awareness through movement

92 AWARENESS THROUGH MOVEMENT
and whether the point of contact is at exactly the same points at
both heels. In the same way examine the contact made with the
floor by the calf muscles, the back of the knees, the hip joints, the
floating ribs, the upper ribs, and the shoulder blades. Pay attention
to the respective distances between the shoulders, elbows, wrists
and the floor.
A few minutes of study will show that there is a considerable difference
between the two sides of the body at the shoulders, elbows, ribs,
and so forth. Many people will find that in this position their elbows do
not touch the floor at all but are suspended in space. The arms do not
rest on the ground, and it becomes difficult to maintain them in this
position until the examination is over.
Discover the latent work of the muscles
We have a coccyx, five lumbar, twelve dorsal, and seven cervical
vertebrae. On which vertebrae in the pelvic region is pressure heaviest
Do all the lumbar vertebrae (girdle) touch the floor If not,
what is raising them above the floor On which of the dorsal or
back vertebrae is pressure heaviest At the beginning of this lesson
most people will find that two or three of the vertebrae make clear
contact with the floor while the others form arches between them.
This is surprising, because our intention was to lie at rest on the
floor, without making any effort or movement, so that in theory
each of the vertebrae and ribs should sink to the floor and touch it
at least at one point. A skeleton without muscles would indeed lie in
this way. It seems, therefore, that the muscles raise the parts of the
body to which they are attached without our being conscious of it.
It is impossible to stretch out the entire spine on the floor without
a conscious strain upon several sections. As soon as this conscious
effort is once more relaxed, the sections affected will again
move up and away from the floor. In order to settle the whole of
the spine on the floor we must stop the work the muscles are doing