Dan's Papers - May 23, 2008 - Inspirations by Emily J. Weitz

I've always relegated rubber bouncy balls to the domain of elementary school children. However, I was recently surprised to learn that balls of all sizes are an integral part of a field of wellness called Kinetic Awareness (KA). Trips to the 99-cent store have not been the same since.

KA is a system designed to bring heightened body awareness to the practitioner. It employs the use of hollow rubber balls to massage deep into the tissues. Elaine Summers, a dancer and choreographer, founded the practice. She found that the balls engender a sense of awareness in students. They become more familiar with their own anatomy. The goal of KA is to find resting positions that give the practitioner a sense of wellbeing and pleasure.

Ellen Saltonstall is a licensed Kinetic Awareness teacher who attracts a remarkably diverse body of students. She explains that, "the balls support the body in a position of stretch, but they add specific pressure, so in a sense they are like a combination of massage and yoga." Through the slow pace of the work, practitioners are able to gain sensitivity and mobility in areas that may have been tight. And because the practice is meant to be slow and mindful, it can be a deeply educational experience.

In a KA class, the teacher will guide students through this educational process. But KA, above all, is intuitive. Your body will tell you what's beneficial and what's harmful. By listening to the clear signals of the body, you'll find rest and comfort while receiving deep tissue work.

Depending on the tightness of the muscles and the area you are working, the teacher may suggest a larger, softer ball or a smaller, harder ball. Sometimes a few balls are used at once. For example, I have experienced some problems with my hips, so I worked with two small, hard balls, one underneath each hip. If someone was working with neck pain, he or she may use a larger ball the size of a melon underneath the neck.

Like massage, there's a release of tightness. But in KA, you are able to regulate the pace and intensity of the work based on your own physical responses. As you slowly move around on the balls, you can sense when your body is ready for the stretch or pressure. "The whole point of it is to become more sensitive to what your body wants to tell you," says Saltonstall. "That skill will carry over into whatever you do, so that you have clearer warning signals that will prevent injury."

Most people store tension in the shoulders, neck and lower back. Therefore, the balls are most often used in these places. When these tight areas are given the ability to loosen and release, the body's able to find its optimal alignment more easily. Imagine a marionette that hangs from a string. Imagine the hinges of the marionette have gotten old and rusty. If you don't spray the hinges with WD-40, then the marionette will not hang in a relaxed position. Once you loosen up the joints, though, there will be increased mobility and optimal alignment. The ball work helps to loosen up the joints. "After the ball work," Saltonstall explains, "readjusting alignment is much easier, because the internal resistance is lessened."

I wanted to know how the ball work benefited Saltonstall personally. After all, here's a woman in her 60s that can still do hand stands and back bends without a problem. So, how has this practice helped her stay active and spry? "Each of us has body patterns that take us out of alignment," she explains. "In my case, there are some areas in my spine that are chronically tight and rounded forward because of my body's structure. Using the balls gives me tremendous relief and freedom. If I don't use them daily, I get stiff and achy. I feel that whatever I want to do physically is so much easier after working with the balls - I feel more alive. It also clears my head. It's a wonderful way to connect deeply to myself, and prepare me to enjoy life fully."

Saltonstall teaches Kinetic Awareness in New York City, and she'll be coming out to the Hamptons to teach KA workshops this summer at One Ocean Yoga. Visit mohiniyoga.com for specific information.