Cueing

I write about cueing over and over again, because it is so important.  As an instructor I am always looking for new ways to express the same idea, because different words work for different people.  Or maybe it's not a word at all, but simply an image.  The right word, image or feeling can not only help you find engagement, it can completely transform your quality of movement.

How we learn is always so fascinating to me.  I can watch something a thousand times and never figure out how to do it.  I am a kinesthetic learner.  If you know what kind of learner you are, share that with your instructor so that they can interact with you in more helpful ways.

Here is a cue that is really working for me right now, maybe it will work for you as well:

When standing or lying prone: 
Imagine your inner thigh lifting up to the ceiling while you press your hips lightly down.
This cue puts me right in my center with access to my pelvic floor and Pilates lift.  I love it!

Cueing

Ok, so back to my problems engaging the pelvic floor:  the point that I was getting at is that sometimes the wrong word or concept can completely snafu you in your attempt to engage in an exercise. 

The ‘concept’ of doming worked for me, while the concept of ‘squeezing my pee muscles’ did not.  Even the words dome and squeeze have a completely different effect on me when I’m working out.

Honestly, it still amazes me how a new or different word can unlock your movement potential.

About 6 months ago I discovered the cue:  ‘pull your armpits low’.  Until then it was always ‘keep your shoulders out of your ears’ or put your shoulder blades in your back pockets, or something else that never worked.  With this new cue, however, my chest immediately opened up and I discovered the elusively correct muscles to connect my shoulders into my back. 

My clients are also having a uniformly positive response to this new cueing.  So, try it out if you haven’t already.