AY # 117: Frog movement with the legs and the arch

While lying on your back, would you be able, if you so desired, to bring your lengthened legs to stand without involving any of the muscles in your lower back? You'll find out by doing this lesson. As so many of these Volume 3 lessons have done, here's another exploration of the relationship between various muscles that attach to the pelvis. I can only assume that Dr. Feldenkrais believed that many people habitually involve their lower back muscles in the function of lifting the legs and he designed this lesson to help students discover that there is another option. The lesson is very simple; anyone who can lie on their back can do it. It is a great vehicle to discover for yourself whether simply bringing your awareness to a particular movement pattern can create a situation whereby that habit can change. It's a very interesting lesson both physically and as a springboard for thought about just why and how the Feldenkrais Method® is effective.

AY #118: On the stomach; tilting the legs in circles

Contrary to its title, about a third of this lesson is done on the back. It begins on the back with knees bent and legs held together. In this position the student is asked to paint circles on the floor with the soles of the feet; the knees and feet moving in opposition is encouraged. Then, on the stomach, this movement is explored by raising the feet toward the ceiling and first tilting the feet side to side and then circling them. If you've done ATM for awhile you've probably experienced at least a few variations of this lesson. How does the pelvis turn (twist) in relation to fixed shoulders? What kind of movement is available in the spine and ribs? How does the direction of the turn of the head affect the ability of the pelvis to turn? Another lesson that most anyone can do who can lie comfortably on both their back and their stomach.

AY # 115 A plane dividing the body, part 2

We all know by now that what we're doing is working with the brain. Most of the time in ATM we access the part of the brain that we're interested in changing by working with--moving--the body. This is one of those lessons (there are many others) where, in addition to using the technique described above, Dr. Feldenkrais also works directly with changing brain patterns (and the consequent muscular responses) through the use of descriptive imagery that's designed to focus attention, engender a particular muscular response and thereby heighten awareness in a very specific manner. As in the "first part" of this lesson, AY # 112, we are again concerned with expanding the self-image by defining the center line of the body. He introduces new techniques not used in the previous lesson that can illuminate (again) just how much power our brain has over our body. Here, as we have seen in several recent lessons, some significant abdominal power is required to "successfully" complete the tasks asked for by the lesson. But, as always, the actual movement is not really important and the power of the heightened awareness this lesson can bring about is achievable by anyone, regardless of their ability to actually accomplish the physical tasks set out by the lesson. It's all done on the back and, while some strenuous movement is asked for, I'm pretty convinced that the lesson could be profound even if the student did the entire thing in his/her imagination, never moving a muscle.

AY # 116: Spreading the legs and erecting the back

Can you sit comfortably on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you? If that presents any sort of challenge for you or even if you feel you can successfully do that but you'd like to get more of a feeling of sitting directly over your sitz bones in that position, this lesson is for you. The lesson illuminates the relationship between the hamstrings and the muscles of the back and helps to educate the student in how to effectively release so that sitting with the legs long, one can bend forward to touch the head to the floor. I couldn't do that during my first experience with the lesson, but this is a "problem" area for me and my ease and ability was noticeably improved through doing the lesson. It's a medium lesson on the strenuous scale and if the student is one who cannot sit in that long-legged position at all without support, it could prove very difficult to stick with the lesson all the way through (though with care and perseverance, I'm convinced that the reward could be great). I'm looking forward to doing this one at least a few more times.