http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2?format=rss Tribe.net. Local Connections http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2#d5eab16d-26ff-4d6c-827a-a5393cc2bd42 Wow. Definitely take Palika's instructions and advice and practice it! The more you pay attention to those details in your anatomy and to how she explains the moves, the more defined and well-controlled your movements will become. Just a few months of taking her classes, and I certainly have improved quite a bit. In addition to all the above advice in this thread, I don't know what kind of jobs you lovely ladies have, but I have a desk job, and have to sit in front of a computer screen all day. Thankfully, I can listen to music on headphones...which leads to practicing bellyrolls and glute squeezes all day long. March 2006, I could not really isolate any part of my upper or lower abs. By mid April, I had a convincing bellyroll, and by May, people were commenting on how defined it was. Soooooo...my advice to all my dancing sistahs - practice, practice, practice: in your car, at work, walking around the house, brushing your teeth, anywhere and everywhere. You'll be amazed how quickly you improve AND you'll channel more happiness into your days - less stress, and more enjoyment of life! ~Lisa Tue, 11 Jul 2006 18:40:31 GMT http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2#d5eab16d-26ff-4d6c-827a-a5393cc2bd42 The Firefly 2006-07-11T18:40:31Z http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2#410f49a5-174b-4423-aa78-f0a8b8088184 The tricks to lower abs and pelvic locks are these: 1. Your butt must be loose!!!!! This takes some time to get, there is no and I mean no clenching of the butt when you engage the lower abs. Think of a passage of air , like a tunnel that must be kept open, just under the butt cheeks where they meet the back upper thigh and from under the perineum - that is loose and open all the way down to the Earth. No tight butt cheeks. 2. No thrusting and pushing on the thighs. Almost 99% of my students begin doing pelvic locks this way. They thrust forward with the lower pelvis and contract and push the front of the thigh. This too, takes practice to not to do. Put your hands on your thighs and notice if there is any push or tightening as you contract lower ab. The thighs too, even though knees are slightly bent must remain relaxed to isolate lower ab. No pushing on thighs at all. 3. Think of creating a concave space inside your lower ab, 3 inches below navel. That is like a sit up lying down, when you contract the lower ab a negative space is created. People who are pushing and clenching will be pushing something out, not pulling something in. Think of a sacred seed deep in your womb that you are wrapping your lower abs muscles around to insulate and protect. 4. Visualize your lower back flattening as you press it against a wall. In fact practicing against a flat wall is a good idea. 5. Visualize 2 very loose and easy hinges in the two creases where your thighs meet your pelvis in the front body. 6. Visualize loose hinges in your lower spine where your butt crease begins and below. DO NOT RELEASE AND HINGE YOUR SPINE AT YOUR WAIST! The spine at the waist should be still. 7. Keep weight in heels, toes should be able to lift easily. Keep upper body lifted, shoulders back and down. Relax everything else. 8. Keep spine lifting!!!!!! 9. When you release, soften everything but keep a lifting spine and mildly engaged tucked. DO NOT RELEASE INTO YOUR FULL ARCH CAPACITY OF LOWER SPINE. Neutral is a slightly engaged lower ab, in other words don't drop and dump the content of your lower belly when you release. Suhaila says, lay on back cross legs at ankles and extend toward ceiling. Hand face down by your thighs at your sides. Lift your toes up to ceiling, extending the whole leg and lifting buttox off floor, This is hard and will take some time before your butt lifts- targets your lower ab specifically. Caroleena has you stand on diagonal face mirror and alternately contract and pulse upper ab and lower ab - that is upper out, lower in, then lower out, upper in. They will get bigger and even visible with regular practice. Good luck, p. Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:09:08 GMT http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2#410f49a5-174b-4423-aa78-f0a8b8088184 palika 2006-07-11T17:09:08Z http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2#8e2c8c92-ce55-4ce0-8bc5-674f73cb4a5e i am new to belly dancing and can't do belly rolls yet either, but something i noticed when working on finding these muscles is that i am so accustomed to holding my belly muscles tight, and in working the muscles to have a tight, toned ab, that it took me a while to let myself let these muscles relax, or release, before i could even think about contracting them separately:) and i am still working on that!!! Tue, 11 Jul 2006 13:43:51 GMT http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2#8e2c8c92-ce55-4ce0-8bc5-674f73cb4a5e $item.owner.firstName 2006-07-11T13:43:51Z http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2#8493a36a-9224-4855-a5bf-20c1bca79ac4 I've discovered them!!!!!!!! YIPPIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can slightly pull them in, can't push out or anything yet.. but that will come in time! I just spent like an hour infront of the mirror practicing the locks. It's sad.. I've had my body for so long.. yet never knew I had these babies! Thanks Jess! Wed, 15 Mar 2006 07:39:55 GMT http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2#8493a36a-9224-4855-a5bf-20c1bca79ac4 Casifer 2006-03-15T07:39:55Z http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2#a40bbc2a-5670-4674-a424-1f9883132e5f Hello Casandra, Sorry for the not-so-positive reply, but I've been belly dancing for about 5 years now and I'm JUST starting to sense where my lower ab muscles are. Granted I did not try to do body rolls (honestly, real belly rolls are only done by advanced dancers and those with a precious natural ability!) for a few years as I've been working on my general technique. Practice pelvic locks every day. In her DVD, Rachel Brice says that if you practice pelvic locks every day for 5 minutes "in a few months" it should come. Happy dancing!...Jessica Mon, 13 Mar 2006 20:33:54 GMT http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2#a40bbc2a-5670-4674-a424-1f9883132e5f Jessica 2006-03-13T20:33:54Z http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2#b58513de-e91f-4e59-a37b-80ccec142407 Hey ladies! It's been a while since I've posted! How is everyone doing? I've taken classes for two months now with Audra (amazing teacher btw) We haven't gotten to bellyrolls in class yet, But i've been practicing here at home with my DVD's and such.. and i've run into a snag! I can conract and expand my upper abs like there's no tomorrow.. but I just can't find my lower abs. How on earth do you control them? I've tried laying down and sitting with my back against a wall... and also to isolate each ab seperately. But I just can not control those dang lower abs. It's like they don't move! Any suggestions, advice, etc ? Ciao for now =- ) Mon, 13 Mar 2006 03:22:34 GMT http://heavyhips.tribe.net/thread/5a612e7e-bc02-4a09-9913-f754b78521d2#b58513de-e91f-4e59-a37b-80ccec142407 Casifer 2006-03-13T03:22:34Z