Flowing Body, Flexible Mind
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Feldenkrais Lesson of the Month Index Flowing Body, Flexible Mind |
| Number | Title | Themes | Works with* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gentle Twist | Differential rotation | Spine, hips, shoulders, neck |
| 2 | A Little Flexion | Stress relief, lengthening back | Forward bending |
| 3 | A Little Extension | Looking up, bending back | Activating posterior musculature |
| 4 | Rolling Side to Side | Flexibility and mobility of rib cage | Opening chest, coordinated rotation of spinal elements. |
| 5 | Arm to the Back | Coordinated twisting of the upper body | Differentiating upper back, shoulders, and neck muscles. |
| 6 | Tumbleweeds | Freeing lower back and hip joints | Hip joints, pelvis, lower back |
| 7 | Watchamasaurus | Standing, looking up, bending back | Just about everything! |
| 8 | Reaching Up | Reaching upward, bending back | Balancing diagonal movement |
| 9 | Freeing the Shoulders | Reaching out, meeting the world. | Differentiates shoulders from ribs, neck, and spine |
| 10 | Diagonals | Diagonal reaching and lengthening | Connecting arms and legs thru trunk |
| 11 | Freeing the Upper Back | Posture and balance of the upper body. | Relief of common shoulder tension |
| 12 | Calibrating Flexors | Patterns of flexion | Coordination of front and back muscles |
| 13 | Standing, Centering | Vertical alignment | Feet, ankles, legs, pelvis, spine, and head |
| 14 | Waking the Spine | Differential movements of spine | Spine, trunk, shoulders, neck |
| 15 | Calibrating Extensors | Bending back, looking up | Posterior musculature |
| 16 | Head and Shoulders | Carriage of the head | Shoulders, head and neck |
| 17 | Alphabet Chanting | Body and breath in vocalization | Mouth, jaw, throat, tongue, diaphragm |
| 18 | Flexible Feet | Supple feet for improved balance | Feet, ankles, hips, lower back |
| 19 | Carriage of the Torso | Carriage of upper body | Functionally connecting the upper body to the pelvis |
| 20 | Throwing Arrows | Counter-rotation of hips and shoulders | Head, neck, arms, shoulders, chest, waist |
| 21 | Long Back | Walking, running, reaching | Connecting arms and legs through trunk |
| 22 | Soles Together | Opening pelvis and hip joints | Hip joints, lower back, spine |
| 23 | Twisting and Lengthening | Lengthening through diagonals | Whole body, hands to feet |
| 24 | Aligning the Legs | Walking, standing, carriage of torso | Feet, legs, pelvis, spine |
| 25 | Shoulder Opener | Reaching, throwing, using hand tools | Shoulders, arms, wrists, forearms, torso |
| 26 | Neck, Shoulders, and Eyes | Turning and looking | Neck, upper spine and back, head, eyes, shoulders, hips. |
| 27 | Pelvis and Neck | Relating head to spine and pelvis | Head, neck, pelvis, spine. |
| 28 | Roll From Back to Sitting | Rolling, twisting, and turning | Integrating trunk, spine, and limbs |
| 29 | Rolling and Twisting | Differential rotation of head, hips, chest | Twisting and lengthening the torso |
| 30 | Spine and Shoulders | Differential articulation of spine | Spine, ribs, back, thorax |
| 31 | Aligning the Legs II | Plane of motion of legs | Feet, ankles, knees, hips, lower back |
| 32 | Torsion Bar | Rolling, twisting, and lengthening the trunk | Legs, hip joints, spine, trunk, shoulders, neck |
| 33 | Trunk Twist | Sitting, turning, twisting | Spine, hip joints, torso, neck, eyes |
| 34 | Seated Twist | Turning and twisting the torso | Differentiating spine, hips, head, neck |
| 35 | Freeing the Arms and Hands | Fine movements of hands | Arms, wrists, shoulders, upper spine. |
| 36 | Hip Circles | Walking, rolling, reaching, power movements | Turning waist, differential rotation of hips and shoulders |
| 37 | Softening the Trunk | Twisting the torso | Trunk, waist, ribs, spine |
| 38 | Rolling from Stomach to Back | Rolling from stomach | Whole body |
| 39 | Swimwalk | Swimming, walking, twisting | Whole body |
| 40 | Big Eyes | Awareness and use of the eyes | Eyes, face, neck, head, spine |
| 41 | Swinging the Legs | Connecting legs to torso | Feet, legs, back, chest |
| 42 | Tongue and Throat | Relating tongue and neck to spine | Tongue, throat, neck, spine, and pelvis |
| 43 | Connecting legs through upper spine | Extending functional leg into torso | Legs, spine, ribs, hips, shoulders |
| 44 | Ischia | Awareness of sitting bones | Pelvis, legs, spine |
| 45 | Oscillations | Rhythmic movement of body | Vertical alignment |
| 46 | Ankles and Knees | Connecting feet to hips | Ankles, knees, hips, spine |
| 47 | Stabilizing Your Center | Shifting your weight | Dynamic alignment |
| 48 | Turning the Waist | Coordinating pelvis and chest | Hips, shoulders, chest, spine |
| 49 | Pelvic Clocks | Mobility of the pelvis | Pelvis, ribs, waist, spine |
| 50 | Aligning the Knees | Aligning knees with feet and hips | Knees, feet, hips, spine |
| 51 | Waking the Spine (Chair) | Spine, ribs , torso | Ranges of spinal motion |
| 52 | More Shoulder Circles | Differentiate shoulder movements | Shoulders, ribs, spine, neck |
| 53 | Waking the Feet | Clarifying movements of the feet | Feet, ankles, legs, hips |
| 54 | Bow string | Distribution of bending movements | Head to feet |
| 55 | Fat Tire | Opening the ribs and breath | Distribution of rolling movements |
| 56 | Initiating Extension | Organizing the back | Posterior musculature |
| 57 | Halo Arms | Flexibility of the torso, shoulder girdle, waist, ribs | Shoulders, spine, ribs, sides |
| 58 | Smile 1 | Face we show the world | Muscles of the face and head |
| 59 | Smile 2 | Faces we show the world | Muscles of the face and head |
| 60 | Energizing Your Center | Mobilizing your center | Muscles of the trunk |
| 61 | Head circles | Supporting head and neck | Neck, shoulders, chest, spine |
*Note: Do not be misled by language; while specific lessons may focus on particular parts of the body, all these lessons work to integrate the overall organization of the whole body and the whole person. It is good to keep in mind that we have no separate parts, only one very complex system.