Look at this!

The Ai Chi step Freeing is the most common spontaneously named “favorite” movement in my classes. I hear words like “I finally feel like I am moving normally!” and “It feels so good!” What is special about this step?

In freeing, you start in a grounded position and add movement. You turn as far as you can comfortably. You follow your hands as they skim across the surface of the water, creating ripples and fractal patterns. Start grounded, move comfortably and watch with eyes wide open.

The component of focused attention on gazing with intent reminds me of my horseback riding experience, where the horse was able to follow my direction simply by where I looked. The subtle weight shifts that accompanied my eye motions cued the horse to move in that direction.

I once had a physical therapy patient with severe neck pain who subconsciously turned her entire body when she needed to look to either side, rather than shifting her gaze. Our plan to re-establish neck mobility started with simply moving her eyes as far as she could comfortably from one side to the other. I associated this response with dependency on habitual patterns (as described by Moshe Feldenkreis), but maybe something else was at play… Perhaps subconscious hyper-protective responses were influencing her reluctance to move her eyes~ sending messages to inhibit weight shift at the same sensitive level that horses can perceive from riders. Restoring her ability to shift her gaze was an easy but vital step in her return to functional motion.

So what does this have to do with Ai Chi and why Freeing feels good? Freeing hits us on many levels. It brings tiny muscles surrounding your joints and the most primary levels of motion into play, which is especially appreciated by those who have movement challenges. The buoyancy of the water provides a comfortable support so that you can move to the available extremes of trunk, neck and shoulder motion~ and almost magically that “end range” keeps extending the more you move. That feels good, especially if a once painful movement doesn’t hurt. And a focused gaze allows you to give attention to the patterns in the water that your movement creates, stimulating “relaxed but alert” alpha brain waves. Ai Chi is a progression of steps and Freeing is dependent on what comes before~ the initial core activating steps and crescendo of arm and trunk movements. Combining focused gaze with movement is the icing on the cake~ and something to celebrate and feel good about when it happens.

Do you want to know more? I will be presenting “Ai Chi Boosters” as a part of Ai Chi Innovations sessions at the ATRI International Symposium, June 19-22, 2018 at the Sanibel Harbor Marriott Resort and Spa. This conference is an invaluable resource for those interested in aquatic rehab and fitness. Please follow this link for more information~ I hope to see you there! http://www.atri.org/Symposium18.htm

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Freeing

Freeing is the most complex movement, and should be done smoothly and without pausing between segments. In this explanation I have broken down the description into eight segments for clarity…

Freeing: 1a) With arms outstretched to the side on the water’s surface, palms up, shoulder blades pulled down and in, knees slightly bent, weight bearing on the balls of your feet, turn your head to look at your right hand and breathe out through your mouth as you turn your right palm down and bring it across your body to meet your left hand, pivoting your body to the left as you move. 1b) Segway immediately to breathe in through your nose and watch your upturned left hand as you bring it behind you, twisting your trunk to the left as far as you can comfortably move. 2a) Gaze at your left hand as you turn your palm down, blowing out through pursed lips and sweeping your left hand forward to meet the right. 2b) Shift your attention to your right hand as you turn your palm up, sweeping to the right and moving back to starting position~ arms outstretched to the side on the water’s surface, palms up, shoulder blades pulled down and in, knees slightly bent, weight bearing on the balls of your feet…

The next steps are identical to the first four, but to the opposite side…
3a) Turn your head to look at your left hand and breathe out through your mouth as you turn your left palm down and bring it across your body to meet your right hand, pivoting your body to the right as you move. 3b) Breathe in through your nose and watch your upturned right hand as you bring it behind you, twisting your trunk to the right as far as you can comfortably move. 4a) Gaze at your right hand as you turn your palm down, blowing out through pursed lips and sweeping your right hand forward to meet the left. 2b) Shift your attention to your left hand as you turn your palm up, sweeping it to the left and moving back to starting position~ arms outstretched to the side on the water’s surface, palms up, shoulder blades pulled down and in, knees slightly bent, weight bearing on the balls of your feet…

Freeing: health-giving, heart-warming, inspiring, invigorating, lightening, refreshing, relieving, restoring, revitalizing, upholding, warming

gregfreeing