Baton work in WW video and also seated position (again)

Body: 

Hello again Dear Lovely Ladies
I just have a quick question on the work that we do with the baton in the book and in the video. I have trouble keeping my shoulders down if I extend the baton above my head. I am wondering if I should still raise the baton and hope that in time I will get better OR should I stretch the baton more in a forward and not so far up position where my shoulders are down and hope that in time I can move further up? Thank you so much. I am adopting the WW ways with some days better now. Seated position is remaining a challenge for me in my work as a cellist, but I am working now with a lower chair to keep thighs parallel to floor and trying to play for very short durations attempting to keep the belly relaxed as I believe that is the very hardest thing here. I am assuming that it is okay to lean a bit forward in seated position as long as the belly is relaxed and the chest lifted? Once again, I am grateful to Christine and to all of you. Thank you.

Forum:

Hi there - I would think leaning forward is perfectly fine, because you are observing the acute angle of the body. - S60

Great fine-tuning questions! From my perspective, I feel important WW spinal alignment is altered when you bring the baton forward, and healthy tension-compression patterns are changed toward strain throughout many muscle systems of the back and neck. A better alternative would be to allow enough bend in your elbows to keep the baton overhead, yet allow you to pull your shoulders away from your earlobes. Eventually you will be able to straighten your arms overhead while keeping shoulders down. I agree with Surviving that leaning forward while seated is fine in terms of managing intraabdominal pressure, but I think having shoulder joints in a gravity-line with the hip joints would be most healthy over the long term. The first exercise will support the second.

Christine