Class #571

Therapeutic Mat

55 min - Class
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Description

Join Niedra for this individualized Beginner class for a student with a stiff shoulder, using some pre-Pilates exercises as well as additional therapeutic movements to address problems of tight shoulders and stiff upper backs.

Some of the exercises are done independently by the student and some are assisted by Niedra. Enjoy!
What You'll Need: Mat, Pilates Pole

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Transcript

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Okay. So sandy seeing it's you and me today. Um, and you told me that you have tightness in the shoulders. Let's start with some stretches for the shoulders and just some things and then we'll go some of the mat work using the openings that you've kind of already ad address. So just to start out, I would like you right here against, we're gonna use these two panels here. You can come up and just stretch forward. So you're going to put your hands one on each panel and fundamental. Now take your bottom backwards and lets the hands are just a little bit higher than the hips.

And now the big thing I want you to do is stretch your shoulders or your elbows. So the elbows are very straight. Walk your feet further back, feet, go back and go back. Feet go back. And here we go. Normally you have a lot. This is a area that's common for people to get tight. I want you to really push down there and keep your elbows very straight. Yes, that's it. So you get a deep stretch.

That's an open sandy. Open your feet, hip width apart. Bend your knees and press the chest down even further. Stretch your elbows. Yeah, so we start to get the shoulders stretching and this part of the back starting to move. And I straighten your knees. Good. And then come back up. How did that feel? Do you know? I really felt it was in my hamstrings. That's fine. I don't have a problem with that. I don't have a problem with that.

Now come on down. And that's how you stand against the panel there. And when you stand, you want to have your hand exactly. Shoulder height with the fingers going backwards. Okay, now first thing is shoulders are down. Yeah. Now stretch your elbow. So you're rolling your shoulder. Stretch your elbow, shoulders rolling way back. Your chest is lifting up even more back with the shoulder.

And now we all do it this side. So now without changing anything with the chest, start walking your feet to the front. So you're going to turn your chest, you're going to turn, walk your feet, walk your feet, walk your feet. Don't walk your feet away from you. Keep them under you, but you're going to rotate. Yes. So you getting a stretch into here.

That's what you're looking to do to really open up this little area that gets so tight. Keep your elbow straight. That's it. And hold it. Can you walk a little bit further? Not Out. Turn your chest to face the front and then come back. So let me just explain what you're going for. You don't need, I mean, so here you are. You have this plane.

Your feet are right under your hips. It's like you're like this. It's like your t shape. So there you are. Now very important because this is the line that often happens with the shoulders. The shoulders up. Now you're still a little on a diagonal. Get your feet right under you. Now stretch your elbow. Now once you have this plane, nothing changes with the arm, but you start to turn your chest to face the front to the arms going back.

It's going to start to stretch into this area and keep your elbow straight because it's gonna want a buckle. You don't have your hand just to hear too high. Stretch your elbow, right? Even more lifting and that's it. So you're getting the stretch. Eventually when your shoulders are looser, you should be able to get exactly, really turned and nice. Stretch elbow. Good. Then come back to straight. Now stretch your elbow again. So now your justice, your collarbone and chest is facing me.

I feel. Yes, it's going to stretch everything. Sometimes it'll even stretch your fingers out because it's pulling the nerves all the way up. So no nice lift. Now you're going to start walking forward and you're going to come closer, but you don't want us to let the chest come in, say walking towards me, walking towards me, walking towards me. But that feel that I know you feeling it by your face. Nice lift of the chest and you would constantly want to feel the shoulder blades gliding down.

So obviously you can keep your bottom and everything else in place. That's not right. Now we're just focusing and getting intense opening in here. Yes, and just hold it and breathe and you'll feel the tissue just start to give. If you stay with it, you can feel this kind of opening start to happen. Okay, good. Relax the arms still attached. That's turned around and have you, let's have you come over here. So I'll face you to help you.

So first of all, make sure the hand is exactly shoulder your shoulder height. So the hand is sold a height, the sternum is lifted, the shoulders are back. You want the sense of your feet right under your head so you get your feet a little bit more. They're there, they're there now without. So this is your vertical plane and now you start walking and see if you can focus on this joint. Yes, that's it.

So all of this is starting to stretch. The shoulder blade is gliding down your back and you opening up the inner line of the arm because that too starts to get short and tight and this is opening and lifting and that looks very good. And just breathe into it and let yourself kind of be present. Good. Okay. Come back and face me again. Just kind of setting up elbows, straight, chest, straight feet going straight forward. Nice and long. You can even, this is nice, this little ledge, you can have your fingers there now start walking towards me, but you'll have to do this diagonal because he goes, you will start, but try to keep your chest face. That's it. Your chest is facing me.

