1. Stand with your back facing the wall, leaving a gap of 8 to 10 cm between you and the wall.
2. Let yourself drop backwards against the wall so that your upper back and the pelvis touch the wall at the same time. If your upper back touches the wall first, that means your pelvis is moving to the front, making you “sink” into your legs. Try again once or twice, until your upper back and pelvis touch the wall at the same time.
3. Bend your knees a little bit while remaining in a vertical position with your back against the wall. Make sure your weight is still evenly distributed between your feet.
4. Remember to keep your knees slightly bent, to let your head slide upwards, and to keep the pelvis down. This will lengthen your spine, which remains flat against the wall.
Try to feel the pelvis functioning as an integral part of your spine in this position—it allows you to feel just how long your spine really is.
5. Now push yourself away from the wall with your hands or elbows, keeping your knees bent, until your still upright torso is above your feet.
6. Slowly unbend your knees until you stand up straight.
If you allow your pelvis to remain mobile below the chest and your head to balance on top, you can feel your spine in its full length and experience your torso as a unit.
How to do it in your day-to-day life, even if there’s no wall for support.
The body island project
This project centres on the body’s behaviour when moving. The “islands” offer a range of practical exercises with various elements designed to create awareness and mindfulness around oneself and one’s environment.
