How to Lengthen and Widen the Back
AKA Uncrush that Crushed Coke Can!
Happy Memorial Day!
I may or may not have been extremely distracted by the Arsenal’s big win this past week. It’s been over 20 years since I saw my first match in London and it’s a bit surreal that it’s taken this long for them to win the league. Hopefully I won’t have to wait another 20 years to see this happen again!
Lengthening and Widening the Back
Allow the neck to be free
So that the head may balance forward and up
So that the back may lengthen and widen
So that the knees are forward and away from the hips
So that the shoulders widen apart for the pull at the elbow
I purposefully write F.M. Alexander’s directions a little differently every time. This is not to confuse you but to hopefully help you make the leap from words to kinaesthetic meaning. Remember that no joint should feel locked and no bit of muscle should feel like is frozen in place; allowing the sense of feeling and balance to be general is always a good idea.
With that in mind, I’ll share a few drawings of the front of the back. I’ll do my best to explain what they mean and how they all add up…
In the figure above, I have drawn 2 directional black arrows along the length of the muscles. When we allow ourselves to release extraneous tension, muscles will lengthen along these avenues. The resulting sensation is a general inflation of our whole structure and a release of pressure on our joints.
You can’t actually think all of these arrows lengthening. The image is massively complicated and any time we visualize something this complex we have a big tendency to grip up like crazy. It can be a much more effective strategy to stay simple and general with our imagination.
When you think about lengthening the spine, you can add in the idea that the whole front of the back can lengthen as well. Sensing the front and back of the torso at the same time along the midline can really help you sense the relationship between the head and the sitting bones. This “first step” in lengthening and widening the back is critical as it gives you time to wonder if you are sitting 50:50 on your sitting bones. If you are lying down, you might notice some discrepancy between the weight on the left/right sides of the torso. If you are standing, you’ll need to sense all the way down to the feet to have a nice sense of balance.
The two images above are not given in a specific order. As long as you are simply, quietly, and additively incorporating these directions, all should be well.
When I imagine lengthening the flanks (fig 3), I think about the volume of the torso and not the 2D lines pictured above. I either start by picturing a big shoulder pad on top of the left/right side or I’ll wonder if I can feel the whole left/right bucket of the hip. If you feel the entire flank in soft volume (and include the internal space of the internal organs), you’re getting the idea of directing the flanks.
When I imagine widening the torso (fig 4), I typically start with the ribs and take the time to feel them (in volume) expand away from the spine. I’ve heard that FM Alexander would say something along the lines of, “If I could, I would place my hands inside the rib cage and massage in between them.”. You can extend this idea down to the abdomen and the base of the pelvis.
The cross patterns of the torso (fig 5) are perhaps the best “bang for your buck” torso direction around. You should think about the volume from left shoulder to right hip and right shoulder to left hip one at a time and additively. This means that if you think along one axis and feel things expand, you don’t want to immediately let it grip up when you begin to think about the other axis. This little trick of adding volume feels terrific and is a skill that takes a bit of time!
But Wait! There’s More!!!
With all of these directions, you’ll want to have a sense of the back and front at the same time!!! I’m hoping that by giving you the image above, it will suffice as a reminder for you to take the time to feel as much of you as possible at the lightest, most general level you can muster. Sometimes you might feel some fine kinesthetic details (which is great), but it’s not something you should try to force.
Does This Resonate With You?
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