My hip / lumbar practice video

[Nick1974]

My problem is area is my hips lumbar region. No doubt why - I sit in a chair most of the day, and with very poor posture at that. Often I sit one leg crossed over the other, side on to the PC, my right hand on the mouse. My hips and lower back take a hammering. I think my SI joint is shot. It clunks and clicks when I raise and lower my left leg.

I took a video of last night's intu flow practice, and I enclose a link to an edit of the hip/lumbar section of my practice.

If you don't film your own practice, I would urge you to do so, because you'll be amazed how different your practice looks to how it feels. When I was bending backwards, it felt like I was getting a good arch, and going back far. When I viewed my video back I noticed that, yes I was leaning back, but my back remained almost straight, there was no arch at all!!

When I compared my back bend to the picture below of Coach I was amazed. Made me realise how much range of motion I have yet to recover! I would not have fully appreciated this had I not filmed my own practice.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sonnon24ebig.jpg

Like I said, the above photo is of Coach Sonnon (NOT ME!!!)
The link to my video is below - compare the difference in back arch!

I would welcome any feedback and constructive criticism.

http://s43.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2K7ZW48Y4O1AM2ILR8KUJM7EA7

[Scott Sonnon]

Nick,

Just remember that it's not a contest with anyone else. For example, since that photo, I've released an incredible degree and as a result have been able to become much stronger. My Threading Bridge was not possible with the restrictions I had in that photo.

Your practice is a rabbit hole. Presumably there is a bottom, but no one has found it (at least, not we mere unenlightened beings :lol: ).

[Scott Sonnon]

Nick,

I had a chance to view your video. You have the typical masculine restrictions: hams, hip flexors, lower back, upper back and neck. Keep practicing and these will free up! You're doing great, amigo.

[KD Jones]

Are you sure the clunking is SI? I've got something similar on my right side... I can make it happen by lying on my back, raising my left knee while keeping the foot on the floor, then raising the right leg.

No noise on the way up, but a very audible and palpable clunk as the right leg is returning to the ground, when the knee is approx 18 inches from the floor (or, if the leg is straight, when the foot is about 24 inches from the floor).

I have some issues in the SI joint area, though mine present mostly when I'm doing 4CBD, with the right foot planted.

I ask only because I seem to remember being told that another, somewhat common cause of this type of "clunking" is the release of a tendon "slipping" off a protrusion of the femur (my knowledge of anatomy is a little vague here. There are also ligaments around the head of the femur that tighten and loosen with extension/flexion of the leg.

Anyway... I have no idea what's going on inside your hip when you do this, but my "feel" of what I saw was that there was more of a concern than a physical stoppage. Of course, I'm sure it's really hard to tell via video, and without hearing and knowing you a bit... but it looks like it just "feels a bit spooky" to you, being in that position.

So, maybe you're being set up by fear-reactivity? (I say this only because I know I am...)

Blessings. It's really respectable that you're persuing this. Keep it up.


(EDIT: Coach Sonnon's response went in just before I posted this, so the above is now pretty moot. I'm leaving it only because it may be an example of how a less informed person views things, compared the deep view.)

[Scott Sonnon]

KD, that was a great post. Enough self-deprecation. You're a valued member of the community with great contributions.

[KD Jones]

Oops. Bullseye. Thank you.

[dianneg]

Hi Nick-
Kudos to you for exploring and posting your experiences. And being honest with your limitations.

Because you asked for critiquing.... I see compensation in your lumbar region. What I mean is that because your spine isn't arching throughout yet you are reaching into extension and your low back is taking the brunt. Like the neck, the low back, has the ability to extend and flex at the expense of the musculature and rest of your spine if not done with strength and control.

My expereince with this is atempting to bring the arch evenly throughout the whole spine. How? With lift from the core. As you move into extension first stand up straight and draw all of your energy from the pubis up into the belly this means muscularly to draw up the abs from very low thereby lengthening your low back. From this point it is important as you move into extension to maintain this length in your low back. It may mean to pause and readjust as you move backward. It may also mean that you feel less deep in the extension but I will gaurantee you that although you are less arched you are certainly training the muscles and spine to lengthen and move backward evenly not over yanking the lumbar. In fact the lumbar region probably feels alot more open and free in this version of backbending. At least that has been my experience.

