Full Circle - Finale - The full body survey - all circles everywhere
Calligraphy by ThIch Nhat Hahn
Full Circle - Finale - Full body survey - circles everywhere
Follow the circles to whole body connection
Based on AY 60 by Moshe Feldenkrais - “on the stomach” though most of the lesson is supine
Adult learning thrives on small, cumulative lessons, enough challenge to keep interested, surprises that jar the system into paying attention, enough success to build up that dopamine rush, and changing orientations to gravity to further activate the nervous system. This lesson has it all: the challenge of following strange instructions such as 'left your head by a few hairs,” flipping from back to front and back again, and, by now, the dopamine rush of recognizing instructions once bizzare but now comprehensible. Plus bringing heightened awareness of all the body’s circles and how to use them.
This series has covered some of the ATM classics and some of my favorites. I began thinking about the diaphragm as a circle connecting the ribs and abdomen. Still thinking about the diaphragm, the baby ball lessons brought in the deep relaxation of curling up, lengthening the spine, letting the head drop and eyes relax.
From there, we connected the feet back to the center with the foot painting sessions, floated through the classic flexors and extensors, and brought in the pelvic floor throughout. Two sessions of clocks - pelvic, eye, nose, back-of-head, sternum, sacrum, hips and shoulders were integration moments asked you to bring your awareness of breath, diaphragm, pelvic floor system, feet, head arms and chest into one whole self.
For a finale, we return to another lesson that some teachers shun, but I find extremely useful. AY 60 is a full body survey of all the joints, including the neck and full spine, from both supine and prone. The different orientations to gravity/the floor add useful information about how we are using ourselves. Once again, explore how each joint or system of support works on its own - and in the context of full body expression.
Science Nerd Candy Bowl: we’re done for now
Set Up for Supine and Prone Lesson:
Lying on a mat with support for head and knees as appropriate.
Optional additional padding for tummy-lying
How you might feel after this lesson: Looser all over; Longer; Open; Breathing deeply; Connected from the pelvis out; Clearer coordination of pelvis and extremities, including the head; Softer eyes, Relaxed neck. Feeling yourself “in the round!”
“We have to continue to learn. We have to be open. And we have to be ready to release our knowledge in order to come to a higher understanding of reality.”
If you have a Wednesday 9:30 am or 6:30 pm class registration, keep using it. If you were registered for the 12:00 pm Wednesday session, you’ll need to register. Registered, paid students receive the lesson recording link on Thursday. $40/month; $15/single lesson. PayPal or Venmo to jackisue@aol.com. Or check to Jacki Katzman, PO Box 116, Bethlehem, NH 03574
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