Grounded Knick-Knack
Want movement, sequence and rhyme at the same time?
Incorporate this Grounded Knick-Knack Alignment into your daily Solid Ground Flow.
Place hands on the back of your calves, fingers facing down. Press calves forward one at a time (and say knick-knack), and press thighs back like a see-saw. This helps keep your legs in alignment and delight in the wordplay silliness at the same time. That’s balance.
If you don’t press calves forward and thighs back, give yourself a Paddy-Whack!
Use the Solid Ground Clock, Pose Cards, or Chips to help remember the sequence. Say the rhyme out loud or ask someone with a groovy voice to read it while you flow. Remember Great Breath leads the way…..
This Great Breath, He played one,
He played knick -knack for more fun.
With a Knick- Knack, (press each calf forward)
Thighs back,
Mountain Pose,
Root your feet and spread your toes.
This Great Breath, He played two,
He played knick -knack to renew.
With a Knick- knack,
Thighs back,
Forward fold,
Upside down and feeling bold.
This Great Breath, He played three,
He played Knick -Knack Jubilee.
With a Knick –knack,
Thighs back,
Up to Half Lift,
Side body long, you get the drift.
This Great Breath, He played four,
He played knick- knack to restore.
With a Knick- knack,
Thighs back,
Straight Leg Lunge,
Heart melts down to take the plunge.
This Great Breath, He played five,
He played knick- knack for the jive.
With a Knick- knack ,
Thighs back,
Step into plank,
Squeeze legs together for more strength.
This Great Breath, He played six,
He played knick -knack for more kicks.
With a Knick -knack,
Thighs back,
Knees, chest, chin,
Gratitude Pose brings on the grin.
This Great Breath, He played seven,
He played knick -knack like in heaven.
With a Knick- knack,
Thighs back,
Flat Like a Pancake,
Arm bones lift to feel awake.
This Great Breath, He played eight,
He played knick- knack to create.
With a knick –knack,
Thighs back,
Curl into Snake,
Press chest forward and celebrate.
This Great Breath, He played nine,
He played knick- knack to align.
With a Knick- knack,
Thighs back,
Downward Dog,
Tail is up and hands are clawed.
This Great Breath, He played ten,
He played knick- knack for the zen.
With a knick- knack,
Thighs back,
Straight Leg Lunge,
Heart melts to take the plunge.
This Great Breath, He played eleven,
He played knick -knack just like heaven.
With a Knick- knack,
Thighs back,
Up to Half Lift,
Side body long, you get the drift.
This Great Breath, He played twelve,
He played knick- knack for the Self.
With a Knick- knack,
Thighs back,
Forward fold,
Upside down and feeling bold.
This Great Breath, 2 plus ten,
He played knick-knack once again.
With a Knick –Knack,
Thighs back,
Up to stand,
Back to Mountain to gain command.
Keep going round and round until you feel Grounded and Grand!
As Earth Day approaches this year, I am struck by what it means to truly foster Peace on this planet. I remember as a child, learning about anti-nuclear protestors who chained themselves to fences and were forcibly removed and jailed. These brave souls became my heroines and heroes in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. I was moved to tears singing Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind” and hearing stories of civil disobedience and the message of non-violent resistance. Later in the 1990’s, when I danced barefoot on my very first Earth Day, a lump would form in my throat when I celebrated each small victory (and the Gigantic Hearts) of environmental protestors who sacrificed so much to save a single tree and worked to preserve open space for our children’s children. Peace.
Sedef Dion who teaches a Pre-Grounded class at Springs Yoga shared with me the story of a four year old girl who in the cutest way mistakenly called Savasana….Lasagna. This inspired me to write a Savasana visualization with a Lasagna theme that Amy and I recently used to connect with our Fernbank Elementary Yoga Club students. After we did our practice complete with the Lasagna Savasana, one of our students..the Principal’s seven year old daughter said…”that was so relaxing…this could help me fall asleep at night”. Since it was her birthday that day, we wanted to put together a recording that her parents could play for her as she lays her head down for a good night rest after a long day.