Try backbending with the wall in front of you as a guide with your hands at the sacrum region and kneeling on the floor as in camel pose. Instead of allowing your hips to shift forward, which will happen if you overarch the low back, the wall will inhibit this. As you inhale and begin to lengthen your spine think of lifting up through the solar plexus, thereby opening the arch up the spine. The other thing to consider is the action in your thighs, keep the inner thighs drawing inward toward your midline without them touching, this too will engage the core to lift.

I pray this helps and is not redundant for you or anyone else.

Good luck and keep on experimenting!
in peace,
dianne

[Nick1974]

Awesome Dianne, thanks very much! :)

I think what you're saying is that the spine should be 'lifted' and 'decompressed' as it is arched, thereby stretching out the lower back, not just bending it backwards. Interestingly I have found that I can achieve that when performing the cobra pose, lifting with the solar plexus as I arch, but I can't do it when arching back from a standing position.

KD, in his post, mentioned the fear reactivity induced by the leaning back because of it 'feeling spooky'. That's it exactly. My lower back braces because I fear falling back, and this prevents me from stretching as I arch, however during the cobra pose I can comfrotably release the tension in my lower back because there is no fear of falling anywhere.

I have to be honest and say I do not 'feel right' performing that standing back bend (not yet) but I feel very comfortable perfroming the cobra. My intuition is telling me to stick with the cobra and milk the benefits for a few weeks, then try to translate the movement into a standing position. I can't implement your suggestion about using a wall, because there is no free wall space in my garage, but would it be fair to say that the cobra from the floor would achieve a similar result?

I'm new to all this yoga/biomechanical exercise and I gotta say I am very excited about exploring and going deeper with it. I have been dabbling and 'paying lip service' to Warrior Wellness over the past 6 months or so while continuing to do 2 or 3 'conventional fitness' workouts per week. I have now abandonded that none-sense, ditched the weight training and "cardio", and have jumped whole heartidly into the yoga/biomechanical exercise rabbit hole that Coach mentioned, and I have to say, I feel liberated. I no longer care less about the traditional 'macho' definitions of fitness. A weight has literally been lifted off my shoulders, and I feel free to explore and practice. No more 'hamster in a wheel' mindlessly going through X reps and X sets :wink:

Spending time on this very forum has brought about that shift in mindset. A big thanks to Coach Sonnon for his tireless promotion of the 'its how you feel, not how you look' philosophy.

[KD Jones]

Really good news on all fronts, Nick. Much respect form me.

Dianne mentions something that I'd heard and practiced elsewhere... and it never struck me to mention it here. Someone showed and demonstrated the effect of "opening up" the spine and joints when stretching. We - with some good success - visualized being pulled from the top of the head or "crown" (Coach Sonnon demonstrates this in Be Breathed and elsewhere) upward, as though a rope were connected there. It may be profitable to have the pull of this "rope" move in the direction of the bend, be it forward or backwards, but always up from the hips and out the top of the head.

I really like the "lift from the core" concept that Dianne presents. I was just standing here playing with it, and for me and on cursory investigation, it seems to work well in conjuction with the "upward pull."

And yeah, it really is nice to emerging from "hamsterism." Some day, I expect my rodent self to be a mere memory.

Blessings.

[dianneg]

Hey guys-
Yes, arching backward is very challenging to our egos. The fear of opening and possibly falling is no doubt spooky, especially if there is particular tension and guarding.

The floor is a great tool, Nick. You can think of the floor as a guide as the wall is a guide. Feeling the front of your hips in contact with the floor and the length in your low back and front body will be recognized as opennes to the earth.

One thing also to remember as you arch and that is to keep your glutes from gripping. If you keep your core engaged and the torso long you will less likely feel the tendancy to over grip in the area of the butt.

As you practice with the floor and this attention you will soon find more freedom in your low back and can bring this same attention to all of your postures/exercises.

Good luck and happy arching.
peace,
dianne

[Robert V]

Great info!

Thanks for donating your video.