Some thoughts to start off with:


Focusing at the beginning of the warmup is one of the hardest things for me to do. Here is a list of things I say to myself that has developed over the years. You don't have to do or say every one of these things, but before you start the rest of the exercises, you should feel:


that you're aligned (whatever that means to you on a particular day),

that you've released residual, habitual, unnecessary tension and

that you've focused your attention on the matter at hand (in this case the exercises).


You don't have to be perfect at these tasks. In fact, the exercises themselves will increase your sense of focus and release. Nevertheless, it's good to start the warm-up in an unscattered state.

The beginning of the warm-up, the Stance Exercise, can be as brief as a breath or two, or a deep meditative exploration. Here's what I say to myself lately:

Let yourself stand comfortably and easily.

Bring your attention to the present moment.

Open up the soles of your feet to the floor.

Feel loose in your joints; your ankles, knees, pelvis, wrists, elbows, shoulders and neck.

Don't let your sense of yourself stop at your skin. Be semipermeable. Imagine the heat from your body radiating out into the kinesphere around you.

Imagine that the top space, the area above your head, belongs to you in the same way that your limbs and torso belong to you.

Energize your spine. Imagine that each of your vertebrae can be relaxed just as you can relax your hand from a fist. Lengthen your spine upward through your shoulders, neck and head; and downward through your lower back, pelvis and legs.

Heighten your awareness of your senses other than sight. Pay particular attention to your kinesthetic awareness of your body.

Take a mental tour of your body and wherever you feel holding or blockages, let them melt away as you exhale. Notice that letting go of this tension leaves you taller, stronger and more energized.

In particular, let go of holding tension in your knees, lower back, shoulders and jaw.

Consider your experience of the difference between release and collapse.

Let go of what you don't need. Obviously, this can mean a lot of things, but consider it from four perspectives, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, and see what occurs to you.

Remind yourself of the specific usefulness of the exercises you are about to do. In other words, don't do them because someone told you to, but for your own, particular purpose.

Don't begin the exercises until you feel present, energized, focused and free from habitual, residual, unnecessary tension.