I’ve been talking a lot about having an active connection to your apparatus, both in my classes and online. One of the big ideas that I share when I talk about this concept is the idea that there are two ways that you can interact with your apparatus.
You can hang from it, or you can post on it.
Now, obviously, this is a concept with lots of nuance, details, and specifics, and I can (and have!) gone deep down the rabbit hole in dissecting it.
That’s not what I’m doing right now. Broad strokes, people!
And the broad stroke here is understanding how you’re energetically interacting with your apparatus.
When you’re hanging, most of you is below your point of contact with your apparatus. Energetically, you’re lifting yourself towards that point.
When you’re posting, most of you is above your point of contact with your apparatus, and you’re energetically pushing yourself up or away from that point.
Cleary, this correlates with pushing and pulling, but those actions usually come from your arms. And I want you to think about how you can make that energetic connection with any part of your body that’s touching your apparatus!
Think about how you can press your hip into whatever you’re on, or your back. Even something as simple as changing how you’re sitting on a trapeze or lyra, from a more passive seated position to one where you’re actively pressing the backs of your legs into the bar and reaching your feet down towards the ground can have a dramatic impact on how our bodies are connected.
And you can post and hang at the same time! Hang from an arm and post on a leg, hang from a leg and post on an arm, etc.
I find thinking about moving on my apparatus this way helps my body become stronger and more dynamic, and it allows me to work with my apparatus like a partner, rather than something that I’m struggling against.
Obviously, there are going to be positions where these distinctions become muddy.
These energetic connections exist on a spectrum, so finding that something is more-so or less-so based on what you are doing is to be expected.
Using these terms isn’t meant to create rules or black and white thinking. Instead, think of it as a tool to assist you in being able to assess what you’re trying to do, and give you insight into why it might not be working, or how it could work better.
Creating a more active interaction with your apparatus will only help you move around it more easily, and that makes it easier for you to do the cool stuff!
If you’re a nerd who gets excited about these kinds of topics, my course, Aerial for Nerds, delves deep into this and much more. I’m getting ready for round 2, so make sure to join the waitlist to get all the details as soon as they’re available! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to explore your inner nerd!
And if you’ve got thoughts or questions about this post (or the course!) I’d love to hear them! Drop a comment, or shoot me an email! I’ll definitely get back to you!
