A favorite warmup technique… bootstraps… are efficient & effective. And they feel oh SO good.
In a nutshell, they go like this:
Step 1: Forward fold. Bend at the hips with the goal of lengthening the hamstrings and calves.
Step 2: Deep squat with chest tall and open to encourage hip, ankle and knee mobility.
We gently alternate back and forth between the two - for two district purposes.
When guiding the team through these, I can’t help but think about the importance of **conscious positioning**.
If you are thinking of Step 2 while in Step 1 you’re starting to bend at the knees - and you miss the whole point of the hamstring stretch. If, while in Step 2 you’re readying your hips to come up, you’re missing the opportunity to unload the hip and low back tension.
**BETTER** is to commit to the position you’re in. STAY. Benefit from it. THEN and only then, move with intent to the next, where you will once again commit to staying until that has served its purpose.
So, yes, it’s an over exaggeration of a mobility sequence in the gym…. but all this to make the point: conscious positioning enables us to reap the full benefits of our state.
So, I offer you this:
Today, can you STAY in Tuesday - and reap today’s full benefit before wishing it was evening (or Wednesday - or Friday)?
Likewise, can you PAUSE for this moment in summer and all its messy routines? Enjoy what it provides without hope for a quick return to school-year schedules? (I’m personally working very hard to NOT focus on August 8th!)
At lunchtime, can you position yourself consciously to experience your meal and acknowledge its benefits before moving on to afternoon meetings/activities?
And, even when in undesirable positions (i.e. sitting in traffic) can you recognize that you’re there until it’s done? (And plug in a podcast, call a friend, or sing loudly in your private little capsule?)
So, if you’re rushing to move to the next phase and neglecting the phase you’re currently in, pull yourself up by your bootstraps and STAY put!