Can It Be Lighter – Or Softer?

Many people have quoted Ray Hunt and Tom Dorrance to me, saying:  Do as little as you can or as much as you have to. But how do you know what is “as little as you can” until you try?

A little good comes of everything! After elbow surgery, I had the good fortune to meet and work with a Trager practitioner who introduced me to Dr. Trager’s Mentastics, which he developed as a part of his teachings to restore and maintain an agelessness of body and mind. In a series of movements using the body’s own weights to open and move each part, Dr. Trager asked, “What could be lighter?” And, “Could it be lighter than that?” He would continue with, “What could be softer?” And, “What could be softer than that?” Practicing gymnastics on the beach, he would ask his brother, “Not how high can you jump, but how softly can you land?”

Starting first in our ground work, I asked Merlin, “Could we be lighter?” And, to my amazement, he responded. Later from the saddle, we had the same result. Perhaps it is me softening more from the suggestion and him following my body language. I don’t know, but it works. Our challenge is a left bend, and when I ask, “Could we be lighter or softer”, our bend improves. Try it – and I would love to hear about your results.

Milton Trager, MD, was an athlete, dancer and body builder who developed a unique approach to body work he deemed psychophysical integration. You can learn more about mentastics from his book, Trager Mentastics, Movement As A Way To Agelessness, available on Amazon.