Our Little Dips and guides explore a theme of Feldenkrais learning, then illustrate it with one or more lessons. They always include at least one free lesson. Little Dips are first published in our newsletter.
Reaching out to touch the world around us is a constant in life, and one of our earliest urges when we were babies. The Feldenkrais Method’s lesson genre known as “Arms Like a Skeleton” is a great way to sense, refine, and improve how you move from your middle to interact with the world.
These lessons have many other benefits, too. They typically relieve neck pain, organize the spine, chest, and shoulders for better posture, and improve breathing and walking. And, perhaps surprisingly, they often help with hip and lower back pain, too, by softening and integrating the thoracic.
There are many ways to reach, so The FP has many different lessons that train this function. Below we explain the differences between them.
Variations on Arms Like a Skeleton
Explore them in any order, dipping in and out as you wish. Click each lesson’s Context tab to see where it fits into our collections and Deep Dives.
Three FREE for all users
Please share!
Arms Like a Skeleton, with a Bias
Our simplest introduction to the genre segues into a potent exploration of your primary spinal bias.
This has been my go-to lesson in recovery from ‘mouse shoulder’ (computer related strain).
– Sara
Reaching, Rolling, and Ribs
The most dynamic of all our Arms Like a Skeleton lessons. Best in the context of its collection.
Getting up I felt so relaxed and upright and with ‘longer’ limbs.
– Niva
The Hip Joints: Moving Proximal Around Distal
Uses Arms Like a Skeleton reaching in multiple directions as an auxiliary movement.
Double frozen shoulder for over a year now. … something just changed, and a huge chunk of range returned to me.
– Christine
Three more for Patron-Level Donors
Arms Like a Skeleton, Freeing the Shoulders and Neck
A standalone version of Reaching, Rolling, and Ribs, with more attention to the scapulas and neck.
I love this lesson, and I feel motivated to play with it more, doing less and feeling more.
– Lorraine
Arms Like a Skeleton, Integrating the Neck, Jaw, and Eyes
Quietest and most neck-focused. Great for reducing tension and improving carriage of the head.
I like how you suggest to ask if my moving still brings a smile. Movement for pleasure 😊
– Jon
Reaching Reorganized: Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best after Long Belly, Strong Back (short or full-length). Experience global action and wide-open attention.
Ending now with a feeling of being full in my chest and lifted high. Great way to start the day!
– Sara
Fun Fact
In 2012 I taught Arms Like a Skeleton to a class that included my children’s preschool art teacher, Anita White. She made this for me this afterward, and The FP’s art style was born! We went on to hire her to create all the art on our collections page. -Nick