That's it. And you're walking and you're looking straight ahead. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So some people when they have pretty loose shoulders can come right up against the wall and that's what you're going for. To really get that. Yeah. Sometimes if you just know it's possible means that something happens and you're striving the whole time to keep, that's okay. The chest, that it's a, this is coming forward so it opens up.

Yeah. So more than that, this chest comes forward cause you're stretching that line in there. Okay. Relax. That was very good. Okay, let's change places again. So now we'll do the same thing, but we have the arm up. So you stand on both feet. This sense of your chest facing me.

Testis is facing me. The fingers are wrapped back. Lift the sternum way up. So even if the shoulders are coming up or when the rib cage up in, first of all, roll towards the middle of the room, stretch the album. So big. That's it. That's it. So all of this, you look at all of that movement, starting to come in there and stretch the elbow and reach it up and imagine you're reaching to the sky and then come back to face me. Big Lift long or make sure it's nice. This, this is good to have this grip and then walk forward and think of your shoulder going up and over the rib cage up and over the rib cages at rolls back.

Big Stretch. Oh No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's it. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. And relax. Okay. [inaudible] we're going to change trade places.

So the fingers are wrapped around your chest is facing front. Big Lift in the way. Speak. And then first of all, role to face the front. No big stretch of the elbow. Stretch it, lift up. That's it. That's an lifted stomach up to my chest. That's it. So it's you're really taking your whole skeleton and just trying to stretch it out.

Very good. Come back to the center. Nice lift of the chest, hips tie, nice grip. And what? Come come a little bit further out. Away from the wall, Sandy. That's it. Now you're a little bit on a diagonal. Make sure your feet are under you and then walk forward. Walk forward and at the shoulder roll up and back over the rib cage. Yes, yes. That's it. That's it. That's it.

And come on out. Very nice. Bring your hands down. Roll the shoulders around that probably starting to feel a whole lot more like new places waking up. And we're gonna trade with places one more time and we'll do the low version. So standing up, big lift of the sternum. The hand is right there. And first of all, so as you go, use it, turn the hand and roll the shoulder back.

Lift the shoulder up a bit for you. That's it. Yes. Yes. Stretched your elbow and literally use your hand to push into the, into the wall. That'll help give even more lift into there. Yeah. Then come back to straight. So you're looking at me. Keep that shoulder up and back like that and walk forward towards the wall.

[inaudible] keep this up and back right now. Okay, good. That's chain sites. So nice lift in the chest and start by rotating towards the middle of the room. Rolling the the the whole cuff out. Elbow out there. That's what you're looking. Yes, yes.

That feeling. Wonderful. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Then come back to keep this shoulder cuff rolled back and start to walk forward. Walk forward, walk forward. Keep it rolling up and back. Just to get that to start to open and then relax. Very, very, very good. Roll the shoulders up and down. Now let's see. Do we have a broom stick around this place?

These are the old tools I heard Joseph is used to use in his studio. Have a stick. So let's see. Let's stand with your feet hip with the part and you want your hands, the width of the stick, width of the stick. So you've got the neck. Yes. Now lift your chest up.

And as you start to bring the arms up and keep the shoulders down, that's it. But I want the arms straight. Take them up. Now lift your chest. And even if your shoulders come up, let's see if you can go back with them. Bring them up and forward. So as you go back, Sandy, what's happening is you're doing this and I want your arms straight and I want you to go as far back as you can go. Why don't you come a little bit forward towards me? Stretch the elbows and you go as far back as you can.

Yes. And bring them up and bring them down again. So let's have you turn to face the front. Lift your chest, start to bring the arms up, lift the arms up. Now lift the sternum even more and go as far back as you can. Keep both arms even. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Bring them up and down. Good. And again, lift the arms up.

Lift your sternum. And this is just the start. Go on it. I think you can go all the way almost and against stretcher, elbow. Good and saving and bring them out up and over again. So shoulders are not exactly even yet, but we're working towards it. Broad shoulders, lift the arms up and just go as far as you can, but keep the I want.

I don't want you to go back with the arms bend. Good. And bring the arms up and down. Now bring your stick a little closer to the hands. A little closer together, right. Lift your sternum again and lift the arms up again. So the most important thing is that you stay even. Yes, start taking the arms back as far as they will go. The important thing is that you get the stretch long, elbows long and bring the arms down. So all you're doing, so you just gonna go back and forth like this again. If the arms up, take this down, lift and go with, keep the elbows long because that keeps it very pure in the stretch. Good.

