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Point Of Contact With Matress

jake
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07/19/2012 - 8:43pm
Point Of Contact With Matress
Hello, I am having some difficulty determining if my pelvis is too tucked or too anteverted when i am stretchlying on the back. Which part of the pelvis should make contact with the mattress when the pelvis is ideally positioned? Should my weight be on the sacrum or tailbone or lower? Thanks
charlenehannibal
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12/15/2010 - 7:51am

Hi Jake, 

Great question!  Before we even get to the pelvis, I want to iterate that getting a lot of length in the spine is the number one goal of Stretchlying.  Even if the pelvis tucks a little bit, it isn't the end of the world with enough length-since you are reclined you won't have gravity pushing down on you and the pressure on your L5-S1 is fairly negligible.  

That all being said-of course it's always better to have the pelvis just perfectly anteverted if possible!  I would shoot more for the bottom of the sacrum, because for most people that is about where their natural anteversion will put them.  If you have a lot of curve at L5-S1, the top of your tailbone may weighted, but that is not often the norm.

 I would suggest holding on to the rim of your pelvis as you lower each vertebrae down, trying to block the pelvis from tucking.  Ideally there is a small gap right above the buttocks.  Ideally the lower back is NOT pressing into the bed.  However, depending on how squishy your bed is or how much tuck you are trying to un-do, it may be touching the bed a bit.  

 

I hope this is helpful to you!

Warmly, 

Charlene Hannibal

Gokhale Method Teacher, Palo Alto/San Francisco

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