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Return to Life: #30 The Seal

 

 

Return to Life: 

– Another rolling exercise and gives us a brief respite after the exertions of the Side Bend and Boomerang and before the Control Balance and Push Ups.

There’s a clapping element that means that unlike Rolling Like a Ball and Open Leg Rocker, the Seal makes us pause when balanced on your sit bones and when your legs are overhead in order to clap!

What’s it good for?

Muscle Focus

  • Abdominals
  • Stretches the spine.

Objectives

  • To develop stability and control of the trunk.
  • To help opens out the hips.
  • Gives us an opportunity to focus on control and flow.
  • Cool Down

Difficulty: Starters
Reps: 6

 

 

The “how to”

Exhale sit with your knees open and feet together. if one leg and place it over your arm (on the same side). Then reach your arms underneath your leg and wrap it around your lower leg. Hold the outside edge of your foot in your palm: some people prefer to hold the top of the foot in their palms, bringing the soles of the feet together. Balance in this position.
Inhale and roll back onto your shoulders not gong onto your neck and and shoulders. Clap your feet together three times as you pause at the limit of the roll.
Exhale and roll back to the balance position on your sit bones. Once again, balance and clap your feet together three times.

Hints and Tips

💡  The imagery for this exercise is similar to the other rolling exercises: think of an inflated tyre rolling backwards and forwards.  There are no obstructions nor jarring movements.

💡  In the balancing positions I like to imagine that I’m balanced right on the summit of a hill before rolling backdown and up the other side of a valley – or like a skateboarder riding a half pipe!

💡  Maintain a constant C-shape of your spine.

💡  Keep your head in alignment with your spine, shoulders down and elbows out.

💡  Bring your legs as close to your shoulders as you can.

💡  Hold the outside of your feet so that he inside edge  of your feet are together rather than your soles.

 

Extras: Precautions

Transition to standing – for beginners

If you haven’t mastered the last few exercises, you can now start to practice elements of the Push Up by transitioning into stand and then performing a standing roll down to transition onto the mat:

As your roll off your shoulders back towards your sit bones, let go of your feet and cross your ankles.  Roll right onto the sides of your feet and push your self off the floor into a standing position.

Avoid this exercise of you suffer from osteoporosis.

 

 

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