simple start

Feldenkrais is a name
and it's a shorthand for a method
and it's a way of exploring how
to improve

improving is an improbable thing:
most people don't want to change
unless things are really horrible

this is good
and
it's not so good

we all know those few people
who are running themselves raggedy trying
everything under the sun to cure this and that
and the other

most people
however could improve
their connection to their
bodies
and the grace
and ease of their movement
by taking advantage of what the Feldenkrais Method®
which is what the simple word "Feldenkrais" implies.

Feldenkrais is
really a man's last name ( Moshe Feldenkrais,
physicist, judo teacher, inventor, 1904-1984)

So , how could someone get a taste of the Feldenkrais Method?
Come to one of my classes.
Okay,
but quicker than that:
Try to link to the left
that says this:

Desk Trainer/
Chair Yoga
Mini cartoon lessons for
Neck, Shoulder, Back, Hands
(actually,
you can link right here)

That's the quickest way.

Another way might be this

1: Notice that you are sitting on two sit bones, Sitz bones,
the part of your pelvis that is for sitting

2: Lean to the left enough so that you can feel
really feel
that the weight is mainly on your left side

3: When your weight is over there on your left side,
breathe easily,
and after your breath is easy, rotate your head to the left
and to the right.

4: Notice which way seems to be easiest to rotate your head
when you have your weight to the left

5: Come back to the center. See if you notice anything different
from side to side

6: Shift most of your weight now
to the right side
to your right Sitz bone
and become comfortable with your breathing here

7: And in this position rotate your head
right and left
and notice which was seems easier.

8: That is a beginning exploration:
what is our pelvis
where is our weight
how does our head move in space
how can we try something new and be at ease
what is there to learn in some new configuration

And if you want to go further,
there is more:

9: Sitting upright
rotate your head right and left, gently
and notice how your nose moves from pointing to the front
to pointing to the side.
This is rotating your head.

Now: slightly tilt your head to the right
and the left
which means this:
when you tilt to the right, your right ear
goes closer to the floor
when you tilt to the left, your left ear
goes closer to the floor.
In both tilts your nose stays
pointing forward.

10: Practice the difference:
rotate your head right and left
tilt your head right and left

Go slowly and be gentle with your neck
and your nervous system

11: Now:
shift your weight to your left hip,
to the left side of your pelvis

and come back to the middle

and now
as you shift your weight to the left
alternate between tilting your head to the left
and tilting your head to the right

See if when you tilt your head to the right
as you shift your weight to the left side of your pelvis
if you can let your shoulders help a little
as the left shoulder comes up a little
and the right shoulder comes down

This is easier with pictures
and my digital camera is broken

desk trainer
above mentioned has a little cartoon guy to follow
oh well

so anyway

12. Now try the other side:
weight to the right side of your pelvis
and tilting your head
right and left,
letting your shoulders
and maybe even your ribs
help out with this

If confusing,
try desk trainer
or go slower
or give me a call
or buy the book:
Awareness Heals

shoulders, 2

shoulders
hips
elbows
knees

can you come up with a gentle
and interesting
way
to connect
and play with these
four parts
of our mind
body

game?

body and soul

body and soul
on a roll

how to connect with this moment?

just do.

that's the shortcut.

and another:
to follow our breathing

and another:
to begin some simple movement
and go slowly
and with little effort
and see what is behind and
connected to
and stuck
and free
in that movement

say:
this movement,

we sit in some sort of chair
looking at this thing
a computer thing

we slowly let our heads and noses
turn right and left

what is that like?
how does that feel in
neck
throat
eyes
jaw
back
ribs
shoulders
pelvis

fine
and
what do we see
as our head rotates right and left
and
if this is not enjoyable and
even a little or a lot
beautiful
do we want to do something about
how we have our computer thing

and how does it feel
to sit
now
and whatever we are sitting on?

fine:
now,
how about hugging ourselves
nice and sweet
(soul, soul, self love
and soul might have something in common,
the heart in their under this hug),
putting each hand near the opposite armpit,
hug and hug
and rotate the arms
and chest and shoulders
right and left

and feel
in the moment
in the body
and the soul of being now:
chest
ribs
pelvis,
eyes
neck

and how to enjoy something slow
and sweet and simple
like that

are we too fancy
for simple
here and now
self hug rotation?

I hope not.

and now
rest,
hands down,
eyes closed,
how is it to be us
now?

and then,
hug again,
and keep eyes on the computer,
or over the computer,
and let our arms ribs torso rotate right
while our head rotates left
and then coming back
let the torso go left
as the head goes right

slowly
slowly
feeling in the middle
everything lining up

following breathing

enjoying
stopping
resting

and then
fancier still
you figure out how
and go really
really slowly:
eyes one way
shoulders the other
head the others

so eyes and shoulders/torso are the outside of the sandwich
and
the head is going left say
as eyes and torso/ribs are going right

and flow
go slow
find everything together in the middle
if you muddle don't worry
slow
and learn
and be present

and is being present
the royal road to the soul?

one
of 'em I think
(nature and love, the other two)

you discover
you enjoy

ciao
chris

Shoulders

this picture has nothing to do with shoulders.
or maybe it does

the human body
is a marvel

and one of the many, many
sweet marvels is the shoulder

one of our great gifts
coming down the evolutionary chain
are
our shoulders

here they are:
one on each side

hey
try this:
right shoulder forward
and left shoulder back

do that a couple of times
and check out:
did you move your ribs
and rotate your spine to do this,
or did you move your right shoulder blade
to bring the right shoulder forward
while bring the left shoulder blade
back?

that looks complicated in writing
and millions of years of evolutionary
engineering went into this marvel:
a shoulder blade that can take a ride
on our ribs
and can also move independently of our ribs

so
hey
play again,
right shoulder forward
just the right
and see if your ribs are part
of the game
and
notice
if you can notice just what your right
shoulder blade is up to

(it's fair to reach around with your other hand
if you can,
and feel the shoulder blade.
it's big.
and wing/ triangle shaped.)

have some fun:
see if you can discover what a right shoulder blade
feels
like
and
how it moves
and when it moves with your ribs and when it moves
on it's own

plenty more to do
and that's a nice start