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  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Sitting and Turning with Length (26m)

    Sure! In the middle, the moment when you're not turned at all, you are in a pretty fully-flexed position: pelvis tilted back, back rounded, head low. Then as you turn you unfold into arching, and looking up. Does that explain it? Feel free to ask more questions.

    January 6, 2025

  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Rib Basket, Shoulder Cloak (Patrons)

    Those are lovely details you caught the second time through. Thanks for describing for other users how the process of re-exploring lessons tends to go. It is always a new experience! I believe your 30-100% observation will indeed be very helpful to explore. Very small, slow, light movements, where you sense that you don't have to go to 100%, will help you find more sensitivity and control.

    January 6, 2025

  • Frederik Theuwis on Rib Basket, Shoulder Cloak (Patrons)

    This is my second time doing this lesson. I really like it as it frees my chest and upper back into a almost fluid vessel for breath and movement. Also, it deepens my interest in the clavicula-scapula region. Having had many shoulder injuries, it is an area of both interest and avoidance for me. What I see in doing this lesson again, is that there are really a lot of ways of moving the shoulder blades throughout this lesson itself. There appear more and more options of how they stay on the ground and how they move according to the suggestions, and where the initiative comes from. It quite surprised me how more diverse my second experience was than the first time. Still I see that I uncomfortably strain the sides of my torso, serratus anterior. It seems that they go from 30% contraction to 100% and may have to learn the subtle gradualness in between.

    January 6, 2025

  • Martha on Folding, Foundation, and Feet

    Thank you! I have been reading " Awareness Through Movement" , and realizing I have been approaching these lessons with many misconceptions, so I was glad you addressed this at the start. Is this correct?: We are trying to improve our awareness by analyzing how we move, and the goal... or perhaps the measure of progress?... is improvement in our "self-image". ? By "self-image" does Feldenkrais mean physical proprioception (our internal idea of where parts of our body are, size, etc., without touching)? or is he referring to self-image in terms of social characteristics, e.g.,how we relate to others, function in the world? A mind-body connection?

    January 5, 2025

  • matt weiner on Sitting and Turning with Length (26m)

    Nick, this is amazing stuff! the instruction toward the end when you suggest we turn, but then look down to the pelvis and twist the pelvis (?) and then arch back up....this is the only instruction you've ever suggested that im not sure I follow how you mean....any help?

    January 5, 2025

  • Muriel Soriano on Anatomy in Action: Scapulas
    (Members & Patrons bonus video)

    Thank you so much Nick for this really interesting lesson. The video before the lesson showing, the mechanics of the shoulder and shoulder blade, was really helpful. I'd been suffering with painfully stiff shoulders and neck for the last three day, and, as always, Feldenkrais wove its magic: pain gone and arms so much looser! Thank you. Muriel

    January 5, 2025

  • Sara on Free Your Torso for Better Posture, Walking, and Running

    A fascinating thing happened when I went walking after this session. After a while I noticed that my hands, which usually face my body, were facing backwards as my arms swung. I've always wondered why some people's hands naturally do this since it seemed so unnatural to me. My shoulders and shoulder blades feel as comfortable as usual; the sensation is more as if the way in which my humerus fits into its socket has become more mobile.

    January 5, 2025

  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Arms in a Hoop, with Continuous Ground Support (Patrons)

    That's a great way to think about this lesson. I'll be reviewing it at some point with that in mind, and may add it to our Better Balance Deep Dive. Thank you for the idea!

    January 5, 2025

  • Sara on Arms in a Hoop, with Continuous Ground Support (Patrons)

    I was fascinated by the way this asked me to zone in on the vertebrae in the middle of my spine where the upper body can turns one way and the lower the other. A revelation also about using a strong wide base while still being able to turn through the whole spine in a lifted way. Should be good for balance skills, which makes me think that this lesson also belongs with others on balance.