And bring the arms down and again, bring the arms up, lift the sternum. Shoulders are down, live long elbows. That's it. That's it. That's it. And back down. Are you getting a stretch by the way? I think so. You think so? You're not sure? Well, you know, I feel it like in here actually.

That's fine because it's all connected. If you're getting it in the center of your back, that's fine. It's different for each person. Lift, lift, lift. Cause you looked tight when we did that first stretch. You look tight in there. Stretch your elbows, reach with the arms even a little further now good.

And come back down. Now you're going to bring your hands a little closer together. Again. Lift your chest. Good. Start to bring the arms up, bring them up, bring them up, bring them up. So right now, I don't mind if you let the shoulders go up, up with the shoulders and back as far as you can go, but even good. And bring the arms down. And again, if the arms up, lift up the ribs, lift up the chest and reach the arms up and back up and back. And imagine the head going long, long, long, long, long up. That's it.

That's it. And down. And again, lift the arms, lift the chest, lift the sternum, take the arms back, take the arms back, take the arms back and bring the arms down. Good. Now take your stick and place it underneath the shoulder blades. My stick is too short, but your stick will be longer. So when you're here, this is a lovely place to get the shoulders ironed down so you feel this wrapping backwards. It's going to take a while to soften these muscles and change the shape of the rib cage. But this is the right shape.

Now pull the stomach up and narrow your hips. And with this position I want you to bend to the right and come back up and bend to the left and come back up and bend to the right and come back up. Keeping the shoulders down. Yes, bend to the lap and come back up. Bend to the right and come back up one more time like this and bend to the left and come back up. Now still with the the stick here, keeping your hips square. You are just going to twist side to side, but keep your head lifted.

Keep that at sandy and twist so you look in the direction you're twisting. Good and look in the direction you're twisting. But keep the chest lifting and twist and twist and twist a long stomach long ways and twist two more times and twist. Very good and twist all. Okay, now bring the stick back. And now with your legs apart, bring the arms in front of you. Or now pull the shoulders down. That's it. So you want that feeling of the shoulder.

Now lift the arms up without the shoulders coming up. Good. Bring the hands back and bring the hands down so that broad shoulders there. Keep the shoulders there and see if you can float the arms up without the shoulders going up. Good, sandy and out. And again, broaden the shoulders. Good. Lift the arms up again, keeping the shoulders wide and down. Broaden the shoulders again. Good. And one more time. Lift, lift, lift the chest. Good.

And bring the hands down. Very, very nice. Okay, let's take the stick and place it down here for right now. And standing with your hands here. Now this is the natural placement that most of us have. So see if you can get a sense of the call. Yes. So the shoulders are on the side of the rib cage and then make sure the elbows are a little bit more forward. Yeah, that's it.

And the hands are right in front of you. Like keep the elbows right where they are. An open and close and open and closed. Good and open. Yes, and close and open and close and open and close and open and close and open and close and open and close. Now lift your chest, press your shoulders, then open again.

I'll keep the shoulders pushing down. As you stretch your arms out, bring the arms out, shoulders are down. Bend the elbows back. Bring the Hansen, press elbow heads out, stretch the arms out. Bring the hands back, bring them in and again, out. Extend and back and in and press and out and bend and in. One more time and out and lift and back and in.

And now bring the hands down. But keep the elbows wide. That's it. Bend them all the way up. Bend them all the way. No, bend them off. Bend them down. Keep lifting your head, your chest. That's it. Every time as you warm the body, there's more space to kind of move into a new plane and down. I'm press and down. I'm pressed. Very good and don your arms out, but don't let yourself collapse.

Now see, we're focusing, this is specifically for you today. This is a stretch. I'm going to do a stretch with you on the math that actually I used to do years and years and years ago in London. We used to do at the studio over there. It's a lovely stretch that I haven't seen very often. I'm going to stretch you. You're going to sit over here, so have a look at what's going to happen. You, I'm going to be sitting behind me. You're going to be sitting like this.

Gonna roll down like this. Roll back up in the first time. I'm just, you're just going to hold onto your own knees and have a big lift. I'll have my knees behind your back and you will have a big lift and just have a sense of stretching back. Second time you'll have your hands here. So I'll be gently stretching your elbows back over my knees. And we'll probably do that two or three times. And then the third one, your elbows are gonna go from up and open out.

