Supine was the position that told me who I was.
I used to sit on the couch slouched over, leaning to the left with my head forward staring down at the screen.
Which screen you ask?
Pick your poision.
TV, Ipad, computer or cell phone screen. Technology the new age drug.
The kicker to this energy sapping position was having my legs straight, knees locked out feet on the coffee table.
I could never understand the strain on my knees every time I stood up afterwards.
The book I was reading on this bright sunny day was a pilates book. The pilates book. Pilates anatomy book. A book written with so much detail by Rael that I had to check out my posture.
I decided to get off the couch and make my way all the way down to the ground. During those days I knew this was a task that I seldomly enjoyed.
I laid down on my back and felt so uncomfortable.
I was supine with my legs straight.
I didn’t know where my pelvis was at this point but I could feel my back twisted and my hips off center. My chin lifted high into the air as the back of my neck felt very short. I was chest breathing and this was a very difficult position to breathe in.
My palms wouldn’t face downwards and my elbows were bent. I don’t remember where I positioned my feet but they were separated while my knees were touching.
I needed to find where my pelvis was in space.
I moved my right index finger down to where my pubic symphysis was. This is the hard bone right above my reproductive organ. I placed my left finger on top of my anterior superior illiac spine (ASIS). My ASIS was much higher than my pubic bone. My lower back (lumbar spine) was arched. My left ASIS was also higher than my right ASIS but I didn’t know what this meant. All I knew was that I wanted to find my imprint.
I started to rock my Posterior superior illac spine (back of my hip bones) towards the mat. This allowed my pubic bone to be higher than my ASIS. My low back flattened against the mat which allowed it to stretch and my lower abs began to turn on. I was in an imprint or a posterior tilt.
I worked my pelvis back to a neutral point. I paid attention to those two points my PS and ASIS and lined them up on the same plane so that if I had a piece of cardboard over those two points the cardboard would be flat. This did not feel natural. So I went back into my natural tilt and allowed my ASIS to rise above my PS. I was stuck in an anterior tilt.
This is what the supine position told me. I found where my pelvis was in space.
I didn’t like it.
So tell me. What is this position telling you?
Take your time and get into this position.
Find your natural tilt and move from one into the next. Find neutral, go into your imprint then to neutral, then anterior and then neutral. If any of this is painful or uncomfortable don’t do it and definitely do not force it. Just find where you live naturally.
Then let’s talk about the benefits and some challenges.
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Lets Talk about the benefits:
In theory if you were to lay down on level ground and just let gravity do it’s work, your bones would settle back into place. To me this is theory. I think application is better.
The benefits of doing your work in a supine position are many but not limited to the following.
Engaging the powerhouse without gravity affecting your supporting joints and ligaments
Stretching out the lumbar spine if you are in an anterior tilt.
Engaging the lower abominals in an imprint or posterior tilt.
Stretching the neck extensors and engaging the deep neck flexors without gravity having a big influence on alignment.
These are just some basic movements that can help you lengthen some of the areas that may be shortened for you. From the supine position we can add on other more challenging exercises like doing a chest lift (ab crunch) but if your neck is not balanced/aligned, the work will go into your neck creating excessive tension rather than working your rectus abdominis (upper abs). I would start with these benefits and master, pelvic tilts, Chin nods, pelvic curl to gain some much needed mobility and fundamental strength. Then move onto the next and layer on the benefits.
If you are strong enough or balanced, finding yourself naturally in a neutral tilt then it may be more benefical to start working spinal flexion and strengthen your abdominals.
If you are naturally in a posterior tilt, then start working yourself in a neutral tilt and strengthen your hip flexors while stretching your hip extensors.
There are always ways to challenge your core.
Supine is a great way to discern where your body’s starting point is at.
Lets roll over onto our stomach and see how gravity affects are back extensors and pelvis.