    January 4, 2025

  • Martha on Driving and Dynamic Sitting – Floor Practice

    Thank you, that is very helpful, especially the second paragraph. I am trying to develop a more appropriate perspective on and understanding of what Feldenkrais (and other non-medical but life-supporting? modalities) can do. Attitude is the one aspect of life we can control, but even that is subject to/responsive to physical influences. Thanks again.

    December 27, 2024

  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Driving and Dynamic Sitting – Floor Practice

    Definitely, far more! I doubt Shan is excluding other benefits when she says she feels wonderful with Feldenkrais! As far as any individual's health circumstances, one never knows all causes, especially from afar. There are endless factors, including genetic influences, patterns from childhood, any lifetime's accidents and injuries.... Practicing Feldenkrais helps us find the internal resources to meet a chaotic world with more dignity and autonomy. I myself, with nearly 25 years of Feldenkrais practice, experienced a serious spinal injury this summer. I still don't know how it happened. But the awareness gained in my decades of study has helped me claim agency in my healing process, and speed my recovery.

    December 27, 2024

  • Sara on Anatomy in Action: Scapulas
    (Members & Patrons bonus video)

    What an incredible journey into how the position of the scapulae can either hinder or enable wonderful movements of neck/head, arms and spine. I am discovering I think that my neck is often twisted slightly to one side and that explorations like this are helping my body to learn that this need not be so!

    December 26, 2024

  • Martha on Our Community

    Usually in lessons, you ask us to begin with the "easy" side, and them most of the work is done with that side. For example, in the "Driving & Dynamic Sitting", most of the time (10-20 min??) is spent on the easy arm, and then barely 2 minutes on the other arm. I can't understand how this helps. Generally the reason given is that the other side "learns" from the adept side. Yes, I believe such learning happens--, but only when the practice time is reversed. That is, if I as a rightxhanded person, want to play tennis with my left hand, I hit the ball with my right arm, as a model, and then spend most of my time working my left arm. I don't spend 20 minutes hitting balls with my right arm, 2 minutes with the left, and expect results. Am I wrong? It is said Feldenkrais "rewires neural circuits". It seems to me the easy side is already wired fine, plus it has the muscles needed. It's the off-side that needs rewiring AND muscle development. Sometimes in the lesson you will say, "ok, now you can do it all with the other side.". But by that time my focus is waning and I have no more time (also, in the winter, I get cold, there on the floor). It seems to me long practice time for the easy side is minimally productive, where it could be hugely beneficial fir the off-side What am I missing here? Thanks!

    December 25, 2024

  • Chris Sigurdson on Integrating the Feet, Torso, Head, and Breath: Connecting to the Earth (44m, Patrons)

    Had a trochanteric bursa inflammation and secondary Achilles strain. This is helping me move well again.

    December 25, 2024

  • Martha on Driving and Dynamic Sitting – Floor Practice

    Interesting. I would have expected Feldenkrais (especially over 30 years) to have prevented the need for hip replacements. Isn't this about more than feeling good?

    December 25, 2024

  • Kay Sweeney on Length Without Effort (36m)

    Thank you for validating what I am doing. I will try your suggestions as well.

    December 22, 2024

  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Anatomy in Action: Scapulas
    (Members & Patrons bonus video)

    Discussion and Zoom chats after class included some great wisdom from students:
    I loved having the visual at the beginning, because I really had an anchor for at the end of the lesson, when I felt my arms hanging down in an almost ape-like manner. I’ve been having some shoulder pain lately, and I think the muscles released in a way that was very satisfying!
    My ribcage was more forward and lifted, allowing my arms to hang freely. So different than pushing my shoulders back, which makes me hyperextend in my lumbar.

    December 22, 2024

  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Length Without Effort (36m)

    Great questions and observations about yourself. It's a great sign that how you did the lesson (with a personalized, improvised alteration) created relief. A refinement of "don't push through any pain in Feldenkrais" is, "don't do anything that increases pain." As you're moving and observing, if a familiar discomfort is part of what you're noticing, keep experimenting with little variations or alterations (like you did!) that create ease. Follow even the slightest pleasantnesses you find, even pausing the recording to play with them. Being present with your breathing is really helpful while experimenting like this. In this lesson the alteration you found works particularly well. You could also rest that knee on a large soft pillow. Other alterations are having the sole of the foot standing further away from you than is described, and/or in some lessons and parts of lessons where it's possible, leaning your bent knee on a nearby chair or bed or couch.