So it's going to be a wonderful opening for the whole chest area. So I want you to sit with your back to me and your knees bent and your feet flat. Open your feet a little bit wider on the Mat, right? And hold on behind your knees. Just that, that is nice and easy. Now sit up as straight as you can and if future.

So that's so we're striving, this is just your straight position. So a few pull on your legs a little bit with your hands, but if you chest and pull your shoulders back, elbows out a little bit, elbows out, look straight ahead. So nicely lift there. Just looking straight. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Okay. Take a breath in. And first of all, breathing out ground and roll backwards. Roll backwards. But keep the shoulders down. Yes. [inaudible] roll back up and start stacking up from here right now.

Big. That's it. So your look now take a big breath in and then breathing out. Start leaning back over backwards. No backwards. Backwards. Keeping the neck long and lean back over my knees. Not your, your chest. So that's what you want. Your head is thinking. I'm going to move my hands for a minute so you have a sense of what's gonna Happen. That's what I want to happen. So your back all?

Yes Sandy. That's so good. Come back up nice and long. Lifted up through the whole spine there. Really lift up out of the waist. Excellent. And then round your back and round. Shoulders down away from your year and roll up again. One bone at a time. We want this.

So to get to the shoulders started the base of the ribs. You remember you were saying that that's where you feel the work. A lot of it's going to, all of this area has to soften. So now clasp your hands behind your neck. Take a deep breath, shoulders down. If you can, take a deep breath in and lift up the sternum. Lift, lift, lift, lift, and start bending back over my knees. Then back, bend back and let your head drop into your hands. Yes, yes. And try and relax the armpits. Try to relax the chest.

Imagine you're like butter. That's a keep letting go variable. Letting go. Let the elbows go. Let the Chescow. There it is. Oh yes. Come back up again. Grab your own knees and round your back. Roll back. Shoulders down, shoulders down, right. Very curved.

Good. And again, we're doing this again. Up You come. One, two, three, four. Lift the chest even more. Oh yes, that's it. That's what we're looking to get all of this rib cage to move to another place, but your head stays straight. Head is straight. That's straight. Clasp your hands behind your head. Take shoulders out, down, lift your sternum way up and back. You can, that's it. Let the elbows go. That's it. Keep right where my knees are.

Try to relax and let those bones go into your body. Yes. And let imagine them pushing your heart and ribcage forth so the front of your body opens. It has to keep softening that your head fall into your hands. Yes, come back up. Good and all over Europe. Hold your knees. There we go. One more time. Take a breath in. Lifting up, lifting up, lifting up. This lifts sternum. With that.

These bones look straight ahead. Yes. Clasp your hands behind your head class. Imagine this feeling lifted just more, even more. That's it, Sandy. And start coming back, back, back, back, back, back, back. Let the elbows go. Yes. Let the armpits go. Let the elbows go. That's let the chest open. Keep relaxing.

Relax the chest even more. Let it widen. Feel it. Stretch. Yes. Look how much you are opening right now. Awesome. That was terrific and rule. Now we're doing it one last time and this one's going to be what I call going for all the junk. Lift up your chest now. Just the weight class for your hand. Lift up your chest. Good.

Clasp your hands behind your head. Bring your elbows together, lift your chest up. Now lift up and started. Lift up and going with the elbows to ceiling, elbows to the ceiling. Keep lifting your chest, elbows up and back towards me. Elbows go up and back. Up and back. Up and back. Don't let them go out yet. Just that's it. That's a try to relax into the stretch. Now, slowly, I'm going to let your elbows go out and just keep softening the armpits.

Soften the opposite. Just keep letting go. Letting go, letting go, letting go, letting go. That's it. Everything opens, opens a little bit more, little bit more that that chest open. Okay. And come back up and relax. Oh, okay. That was very good. Like right. Yes, yes. Yeah. The these muscles are, you feel them. They're very, very tight right now.

So all of this has to soften so you can, Eh, things have to change. But that was great because you really got into the area, which was terrific. Now turn around to face me and let's have you stretch your legs out and we'll just do a little bit of work. We've been know you're gonna do. Your legs are going to be here. Why don't you to flex your feet as much as you can and spread your toes as much as you can. Right now, press your toes down and stretch your toes down so you really work the feet as low down as you can. Now [inaudible] from here, just lift the toes up.

