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 Mind–Body
Warm-Up
By Finis Jhung
A series of stretches to tone the muscles and relax the mind
This floor stretch/warm-up will help your students prepare for
class by gently stretching all the muscles. The stretches will
increase turnout and extension and help students identify
their core muscles. Since the stretches are to be done slowly,
they also build students’ awareness of coordinating movements.
For maximum effectiveness, the exercises should be done in
sequence and in their entirety, which takes about 13 minutes;
however, any of them can be done at any time of the day. Doing
them at the end of the day also feels good since they work out
kinks, lengthen muscles, and relax the body and mind. Talk
your students through the series as you circulate around the
room, watching for proper alignment and muscle usage.
Stretching the turnout; port de bras
Lie on your back. With both feet flat on the floor and legs
parallel, bend both knees. Cross your arms over your chest.
Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax your back, especially the
lower back.
Now stretch both arms straight up, wiggle your fingers, and
jiggle your arms. Feel your shoulders on the floor. Open your
arms to the side and place them on the floor. Keeping both
knees bent, turn out into a plié position with feet together.
Relax your lower back. Feel the stretch across your hips and
relax your abdominal muscles. Do you see where your knees
point? This is your turnout for your pliés and when working à
la seconde.
Now raise your arms and slowly make circles in the air above
your body. Feel how you can move your arms without lifting
your ribs. Keep your lower back relaxed on the floor and let
your hips relax into their turnout. Do at least six arm
circles, breathing slowly and deeply. Finish by extending both
arms out to the sides and straightening both legs together on
the floor. You should be in the shape of a cross. Take a deep
breath and then exhale, pushing all the air out of your body
while flexing your feet and hands. You will tense your knees
and elbows. Relax.
Turning out, feeling the straight leg, and loosening the hips
Keeping both arms out to the sides, bend your right knee,
pulling your right foot toward your hips, and extend the leg
straight up into the air (développé) as high as it can go with
the knee straight. Take a deep breath. Flex your feet and
hands and exhale while turning out both legs at the hips
(keeping the right leg extended upward) and pushing through
the heels and hands. Your knees and elbows should be straight
and tensed. Stretch your arms and legs out long and straight,
as though you are pushing the walls away from you with your
feet and hands.
Continue to breathe in and out slowly and deeply. Now turn
both legs in. Bend the right knee, keeping your left leg
stretched straight out on the floor. Point your feet. With
both hands, pull the right knee as far as possible toward the
right shoulder, keeping the knee bent. Place your left hand on
your left hipbone and press it down, keeping your left leg
firmly against the floor, stretching it straight and long and
pointing the foot. With your right hand, turn the right leg
out, pulling the knee back toward your shoulder and pressing
it down toward the floor. You should feel the stretch in the
left side of your body and your right hip.
Maintain the stretch and circle your right foot. Now turn the
right leg in and extend it on the floor so that both legs are
parallel and stretched out straight out in front of you. Take
a deep breath. Exhale completely while extending your arms and
legs with hands and feet flexed. Again, your body should form
the shape of a cross.
[Teachers: Have students do this exercise on the right and
left sides, then repeat.]
Stretching the hamstrings, working the ankles; stretching the
lower back, chest, and shoulders
Now bring both knees toward your chest in a parallel position.
Turn out to the plié position, pulling your knees toward your
shoulders and outward toward the floor. Do four foot circles
in each direction. Repeat. Now slowly open both legs to the
sides into a middle split. Hold your legs or feet where it
feels best (I like to hold my big toes) and gently pull your
legs down toward the floor. Your legs should be turned out and
straight. The goal is to stretch your hamstrings and the backs
of your knees.
Keeping your legs apart, slowly bend both knees to the
attitude position. Slowly roll your legs and hips over to the
left, keeping both shoulders as flat on the floor as possible
and twisting your spine so that you are lying on your left
side with your left leg on the floor. Grasp your right foot
with your left hand, keeping it on the floor and bringing it
as close to the left shoulder as possible. Now turn your head
to the right and stretch your right arm as far to the right as
you can. Look toward your right hand. Relax and stretch for 30
seconds. You will feel the stretch in your lower back as well
as across your chest and through the shoulder of your extended
arm. Both knees should be bent.
[Teachers: Have students do this stretch to the right and left
sides, then repeat. As they get used to it, have them try
straightening both legs so that they also stretch their
extension muscles.]
Finish by splitting your legs out to the side with feet
flexed. Now point your feet and bring your legs together. Bend
your knees, wrap your arms around your legs, and pull your
knees to your chest. Roll your head up to your knees, rounding
and stretching your back. Release the legs and stretch them
straight out on the floor. Stretch your arms past your head on
the floor, and reach out with your fingers and toes as far as
you can. Stretch out of your hips and shoulders. Relax.
Feeling your center: core work
All core work follows the breath: Inhale, then exhale and roll
up, holding the position as long as possible without taking a
breath. When you need to breathe, inhale and roll down, then
exhale and relax.
Now bend both knees with feet flat on the floor, leaving your
arms above your head. Take a deep breath. As you exhale, lift
your buttocks, head, and shoulders off the floor, bringing
both arms over your head and reaching for your knees. Lift the
buttocks and shoulders at the same time, lengthening the
spine. Hold this as long as you can without breathing,
reaching for and looking at your knees. You should feel the
muscles deep in your belly and in your hips. This is the
center of your body. When you need to breathe, inhale and
slowly roll back to the starting position. Exhale. Do this
three times as slowly and smoothly as possible, following the
breathing pattern. Now drop both knees open to the plié
position and place your palms under your head with fingers
laced together. Roll up as high as possible without a sudden
burst of energy or momentum. Some of you may be able to roll
all the way up to a sitting position; some may be able only to
lift both shoulder blades off the floor. Go as high as you can
while keeping your legs and hips quiet on the floor. Pull your
head into your chest to stretch your neck. When you roll down,
relax your lower back. [Teachers: Have students repeat the
roll-up three times.]
Stretch your arms and legs in opposite directions, making your
body as long as possible.
Stretching the back and hips for arabesque
Now turn over and lie on your stomach. Place your hands
directly under your shoulders with elbows bent. Push down
through the arms and roll up through the head and upper body,
arching your back. Press your shoulders down and stretch up
through your head. Feel the stretch through the hips and
abdomen. Keep both legs straight with feet pointed and
pressing against the floor. In this position, look back over
each shoulder several times, stretching your neck. Roll down
to the starting position, bend both knees (keeping thighs on
the floor) and flex both feet, stretching your calves and
ankles. Repeat three times.
Now, keeping your head on the floor, roll back and sit on your
knees. Stretch your arms out in front of you and walk your
fingers out until you feel the stretch in your back and
shoulders. Rest for 30 seconds. Again keeping your head down,
slowly contract your abdominal muscles and roll up, so that
you stretch through your spine and neck. The head should come
up last. You are sitting erect, on your knees, with a straight
back and arms down at your sides. Stretch up the back of your
neck, lining up your ears with your shoulders. Your head
should feel light and loose.
Photo caption:
Noriko Naraoka and Finis Jhung demonstrate part of a
floor-stretch sequence. Photo courtesy Finis Jhung.
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