    December 22, 2024

  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Relaxing Your Neck and Jaw (39m)

    Welcome! Hard to say from afar about the tinnitus. I can't imagine this lesson isn't good for anyone, but next time you try it use about 25% of the effort and range you were using the first time, and see what happens. Let us know here if you wish!

    December 22, 2024

  • Frederike Pol on Relaxing Your Neck and Jaw (39m)

    Thank you Nick for this free excercise. I am beginning to get aquainted with the Feldenkrais method and hope to dig deeper into this and experience the benefits of nervous system regulation and stress release. After doing this exercise the tinitus buzz in my right ear has gotten louder. Should i do LESS or is this maybe not a good exercise for me?

    December 21, 2024

  • Kay Sweeney on Length Without Effort (36m)

    I have been having pain in my right knee. My gut feeling is that it is not arthritis which my doctors all think because of my age. I have a high tolerance for pain and find myself doing the movements even when I feel pain and I keep reminding myself that pain is a no no in Feldenkrais. I did some of the right-side movements with the leg flat rather than standing and that was possible with no pain. I find despite it all my body is quite flexible. At the end of the lesson there was less pain in my knee standing. Any suggestions for adjusting the lesson when I feel the knee pain.

    December 21, 2024

  • B R on Advanced Connecting Arms and Legs: Equal and Opposite (Patrons)

    I thought this was similar to other lessons. Until, and, (at least for me) Until: paying attention to the revelation,- when Nick ties everything together-through Nick’s guidance a lot of answers just flow through. The realization gave me the feisty happy content laugh, and enabled me to try and enjoy one of those poses that seems easy but it is not: the lord of the fishes. This lesson provides a key to so much treasure. The hip powers and balances by lightening the foot on slight eversion. Wow.

    December 19, 2024

  • Hanneke De Witte on Head Under the Gap, Supine (Patrons)

    Wonderful empowering lesson. Hypermobility makes it easy for me to perform movements like bridging and sliding my head under my arm, but makes it hard to feel hów I do these things and how I can better organize and control it. Exploring the different ways to initiate the (seemingly) same movement was great for this. I've recently been i'n search of' my middle back muscles/ lower shoulder stabilizers and lessons like this one are really helping me locate and activate them.

    December 16, 2024

  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Head Under the Gap, Supine (Patrons)

    I really appreciate this reflection on your studies and the shift in my teaching. I think it's an accurate distinction you're making: I now often ask people to work more directly toward organizing better functional ability for themselves ("ready to move," you said) by steering students toward more awareness of ground reaction forces and the profoundly enabling buoyancy they offer, and toward more immediately and simultaneously distributing the image and muscular contractions of action throughout the whole self. I've noticed in recent years that teaching in this way is more empowering for students. It better leverages – and brings conscious attention to – natural advantages for self-improvement created by the interaction of physics and our nervous systems. And these two awareness skills (ground forces and global distribution) can be taken instantly into any activity, without first "relaxing". Relaxation becomes a wonderful side effect of functioning more efficiently and effectively, rather than a first step toward it. And I also want to acknowledge: there is great value in the softer, "snuggling," "indulgent" (great words!) approach too, and there will always be many lessons like that at The FP, especially for newcomers. With more emphasis on "relaxation" in these lessons, the nervous system and musculature shed self-limiting, pointless busyness. Then, since the nervous system is predisposed to more efficient function when we're relaxed (when parasitic efforts are inhibited), new options are easy to introduce, and easy for the student to select, during the lesson. Both pedagogies seem very effective for most people. The older one may be more important for newer Feldenkrais students, and for all of us whenever we're struggling with self-care. I believe the newer one offers more responsibility and agency to the student, more clear training for how to take this work off the mat and into all life's activities. Grateful to you for reflecting with me, here and offline, on this shift in my teaching! I've been meaning to write a blog post about it and will when I can. Please keep the feedback coming.