Just the toes. That's so you pull the toes up and spend even the little toe has to go up. Right? Spread the toes. Now Flex your feet. Now pull them all the way up and push your heels towards me and pull the heels up up above. Bababababa spread your toes. That's it. Now press the balls of the feet down again and curl the toes way, way, way down. As much as you can. One more time.

Pull the toes up and flex your feet as much as you can. Flex, flex, pull the toes, spread them. That's as you open them up. Believe that or not. That's good for your shoulders to press the balls of the feet down and press the toes all the way down. Okay. So let's turn around and have the feet on the floor and just crunch your toes under.

You crunch them up and crunch them up and crunch them up and crunch them up. So you start to soften in the feet and cause when one part of the body gets different type for sure. Other parts of getting stiff and tight, crunch them up, crunch them up. So you see how I'm actually pulling the toes under me on the floor? Pull the toes under. Yes. See you start to get those metatarsal start to wake up good and pull them up and pull them up and pull them up and pull them up.

Okay, good. Now isn't it? Yeah, because it wakes up the feet and believe it or not, that will have repercussions onto the rest of the body and the feet get very stiff. Then they the owl, then all the nerves get tight. Now I'm starting to see all these little bones wake up in your, these are your men. They should be standing up like the knuckles in your hands, but they're still tight. But they are a little bit, you say if I push a little bit, there's your knuckles, you see them. This foot's a little bit, but they're your little knuckles. So you want them to just do a few more to even get those knuckles to kind of appear. Yes. And one, two more times.

Press and pull. And two more times. I always say two more times, but I never mean it. Push and pull. So very, very good. Also, now let's come up and do a little bit of crawling up the wall. So standing now come a little bit closer to me.

So it will be standing at Pilati stents. Hey, now when you stand, I want you to lift all five toes up off the floor the way you did a minute ago, but lift the r-chop. Do you see how this arch is really dropped? Yes. Now you have the outer part of the foot working. Really spread the toes. Now as you put the foot back down, I want you to spread the toes down on the floor, but keep your arches lifting, right so you have your little toes, big toe, little toe and heel and the arch up. No, you don't want your big toe lifting up so you have, you will if you'd work right, we're going to fix your body, the shoulders and lift the toes again. Lift the toes. Presently you're out of foot. You see there's your arch. Don't lift so much that your big toe comes off. Keep your big toe down.

No big toe joint. I meant like the Bunyan. You don't have Bunyan's butt. Lift the toes. When you lift the toes, you can feel these two planes, the big toe and the little toe planar. Now make sure you're out. A foot is pressing. There's you arch. There it is. Now when you put your toes down, don't shift your weight and don't collect the art. You have to keep lifting up there. That's a good foot.

Now keep that. Pull your thighs up and then start to stand up. Your weight is going to be totally different because your whole outer body is going to lift more and oh my goodness will, how much better you look already. Awesome. So you need to kind of place yes, yes, yes, yes. So when you're standing, you play check that you're not dropping your feet down because that's gonna make your shoulders drop. So now with your chest, let's just put the fingers on this wall. I say if I asked you to move an inch forward, would you lose your feet? Walk your feet forward. Yes.

So double check again, put, lift the toes of, lift the toes as high up as you can. Spread them precedent of the outer foot in your case. But don't. Not so much that your big toe joint drops. Now put the toes down without losing the pressure into the outer foot. Yes. Now pull your thighs up and if you chest and put your hands on the on the window, little bit wider.

Now keep me start to press. We've been working these shoulders down without this is keeps pressing down and start walking your fingers up the wall. Your elbows can go wide. I think if you lift your elbows a bit, that's it. So you have this little little indentation and then walk your hands back down again. Good.

Bring your hands a little closer together. Little bit. Maybe a little closer. We have to walk. Climb up the window again. This called spiders up the wall, but when you go up, I want this. Yes. And there's a little dimple here. I'm want to see and you've got it. And then walk your hands down.

Very good. Now Walk your feet a little closer in. Check your feet that your feet are grounded correctly. Arches are lifted. Your waist is lifted, your sternum is lifted. Your shoulders are wide. Yes. Walk up the wall again. Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk. Good. Sandy. And walk down. Good. One more time. Walk Up. Walk Up. Walk Up. The higher the hands go, the more this area pulling is pulling down and you're looking very good.

And walk down again. And guess what? You're going to walk an inch closer to the wall, right? Check your feet. Check your arches. That's it. Lift the toes. Lift the toes again. Really lift the inner r-chop, spread your toes. Keep the outer part of the foot down and put the toes down so that you feel that big toe joint, little toe joint in heel. Yes, that is looking very good. Nice. Lift through this fine broad shoulders, fingers, and walk the hands up. Hap Up.

