Accessing The Deep Back Muscles/Multifidi

General

  • Imagine a fine gold zipper, each half lining the sides of your sacrum. Zip up your zipper and feel the low back slightly arch and the deep low back muscles pulling the zipper up. (Variation on Marie Jose-Bloom cue.)
  • Imagine two tiny gold zippers lining the sides of your low back. Gently zip up your zippers toward your ribs until you feel the back gently begin to arch. (Variation on Marie Jose-Bloom cue.)
  • Imagine a baby mouse under the small of your back. Make enough room for it to be there safely, but not too much space as you are trying to keep it warm.
  • If your pelvis were a bowl full of water allow some of the water to tip out of your belly button.
  • Shift weight slightly forward of your sit bones by moving the pelvis only. Keep the rest of the spine tall and stacked.
  • Feel your pubic bone drawn down toward the mat so a little weight shifts off the tailbone and you feel the low back begin to fire just above the sacrum.
  • Keeping your leg in the same line, lift one hip until you feel muscles on one side of your lower spine plump up. (Hands on the low back an inch or two above the sacrum and close to the spine.) (Nora St. John)
  • Think of flaring your tailbone slightly upward and outward until you feel the low back muscles, close to the spine and above the sacrum, begin to feel some fatigue. Be careful to keep the rest of the spine erect and not allow it to lean forward.