THE PASSES TO RELIEVE TENSION - Ontario, CA 8/98

With these passes we are to begin to listen to our own bodies concerning the duration and intensity of the movements. All but the last three are released by letting the body completely relax and fold at the waist like a rag doll as one makes a sigh of release, letting all tension fall off the body. If you know what is making you tense, concentrate on this while you grab, thus exercising tension on whatever is tensing you, then release.

These passes can be seen as a long form, or as a collection of individual passes.

1. In horse stance, the flat palms face the floor and slowly shoot straight ahead as the torso leans forward; make fists and tense the entire body. Relax as the arms swing out and around in a breast stroke while the body straightens. The palms are again fisted palms up by the ribcage; tense the whole body, then release.

2. In horse stance, the hands are held in loose fists, palms down, arms extended straight in front, the right at face level, the left at waist level. The arms switch position 11 times (up & down), so that the left ends up above the right. Tense the whole body, then release.

3. In horse stance, the facing palms go straight ahead to form an arrow as the body leans forward. The palms flip as the arms go around to the back, palms facing the floor. The wrists are pulled pack and the hands fisted as the whole body tenses, then is released.

4. In horse stance, the right palm is held face down below the right breast, fingers pointing left. The left palm is held facing the floor by the left hip, fingers to the front. As the torso (not the knees!) turns left,the right arm points slightly up towards the left side as the left arm points behind to the right side - you look to the left -the palms are fisted as the whole body is tensed, then released. Mirror.

5. In horse stance, the right palm is held face down at the solar plexus, fingers pointing left. The left palm is held facing the ceiling behind the back at the same spot, fingers to the right. As the torso (not the knees!) turns left and the head looks straight back,the left arm point slightly up towards the back as the left arm points to the front--the palms are fisted as the whole body is tensed, then released. Mirror.

6. In horse stance, the body stoops over, shoulders slightly rounded and the palms held one over the other below the chest at knee level, left over right, fingers pointing to the opposite sides. The arms are pulled straight out to the sides at the shoulder, then the arms swing to the front to side-by-side (elbows 90° bent) as the head looks down and the knees lock (legs slightly bent)--the hands are fisted as the body tenses. Straighten the knees before releasing!

The next two passes are released by looking up and opening the arms to the ceiling, like saying "Hallelujah!" (or "Oy vey!", if you prefer.)

7. In horse stance, the left fist is held palm down, knuckles right at the forehead, the right fist mirrored behind the head. The fists exchange places 10 times, then the whole body is tensed, then released. Mirror.

8. In horse stance, the right fist is held before the forehead as in 7., while the left is held palm down, knuckles right at the left ear. The right fist makes ten small counterclockwise circles in front of the forehead, then the left fist makes ten small forward circles by the ear. The whole body is tensed, then released. Mirror.

9. In horse stance, the hands begin as in 7., but with the right fist in front. The torso (not the knees!) turns to the left as the right hand goes straight out and slightly up to the front, the left hand straight back, as the head faces front. (This was described as a Victory! stance.) Tense the whole body, and turn back to the front before releasing. Mirror.