Tag Archives: good posture

Argentine tango, body awareness, body mechanics, Emboying the rules, mindfulness

Don’t forget to breathe..!

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“Don’t forget to breathe!” I love the absurdity of this phrase..! 
Honestly, how did this become a cue I wonder..? haha
Have you tried to hold your breath through a pose during yoga for example..? Unless you are a very good diver, holding your breath could only last a few torturous seconds and you would definitely know! 

Can we forget to breathe?

You can’t really forget to breathe. Because you don’t need to remember to breathe, you simply, automatically do. If you are holding your breath you also know, it is very clear, intentional and obvious. So what do they mean by that cue?

My take on this is, when we are holding a position or when we are overthinking something our breathing may be inhibited, meaning it might not be as efficient as it could be. As such every action feels effortful, straining and draining.
For example, if you pull your bellybutton in then your ribcage can not expand and move upward with every inhale and so your breathing will be inhibited, your inhales will be shallow and you will feel as if you are holding your breath. 

It is not really therefore that we forget to breathe, but other movement choices may be coming in the way of efficient and effortless breathing thus creating that feeling of a hold of breath.

What can we do to change that?

With this explanation in mind, we can start looking at the movement patterns of breathing and allow for those movement patterns to inform our posture and our movement as a whole. This way our breathing will flow and we will feel supported by the renewed energy of every breath.

To support this approach our cues will also have to change. The cue “don’t forget to breathe” though it might come handy some times, reminding to pause and breathe fully, it is addressing the issue causing the inhibition. It needs therefore to be replaced by a cue addressing posture and movement options. The quality of our breathing can actually be a new cue in it of itself. As you are practicing notice your breathing; are you feeling that your breathing flows effortlessly uninhibited? If not try to find the right adjustment in your posture and movement to free the breath.

Chrisa

P.S: Interested in a breathing and posture workshop, check out this video

P.P.S: Want more posts such as this? Subscribe to join the Bautanz community.

 

Argentine tango, Argentine tango technique, body awareness, body mechanics, Dance, embrace, online tango practice, Posture, progress in dance, Uncategorized

Posture and Mindfulness

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Following this theme that we have been exploring, for some time now, mindfulness, we shift our focus towards posture; posture and mindfulness

We have talked and explored posture in many different ways however this time, our focus is not on the shape(s) that the body creates that we can characterize as efficient posture.

Our focus is more on becoming aware of our spine, our breath, our back and front body and the space there is between them.
Our goal would be to achieve the desired alignment without though creating unnecessary tension, by pulling on the muscle to achieve a specific position.

So how do we do it?

As you will see in the video above we are starting with breathing. Muscles of the back are also called breathing muscles and not by chance. You can do a simple test yourselves; inhale and exhale and notice how your body moves.

By deepening our inhales and exhales, we make all those movements associated with the breath and posture bigger. And so this way we come into a posture without inhibiting our breath and without using more muscle than what is necessary for us to get there.

One thing that I would like to take the opportunity to stress out here, is allowing yourselves to start where YOU are. This is a very important part of the process. We spend so much time trying to look like someone else, that we forget to acknowledge our starting point. However, that is something that will have a major impact on how we get to our goal and how long it will take.

So physically we are all of the same make but we are also different, maybe you have a more extended or arched back, maybe your breathing pattern is shallower, maybe you are stressed… a thousand maybes! So take some time to notice where you are without any judgement, just being a witness to your own experience and allow yourselves to start from there.

Being respectful and loving to your body will not only have physiological benefits but it will also be the first step towards mindfulness.

The benefits of a mindful posture

Talking about benefits, lets see a couple of more…

So continuing the conversation, acknowledgment without judgement doesn’t mean acceptance, but more realizing, identifying where you are and how that feels. So you go through a body scan, noticing where things are and how things are feeling. The labels of good and bad should be dropped for this one, as there is no good and bad, it just is what it is.

Once you have informed your knowing, then you can start the exploration of your other options of alignment

Other options will then offer a series of benefits, such as:

  • efficiency of movement, so you are not using more energy than what you need
  • following the above, you have better use of muscle
  • better balance of forces within the joints so there are no shear forces going through your joints, pulling them off center
  • following the above you can avoid overuse of ligaments and muscle impingement
  • you will have a comfortable breath while standing and moving
  • your diaphragms can work properly, at the appropriate pace with the necessary movement pattern
  • and generally your organs will be aligned and able to maintain their tone and relationships to one another
  • going to the Tango side of things, you can have more freedom in movement as you won’t need to hold as much
  • movements will feel more connected in your bodies
  • you will be able to dance for longer as you won’t be wasting energy and
  • last but not least we will be able to enjoy our dances more

We had to close this list at some point but in reality once you start with such explorations the benefits are more and more and some more..! (haha)

What if I don’t know where to start, with posture and mindfulness

I think our video above can be an excellent start and also our video from last week. They make a good match and can help slowly deepen your understanding of how the different parts of our upper body interact.

