CH.13 THE HAMMOCK ATLAS
Superficial Front LineSFL
Opens the front of the body
The front of the body, from behind the ear to the top of the foot
The Superficial Front Line changes over at the knee and at the hip; it is not one continuous strap. It works as a pair with the Superficial Back Line: when the front shortens, the back is dragged along with it. Rounded shoulders are not a back that is too loose, but a front that is too tight.
Where this line runs
- 01Mastoid · occipital ridge
- 02Sternocleidomastoid
- 03Sternum · sternochondral fascia
- 04Rectus abdominis
- 05AIIS · pubis
- 06Quadriceps
- 07Patellar ligament (the switch at the knee) ★
- 08Tibial tuberosity
- 09Tibialis anterior
- 10Top of the foot · toe extensor tendons
What this line does
The Superficial Front Line runs up the front of the body: the upper half from behind the ear (the mastoid) to the pubic bone, the lower half from the pelvis to the top of the foot. When it shortens, the body flexes forward. In a backbend it has to lengthen while also acting as a brake against over-extending, balancing the Superficial Back Line front to back.
How to train it
The maintenance points are rectus abdominis and rectus femoris. Lift from the abdomen to the sternum and release the front of the thigh; the chest carries more easily, the pelvis returns to level, and the whole front line opens more readily.
Go deeper
The front line needs length, but in balance with the back. Someone soft in front and stiff through the back and waist tends to over-arch the lumbar spine instead; there, more release through the lower back and glutes is what is needed.
Clues
A closed chest, a head that drifts forward, and breathing that rides high
- Standing at ease, your ear sits clearly in front of your shoulder
- On a deep inhale the rib cage barely changes, but the shoulders lift first
- After long sitting you have to consciously straighten up to stand tall again
- Lying on your back, the gap between your lower back and the floor is large
The lumbar spine performs the extension the thoracic spine should. With the front never lengthened, the lower back gives way and compensates, and over time you get an aching back instead of an open chest.
Once the front line releases, the rib cage has room and the inhale naturally deepens and slows. Only when the breath settles does the body receive the signal that it is allowed to rest.
Test it yourself
Stand against a wall with the back of the head, the upper back and the buttocks all touching, and hold for three easy breaths. If you cannot, the front is too short.
The rest of it, a book can’t carry
What this line feels like when it releases, I can’t put into writing.
Lie into the hammock and find out for yourself.