Core Awareness

The home of Liz Koch and the Psoas Muscle Book and Workshops

Q & A: How to safely explore lordosis?

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Q: After  listening to your podcasts I feel okay allowing myself to be in anterior pelvic tilt (lordois) rather than try to control it in some other way toward a more posterior tilt of the pelvis.  Yet when I’m “allowing” myself to go there,  I feel it keeps going  –  should I keep going?

A: We humans are living processes not static objects.  Your system has an expression that it is attempting to complete. So yes keep going there while safely in constructive rest position – on a padded floor, use a softly 3/4s deflated slo-mo type inflatable ball placed under the back of the upper Psoas (behind the solar plexus) to help you feel supported and open your throat – it is what I call “startle” expression.

I recommend exploring “startle” position and here is why:  if I understand that my organism is expressing itself and is not a static object than I pay attention to the expression and value it as meaningful. For example the expression we call lordosis expresses a warding off or startle response, which lifts and thrusts the body.  Have you ever watched a 2 year old have a tantrum?  What do they do?  They arch their spine and scream.  That is an expression of frustration, dismay, anger, or warding off – whatever it may be called, it is a core expression.  We are living organisms that EXPRESS – however we learn to control our expression and we do it in many ways through various forms of inhibition.  I am not interested in acting out but I do see that expression lives on in the organism and when I allow myself to move in the direction it is already going or manifesting, with conscious awareness, I can recover neutrality or what may be understood as a more balanced position in space and time.

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Comments

  1. Wow great post!!

    I cant wait to get your book. I have placed an order, are they currently in stock or is the arrival date the 25th September?

    I love your knowledge of expression regarding lumbar lordosis and cant wait to get into your book.

    Thanks
    Sara

  3. Hi Liz
    I was just wondering if you could please point me in the direction of which Podcast is the one mentioned in the question above that refers to allowing yourself to be in an anterior pelvic tilt?
    Many Thanks
    Lulu

    • Lulu, the podcasts mentioned in the question is the Tele-class Series. However the ideas include rethinking the midline as a wave – the curving spine, and the psoas as messenger – we than stop controlling the core and instead begin listening. This awareness sets in motion a rethinking of control and a desire for responsiveness within our core. To simply try and control the midline by pulling navel to spine, tucking the tail bone, or lifting up by shortening the psoas are all inhibitions – actions we lay on top of a living system that already is expressing itself. I believe it is not about controlling posture but rather igniting our awareness and proprioception, which than engages gravity and ground force to support and express coherently.

  4. A very delayed! thank you so much for your reply Liz. I am currently doings some Pilates type core strength work to help with my disability and was wondering whether you think it is best to do Constructive Rest Position before or after doing the core exercises? Thanks again Lulu

    • I recommend constructive rest before ( and if possible after) working out. Allowing gravity to have its way with releasing tension from the core provides an opportunity to begin a workshop from a neutral position.

  5. Dear Liz, I read your post with interest. I myself have a posterior tilted pelvis and have been trying to correct this for a while now as I am concerned it will affect me during pregnancy and birth. Do you have any podcasts/info on how to work with this? Many thanks lydia

    • I recommend reading The Psoas Book which covers pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. There are also articles available on my website under both ARTICLES and BOOKS & CDS