EARTH BIRD SKY - Amsterdam 2002

Very powerful form. Note that "Earth" and "Sky" and "Bird" are verbs not nouns in this form. The Tensegrity instructors read the following poem that we know, in English and Spanish and made a few comments on it:

The conditions of a solitary bird are five:
The first, that it flies to the highest point;
the second, that it does not suffer for company, not even of its own kind;
the third, that it aims its beak to the skies;
the fourth, that it doesn't have a definite colour;
the fifth, that it sings very softly.
- San Juan de la Cruz

The EARTH BIRD SKY (SEA) FORM

1) Stand up. Feel the earth with your feet, arch your feet like grabbing the floor - inhaling, then exhale lifting the toes up. With your breath, bring energy from the feet to the upper part of the body, while raising your arms laterally (like a slow flapping of wings, with fingers slightly curled). 3 x

2) From the feet parallel stance, slowly simultaneously raise your bent left leg till the knee is at a right angle in front of the body, and your right arm straight in front of body, till it is parallel to the ground- while inhaling. Mirror.

3) Spread arms laterally sideways (wings) till they are parallel to ground, and slowly turn upper body and arms far left, scanning the horizon horizontally above the arms, continue horizontal movement back to the center, to the right and back to center. Lower arms.

4) Step left, while your arms brush up the torso from pelvis area in a circular movement. (Hands go upwards till neck-level and go out, like presenting something, lowering them back to pelvis level.) 3x. Step right, and repeat.

5) Step left, knees slightly bent and flap arms up and down (from behind the body at pelvis level to in front of the body above the head, like in the Night Moth form). When arms are down, look down to the earth, when they come up, look up. The hands never touch each other.

6) Feet parallel, arms come up laterally, till parallel with the ground, knees flexible. Flap a few times with the lower arms. Then step left (retain good balance), turn upper bodyto the left and open up the arms laterally from the shoulders, straight and parallel to ground. Your left arm points straight behind you, the right points in front. Rub your beak (chin; jaw loose) on your left shoulder 3x , and survey what is below, behind and in front of you- the fields, mountains, valleys, forests and villages of the earth. Gaze past your wing-tip. Come back to the center and repeat for the right side.

7) Arms down, feet come parallel. Arms flap laterally, straight, like a bird coming to landing, (for instance, on a tree-top) while taking a few steps. Lower the arms.

8) Step left, right, left, while you feel something pulling upward from your chest. By the third step, you're gazing way up at the sky. Let the energy carry your torso forward and upward (chest opens), and bring your head upward (don't strain the neck too much, it blocks the energy flow at the back of the neck, it's rather that the neck naturally follows the eyes), surveying the sky. Exhale and relax.