Now if you need more guidance we have our regular classes and workshops starting next week and we will be spending some time on such themes. It would be a great pleasure to have you in one of our groups. Help you and me learn and grow together

So if you want to give that a look check out our regular classes here: Online Tango Classes- Live and here are our Mindfulness Workshops

Hope to see you there and then

Enjoy,

Chrisa

P.S: If you want to get started with some body scanning here you go!

Argentine tango technique, Emboying the rules, ochos, Posture, Tango practice, Tips on tango technique for leaders and followers

Ochos as part of a healthy movement diet

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These last three we are working on ochos.

We got fitness exercises,  tips for building a smart practice and of course technique tips

But today I want to take a moment to talk to you about the life-tango connection.

Tango is like life and vice versa

No that is NOT what I am going to talk about…hahaha…but you thought I would didn’t you?

You felt that cliche coming your way! Haha

Don’t worry you are safe!

I want to talk about how this practice like all the other practices you can find in this blog can help you move better in life as well as in Tango

Keep moving

One of the biggest problems people have today is that they are not moving enough.

As a species we were made to move…In fact we survived because our movement became more efficient and we managed in this way to “outrun” our opponents and get food!

Now, this species that it’s whole survival was based on movement is stranded on a chair only to move once or twice a week.

Our bodies thinking that this is the new way of doing things, rearranges our muscles to support it and slowly but surely we start losing range of motion, flexibility and power in our hips, shoulders, spine and all around… We start losing ourselves!

Does any of this sound familiar?

If not, think about the last time your tried to bend over to grab something off the floor aaaand…”OUCH! My back…” came out

Or the last time you thought to yourself: “I am too old for this”

Well, what if Tango was here to help you keep on moving even if you have to take things a bit slower or with a bit more caution.

Follow the tips below for healthier body… they WILL make your ochos better as well!

Space and movement in the hips and spine is something that many of us have lost with time. But you can definitely get some back with the exercises above

Only have the following tips in mind:

  • Find your own rhythm, maybe I am going to fast for you, slow it down if you need to
  • If at any time during the seated exercises you need to put your hands on the floor go for it, just don’t drop your weight on them
  • And if you a friendly wall for your adult ochos, go for that as well, balance also gets built with time
  • Focus not on how big of a twist you can create but on identifying all the movements your body is creating from the outside in, meaning from the skin all the way to the organs and the inside out from your breath, from your blood to your skin.
  • If you can’t twist as much, or can’t have the legs fully extended, that is OK! Not being flexible is not always bad same as being flexible is not always good. Look for safety, for smoothness and flow and flexibility will come with time.
  • Breathe! Yes I know you are doing that already…But breathe into every inch of your body and out of every cell.
  • Notice points of tension and see if you can get rid of it. I am saying if because sometimes that is not possible, no matter how much we might want it. But acknowledging it is the first step towards getting rid of it
  • Do your ochos noticing how the movements you explored in the exercises underlie them. Like the leg-hip-leg-body circuit we explored
  • Without changing any of your current habits, notice how these movements underlie your everyday life. Examine your comfort zone to become more aware of your movement, your limits and your potential

Aaaaand last but not least…. Have fun with it!

I want to take a quick second to thank Jeffrey Posner for the hips rotations he shared on instaInst that inspired this video!

Chrisa

P.S: if you like practices like this one, I think you will love this: https://bautanz.com/intelligent-tango-programs-and-courses/

Argentine tango technique, Posture, Tango walks, Tips on tango technique for leaders and followers

A 15min Tango practice on Ochos

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Last week we used the gym to practice our Tango, twists and ochos

This week we will take a couple of those exercises and built a more Tango-y practice 

Notice a few NOT so profound details
  • There is a section of preparation, something like a warm-up in gym terms.

Do we really need a warm up?
For Tango not really, at least not for what we are doing today….
So why are doing it? Why are we not getting into our Tango stuff right away?
Well, a warm-up is always beneficial, not only for the body but also for the mind. It is an opportunity to notice how our body feels that day, what we need to be careful with and possibly what we need to focus on based on our goals, level, expectations, mood, past injuries etc.
So use those first few exercises to notice how you are feeling inside and out.

  • It is all connected..! 

Ok this is almost like a joke between me and my good friend Jill Newberry Evans for months any conversation we had would lead to: “It is all connected” until we decided to make a video of it.
And in our video too, from the warm-up to the ochos I am focused on connecting the dots…
Lets take posture as an example; to establish a good posture we need to work on flexion, extension, side bending and twisting of the spine and all of the above combined; and that is what we are doing with the very first exercise that feeds into establishing a strong but breathing posture for the 2nd exercise etc.
Or, to have a smooth dance, we need a smooth transition from walks to ochos so we try to build that in our practice as well; going from walks to walks with a cross to traveling ochos

  • Why traveling ochos?

