How To Practice The Von Latta Technique

While I've been developing these back adjustment techniques, I've quite automatically included certain exercises to strengthen the back muscles. These exercises help to lessen the frequency of back problems, and when practiced with regularity, help to keep the spine aligned once an adjustment has been made.

Two exercises that must be included in this book are the Forward Bend Back exercise and the Backward Bend Stomach exercise. Both of these exercises are done while one feels, with the fingers, the muscles being flexed. The exploration of flexing muscles with the fingertips adds an awareness of individual muscles...and this awareness then becomes a part of your fitness program.

Psychology is an important tool that can often be used when one is growing tired of an exercise. Both these exercises are better done before a mirror. They aren't overly difficult. So you won't be seeing yourself in pain, which does occur when you are doing physically hard exercises before a mirror. (Its a painful experience to watch yourself do hard exercises.) The practitioner should do as many repetitions as possible. Start with 75 or 100 and work your way up to 100s as quickly as you can.

Figure 19

The Backward Bend exercise (fig. 19) is easy and beneficial. While bending backwards at the waist, you flex the stomach muscles, then relax them, then flex again...continuing to do so until the desired number of repetitions have been completed. It helps to slightly bounce the upper torso to flex the stomach muscles. Also, as it has been noted, this exercise is best done before a mirror. While flexing tap your stomach muscles with your fingertips. The sensation of hardening muscles under your fingers is gratifying and lends itself to our continuing progress.