Dear Ingo,
I suggest that you find yourself a Feldenkrais practitioner and take
some classes or private lessons so that you can learn to organize
yourself in a way that you do not habitually tense your lower back.
To find a teacher near you, visit http://www.feldenkrais.com. I'd be
happy to make recommendations from among the teachers that are near
you. You might also buy some audio recordings of Feldenkrais classes.
The site I listed above has links to places where you can buy tapes.
In the meantime, here is a short lesson for you to do:
0) Do the following according to your own comfort. Do the movements
slowly, resting whenver you feel the urge to do so. Make your comfort
more important than doing the movements perfectly.
1) Lie on your back with your arms along your sides. Bend you knees
and put your feet standing at about shoulder's width. Spend a few
minutes noticing the contact that you make with the floor. Look for
ways in which the right side of you does not contact the floor the
same as the left. do not try to get rid of the differences, just
notice them. Also, without attempting to direct your breathing,
notice the way that you are breathing. How fast? How long is the
inhalation relative to the exhalation? How long is the pause after
the inhalation and before the exhalation? How long is the pause after
the exhalation and before the inhalation?
2) Lift your head to look at the floor between your feet. It doesn't
matter whether you actually see the floor, but open your eyes and
intend to see it. Do this a few times, noticing how high you can lift
your head. Rest.
3) Lift your head to look at the floor between your feet, but now
notice what happens to your lower back. How does its contact with the
floor change? Do this a few times. Does it start to get easier as you
notice how your lower back changes its contact with the floor? Rest.
4) Interlace the fingers of your hands and place your hands behind
your head. With the help of your hands, lift your head to look at the
floor between your feet, noticing how the contact of your lower back
with the floor changes. Do this a few times. Is this easier than
without the help of your hands? Rest.
5) Repeat step 3 (without the help of your hands) and notice whether
your experience is different now. is it any easier than it was
before? Rest.
6) Repeat step 1 and notice what has changed about the contact of
your back with the floor. How has your breathing changed?
7) Slowly stand up and take a few minutes in standing to notice any
differences in your experience of yourself.
I hope this helps. It would probably be useful to have someone read
the directions to you as you do the movements. Better yet would be a
Feldenkrais class, and best of all would be private lessons with a
Feldenkrais practitioner. don't give up on this. You are right to be
concerned about what is going on, and there any of my colleagues can
probably offer you more help than you would imagine possible. Feel
free to contact me privately if you wish.
Good luck,
John Link
"Live at Saint Peter's" CD for half-price thru 3/22
Get it for $7.50 at http://www.earbuzz.com/JohnLink
Free music at http://www.mp3.com/JohnLinkVocalQuintet
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