    December 15, 2024

  • Sara on Head Under the Gap, Supine (Patrons)

    I especially like the way working one side of the back and then the other helps to reveal and then harmonize the two sides so that they work together well. Actually, one side crosses over to the other from top (shoulder blade action) to bottom (hip/pelvis roll) in a diagonal (and vice versa) so that the harmonizing is even more wondrous. I love Feldenkrais method! And Nick's teaching.

    December 15, 2024

  • Richard Fancy on Head Under the Gap, Supine (Patrons)

    I’ve done this lesson before, I think, several times. I think I may have done a version on this site. What is different is Nick’s teaching this new way which I think he calls organizing everything all at once. My experience in this new approach is very different than the soft, intimate relationship to the earth that many earlier ATM’s call for. This new way feels less pleasant and indulgent to me at first but in this lesson when everything began to organize together, I suddenly, quite lightly, found my head slipping under the bridge of my arm. At the end of many ATM’s in the past, I’ve sought and found a release of tension and a kind of snuggling into the ground. After this, I felt relaxed but ready to move.

    December 14, 2024

  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Long Belly, Strong Back (38m)

    Brilliant! I've been playing with lots of lengthening my pubic while sitting, but I hadn't thought of how easily this whole lesson can be transposed to sitting. In case others are curious and want help finding this for themselves, Sitting and Turning with Length (26m) and Easier Sitting Workshop Lesson 2 (12m) use the movement of "propulsing either my left or right side & leg forward" that Barthelemy describes. (Having done Long Belly, Strong Back, you can even skip Workshop Lesson 1 for now, though it is recommended related study.)

    December 12, 2024

  • Barthelemy PHILIPPE on Long Belly, Strong Back (38m)

    I've just finished this lesson for the second time. The first time around I did it in the floor, today I changed and did it sitting (in a train!). I'm finding fabulous mobility in my hips, especially propulsing either my left or right side & leg forward. My chest is open, I can feel my breathing filling it, and that feels great. The space between my shoulder blades hurts a bit, which surely has an interesting meaning or cause... I'll come back to the lesson shortly with special attention to this!

    December 12, 2024

  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Agile Hips, Knees, and Feet

    That floating knee position is particularly challenging in this lesson. There are lessons in supine, knees bent, where you lift one bent leg over you, interlace your hands, wrap them below the kneecap, and explore moving your hands and knee side to side and up and down, then circle the knee, all looking for neutral. I'm trying to remember which of my lessons I use that in! Will reply again here when I come up with one. For now, improvising on that can help a lot! I also wonder about Rolling and Hips Like a Baby (Patrons).

    December 10, 2024

  • John Spurr on Agile Hips, Knees, and Feet

    What a complex and challenging experience I have just encountered, to be totally honest lost and. Found just joyfull The first problem I encountered, was actually finding a comfortable position for the lifted leg, stiffness in the groin was the problem and it took a lot of negotiating to find a comfortable position. In fact it was never truly comfortable and I wonder if you can suggest other lessons which may alleviate this situation I feel I will be returning to this lesson many times, as it’s after affects, give me a sense of stronger joined up movement. Thank you for providing such clear teaching

    December 10, 2024

  • Gabriele on Reaching, Twisting, and Gazing Smoothly (Patrons)

    Every lesson I do I feel my whole body becoming more integrated. This loosened and increased my range of motion in upper back…much needed

    December 4, 2024

  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Skillful Scapulas Make Graceful Arms and Hands (Patrons)

    It's ok to be confused, it's a necessary part of learning! Someone wiser than I am once said "confusion is when we fuse the old with the new." Perhaps explore the lesson again sometime later (after at least a day or two), and if you get confused, pause the recording and play a bit more on your own with the current ATM ingredients.

