Ice, Ice, Baby
I spent my extra time during our week of ice (cancelled classes) rereading information about fascia and planning tango/yoga classes about how the body is connected from head to toe. I tried to walk most days, despite the ice. With hiking boots for traction, I would only lose my footing a few times. Although I don’t want to fall, attending college in Minnesota taught me how to fall on ice, so I was less worried than some other folks about ending up on my bottom.
During those moments of trying to catch my balance when I slipped, I found myself experiencing the fascial lines in my own body. I am such a geek….
Very quick fascia primer
There are four lines of fascia in each arm, and three functional lines of fascia that connect the arms into the core and legs. The other main lines extend from the feet all the way up to the skull: deep front, superficial front, superficial back, spiral and lateral lines of fascia exist in the body. Each of these lines has a right and left section, or separate (opposite) side. For each line, you can dissect muscles and connective tissue that have a continuous flow, much like a stretchy band or a ribbon. Your body moves using these opposing and/or helping lines of bungee cord because of their interaction with your bones: the forces pull and push, anchored in the skeletal structure (and interwoven with the bones).
Finding your center
When fighting for balance, whether on ice or on tango heels, you can feel the front, side or back of yourself tighten, working to keep your axis perpendicular to the ground. Your opposite arm and leg connect in crosses through the center line of your body, wrapping around your axis: when you flail your arms to catch your balance, or tighten your toes or knees or hips to maintain equilibrium, other body parts react to help you come back to a neutral axis.
Normal walking and standing are things that we learned as toddlers before we could talk. We don’t think in words about doing these quotidian actions. However, walking on ice, like moving in tango, requires a bit more expertise, and allowing yourself to have a deeper awareness of how your body functions will improve your balance and ability to move efficiently. It will also help you fall less, which becomes an issue for ALL of us as we age.
Explore fascia and balance without the ice :-)
Stand on a balance rocker, or just on your bare foot. Can you feel how your foot arch and your toes and ankles subtly adjust constantly? Your brain listens to that interplay (all five main fascial lines start at your feet!), reestablishing your center. Your lateral, front and back lines help hug to the center, while your deep front line does the hard lifting of stabilizing your core up the center.
Stand on one foot and move your other leg: tango adornos, leg swings, or randomly drawing designs on the floor with your big toe. Can you feel how your body twists around your spine to maintain your balance? Are you aware of how your hips need to tip a little as the weight of your leg swings front, side or back? Can you feel how your lateral line helps you stay on top of your standing leg, rather than tipping off the side?
Walk forward and feel how the right and left sides of the body twist in contrabody movement to balance your skull while you are in motion. Now stop on both feet and feel how steady that neutral position feels.
Try a front ocho to experience how the spiral lines of fascia (you have two) help your body pivot and regain neutrality, and then pivot again.
If you don’t like to make yourself do drills and explorations, then meet me in class, where we can all experiment together AND have fun dancing at the same time!