Counterspiral Training
Counterspiral training uses rotational symmetry to wind the body. It comprises a simple set of movements that can be practiced in several variations. The most effective exercise in the program can be done while watching TV or working on your computer.
Counterspiral realigns the bones of your feet into the 3D spiral shapes they evolved to form, pulling the muscles and connective tissue of your lower body taut in the process. Over time, Counterspiral training will change your alignment, posture, and gait, resolving chronic issues and improving performance in all physical activities.
Standing Counterspiral
The standing Counterspiral is the simplest variation. You can practice it anywhere, in shoes, socks, or your bare feet.
Kneeling Counterspiral
The kneeling Counterspiral is the most effective exercise in the training program. You can even practice this variation while watching TV or working on your computer.
Walking Counterspiral
Despite some obvious differences, the walking Counterspiral relies on the same simple set of movements as the other variations. When applied to your gait, these movements will transform the way you walk.
Supplemental Exercises
A number of supplemental exercises are described below. These exercises are designed to prepare your hands and feet for the real work of spiral-building, emphasize specific aspects of the Counterspiral variations that may be relevant at different stages of the training program, and provide some practical tips on applying Counterspiral to other activities.
Exercises for the Feet
Foot Deconstruction
Feet developed and used according to the Standard Model tend to stiffen over time, losing mobility and range in all joints. This lesson introduces two exercises – Segment Separation and Toe Ball – that help restore rotation and range of motion to every joint in your feet.
The Rotational Axis
The exercise Roll to Roll introduces lateral motion at the ankles to unlock the rotational axes in your feet. This lesson completes the Foot Deconstruction stage and helps prepare the feet for transition to the Spiral Model.
Foot Redevelopment
Foot Redevelopment begins in earnest with the Vault, an exercise that brings the arches of the feet together to form a stable foundation for the body. This lesson introduces the Counterspiral Mechanism, which manipulates the Vault structure to drive articulation of the feet’s spiral framework.
Relearning to Walk
Walking is an important part of effective foot rehabilitation and development. The key to progress is walking with intentionality: positioning and placing the foot precisely with every step. This lesson introduces the exercise Roller Coaster – the Spiral Model’s basic gait.
Advanced Walking
The exercises Uphill Skiing and Downhill Cha-Cha introduce slope and slant as powerful variables in the articulation of the rotational axis and spiral structure of the feet. The focus here is on elaboration of the foot’s elastic spring mechanism and the connection between the feet and hips, two precursors of cyclic gait.
Firestarter
Firestarter combines two other exercises – the Vault for the feet and Sticky Situation for the hands – training all four limbs at the same time. Engaging both the Counterspiral Mechanism and the Spiral Seesaw, Firestarter is the most effective exercise in the program from Deconstruction through Optimization.
Exercises for the Hands
Hand Deconstruction
Two exercises – Segment Separation and Wrist Rolls – help break up scar tissue, restore range of motion to every joint, and unlock the rotational axes in the hands in order to prepare them for transition to the Spiral Model.
Hand Redevelopment I
This lesson introduces Hand Redevelopment with Plank Dog, a pressure exercise that builds from common yoga poses to provide a parallel to the Vault for the hands using an alternative form of the Counterspiral Mechanism.
Hand Redevelopment II
The exercises Sticky Situation and Anti-Gravity introduce the practice pad and drum sticks as tools for driving hand redevelopment by simulating conditions equivalent to walking for the feet. This lesson presents the Spiral Seesaw as the most efficient grip for tool use.
Firestarter
Firestarter combines two other exercises – the Vault for the feet and Sticky Situation for the hands – training all four limbs at the same time. Engaging both the Counterspiral Mechanism and the Spiral Seesaw, Firestarter is the most effective exercise in the program from Deconstruction through Optimization.
Practical Applications
Yoga Feet
This lesson applies the Counterspiral program and the Spiral Model to the practice of yoga, starting with the feet. The focus is on positioning, placement, and movement of the feet through a pair of basic poses – Mountain and Warrior II – reframing them to emphasize the role of the rotational axes.
Yoga Hands
This lesson extends application of the Spiral Model to yoga with the exercises Plank Dog and Crow Up, to help build the vertical aspect of your hands’ spiral structures, improve their grip and proprioception, and align your arms, shoulders, and back for efficient application of force in load bearing activities.
Drumming
This lesson applies the Spiral Model of biomechanics to drumming. The Spiral Seesaw grip produces the most efficient drum stroke with the hands. Positioning, placement, and motion of feet on pedals helps maintain muscle tension and improves control and speed.