Callanetics - Meditation In Movement

SweetSue;3207482 said:

Body Beautiful with Sandra Hanna and Karen Oliver

WARMUPS

Up and Down (classic form from 10/10) x 8

Swinging Arms x 6

Underarms
* x 75 in classic form
* x 25 for triceps bend at hips and turn palms to face each other; pulse is up
* x 25 for biceps arms like goalposts, reaching through the elbows, little finger pulsing inwards (relax the ribcage down)
* roll the shoulders before moving on to waist

Waist Stretch x 75 each side
* rotate the raised arm after getting into position
* let the ribcage relax back
* extend the spine and turn the head to look at the shoulder
* outwardly rotate thighs to get the complete stretch

Standing Hamstring Stretch x 20 seconds to center, and to each side
* elbows out and up
* outward rotation of the thighs when settled into position for the complete stretch
* when rounding up, keep knees over heels and connect to the glutes and hamstrings bringing you up

Neck Turns With Neck Roll x 3 to each side
* feel what's going on under the chin, in the neck muscles
* at each side raise the chin to the ceiling

Neck Drops With Flexed Opposing Hand x 2 on each side
* feel the sensations all along the spine
* when flexing the hand, think of letting everything between the hand and the opposing ear gently extend out
* let the shoulder of the flexed hand melt to the floor

ABS

**If you can move more than 1/2" you can extend further. **

Button Abs (foot on thigh and turned out) x 60 each side
* Hands behind head, fingers interlaced, elbows relaxed to the side
* relaxing the head back into the hands will work the abs deeper
* keep pelvic bones aligned and tail bone relaxed to the floor

Single Leg Segue x 60 each side
* extend the lowered leg
* To maximize: lengthen the leg from the waist and line up the pelvic bones, relaxing the extended hip, which will have the effect of lowering the raised leg slightly.
* Work into intensifications slowly.
* extend through the heels

Boat Pose x 10 seconds to release the abs

Push Ups x 10
* shoulder blades nice and broad

LEGS

Pelvic Wave x 3 reps in 5 stations each
* pulse 5 times in the lowest position

Spiral Rotations x 3 to each side
* to one side going down and the other coming up

Pliés x 5
on final drop hold and pulse thighs up for count of 10

Upper Thigh Stretch x 20 seconds each side
* keep hips aligned
* I always try to keep the shoulders even too.

HIP AND BEHIND

New Standing Hips and Behind With Rotation

Position 1: Knee Bent x 60
* Stand with one foot behind the other, planted foot flat, working foot on toes, knee bent to the side.
* Rotate the hips toward the bent knee and then rotate the torso back to face the barre.
* Without moving anything out of place, relax the lower back, press down through the heel of the planted foot, pegging up to lift the working foot. Once it's off the floor, begin pulsing.
* As soon as possible, get to the corkscrew pulse with this one.
* Relax the waist away from the ribs. Let the hip melt down.
* The more you rotate, the more pulling in you're going to see.

Position 2: Leg To The Back x 60

* same starting position, hips rotated away from the barre
* The hip doesn't hike up at all when the foot lifts.
* When the muscles are flexible and strong enough the leg will extend to a straight line. Until then be ok with the knee bending.

A special treat; the transcript of this movement.

"So you're going to stand at your support, and you're going to take your right foot out to the side, right to the back of the heel. Now, lengthen down through the right side, and you're gonna rotate your pelvis to the right, but your torso going to rotate to the left. So keep your pelvis rotated to the right.

Now, keeping your waist relaxed and your back relaxed, just pick your heel up. So nothing must change here (motioning to the right hip area). Up to 60 pulses. You can pulse the knee forwards and backwards. You can even pulse your heels up to the ceiling. The body's stable remember. You don't move the rest of the body. Make sure your pubic bones stay directly under your lower sternum. No arching.

Maybe try a twisting pulse, which is a gentle, rotational twisting, corkscrew movement that targets the hip and behind beautifully, lifting, shaping, pulling in your muscles. Stay pegged up off the standing leg, with your weight in your heels, and relax your kneecaps. Then coming down, let's do this on the other side.