    December 4, 2024

  • Rebecca Rogot on Skillful Scapulas Make Graceful Arms and Hands (Patrons)

    Hi, I was having acute issues with my neck on the left side but chronic left shoulder strain (mostly in the deltoid) . I wanted to see if this lesson would help. I can’t wait to see how it develops through the day (and possibly longer) but immediately I feel a calmness to the pain. So thank you! I will say though the last ten minutes was quite confusing and I felt a little rushed after standing. I’m not sure I did this lesson very well.

    December 4, 2024

  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Simple Twisting

    Welcome to Feldenkrais! It's a beautiful method for trauma recovery, and I'm glad you're here. It is likely that, as you study, you will continue to become globally more comfortable being...you! On a personal note, when I discovered Feldenkrais I was in an extremely high stress and difficult period in my life. I too immediately noticed what you described, which at the time I took as a kind of side effect: my awareness of taste and hunger were profoundly improved after each lesson. Over time that effect became a new baseline. I now understand this phenomenon to be simply a symptom of a better organized nervous system.

    December 4, 2024

  • Deb on Simple Twisting

    I have had a trauma background and have been working with a trauma therapist for 3 years with much progress In emdr , somatic experiencing , and IFS . .i have had a pronounced disassociation from my body as a result of the trauma resulting in an eating disorder and a rocky relationship with movement.. While I am well into my recovery journey, I am so excited and pleased to find this modality to introduce me to my body in New depths I’ve never experienced . The slow kind gentle non judgemental framework provides the safety I need to become more fully embodied and integrated. I am even able to feel if I’m hungry and full with much more clarity, soooo grateful, I will definitely continue this practice. It is potentially life changing for me.

    December 3, 2024

  • Brigette on Smoothing the Movements of the Jaw and Eyes + Q&A
    (Members & Patrons bonus event)

    Wow, this lesson has had a profound effect on my nervous system. The first time I did it some tension in my lower back released and I also had a boost of energy after. The second time has been even more powerful. My racing thoughts and busy mind feel like they have been put on mute by about 80% and everything in life is feeling so much easier. I feel a greater sense of connection to a place of love, calm, and ease. It's very exciting!! I love Feldenkrais, I love these lessons. Thank you Nick for all that you do to keep this project going. I'm so grateful to have found your work, it's saving my life and enriching it more than I could ever have imagined lying on the floor and doing small little movements every could. I can't express enough how thankful I am.

    December 3, 2024

  • Nick Strauss-Klein on Frequently Asked Questions

    Great questions! Doing Feldenkrais before exercise: Put time between Feldenkrais study and exercise based on how vigorous the exercise is. Taking at least a few quiet minutes after an ATM is always advised, but you might go for a walk 10 minutes later. If you're going to do strength training, I recommend waiting at least an hour, since the intensity of that stimulus may blast through the subtlety of your brand new Feldenkrais learning. Doing it after exercise: The reverse is also true. I can go from an easy walk to an ATM lesson with little break and still feel plenty sensitive for the Feldenkrais learning. But I wouldn't go right from strength training to ATM; I find it hard to feel the details of fine movements right after bearing heavy loads. You might also value these two discussions about exercise and Feldenkrais.

    December 2, 2024

  • Annika on Rolling to Sitting, and Beyond

    felt a little unsure about the second side, because I would have preferred to go through the same steps but id did not feel like it. My right side felt like heaven, left side was annoyed

    December 1, 2024

  • Jacob Slominski on Six Lessons for Anxiety

    The Morning Prayer lesson has a powerful calming effect on me too.

    December 1, 2024

  • Hanneke De Witte on Workshop: Balance Myths, Facts, and Practice, Part 2 (Patrons)

    I happened to do the periscope lesson the day before doing this workshop, unintentional but great combination! I never realised how much I limit myself in the whole torso while walking, have recently with the help of these lessons been noticing more activation of my whole axis

    December 1, 2024