At one time or another, your dentist has probably encouraged you to floss your teeth, or rather in the spaces between your teeth. It doesn't take long, yet greatly enhances your oral health.

Likewise, you can 'floss' your spine. It consists of 24 vertebrae and the sacrum. Each vertebra has 4-6 joints. That's a lot of joints!

Ideally, all of these joints participate in the movement of the spine. Each one gives its little bit, which adds up to a lot of movement through the length of the spine. To keep them moving well, they need to....move!

Here is a Spacial Dynamics exercise you can try:

Stand with your feet about hip width apart, looking straight ahead.
Put your finger on the bottom of your scull where it meets the spine and push around a bit in there so you can feel that place.
Slowly drop your gaze slightly, and let the space you were touching open a little bit.
Find the next space between the 2 vertebrae below that one, and let it open as well. .
Let the space between each pair of vertebrae open backwards as you go along, and your head will slowly relax forward, then your chest and trunk.
Continue as far as you are comfortable. As you go lower, bend your knees to allow your low back to round.
This exercise can also be done sitting.

When you have 'flossed' as far down as you can, send your attention down over your sacrum, down the legs and into the ground. As you pull down, your spine slowly unfurls until you stand upright again. In this way, the trunk and head are coming up as if you were pulling down on a pulley system. The activity is going down, while your spine is coming back to an upright stand.

Both times, rolling down and back up, the activity is going down: First, sequentially opening the spaces between the vertebrae, beginning at the top of the spine and working downwards. Then pulling down to come up.

Along the way, you may find some places that feel a bit stuck, or a whole group of vertebrae moving as one. Take your time, do some extra 'flossing' at these places, and they may over time join in the overall movement.

If you have neck or back problems, go very slowly, and only as far as you can without discomfort. When in doubt, and for coaching specific to your situation, contact your Spacial Dynamics practitioner.

There are many other Spacial Dynamics® exercises that can greatly improve the flexibility and health of your spine. I would be happy to show you some at your next session.