Practice effortless, aesthetic movement

Gravity
“Like the air around us, our relationship with gravity is so basic, so fundamental, that we rarely think of it. Yet it underlies-sets the tone for-every one of our actions and behaviours.” Aline Newton

Gravity has a strong influence in any movement we make. To make smooth transitions and weight transfer when climbing or asana practice, we must be conscious of our relationship to gravity. A climber must maintain equilibrium under challenging circumstances.

"For an adult standing with feet together and arms at the side, the 'centre of gravity' is located in the soft tissue in the middle of the pelvis. This is at a 55% of body height or a little below your navel, according to Peter M. McGinnis in Biomechanics of Sport and exercise." The Self Coached Climber. The centre of gravity in a woman is normally a fraction lower than in a man. Our center of gravity shifts with each movement. When the distribution of our weight changes, the center of gravity shifts toward the greater weight concentration. If you bend your torso, move your limbs above your head or out to the side your centre of gravity will shift. For example, if you raise your hands above your head your centre of gravity becomes higher. If you raise your right leg out to one side your centre of gravity will move towards that side. If you raise your arms out in front of you your centre of gravity will move forward, and so on. Lowering the center of gravity increases one's stability. For example if you stand in Vrksasana (Tree Posture) and raise your hands in a prayer pose above your head it will be more unstable, compared to your hands in a prayer pose by the heart.

The centre of gravity is that point at which we are in balance. The entire weight will be concentrated at this point. Actively search for your centre of gravity!

"For climbers, the most important thing to remember about the centre of gravity is that it is the focal point of gravity's pull on the body."
The Self Coached Climber

In order to make efficient upward movement against gravity, it helps to understand and to develop an internal awareness of your centre of gravity and where it should be in space and in relation to your base of support.

Base of support
"The base of support is defined as your points of contact with a supporting surface that allow you to resist the constant force of gravity." The Self Coached Climber

Climbing efficiently requires you to maintain your center of gravity over your base of support.

In climbing the base of support is any hold (foot or hand) or smear that allows you to resist the pull of gravity. It may be to the side, above, in front or if chimneying behind. The base of support will be determined by the size, shape and orientation (sidepull, crimp, undercling, etc.) of the holds. A climbers base of support changes with each move. To stay in balance a climber must find the holds, and then quickly position her centre of gravity in relation to the new base of support. The wider the base of support the greater stability. Accurate footwork and body positioning within your base of support will give you a better base of support.

Here is a basic way to understand the base of support. Stand with your toes touching a wall. Try and stand on tip toes, keeping your feet in the same place. You will find it too difficult because your centre of gravity is not directly over your base of support (the tip of your feet).

Challenge your base of support and balance by practicing the following yoga postures.

Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/784

It is a similar movement to shifting your weight onto one foot when making a climbing movement and flag your foot to counter-balance your move. Practice making a smooth transition in and out of the posture.

Natarajasana (Lord of the Dance Pose)
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2305

Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III Pose)
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/941

Vrksasana (Tree Posture)
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/496

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose I
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2473

Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose)
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/783

Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand)
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/788

Salamba Sirsasana (Supported Headstand)
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1242

Balance
Balance is the body's ability to maintain equilibrium by controlling the body's center of gravity over its base of support. Body tension and momentum can also help balance in climbing. Movement is effortless and aesthetic for climbers who are naturally good at balance.

Being in balance is when a physical equilibrium of the body’s centre of gravity is reached with respect to the base of support, whether it is still (as in a yoga posture) or in motion (as in climbing). Balance adjustments in asanas or climbing movements can be tiny, but they can make a huge difference.

There are three types of balance. Tadasana (stand with you feet a little wider than shoulder width apart) is an example of Stable Balance. If you move your hips from side to side you will still feel comfortable. Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand Big Toe Posture) is an example of Offset Balance on a small base of support. This is when the centre of gravity approaches the edge of the base of support. Another example is Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Posture). Dynamic Balance describes any position in which the centre of gravity falls outside the base of support. A sideways dyno would be an example. Or when moving into Ardha Chandrasana.

