Long Stretch

Let's take a closer look at the long stretch. I find that oftentimes it comes after being in this pyramid or upstretched position. So that's where I've asked Meredith to be. So from here, let's hinge down to a plank position and notice that the hinge came at the shoulders and the hips. So we're in this wonderful straight back position. Certainly there are some curves in the spine, but we're looking for a nice straight back and that's going to stay quite consistent here. We've got the heels pressing into the shoulder rest, which is a little different from the classical version. Today we'd like to keep the heels on the shoulder rest here and now the movement is only at the shoulders. We're going to move forward as far as we can, hopefully coming all the way to touch the stop keeping that spine perfectly still and then push back the breath pattern to me, doesn't matter as much here.

Um, however I like to teach an inhale forward and then an exhale to push back. Really engaging the abdominals here so that you can perhaps go just a little bit further. Notice a couple things. One, the head's not going to shift in space. Oftentimes I see the head falling and what I like to cue and think about here is this idea of keeping the head back. So I'll often put my hand here and say bring your head back on my hand and push just a little bit. So if you can imagine my hand back there and bringing your head back, you might find that it creates a little more stability here. Lots of upper back, lots of arms, lots of abdominal work here. Let's do a couple more.

And as you start to be a really comfortable with this position, you can create just a little bit more range noticing here. One of the things I'm doing with Meredith when she goes forward is I'm putting my hand right on her sternum cause what I'm looking for is the maintaining stability here. So we really want to keep this open sort of puffed feeling so that the shoulders don't collapse. Let's do just one more pushing back with the arms feeling. The deltoids are in fact involved, and as you come forward, we're going to try to go all the way to the stop or keeping the head here length and just a little more at the very end, Mary, and then lift your hips nice and high and return to your pyramid position, lowering the feet flat. Wonderful stretch. That's the long stretch on the reformer. Thank you. [inaudible].