Because they will allow us to experience the connection the ochos have to the walk.
Plus we should actually be using them more on the dancefloor. Compared to the “stationery”-left-to-right ochos they don’t create any traffic on the pista.

  • If you don’t like the way this practice is set up, using the tips above you can build your own practice.

Choose another exercise from last week’s video, pair it with any video on ochos from my channel on youtube or another teacher’s channel that you follow; making sure that it is a smooth match and it is helping you connect the dots.

Sooo that is it…! Send me your questions, feedback or video requests I would love to hear from you.
Please don’t get discouraged if I don’t get back to you right away you will be definitely hearing back from me; I read every email!

And join the Bautanz community for a fresh practice video every week!

Enjoy,

Chrisa

 

Argentine tango technique, ochos, Tango practice, Uncategorized

7 exercises for a more enjoyable twist

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Coooome on lets twist again…..Oups different dance…!haha

I haven’t done a don’t-leave-the-gym-yet video in a long time, mostly because I haven’t been to the gym for some time…hmmmm…time to change that though.

Turn, twist and pivot

As you might have already gathered from the introduction… I am not really a regular to the gym…I like doing different activities, including going to the gym but I am not a gym freak…

With that being said, please don’t think of these exercises as the only exercises you will ever need, but as great opportunities.

Opportunities? You might wonder…

Yes opportunities for a multi-layered practice.
On a first level you can just do the exercises for a good workout.
Then on a second level you can trust me that they do actually have something to do with Tango
On a third you will think over each exercise and find the connecting thread with Tango
And on a fourth level you can identify the basic principles underlying the exercises and Tango and start exploring those principles in how your body moves generally
Lastly, on a fifth level you can acknowledge how these practices have changed your understanding of your movement, your body, yourself and your relationship with what is you and what is not you.
Etc…

You see..?

On level 5 the exercises don’t matter but at all, they can be any 7 exercise.
But guess what… level 5 doesn’t matter either if you skip all the other levels

And no no I am going to through the journey cliche at you….
You need action, you need a physical understanding of your body through movement to reach a mental and sensical understanding. We understand ourselves through movement not through mental pictures created by others externally.

So I encourage you to try these out notice what they do to your body and slowly make your way to level 5 and beyond..! But first you just have to do it!Haha

Enjoy,

Chrisa

P.S: If you want more videos like this one you can check: Don’t leave the gym yet

 

Argentine tango technique, Uncategorized

How to practice Tango even when you are busy

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We are all busy, always in a rush. By the time we get home from work it is like 7pm already, and we are just drained, the last thing we think about is Tango practice

Part of us really wants us to practice our Tango. There is that little voice inside our head that says: “Come on, you have to…Plus it you will feel so much better afterwards”

We usually face 2 problems:

  1. Time. There are just so many things to work on and so little time left in the day
  2. Not knowing where to start from

I hope that I will be able to show how you can overcome these 2 problems, by sharing with you 3 videos of jam-packed practices touching on most of the fundamental elements of Tango.

When there is a will, there is a way…. Even for busy people!

Time is really not the problem here…. But how we relate to time, how we experience it.

The most common misconceptions with time and practice are directly related to how we perceive time and not with how much time we actually have.

Most people either believe they need hours on their Tango practice to get better and even if they find somes time the rest of their life takes over.

When I first started practicing Tango, I remember I had booked a studio for 1 hour and I was soooo excited, I couldn’t wait…!
The time came for me to hop in the studio…
10mins later, I look at my watch… and I was soooo disappointed…
Those 10mins had felt like 20 to me…haha

That first day I really had to push through, make myself focus and stop the frustration from taking over. The next time though I knew… I only needed the room for 20mins.
And I stayed at the same time-level for a long time until I naturally one day, felt the urge to stay longer.

So you don’t need hours. Instead start with 10mins of focused practice and build your way up from there.
As you build your practice, you are building your awareness as well, making sure you stop BEFORE your technique fails you.

And of course I have a story for the second time-trouble element…haha…simply because it naturally comes with adulthood

There are other things that are more important than Tango in life, like making lunch for the next day or doing laundry.
And no matter how much you try even those 10mins of Tango practice can easily get sidekicked by something more important.

This is what I did…. I put my practice in my calendar as another class. As another business thing I need to do. I scheduled it in as work.
Making it equally important as a class or a show.

Now you might say that IS part of your job… Which of course is true… BUT… taking care of yourself is YOUR job.
Nobody can do it for you and if Tango is something you are passionate about, practicing for it will bring a special feeling of accomplishment in your life plus it will give better posture and balance–important things for a comfortable life

The only time I wouldn’t do my practice is when I felt stressed about something that needed to get done or when I was too tired to focus… In cases such as these I really think the best thing to do is either go and deal with the stressor or rest

But what if you don’t know where to start from?

Well the answer to this one is rather simple…

Start from HERE…hahaha:

Enjoy,

Chrisa