Sharon Stewart

 Sounding the Spine

 This is an evolutionary/developmental sound process, tracing the development of humans both as species as well as individuals.

 ‘Sounding’ can be understood in this exercise as both active and receptive. One generates sounds (in this case from the vocal cords), but also, as is suggested in the expression ‘sounding the depths’[1], one listens for a response to these sounds, information that returns, that is ‘echoed’ back. Thus, in this exercise, vocal sounds are sent to the spine, one listens carefully to the response of the spine, and this listening to the spine in turn generates more vocal expressions. All sounds should be made in a state of attentive listening to the spine. The same applies for movements made during the process.

 Guidelines for all stages of exercise:

• Imagine your spine, reaching deep into the pelvis, traversing the digestive tract, regulatory organs, lungs, throat, vocal chords, reaching toward your brain and skull. (see http://www.upcspine.com/anatomy1.htm for an understanding of spine/skull connection)
• all transitions between swimming, crawling and standing should be made with openness to the movement, as if it is performed for the first time. in other words, the rolling over or pushing to the feet should be done with complete awareness rather than in a habitual manner
• relax the jaw so that the mouth opens
• don’t force small movements to become bigger or hold back large movements, just follow your spine
• allow pleasure and/or pain to come and go

 swimming (lying on back on floor)

• feel your spine cradled in liquids, within and outside the body
• contact your spine in this watery world and allow it to begin moving
• follow your spine moving without effort, lightly and fluidly
• breathe deeply all the way down your spine and into your pelvis
• breathe with the fluid movements until movements and breath become one
• begin making sounds with your out-breathing
• feel and resonate the length of your spine, reaching deep into the pelvis (traversing the digestive tract, regulatory organs, lungs, throat, vocal chords, reaching toward your brain) and toward the resonating skull
• sound your spine and its fluid, circular motions in this watery state

 crawling (pushing to mobile position on hands and knees)

•  roll over onto your stomach
•  feel the pull of gravity on the front of your body
• breath deeply into this new state, feeling the pull of gravity
• use your arms to push your chest and head up, feeling the weight of your body resting on your palms
• breath deeply into the weight on your palms, feeling the length of your spine
• use hips and thighs to push yourself upward to balance on hands and knees, feeling the weight of your body on your palms
• breathe deeply into the weight through your palms and knees
• breathe deeply all the way down your spine and into your pelvis, flex and feel your spine
• breathe with the circular and flexing movements until movements and breath become one
• begin making sounds with your out-breathing
• sound your spine in this new state of gravity pulling down into hands and knees
• bring the feeling of the watery world into this new state
• move and sound your spine in the combination of the watery world and the new state
• begin to move on hands and knees, sounding the spine in its flexing, circular movements
  

standing (pushing to erect position on feet)

• with hands remaining on ground, wiggle and rock yourself into a squatting position, with feet flat on the ground
• feel the pull of gravity on the soles of your feet, pulling down on your buttocks, feel the release of pressure on your palms
• breathe deeply in this new state, feeling the weight of your body resting on the soles of your feet and the residual pressure on hands and knees
• use hips, thighs and calves to push yourself upward to balance on your feet, feeling the weight of your body on the soles of your feet
• breathe deeply into the weight of your body through your feet
• breathe deeply all the way down your spine and into your pelvis
• flex and feel your spine, reaching deep into the pelvis (traversing the digestive tract, regulatory organs, lungs, throat, vocal chords, reaching toward your brain) and toward the resonating skull
• breathe with the circular and flexing movements until movements and breath become one
• begin making sounds with your out-breathing
• sound your spine in this new state of gravity pulling down into feet
• bring the feeling of the watery world as well as the crawling world into this new state
• move and sound your spine in the combination of the watery world, crawling world and the new state