Base-Line Healing logo. Stick figure with arms outstretched above shoulder height, legs apart. Rainbow of colours up midline. Red at pelvic floor Base then a line of orange, yellow, green blue extending to the head. Showing the body aligned and balanced, the natural way to treat fibromyalgia. Use your body better slogan.

The Roll-Down Action.

The roll-down was the fundamental move during my early recovery.

I found myself rolling-down again and again. It felt good.

The roll-down action involves extending your midline whilst curling your body forward and down, making the widest possible arc with your Base-Line.  Letting your upper body relax (as much as you can) and drop down forward from your hips. (Easier said than done if you have a lot of physical restrictions on your body.)

stand comfortably, you are healing from your baseline so keep your focus on that. The roll down is a forward action moving the head towards the legs whilst aiming to form the longest arc with your base-line muscles as you can.  Feel them supporting the rest of the body.  our core pillar of strength. Relax the upper body. This movement was fundamental to my recovery from depression and a lifetime of pain and fibromyalgia symptoms.  Repeat as feels good always thinking stronger and longer with your baseline at your core.

As you use the roll-down action, your primary focus should be on activating your Base-Line muscles to support the rest of your body as you move.

Base-Line muscles

Remember:

All movement should be supported by your Base-Line.

Human figure seen from the front, looking up, with the Base-Line muscles, the body's core pillar of strength. The pelvic floor muscles the solid base foundation of the torso. The rectus abdominis muscles extending from the pubic symphysis of the pelvis up the front of the abdomen to the lower ribs. The rectus abdominis muscles are like to 2 parallel ribbons of muscle that should be fully active and extended, section by section from pelvis to chest to support all movement

Your core pillar of strength.

The centre of your body.

How To Roll-Down

The standing roll-down is a good way to start, giving the greatest degree of freedom to move with your Base-Line, but do whatever is comfortable for you.

The standing roll-down provides the maximum freedom to adjust your posture to align with your Base-Line. Other positions (kneeling, sitting, lying down etc.) when the body's points of contacts are closer to Base-Line movement and amplify imbalances but when you are ready use the roll-down action in other positions, whatever feels right.

Why the roll-down became my 'go-to' move.

Releasing Tensions And Physical Restrictions.

The roll-down movement is often described as 'vertebra by vertebra' (e.g. in Pilates), but when I started I had very little movement in my upper body and couldn't feel that. I focused on activating my Base-Line and rolling down section by section of my rectus abdominis muscles.

What helped me to focus on my Base-Line.

You may start to experience 'releases' allowing you to melt down a little further. These feel good. There may be cracks/pops and other sounds and sensations.

You may start to experience emotional releases as you release physical tensions.  Go with them. Then let them go.

I had many tensions to release before I could feel it, but rolling down is like melting when the Base-Line muscles are properly engaged and supportive and the body is free of physical tensions and has a full range of natural movement. A smooth, easy action demonstrating the core strength and power that I never knew I had.

full range of natural movement

What If I Can't Roll Down?

Do what feels right for you.

Keep the focus on your Base-Line muscles. Start to feel the power of these muscles as your breathe, you will start to feel how move to improve your posture.

Then think about your connection to the other 5 main muscles of movement, how they feel to you - Do they feel balanced? Free to move?

main muscles of movement

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