To find neutral spine : 1 . Stand normally in front of a mirror with your hands on your hips , just below your waist .
2 . Allow your low back to arch so your stomach juts forward , and your buttocks stick out . Hold your arms up and to the sides , palms of hands up and thumbs outward which moves the shoulders back and down while your torso rises up due to the position of the rotator cuff joint in your shoulder .
3 . Rotate your elbows back ( as if placing a pole between your back and your elbows ) and rotate your wrists and hands towards the body , keeping the torso lifted and shoulders down and back into a graceful position like a ballerina – then raise your arms in front of your body , and then out to the sides , and point hands and fingers out in “ second position ballet arms ”.
4 . As though sitting on a horse and activating your inner leg muscles , pull your legs together without taking a step - thus engaging your lower abdominal muscles tightening the muscles around your stomach , as your low back goes into neutral position and buttock muscles are relaxed .
5 . Move halfway between the forward and back positions to find neutral . Let arms hang down at side of the body and notice whether your hands lie at the side of your body – if the hands are in front , or hands in back – you are not standing in neutral position .
6 . Keeping your pelvis in this neutral position , stand tall with your ears and shoulders lined up over your hips . Focus on the weight of your head and slightly shift until your head feels light and muscles in neck relax .
Practice finding neutral spine in three positions : standing , sitting , and lying on your back with your knees bent . When you can find neutral spine in each position , you can maintain good posture for daily activities , for exercise and dance .
Quick Posture Setting Exercise : Standing , extend arms straight out to side from the shoulders with palm flat facing up . Gently push back 3 times with your arms . Then , change to “ palms flat facing down ” – and gently push arms back 3 times . Return to arms out and palms flat facing up and again push arms back . Lower arms and notice your torso and back are energized and posture improves .
May 2021 � The Belly Dance Chronicles 55