The explanation now moves to session 8 as well. The main questions of sessions 8–10 are:
- What should be done toward the closing?
- What has been learned so far?
- In what direction to proceed from here?
In other words, in sessions 1–7 the focus had been on organizing each region, but in sessions 8–10 the consideration turns to what to do so that the whole body can move organically.
In session 8, the two Girdles — the shoulder girdle (around the scapulae and clavicles) and the pelvic girdle (around the pubis, sit bones, ilium, and pelvic floor) — are approached and organized so that they can move freely in linkage with each other. The shoulder girdle and the pelvic girdle form the foundation, respectively, for the movement of the upper limbs (shoulder–elbow–hand) and the lower limbs (thigh–shin–foot).
For example, in my own case there are issues such as:
- Shoulder girdle: a blockage around the clavicles and sternum, a feeling of compression from behind the clavicle–sternum area, and neck tension.
- Pelvic girdle: a lack of awareness of pushing the sit bones upward (and so the force in the psoas major is not released).
In particular, as shown in the figure below, when sitting on a chair and lengthening the spine up from the sit bones, force goes into the abdominal muscles, and as a result, force goes into the muscles nearby (the psoas major and the muscles around the clavicle and sternum).
How to release the excess tension in the abdominal muscles? That helps in releasing the force of the whole body, so in the remaining three sessions, I’d like to move toward a solution together with the Rolfer.
In session 8, the following treatment was carried out on the pelvic girdle and the shoulder girdle.
Pelvic girdle: holding the awareness that the sit bones and the spine (sacrum–lumbar–thoracic–cervical) connect to the head
Lying on the side of the body, releasing the ligaments connecting the sit bones and the sacrum; working on the muscles connecting the pelvis and the ribs (around the quadratus lumborum) to release the fascia (improving the linkage between the pelvic girdle and the shoulder girdle).
Sitting on a chair and spreading the sit bones to release the sacrum → while releasing the abdominal muscles, lengthening the spine up from the sternum.
Placing the lower limbs against the wall, bending the body to 90 degrees, and placing both hands on a chair → spreading the sit bones to release the sacrum → while releasing the abdominal muscles, lengthening the spine up from the sternum (in yoga terms, the Downward Dog pose).
Shoulder girdle: releasing the feeling of compression around the clavicles and sternum
- Lying supine, releasing the fascia from the thoracic to the cervical vertebrae.
In particular, having the body learn the movement of sitting on a chair, spreading the sit bones, and lengthening the spine without using the abdominal muscles helps in releasing the force of the whole body. However, since this is a new pattern, I think it needs time. Even after session 10 ends, this is a movement I’d like to keep practicing.
As a result of the treatment, the following were observed:
- Neck tension eased.
- The area around the chest became freer.
- The sit bones spread, and a widening of awareness of the sacrum came to be felt.
The neck tension remains to the end, but interestingly, I noticed a sense of discomfort on the left side as an inner-ear sense.
In sessions 9 and 10, how can the inner-ear sense and the neck tension come to improve? I’d like to work on it while enjoying the process.