I now sympathise better with those people who slave at detailed desk work, after having spent all of the last 3 days creating plates for print making. Even though in our course, we get up and move around in the process of pressing our prints, the work amounts to what I call an out-of-body-exerience. You have to concentrate so hard and work so quickly at times that you can’t take the best care of your posture and body parts.
Fortunately we yogis and teachers know a few tricks, and here are three of the best:
1. Resting your shoulders over the edge of a bed or the arm of an overstuffed arm chair. This helps de-kyphose your upper back and open your chest.
2. A chair twist which works even better on repetition.
3. Legs-up-the-wall or, if wall space is unavailable, lying on your back, lower legs supported on the seat of a chair.
I was impressed to see one of the smart women in our group just lie down on the floor during the lunch break with her legs bent and feet on the floor. I had to give her a little floor twist to do and a back waist rock side to side.
When the body calls out for care, it’s like hearing your phone ring and answering it: it’s time to get the message.
Here’s a couple of creations from the printmaking course so far….
Bravo!