Uplift the ways they've, that's it. Walk the hands down. Very good. One more time. Walk the hands up, walk the hands up, walk the hands up and walk the hands down. Very nice. Now take your left hand and place it on this little ledge. So it's going to be your anchor and take your right hand.

I'll be here and you're going to do that. Now when you do that, you are externally rotating, so I want you to now lift the stomach up and all you're gonna do is as the hand comes up, the shoulder stays down to stretch the arm up as much as you can, but keep this down and bring the hand back. So when these muscles, you were saying how these muscles are really tight, they're going to want to jump into play. So as you go up, I want you to go up slow and work very strongly to engage here. And don't let, if you feel this starting that your limit, you don't go beyond that point. Start to lift up again right here. You're fine. Stretch the arm out, hold it, reach, drop the shoulder down. That's it. Now start to see if you can keep going up and that's it.

That's it. Keep going up, going up, going up, going up. [inaudible] I can feel you fighting for the correct way and that's it. Yes, yes. And bring the hand down again. So now it jumped into play. Did you feel that? Never mind, but you've got the right idea. Let's do it takes a few times to retrain the muscles again. Shoulders are back.

Short hand is that. Keep this going down and just keep working. And if you bring the hand a little forward, it may help. Good, good. Keep working it up. Shoulder down. You're working really hard. Yeah, that's it. Don't go any further because this is starting to fight in. Just hold it there for a minute and see if you can keep this. That's it.

And bring the hand out. So a lot of work, retraining the muscles and some of it. So let's do the, sorry, let's do the other side. Put your hand here. Nice and nice there. Make sure you're really lifted and wrote in external rotation. That's it, Sandy. That was so good. Keep lifting long if you can. That's it. But the most important yet.

There you go. So don't rush the straighten the elbow because it makes us jump into play. Bring the hand down again. So you'll have to kind of, especially when you have certain patterns your body's used to doing to retrain, you have to kind of go slow and pay a lot of attention, which you're doing so well. That's it. That's it. This stays down and that's it. That's it. Keep going. Keep going. This stays down. [inaudible] hard work and back down. Good.

And one more time. Like this lift. Lift. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. Lifting, lifting shoulder down [inaudible] and come back down. Okay, excellent. Turn around and roll your shoulders. It's a lot of concentrated work, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Now, now we're going to do, so you've been working on learning to lift the arm.

Now we're going to do the reverse. I'm just going to stretch you like you just sit like this. Your feet out just right, right down. And let's actually, oh, this is great. We have a stick. So hold onto the stick and stretch your arms up over your head.

So now all I want you to do, let's have your hands a little closer. Lengthen the elbows. Your shoulders are going to go up. Now we're just looking to traction the spine. So lift your chest and lift as much as you can and you're going to stretch up and relax. Lock your elbows and try to reach up and lean back into me with your head.

That's it. So you get length and back. And one more time lifting, lifting. There it is now. Hips down, long spine. That's it. So your whole body gets long and relaxed. So that just stretching. Another part of who you are.

How did that feel? Do you know that a lot of people when they get all slumped, when I do that, they just love it so that the time you just let the soldiers go there, whatever happens to them happens to them, you know? Um, I had what was called frozen shoulders and after that it really wasn't frozen children. [inaudible] interesting. I think when women go through menopause, a lot of times you hear about that happening to them and it's diagnosed as a lot of different things. It was several doctors diagnosed differently cause they kept sending me to someone else. Yeah. It was frozen shoulders. It was fiber moralgia anyway, um, and they put now cortisone, which I didn't, I only took two and I, I said, no, no, this is too scary. I don't want this stuff. Took me probably two weeks to get off my to [inaudible] but in the end all it was, is it somebody had taken me off of birth control pills, cold Turkey.

My body had withdrawals from hormones and that actually caused it. And once I went back on my shoulders to reforming. Wow. Wow. Amazing. I mean, I couldn't even dress, I couldn't even lift my arms that my husband had to do it. Wow. Amazing. It's amazing that I had a lot of different things in there in that trying to get over it until somebody found the cause. Okay. Well what we'll do here is you'll be lying on your back with the stick, working to stretch the shoulders and down, and then you'll start, we'll start doing this movement where you go back and forth learning to really isolate the armpit. So just why did you lie down right here.