"Yoga samatva uchyate" - Yoga is the state of balance. The Bhagavad Gita

More Balance Asanas

Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand)
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/788

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ja2wo1sSSM&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGIKL2cm0bI&mode=related&search=


Pincha Mayurasana (Peacock)
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/1711

Utthita Trikonasana (Triangle)
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/494

Bakasana (Crane)
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/468

Parsva Bakasana (Side Crane)
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1159

Tittibhasana (Firefly Pose)
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2470

Tolasana (Scales Pose)
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/1706

Astavakrasana (Eight-Angle Pose)
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/171


How do we balance?
Balance is supported by three systems: Our Eyes, Proprioception and Vestibular Sense (inner ear).

Vision
Our eyes provide information about spatial orientation in the environment. Vision tends to dominate our sense of balance. Test how much vision influences your balance by standing in Vrksasana (Tree Pose) with your eyes open, and then closing your eyes. Moving the eyes provides changing visual information, and closing the eyes removes this information. Both will make balancing more difficult. If you have ever tried practicing Ardha Chandrasana outdoors you have probably found it more difficult as there is no reference point for your eyes when your turn to look upwards to the sky. Vision is not essential for balance, but the middle ear is. The eyes can be trained to rely more on the middle ear for balance. In yoga a drishti (focal point) can be used to support balance.

Proprioception (‘A sense of Oneself’)
Proprioception is the unconscious perception of movement and where one’s body is in space (joint position). Proprioception also includes estimation of weights, forces and effort. Proprioception is described as our 'Sixth Sense'. Proprioception enables us to know where our body and limbs are in space without having to look (learning by feel). For example without looking you can tell whether your knees are bent or straight. Without proprioception you would not be able to move even your little finger unless you used you looked at it. Our muscles, tendons and joints are densely packed with proprioceptors, which sense joint movement and position, musculoskeletal force, pressure and weight. When we reach for a hold we know how much force and speed we need, or how hard we need to grip the hold. When you are trying to figure out a sequence of moves or move you we use our sense of proprioception. All of these signals are sent to the brain, which integrates them and sends back commands to the muscles, to help us keep our balance or move gracefully.

We can train our bodies to improve the proprioception within the muscles by creating balance challenges, increasing our awareness to subtle actions in asana and climbing movement.

Test your proprioception!
Close your eyes and raise both hands above your head. Now with your right hand, quickly touch your index fingertip to your nose, then immediately touch the tip of your thumb of your left hand with the tip of your right index finger. Repeat the process with each fingertip - always return to your nose with your right hand in between each attempt.

The thumb finding test. Close your eyes. Ask a friend to move your arm into a position with the thumb sticking out (could be up or down). Now, keeping your eyes closed, touch the thumb of the positioned arm with the free index finger.

Touch your nose with your head tilted back and your eyes closed.

Put a cross on a blank piece of paper. Now raise the pencil in your hand above your head, close your eyes and put a dot on the cross.

Close your eyes, raise your arms above your head and point your index fingers towards each other. Now without looking touch your two fingers together.

Practice Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation) with your eyes closed.

Vestibular Sense (Middle Ear)
The vestibular system is a fluid-filled network of canals and chambers within the inner ear, that help us keep our balance and sense how the body is moving in relationship to gravity. When we move our head, there is a corresponding movement of fluid in the ear. Vestibular receptors in the fluid send messages to the parts of the brain involved in maintaining a steady gaze and balance. This is why when one has a middle ear infection, it's possible to lose all sense of balance. We use our middle ear for our sense of equilibrium. Training the vestibular system increases balance and inner awareness, and we can rely less on sight.

Alignment
Alignment can be defined as the relationship of the skeleton to the line of gravity and base of support. To be in balance the body must be aligned with gravity.

Most of the elite climbers will agree that the best way to become a better climber is develop better movement skills!