How the Feldenkrais Method® Can Improve
Riders'
Balance, Posture and Coordination
When you think of a harmonious horse and rider team performing a flawless Grand Prix test, what image comes to mind? Do you think of the rider's tight muscles keeping her in static alignment with her mount? Or do you picture a rider with such refined muscular control that she is able to respond instantly to her horse's every move?
Having strong muscles is certainly useful, but tight, hard muscles interfere with effective riding. A muscle needs to contract when called upon, but it also must be able to relax so that its opposing muscle, known as its antagonist, can contract. This coordination of our muscles is what allows our bodies to move fluidly and elegantly. It gives us the ability to stay in synchronization with our horse, while we effectively guide and support his movements.
But many people keep some of their muscles chronically contracted, which invites movement limitations, pain and fatigue. It also limits our effectiveness in the saddle.
For example, many people hold in their abdominals all the time. What began as a conscious effort soon becomes an unconscious habit. These people often develop back pain and stiffness. They may find it difficult, if not impossible, to follow their horses' movement, since the tightness in the abdomen prevents the lower back from moving freely, inhibits the pelvis, compromises the movement of the hips and limits the freedom of the neck. That's a large price to pay for having a flat stomach!
And it's not just tight abs that get us into trouble. What many people think of as good posture - chest out, shoulders pulled back and spine arched - is ultimately a recipe for painful and limited movement.
Virtually everyone has movement habits that interfere with what they'd like to do. Most are not aware of them. Maybe you stand with more of your weight on one leg. Or you sit with more weight on one seatbone - and you do that whether you're in your car, at your desk or on your horse. Maybe you bring one shoulder forward - always that same shoulder - when you're at your computer. Or you continually sling your purse or briefcase over your shoulder, causing tightness in your shoulder, neck and back.
Because these habits have become a customary part of you, your nervous system tunes out the asymmetries. You don't feel lopsided. And the effects of these movement habits are often not immediately apparent. But their consequences are cumulative and tend to affect more and more parts of ourselves the longer we hold onto them.
Simply put, such "parasitic habits" interfere with our enjoyment of life. The continuous strain they create causes us to tire more easily. We lose the fluidity we had as children. And contracted muscles have less potential power than muscles that are relaxed to their full length. In other words, we can move with greater strength and elegance if we learn to recognize and change these inefficient habits.
And that's where the Feldenkrais Method comes in. As a Guild Certified Feldenkrais PractitionerCM, I have helped many equestrians discover efficient, graceful and pleasurable movement. The Feldenkrais Method is an educational approach that uses gentle, specific movements to develop awareness and improve coordination, balance and posture. Through the Feldenkrais Method, you can find out how you are limiting yourself and learn to attain your full potential.
Learning to move more efficiently is also a great anti-aging strategy. Reducing strain on joints and muscles can eliminate aches and pains and limit the degenerative changes that are normally associated with aging. Not to mention what youthful movement does to one's attitude!
On November 4, I will be teaching a Feldenkrais® workshop for riders, sponsored by the San Diego Chapter of the California Dressage Society. This unmounted workshop will be held indoors in a lovely venue in Carlsbad. All disciplines of riders are invited, including CDS members and non-members.
I will lead participants through gentle movement explorations, called Awareness Through Movement® lessons. These movements were chosen for their usefulness to equestrians and are appropriate for people of all skill levels. Some riding improvements noted by my students include: learning to fine-tune weight aids, gaining a balanced seat, independent hands, elegant posture, refined control of leg aids, freer hips, shoulders that hang naturally, and enhanced "feel."
In addition to learning how to improve riders' movement, I will discuss the similarities between equine and human movement habits, especially as they pertain to bending and collection. Participants will gain a basic understanding of both human and equine biomechanics.
If you wish to move with greater ease, don't miss this November 4 workshop. It promises to be a fun and educational experience. To register, please call Kate Shuster at 858-756-0159 or email her at momkate@aol.com. Space is limited, so please contact Kate today!
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