I think I have release issues. I’ve been chided before in modern dance class for not releasing my back enough. Many of my salsa partners ask me if I’m a ballroom dancer. I’ve never taken a single ballroom dance class in my life. Friends I’ve talked to about that say that it’s because of my good posture and “elegant carriage,” which is all very well and good most of the time, except I want to achieve that loose, earthy movement quality of afro-caribbean dance.
I carry a lot of tension in my upper back, and often have pain in my lower back, and have done so for as long as I can remember. I will do pretty much anything for a massage any time. I’m always massaging my own shoulders, and twisting and stretching in my chair to excise the pain from my lower back. I sit on a ball to strengthen my core; I take yoga and pilates. In short, I’m doing everything you’re supposed to do to get at back issues.
At a yoga workshop about chakras I learned that one of my chakras must be blocked. Someone else told me that there is some sort of emotional trauma that can be linked to tension in the back.
Anyone else have these issues? What ideas do you have for being able to release one’s back more?
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December 5, 2007 at 9:49 am
salsagigolo
Maria,
I’ve found that swimming is excellent for strengthening back muscles, and for preventing back pain. I’m not sure about release, though.
I remember, back in my experimental days in school, I tried some marijuana, and the release was fantastic. I could feel my chakras opening-up, from my lower back, all the way up my spine, to the back of my neck. My back just felt completely “open”. Even the memory of that release is fantastic, and I’ve never experienced it since.
For safe and legal, deep pressure, shiatsu massage is probably the way to go. It is known that salsa gigolos are experts at giving massages, so …
December 5, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Selly
I have the opposite problem. Well, had. It’s gotten a lot better. Hyper mobile back, no core strength to speak of.
Roll downs really help. Also, there are a set of floor exercises that are used in many modern dance classes as a floor warm up including overcurves, undercurves, spiral swings and contractions that really help loosen up the back, pelvis, and hips. If you don’t already do these in class, maybe you could ask your modern teacher if she thinks they would be beneficial for you.
Selly
December 5, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Maria
Selly, Thanks for your thoughts on this. Interesting you have the opposite problem, though I’m not sure if good core strength is always related to ability to release the back and vice versa, or if the two are actually connected. We do a lot of those warmups in my modern class but I can never seem to do them to their full extent. So it’s either a deeper medical issue, a technique issue, or I’m emotionally holding on to too much tension. Still, it might not be a bad idea to work those floor exercises into my daily routine. I have to admit it’s my least favorite part of class, so maybe if I do it every day I’ll get better at it!
Salsa gigolo, I will try several of your suggestions, but not all. I’m tempted by your offer of a massage but I fear geography gets in our way. I guess I need to overcome my fear of putting my head in water if I want to take up swimming.
December 12, 2007 at 11:14 pm
flipping the switch « A Time to Dance
[...] had come naturally. On the upside, it means the modern training has been working. It also explains all the comments I’ve been getting while social dancing salsa about how I must do ballroom (I don’t. Never [...]