Take the toe behind the heel. Stretching up through the spine, rotate your pelvis to the left. Keep your torso facing the barre or keeping to the front. Relax down your waist and relax the back. Without lifting the pelvis up, pick the heel up, and then pulse.

So that's the trick and the tip to get right into the glutes and get right into lifting the behind. It's not letting your hip hike up to the Ribcage. So really pay attention to this, because it's going to transform your workout. All the Callanetics routines will change for you if you relax your waist down and let the hip just melt. As long as you don't collapse the supporting leg, you're good to go. It feels awesome.

You should relax your shoulders as you stretch up, and the more you rotate, the more you're going to feel the muscles pulling in. This is why I love the rotational movements, because it pulls in, and hugs in the body into the center to give you that beautiful, lean, long, Callanetics shape.

When you're ready to come out, let's go back to the other side. We're now going to stretch the leg out. So you take the leg back. Now here's the thing with this one, when you extend the l g the pelvis tends to tilt to the back, but I don't want you to do this. I want you to bring the pubic bone so it's forward. If the leg bends, so be it.

Rotate the pelvis to the right, your torso to the front. Without letting your hip hike up, lift the foot up. That will take you straight into your buttocks and the outer thigh. Up to 60 pulses. So you can pulse the leg up and down, or, when you're ready, you can try the rotational, twisting pulse, which is that beautiful, smooth, rotational movement. The heel pulses downward, and that tones and lengthens, and shapes the beautiful long, lean legs, toning your outer thighs, and lifting and sculpting your buttocks.

Make sure that you haven't moved your pelvis and relax your waist. It's a letting go sensation. Everything is about relaxing into position and letting go. Nice.... Let's go on the other side.

Stretch the leg back. Relax your back down. So, stretching your spine up, rotate your pelvis to the left. Keep your torso to the front. Lower your ribs. Pay attention to your hip. Lift up, without using your back. This is gonna protect your back, and it's gonna sculpt the buttocks even deeper. Relax your low back down. So making sure that your pubic bone does NOT move back. Keep the weight on your heel. Unlock the standing knee, and keep the pubic bone forward, so you have a neutral pelvis. This is gonna take you deeper into the back of the legs. Don't worry if the leg won't straighten. It'll straighten in time.

The most important position is that you are in your "best position", that's not gonna cause any friction on your joints and your knees, and that's exactly what this position, and this exercise does for you. Just 60 pulses. Relax down the waist. The more you can relax, the more you're going to feel it. You are going to love the sensation of everything just pulling in and lifting up."

Sitting Hips and Behind (do all three movements on one side, then switch)

Knee Bent, Rotational x 60 each side
* you want to feel all the work in the back of the leg

Leg Straight, Rotational x 60 each side
* begin facing forward so you can monitor the transition into position
* move leg correctly from the hip socket
* begin with up and down pulse to get the rhythm, but get to corkscrew ASAP

Inner Thigh Stretch X 50 each side

* targeting the adductors
* heel in line with hip
* chin turned to the shoulder
* hips don't move at all
* keep lifted up off the elbow - no collapsing
* corkscrew pulse, extending through crown and HEEL

STRETCHES

Cross-legged Stretch x 15 seconds each side
* try not to arch the neck and tip the chin up - keep spine extended

Wide Legs x 30 seconds to front

Wide Legs With Rotation x 30 seconds each side
* relax the ribs back into the spine
* sit bones melt to the floor

Seated, Legs To Front, Feet Flexed x 30 seconds
* as long as the pelvis doesn't curl under you can allow your body to melt down
* lengthen sit bones back while flexing feet

Spine Twist (versatile of Heavenly Stretch) x 30 seconds
* begin with arms out to sides
* bring hand on top of other hand when you roll body over, knee relaxed to floor
* relax the ribs back to the spine and let the upper arm arch over to the other side, tracking with your eyes
* keep knee relaxed to the floor as far as is comfortable
* let the chest relax ease and open

Pelvic Scoops x 10
* use the thighs, NOT the abs
* really stretch the low back down before you scoop
* on 10th scoop pulse 10 times

Upper Thigh Stretch x 50 seconds
* keep the neck from falling back
* extend to your best

Pre-squat x 15 seconds

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