I would suggest looking into engaging your psoas
muscles. They are deep muscles that connect into the tissue where the
spine and diaphragm come together. They are the bridges between the upper
body and legs. They flex your thighs at the hip enabling you to raise your
knees, thus lifting your feet off the ground. Tom Nagel has written a book
about using these muscles. He comes to MI about once a year. You can
look at his website at www.zenandthehorse.com. My friend and teacher has
told me that correctly using these muscles is the missing link for breathing and
riding and being soft. Just a thought.