Okay. I take, and I've always had really stiff shoulders for that. Just [inaudible]. Yeah. For most of. So I want you with your knees bent, it's just gonna make things a little bit easier. Bend your knees, right? So right here we're working to get all there, all of this length through the spine and Preston shoulders. Now lift this. First of all, just stretch the shoulders away from the Mac, no to the ceiling.

So you're going to lift up and then press them down into the mat, down into the mat, down right and lift up again. Lift the shoulders away from the Mat. That's it. And then press them down into the mat and lift them up into them, away from the mat and down. And one more time. Lifting up and pressing down now. So there's two movements. It's up and down. And then this, pull your shoulders to your ears and then pull them away from your ears.

That's it. And pull them through your ears and pull them away from your ears and pull them to your ears and a way. And one more time to your ears and away. Now when they're away from your ears and they're down into the mat, start floating them towards me without them coming up to start coming up towards me, stretching them, keeping the ribs down at the same time. So this is where it gets tricky because you have to really soften into the armpits and you're doing extremely well. Yes, yes, yes. That's it. This is getting much better, Sandy.

And then bring the arms up and take them towards your thighs. But as they go down, keep them wide so that they don't come away from the Mat. Again. Lift the arms up, that's it. And over, over, over keeping the armpits opening. So you really have to figure out how to soften. And at the same time keep the arms long if you can.

So there's that catch 22 because all the muscles in the arms have to stretch as well. And then bring the arms down to your thighs, all the way down to the thighs. Broad shoulders and again, keeping the ribs long. Shoulders, long, elbows, long, long, long elbows. Good and down to your thighs. And one more time lifting. Try to keep the [inaudible] starting. Look how much more movement is starting to come in now. This is really lovely law and now we're going to work with the elbows all the way down to your size.

Yes. So try to get the shoulders as much as you can, but now you're going to take the elbow straight all the way back so the shoulders will change. The nature of them was in the lift the arms up and I'd take them back and keep the elbow song. So now extend through the fingers. So think more of length as far as you can go. Stretching the elbows and then bring the arms up and down to your size and keep the rest long. Good. Broad shoulders. Good. Lift the arms up again and keep the ribs down.

Ah Huh. And long and keep the wrist long and that's it. And down, back down to your size. Good. Keep the shoulders nice and wide again. If the arms up and lengthen.

Now think of this going one direction and reaching through the fingers, through the fingers. Stretch the elbows long with a, that's it and down. And one more time. Lifting up, lifting up. Take the arms all the way back, all the way back, all the way back and then come back up and all the way down to your ties. Okay, Sandy, come on up to a standing position again and we'll do a few of the exercises that Romana used to do with me called Casta Nets. So first of all, with the hands in front of you, bring your thumb and little finger together and out and really spread the fingers. Now, fourth finger and out and third and out and index finger. And now standing with the arms to the side.

Lift the chest, stretch your elbows and little finger and fourth and third and index finger and again, little and ring and third and index. And again, little fourth, third and one more time. Index, a middle finger and index. Now cast the nets. You're going to bring them in and circle them out and little fingers. Circle them in and out and circle women and, and circle them in and out there. Now reverse it, circle and open them out. Circle and open them out.

Circle and open them out and circle and open them out. Say your arms. [inaudible] amazing how much work it is for nothing. Yeah, yeah, but they've had to feel good. Now, don't they? Wonderful. Let's take your stick again and this is the beanbag exercise, which you traditionally you do with a weight on it, but just stretch the arms in front of you. Lift your chest and start to wrap your hand around the stick. Rapid and rapid and rapid. Keep your chest lifted raw.

So you're rolling the stick. Roll it and rolling. So it's starting to make all the muscles in your arms work every time. Stretch the hand and rapid. Stretch the hand. Stretch it. So Sandy, as much as you can, hand his back. That's it. That's it. And now you'll reverse it.

So you're gonna pull the stick back towards you. Pull it back, pull it back every time. Open the hand and close it. Open the hand and close it. Open and close. Open and close. Open and close. Open and close. That's it. Stretch, stretch, stretch, stretch, stretch, stretch, and stretch. Okay, I'll take the stick. Shake your hands out. Shake the hands. That's it. Yes. All this tingling movement. Now hands in front. Turn them back to back.

Cross them and clasp your fingers together. Bring the hands in towards you. Now bring your elbows together and see if you can stretch them out. Bring them back. Bring them in again. And as you bring them in, bring your elbows as close together. That's it.

Really, really close and see if you can stretch as far as you can. And even if you can't, it doesn't matter, just it's just the kind of loosened up all the bones in the fingers and the risks. One. Okay, we'll flip does matter. I usually do three and three but doesn't matter. Bring the home bed, bring it in, elbows together, stretch. There you go. And back again. Bring it in and stretch and back.

