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Day 16
Hand
The bones of the hand consist of 8 carpals in the wrist area, 5 metacarpals and 14 phalanges. Because of the quality of small muscles in the hand, dancers are able to do intricate and specific movements. Also the hands have a high ration of nerve endings to muscle fibers ratio and is a highly sensitive communicator and receptor of the environment with the sense of touch.
Hand Massage
ReplyDeleteThough our hands are awfully bony… it could definitely use a massage. There are spaces between, underneath, and on top of our hands, that also needs attention. Touching, rubbing, and putting pressure on to the different areas will circulate different consciousness and sensation that we’re not always used to.
Not only does a hand massage make our hands feel great, our mental awareness is also improved at that moment. The pinch we exert on the tips of our finger runs through the nerves of our hands. Feels SO good!
It’s too bad we don’t pay enough attention to our hands. Rubbing and putting pressures in these areas can really help to ease our mind and can get rid of headaches (at least that’s what an acupuncturist I know, have said). Through experience, I know this is true! Every time I undergo a headache, I pinch the area between my thumb and index finger. You will feel tension and some pain if you pinch too hard… however, it feels amazing! It eventually rids me of my headache.
Shoulder girdle integration: heart circle
This particular exercise had me thinking about a theraband. The pressure of the fingers traveled through the nerves of the hands and forearm, like an electric current. It was a sensation I often feel when doing push-ups, arm curls, and etc, but never take notice of until now.
Specifically for dancers: carriage of the arms
After having done this exercise… I definitely feel and visualize the bony structure of the “carriage of the arms.” It really helped me identify each bone and the connection to one other and also to my surrounding space. Knowing and understanding the functions of the bones, truly helps with imagery and creating fullness in the arms.
THAO
Hand MassageHand massages are amazing because we use our hands for so many activities throughout the day!!! I love giving hand massages to other people, but I always forget how good it feels to massage in between all the metacarpals in the hand. In spreading my hands on my thigh, I found that it was easier to feel all the metacarpals in the hands and massage them. Massaging into the wrist between the eight carpal bones made me realize just how many bones we have in each hand. It's crazy that so many small bones and joints make up the hand. But these small bones in the hands allow for the great mobility our hands have.
ReplyDeleteShoulder Girdle Integration: Heart CircleThe current of energy between the hands traveled into the wrists, arms, and upper back. Pressing the scapulae wide on the back as well as through the spine and acromion. This connection to the clavicle and into the ribs also is activated as I pressed my hands together. I felt the warmth of the hands together, but after reading about connecting the warmth into organs such as the heart and lungs, I had new warming sensations. I then tried the same exercise standing and engaged my legs as well. It was an awesome sensation connecting all the distal ends and internal organs as well into the pressure placed between both my hands.
Specifically for Dancers: Carriage of the ArmsPaying attention to the movements of the scapula as I moved my arms into fifth position made me notice that the scapula moved in opposition. The forces of energy move down away from the arms as they move above the head. I learned this is anatomy a couple years ago, but I forgot about the sensations i felt in the back when i raised my arms above my head. Also with the arms in second positions, the scapulae move toward each other. The rotation of the humerus in it's socket allows the radius and ulna to uncross as the palms face the ceiling. Thinking about the scapulae spreading wide on the back brought less tension to my shoulders and arms. I found that this is an exercise I can use in ballet class to decrease the tension I sometimes hold in my chest and shoulders when I move my arms to make the pathways of my arms more fluid and expansive. This is a goal for me that I am still working on in ballet class as well as modern.
KATIE