05.08 Applied Practice Lab: EQUATE — Summary
05.08 Applied Practice Lab: EQUATE — Summary (English)
Section titled “05.08 Applied Practice Lab: EQUATE — Summary (English)”Transcript: View Transcript
Lesson 5.8: Applied Practice Lab – EQUATE
Section titled “Lesson 5.8: Applied Practice Lab – EQUATE”Lesson Summary
Section titled “Lesson Summary”This Practice Lab guides you through the complete EQUATE sequence on both sides, emphasizing controlled arm transitions, maintaining the backward lean during flexion phases, and creating opposing forces between head, arms, and ribcage during spinal extension. The practice includes ankle relief techniques and transitions through Suspension to Reclining Transition.
Key Takeaways
Section titled “Key Takeaways”1. Starting Position Options: Sit onto heels (or cross-legged as variation). If sitting onto heels, relieve ankle pressure by pressing tops of feet down. You can flex ankles to take pressure off at any point.
2. Hanging Back Position – First Form: As you transition back, hang back flexing upper spine lightly as arms extend forward. Spread through fingers as you draw shoulders down. Knees stay together, heels close toward each other. If they start to flare out, bring them toward each other.
3. Arms Behind Head – First Form: Slowly take right arm up behind head, then take left arm behind to interlock. Still hanging back with slight spinal flexion over top of heels.
4. Extension and Opposition – First Form: Sternum and chest move directly up. Come out of flexion with straight spine up. Offer resistance with back of head into forearms. Shoulders draw down and forearms resist back into back of head. Back of head and forearms oppose each other as you move through upper torso and chest. Continue with that resistance and continue drawing shoulders down.
5. Micro-Movements During Hold: Move through upper torso and chest—might be little Micro-Movements. Think of rib cage floating around top of pelvis. Continue to flex ankles if feeling pressure.
6. Release – First Form: Hang back. To release, take left arm out first then right arm comes out. Both arms come out to the side initially.
7. Second Side Setup: Bring left arm up and in, connect to back of head, then right arm in. Still in flexion hanging back initially. Light interlock with elbows—nothing major, just light connection.
8. Extension – Second Side: As you start to lift sternum directly up, offer resistance with back of head to forearms and forearms into back of head as you draw shoulders down. Head and arms continue to resist as you draw shoulders down continually.
9. Release – Second Side: Flex out, spreading arms, spreading fingers as arms extend out to the side. Draw shoulders down while hanging back. Hands spreading, fingers spreading.
10. Twist Entry – First Side: Take right arm back—turning right arm in and down and back (pronation). Take hand to inside of shoulder blades as you reach. May not be all the way up—might just have it connected below. Come back to center.
11. Circumlinear Motion: Take left arm up first. Move through shoulder first to allow for more space. Not trying to force or throw with momentum any connection. Just trying to find space in shoulder to see if there’s enough space to connect fingers.
12. Connection Options: If not connecting fingers, don’t force it—use fists. Fist stays to back of head or forearm stays to back of head. Other fist stays behind back between shoulders or just below. If fingers interlock, you interlock them. Top arm resists head. Head resists into top arm as you draw both shoulders down. Can move a little side to side.
13. Release – First Side: Release by flexing out first. If hands are clasped, when you flex start to release hands. First extend left arm up and out to the side, then twist upper torso to right as you turn right arm down and out to the side. Spread through fingers, draw shoulders down, then come back to center.
14. Twist Entry – Second Side: Turn left arm in and around and down and back, turn and twist as far back as you can, pronating shoulder down and reaching left arm back up between shoulder blades. Keep right arm standing forward first. Once arm is connected to shoulder blades with flat open hand, start to move through that right shoulder.
15. Exploring Range of Motion: Explore through range of motion to see where you can find space that would allow reaching hand back to connect to fingers. Depending on shoulder mobility, fingers may come nowhere close. Over time they will, but if they don’t, make fists behind head and behind back.
16. Extension – Second Side: Connect back of head pushing into forearm, forearm resists into back of head. Same mechanism as when hands are connected. Shoulders continually draw down. Even with hands connected, there’s no forceful connection—that’s just the range of motion.
17. Release – Second Side: To release, undulate a little as you flex back. First thing is let hands go, reach right arm up first and out, turn to the left. That releases tension or resistance from shoulder as you release left arm back and down, then release it out to side.
18. Transition Preparation: Both arms come forward. Spread through fingers, draw through shoulders, move through neck, move through chest. As you flex forward a little, hands come down to floor, lift hips up.
19. Ankle Relief Sequence: Counter ankle pressure by flexing ankles fully if you were sitting onto them. If cross-legged, just stay there. Sitting onto ankles, counter any pressure by flexing ankles fully and sitting onto heels and moving them side to side gently. This is decompression on ankles if there was excess weight for lengthy period.
20. Exit to Reclining Transition: Bring heels together, feet down. Turn legs, pull feet out to side of body, lower hips down as you extend legs forward into transition to Suspension. Suspend rather than just letting things go. Slowly lower arms down with Suspension as you straighten through legs, lift through chest, keep chin drawing down toward chest, into Reclining Transition. Cross legs, then come up.
Why This Matters
Section titled “Why This Matters”This practice develops the ability to maintain conscious control through complex arm transitions while managing opposing forces during spinal extension. The practice teaches how to move slowly and deliberately even in challenging positions, building the kind of awareness that distinguishes conscious movement from automatic patterns. The ankle relief sequence demonstrates how Baseworks addresses the cumulative effects of sustained positions.
Tip: During the twist and bind forms, if you’re struggling to reach your hands together, resist the temptation to lean forward to make the connection. The value of the form comes from maintaining the backward lean and creating the opposition, not from forcing the bind. Using fists instead of binding while maintaining quality position is far more valuable than compromising form to achieve a connection.