03 2012 Shakeout

It's a slow slow morning and I'm looking for a way to get going -- without having to actually do anything! hmmm....

What if I just jiggle that left forearm? I can let the fingers and bones below the wrist just hang and dangle and dance as I jiggle my forearm. Then, maybe a little trickier, I can jiggle my biceps/triceps and let my forearm dangle and dance... and then move that up into my jiggling my torso and letting my whole arm go flopsey. Then pause and enjoy! That arm's awake! Now for the other one! Yes!

Now the 'hard' part - I've got to get up and stand. O wait, no I don't! I can sit and use my hands to jiggle my legs. By holding my shin, I can release my ankle and knee. (I'm sitting in an office chair with a central column, so I can fold my feet back under the seat and jiggle my heel towards my sit bones.) By holding my thigh (this takes both hands!) I can lift it a smidge and gentle jiggle the whole leg, releasing the hip socket. Hmm.... not so bad. I can feel the tingling in my leg and foot. Even sitting, the leg feels longer. Now for the other leg.

That's probably all I can do in a chair. The next section is to release the back by gently oscillating the pelvis in a walking motion by slowly folding over. As far as I can go... Which isn't so far today. My lower back is really tight, and arching.... I'm going to see what happens if I look up at the ceiling while I continue the oscillation. That feels good... Now when I oscillate forward, I have a little more movement... Going and back and forth some... I find some areas of my spine are flexible and others are a little not so much... Like if, as I go forward, I let my head hang to the right, it's actually easier... This is throwing some Ortho-bionomy® into the mix by allowing the body to move into comfort rather than thinking I have to keep my spine straight. In general, there's more 'life' in there now.

Something I really like to add for the shoulders and to open the heart is to clasp the hands behind the back and stretch them away from the body. This feels good standing and also as part of the oscillating while bending forward.

You may have recognized this as a variation of the "Centered Riding Shakeout." (see below) This is one of those things lovely things that has such little effort for such a wonderful benefit, and I take the time with students to make sure this is done before every ride.

Since learning this around 1990 or so I have found it to also be useful at shows (I'll get in a corner of the stall and shake, sometimes rather vigorously!) and I recommend this to students to help release any 'big emotions' they may be having - such as stage fright, anger, or test anxiety. It's almost as if the 'big emotions' are getting physically shook apart so they can disperse.

Several years ago I saw a nature special which helped explain this. They'd tranquilized a polar bear and when it began to wake up it shook violently and frothed at the mouth. So as not to alarm the viewing audience, the commentator explained his first reaction (alarm!) and how it had been explained to him that this was a trauma release and that the bear would be fine as long as it was allowed to work though this. Sure enough, when it finished shaking it frothing, it lumbered off looking fine. Who knew?

After that, I realized how important it is for anyone who has parted ways with a horse unexpectedly to be allowed to go through this natural response. It is an odd feeling, but important. (And there's no frothing!) Whenever I've experienced this, there is a little bit of delay and there is a steep build up of the shaking. I suppose, if you've ever been so cold you couldn't stop shivering, this can give you an idea of what it's like. When the shaking starts, the trick is to let go of trying to control your body, let your 'body' take over, and let it shake it's way through it. When it subsides, which is usually quickly, you will feel blessedly calm.

Just recently, I experienced an odd trauma. Because it didn't have the usual hallmarks of physical trauma, I didn't recognize it for what it was and I did shut down the shaking. (Yes - in hindsight, I sure wished I had not felt self conscious and had just allowed my body to work it's way through it, but I didn't.) And to look on the bright side, as a result, I ended up talking with someone who is somewhat of a specialist in trauma and she figured out that was what happened. She recommended to me the book: Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma: The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences. which nicely explained what was going on and how to reawaken the physical release of trauma, which also takes care of the 'big emotions.' If you've been through a trauma, physical or emotional, you may also find this book/e-book helpful.

So there you have it: The Shakeout! Good for riding, good for getting going in the morning, good for getting rid of trauma. Very useful.

The Centered Riding Shakeout (my comments/additions/changes are in light blue!)

NB: If you have time, take inventory of your body -- how are you standing? is your weight on your toes? your heels? the inside of your feet? the outside? one foot more than the other? how's your neck? how's your lower back? are your shoulders even? this is a 'fact finding mission.' You're gathering information of what state you're in. Now pick one hand and only one hand, and we'll work up the arm attached to that hand:

SHAKE THE WRIST Lift arm up and down at the elbow. Gently try to shake off the hand. Note that the fingers are relaxed as you shake. With tense fingers the wrist will not shake.
SHAKE THE ELBOW Rotate the upper arm. Hang the lower arm and hand like a stone on a string from the elbow. Shoulders may need a small rotation to rotate the upper arm. NB: This is where I usually start to lean over a little bit so my arm can hang down like a pendulum.
SHAKE THE SHOULDER Rotate the shoulders. Leave whole arm limp. The body will have to rotate to rotate shoulders. NB: This works best if you do a little shimmy with your chest, which is done by doing a little twist from the waist. If you're bashful, just face a wall and no-one will see!
NB: Now take a pause and bring awareness to what has changed. This is another 'fact finding mission' do you notice a different quality in the arm you shook out? how does it feel in comparison to how it used to feel? does it feel lighter? heavier? fuller? leaner? tingly? higher? lower? ??? How does the arm you shook out feel in comparison to the arm you didn't do the shakeout with? how are you standing? is your weight on your toes? your heels? the inside of your feet? the outside? one foot more than the other? how's your neck? how's your lower back? are your shoulders even? did anything change? This allows your brain and body to process what is different. It gives your brain time to 'connect the dots' and figure out a different way for your body to be. And it feels good, too! Now we'll do the other hand and arm. When you've done that, also pause and take inventory. When you've done both arms, pick a foot, and only one foot, and we'll shake out it and the leg it's attached to.
SHAKE THE ANKLE Shake the lower leg from knee down to shake the ankle. Shake the foot off. Note that the toes are relaxed. With tense toes the ankle will not flex or shake. NB: At about this point, some folks will start flexing their foot, which is to lift the toe using the muscles on the front of the shin. These are the muscles we want to leave loose. Other folks will rotate the foot. This engages even more muscles! The trick is to not use the muscles from the knee down to move the foot. Use them to jiggle the lower leg and let the foot dangle.
FREE THE KNEE Swing the lower leg and foot from the knee. Swinging the thigh and pelvis makes the lower leg swing. Do not strongly snap the knee open. NB: I have found it's easy to lean up against a wall, or stand on one foot if your balance is good, and, holding the leg above the knee with both hands, lift and lower the thigh rhythmically a few inches so that the lower leg starts swinging like a swing.
SHAKE THE HIP JOINT Shake the whole leg from the hip joint. Leave the whole leg limp. Rotate the pelvis. Do the twist. NB: OR, still leaning up against a wall, or standing on one foot if your balance is good, and, holding the leg above the knee with both hands, vibrate the thigh while noticing what's going on in the hip socket..
SHAKE THE SPINE LIKE BEADS ON A STRING Shake the pelvis to shake the string. NB: I usually alternate the knees forward to mimic a walking movement. Knees must bend and unbend alternately to shake the string. Let the spine hang right down. Let the head, arms and hands hang limp. Pelvis will rotate from the knees bending and unbending. If you have lower back problems be very careful with this exercise or maybe not do it at all. Be aware.
The Original Centered Riding Shakeout handout that I have is date March 1990 and is not copyrighted but for sure, it came from the Centered Riding folks!