!!


You dirty rat.......


thanks for the advice, bob :)

Tee Hee ;-)

Seriously though - if you really, really, really get stuck or need a pointer in the right direction (which I doubt you will), post again.

Otherwise, trust your own intuition. It works pretty damn well !

[jimmy23]

hry thanks again, especaially the pointers on form. You the man!

[bob_stra]

You the man!

Well... I dunno about that... I do cut a striking figure in a kilt every now and again. (For instance, when I go shopping and such)

:lol:

It's all pretty simple really. Just have fun, the rest will take care of itself.

(of course, don't let me be a thread killer. If anyone has good stuff to chip in, don't mind me. Just relating my own experiences. And what the hell do I know anyway)

*shrugs*

I'll shush now :)

[Jorge Colon]

Dear Bob,

I predict that one of these days you're going to show up to a CST certification and raise the bar on coaching. I hope I'm there to meet you when you make it across the world.

Looking forward to it.

Best regards,

[Scott Sonnon]

I agree with Jorge. Great posts, Bob!