🔼: [[🕯️ Somatics]], [[🛠 Aletheia Grounding Practice]] # Six Ways of Funny Walking[^1] Each of the six ways engages different muscles in our feet, legs, and hips. It's similar to [[🛠 Progressive Muscle Relaxation]] in that it helps us release tension and soften [[🛡️ Emotional Armoring|Emotional Armoring]]. > [!Tip] Tips > - We can do [[🛠 Six Ways of Funny Waving]] at the same time. > - Move slowly. It requires we use more stabilizing muscles, making this more powerful. > - For greatest benefit, try doing this 3 times weekly, every other day. More is okay, less is okay. > > This is an [[Open Awareness]] practice. Remain [[🕯️ Mindfulness|mindful]] of your body, your mind, and the room or space, noting whatever arises. > > [[🔑 Listen to your body]]. > - Take care of yourself with the [[🛠 Pendulation Toolkit]] if you need to. > - Don't push yourself and do not push past pain. Work around your own limitations and injuries. Stop if your body tells you to. > - If two minutes each is too much, maybe try one minute. If it's not enough, maybe try three. > - Make sure to freely breathe as you do this, don't hold your breath. Let out a [[💨 The Physiological Sigh|💨 Physiological Sigh]] or two if you feel tension building. > - You can do this with shoes on or off, and feel free to do this on a carpet or yoga mat. 1. Stand and tune-into how you're feeling, keeping your eyes open. We want to practice staying aware of the space around us and self-contact at the same time. Set a timer for two minutes, and do one round of each of these. Keep your knees slightly bent, bonus points for separating your toes. Shake your legs out after each round. 2. Walk on your tip toes 3. Walk on your heels. 4. Walk on the outside edge of your feet. 5. Walk on the inside edge of your feet. Your knees will knock towards each other. 6. Walk with toes pointed inward, toward each other. 7. Walk with toes pointed outward, away from each other.. 8. End with a [[Forward Fold]], with knees bent slightly *even if you can touch your toes without bending your knees*. There may or may not be some tremoring. Just allow it to happen, it's your [[⭐️ Body|Body]] releasing tension. If there is no tremoring, that's also normal. Stay connected to the room and your body, continue to breathe fully. Then *slowly* roll yourself up after about thirty seconds or when it feels good to you. 9. Check in with yourself, knees slightly bent, and notice whether you feel any different than you did before the practice. [^1]: [[🧑🏼‍🤝‍🧑🏾 Aletheia]] Level 2 Session 2