One more time. Bring it in and stretch and back. Now have a look in one more time. The other side which was a little bit stickier for you. Bring it in and okay.

And back. Two more times. Always good to do the less effective side and back one more time and stretch and back. Okay. Clasp your hands. Shake your hands out for a minute. Class, sphere and fingers. Hands above your head. Hands right above your head. And now lift your chest and just stretch your arms up. Stretch and right to get them to straight outset.

Bend them back again. Lift your chest and stretch again and tried to stretch and you're looking to try and get them right there and back. One more time and stretch. And I'll take the hands back towards behind you. Lift your chest, stretch your elbows. That's it's, make that okay. Bring the hands down. Have a look at your hands.

See you have your right index on top. Other index on top. Yes. Same thing again. Class stretch, stretch, stretch. Stretch your elbows. Lift your ribs all the way up and back. And again, stretch, stretch, stretch into the elbows and back. One more time. And stretch and lift and back. Bringing the hands down.

Shake them out. So just to finish, we'll do a standing mermaid. You want to stand now? Turn this hand out the, let's do the right hand. Okay. Bring the hand up. Bring it right up by your outstanding in front of you so you can see what you're doing. Now tighten the hips and bend to the left and stretch the right arm out and come back down. Turn the left hand down, lift the arm up.

Try to get it right by your ear. Right up, right up, right. Even if the shoulders up right now, the Sitz find out the shoulder, so you pull up as much as you can. Slide this hand down and stretch the left arm out as far as you can go. Turn this hand out again. Again, lift up right by your ear. Lift your chest and wrap the hand around your head.

Now keep that and slide down so it's deeper. Stretch into this whole right side of the ribs and come back and again, lift the arm up. Rapid round and slide. Opening the left side of the ribs. Opening your chest and come back up. And one more time. Lift up rapid. Round your head, slide to the left. Stretch the arm out. Really pull with it.

Try and lengthen into the fingertips. Come back up and other side lifting up. Slide way, way, way over. Stay here now stretch the arm. Stretch, straighten it, straighten it, straighten it, straighten it. Straightness and come back up. Okay. Roll the shoulders. Make sure you lift your toes up so you lift the arches up. Make sure you're pressing into your outer foot. That's it. Lift the toes one more time. Uh, sandy good. Put the toes down.

Get Nice and tall. Take a deep breath in and breathing out. Let everything go. So you did very wary. Well.

Comments

Nieda, loved this class. Going to be placed into my favorites and at least once a week going to try to do this class- THANKS!
Awesome. At the beginning of the class, I was thinking of a client this would be great for. At the end of the class, I'm thinking I need to do this series for myself every other day!
Great info. I will use this knowledge for my clients.Thanks
Niedra your my hero. I love the way you incorporate with hands-on instruction, assisted stretching and bodywork. Powerful, effective instruction. Lovely!
Amazing job Niedra! Watching one on one classes are superb! I hope you'll do more in the future.
Niedra Gabriel
I am so glad to get this feed back from you all, I do love hands on work and consdier it makes a HUGE difference for lcients although more modern trainigs discoruage this due to our current culture but I often feel that clients do not know how far they are capable of going - otherwsei they woudl apply themselves so they simply wont achieve the same results without somehone putting them there. mayeb not too esoterically it is like a transmission of a vision directly into their bodies.
Anyhow - I am perhaps old fashioned in simply wanting peopel to get just how capable they really are.
Niedra - You are never old fashioned. I believe the hands work is key to helping get the Matwork into my body. Its the way Mr Pilates taught his Method. Thank you very much.
Niedra Gabriel
Thank you Mat - in my heart I agree, that tranformation and learning is hugely accelerated when an educated person physcially helps the student with placement. Keep going with your practice.
Niedra thank you. Practice is daily.
Could you do a video which exclusively deals with getting mobility and flexibility into the lower back region, to include the hips, sacrum, and the many important ligaments in this region etc.Stifness is very common in this area, as we get older, and the disc space narrows particularly in the L4/5 area.Targeted exercises would be very helpful. Show your hands on techniques. It requires someone with your experience to apply these techniques which in turn will quickly improve the Roll Up/Neck Pull. Thank you for sharing.
Niedra -Please excuse me, can you also, and very importantly, address the imbalances that follow as a consequence of tightness in the lower back and hips, etc. Thank you very much.
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