Head, neck, feet, belly

The head and the neck are two different things. The head is solid, and the neck is springy. Let your head bob on your neck a bobble head doll. The jaw hangs loosely from your skull.

Feet are your connection with the earth. There are two of them.

Your belly is the seat of your personal power. Keep it there.

As Terry says: Movement is how we keep our body-parts "alive."

Keep this awareness going all this week. Be sure to have a head, neck, feet and belly.

And, for goodness' sake, open your mouth! Remember to make faces in the mirror every day. Explore your range of motion and expressions. Don't just make grotesquely exaggerated distortions. Make happy, sad, curious, beautiful, sensuous, stern, surprised . . .

Gravitas and Levitas

Gravitas is the Latin root for the English "gravity." It means weightiness, substance, dignified demeanor and has overtones of ground, earth, roots. When we have gravitas, we are coming from a deep and connected place.

Levitas is the Latin root for our words "levity" and "levitate." It means lightness, playfulness, spontaneity and has overtones of space. When we have levitas, we are not too serious and we are not stuck.

To encourage gravitas, use the yinning and yanging of the legs exercise and other grounding methods; think before speaking; act with special care. To encourage levitas, "shibabo!" Use the opening the crown exercise, smile, giggle, quip, let go . .