Re: SPLIT TOPIC: Sitting Posture Posturing
Hi Taigu
Point taken. But throwing ideas and opinions’ around surely cannot be a bad thing as long as it results in continued discussion as is happening now. I have used riding as an example because in a sense it mimics the problem of establishing an appropriate seat. Many riders go their entire life without achieving this. I was struck by your video talking about establishing the lower body foundation by integrating into the earth – a foundation – and – the upper body growing out of that foundation, independent relaxed and flexible. Look at the rider in the photo; she is not sitting on a stable cushion but rather a moving object that would have any learner rider bouncing right out of the saddle.
Many riding coaches are forever saying ‘legs back, lean forward, drop the hands’ etc etc. I am great believer in exercises to establish the objective. For example when I am trying to teach the seat I will often say ‘ride like a queen’ then ‘ ride like a sack of potatoes’ then, ‘relax, ride normal’ . These extreme exercises develop feel for what is needed – which is exactly the same as your objective. Another example is that many riders will quickly accept uneven stirrups as normal. Take those stirrups way for half an hour then the moment they take them back up again they feel the unevenness immediately. The point being that we quickly start to accept the incorrect as correct and normal. A ballerina; does she just perform her dance steps? No. She spends 90% of her time performing exercises that are often quite extreme and beyond what she does in performance.
I truly believed that what I wrote about supported everything that you have said, and still do. I took great attention to your teaching and was immediately struck by the similarity with something I have worked with for over 50 years. That is all.
Cheers
M
Hi Taigu
Point taken. But throwing ideas and opinions’ around surely cannot be a bad thing as long as it results in continued discussion as is happening now. I have used riding as an example because in a sense it mimics the problem of establishing an appropriate seat. Many riders go their entire life without achieving this. I was struck by your video talking about establishing the lower body foundation by integrating into the earth – a foundation – and – the upper body growing out of that foundation, independent relaxed and flexible. Look at the rider in the photo; she is not sitting on a stable cushion but rather a moving object that would have any learner rider bouncing right out of the saddle.
Many riding coaches are forever saying ‘legs back, lean forward, drop the hands’ etc etc. I am great believer in exercises to establish the objective. For example when I am trying to teach the seat I will often say ‘ride like a queen’ then ‘ ride like a sack of potatoes’ then, ‘relax, ride normal’ . These extreme exercises develop feel for what is needed – which is exactly the same as your objective. Another example is that many riders will quickly accept uneven stirrups as normal. Take those stirrups way for half an hour then the moment they take them back up again they feel the unevenness immediately. The point being that we quickly start to accept the incorrect as correct and normal. A ballerina; does she just perform her dance steps? No. She spends 90% of her time performing exercises that are often quite extreme and beyond what she does in performance.
I truly believed that what I wrote about supported everything that you have said, and still do. I took great attention to your teaching and was immediately struck by the similarity with something I have worked with for over 50 years. That is all.
Cheers
M
ops: (I blame fever! :wink: )
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