Dawn Ross: Bit By Bit Bodyworks

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How you set up a movement determines what happens next. In this video, we dive into why technique matters, not just which one you use, but when and why you apply it. Whether you’re lifting, sprinting, or practicing yoga, your performance is shaped by how you prepare, initiate, and adjust in the moment.

Curious to put this into practice? If you’re in Calgary and want to meet up in the park to explore these ideas in real time and take them into your workouts, DM me! Let’s get moving, on purpose, with purpose.

P.S. These concepts are inspired by Let Me Introduce You by Adarian Barr & Jenn Pilotti a brilliant resource for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of movement and performance.

For Seated Forward Fold, I use multiple props to create support, feedback, and connection in the pose.

🔹 Feet: The balls of my feet are wedged against the wall, giving me something to work against. Under my ankles and shins, the bolster and foam roller provide me with something to pitch my shins into, helping me find a grounded and active connection through my lower body.

🔹 Hands & Dowel: Holding the dowel with a crisscross grip, I roll it under, then c**k my wrists and reach long, working my hands and feet together until I find the point where my pelvis naturally stops moving. That’s where I settle and breathe.Instead of forcing straight legs and hinging forward,

I’ve found that working both ends—hands and feet—simultaneously creates a more integrated and supported fold. Give it a try and see how it feels!

For Warrior 3, I’m using a dowel with a crisscrossed wrist grip—a simple but powerful setup that changes how I find stability and length in the pose.

I start by curling the dowel in and under toward my chest, sinking into a small chair pose before unfurling my wrists and taking them in the opposite direction. As I extend into Warrior 3, I focus on pressing the ball of my foot away from the knuckles of my hands, which helps me create space, connection, and control in the shape.

This setup brings a new awareness to balance, giving me a stable, lengthened line from my hands to my foot.

If you tend to feel wobbly or disconnected in Warrior 3, try this—it’s a fun way to explore resistance, expansion, and structural support in the pose!

Setting up the Camel Pose with a dowel and an asymmetrical grip completely changes how I move into the shape.

I started with the dowel in front, holding it with an asymmetrical grip and playing with paddling, rotating, and twisting to guide myself into a tall kneeling backbend with the arms overhead. This gave me instant feedback through my shoulders and thoracic spine, making it feel more connected and fluid.

Then, I brought the dowel behind my back, still using the asymmetrical grip, and worked with twisting and rotating as I moved into Camel. What I love about this approach is how it integrates my head and neck into the movement. As someone who used to lead with my head, this keeps my head naturally aligned with the rest of my body, making the pose feel more cohesive and supported. The head and the pelvis are related, and this works great if you are someone who finds that either the pelvis or head has a mind of its own in this pose.

If you tend to feel disconnected or unstable in backbends, give this a try! The dowel’s structure and asymmetry can help you find better integration, smoother transitions, and a more profound sense of support in the pose.