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

Back-lying, feet standing. Explore turning and twisting movements of the shoulders, pelvis, head, and eyes with arms held in a loose hoop in front of you, and find a flowing sense of ground support through your feet and back. Framed by detailed experiments in standing which connect your mat learning to upright life.

Most Accessible  back-lying  standing 

63m
Save
Favorite
What's this?
Share

Before you begin read this for practical tips and your responsibilities, and check out Comfort & Configuration below.

Recorded live in a Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement (ATM) class, this lesson is copyright Nick Strauss-Klein, for personal use only.

Tip – Comments

Project tip: Leave a lesson comment below! It’s a great way to give feedback or ask a question, and it helps google find us so we can achieve The Feldenkrais Project’s vision!

Tip – Lesson names

What’s in a lesson title? Lessons are about an hour unless a shorter duration is shown in the title. Thanks to our donors they’re freely offered unless marked “Patrons” – those are how we thank our Patron-level donors.

Tip – skip a lesson

Study tip: If you can’t find a comfortable way to do the initial movements or configuration of a lesson, it’s ok to skip it for now and go on to another lesson.

Tip 4 – Padding

Study tip: Comfort first! Carpeted floors usually work well, but it’s great to have an extra mat or blanket nearby in case you need a softer surface in some configurations.

Tip 1 – Interrupted?

Study tip: Interrupted or don’t have enough time? You can return to the lesson later today or tomorrow. Read how best to continue your learning on our FAQ page.

Tip – Technical Difficulties

Tech tip: If you have any trouble with the audio player, reboot your browser. That solves most issues. If not, try another browser or contact us.

Tip 3 – Head Support

Study tip: It helps to have a large bath towel nearby when you start a lesson. You can fold it differently for comfortable head support in any configuration.

Tip – Directions are Relative

Study tip: Directions are always relative to your body. For example, if you’re lying on your back “up” is toward your head, and “forward” is toward the ceiling.

Tip – Pause the recording

Study tip: If you’re really enjoying a movement and want to explore longer, or you just need a break for a while, pause the recording!

Tip – What’s New

Community tip: See what Nick and other Felden-fans are interested in right now. Check out What’s New at the bottom of our homepage for recent blog posts and listener comments.

Tip – LESSS is more

LESSS is more: Light, Easy, Small, Slow, & Smooth movements will ease pains and improve your underlying neuromuscular habits faster than any other kind of movement, no matter who you are or what your training is!

Tip 2 – Social Sharing

Project tip: Try the social buttons below. Please help us to achieve our vision: spreading the life-changing benefits of Feldenkrais study as widely as possible!

Tip – Join!

Join the Project! Members and Patrons see streamlined lesson pages, and can access My Journey (the and above), and the Related Lessons tab below.

Tip – Complete the Movement

Study tip: Complete one movement before beginning the next. You’ll improve faster if there’s enough time between movements that you feel fully at rest.

Browser/device size and audio player

Tech tip: On mobile or tablet? Once you start playing the audio, your device’s native playback controls should work well.

Tip – Rewinding

Study tip: Many instructions are repeated. If you get a little lost, rest and listen. You’ll often find your way. Or use the rewind button on the page or your mobile device.

Tip – what to wear

Study tip: Wear loose, comfortable clothes that are warm enough for quiet movement. Remove or avoid anything restrictive like belts or glasses.

We offer over 50 free lessons, but this one's just for our Patron-level donors. You can learn about it in the free lesson notes and comments below, but to access the audio you’ll need to join The FP as a Patron. Learn more

If you are a Patron, please log in:

  • Comfort & Configuration
  • Clarifications
  • Curiosities
  • Context
  • Related Lessons
  • Source

If you need head support while lying on your back, be sure that it is smooth and level, and no more than you need for comfort.

Once lying down, allow your head and eyes to roll freely as you learn to turn your shoulders and pelvis. It’s usually best to let your eyes be closed. Later in the lesson you’ll explore specific coordinations of the head and eyes.

Mentioned later in the lesson but useful from the beginning: when you move away from the outside aspects of your feet, don’t let your heels lift. Also keep their outer aspects connected to the ground.

As the complexity increases near the end of the lesson with the head and eyes variations don’t be concerned if you get confused or need to “start over” frequently with some variations.

Simply intending to do something very unusual, and listening carefully to what you actually do, is what helps you change habits and integrate better ways of functioning. It’s not about “getting it right.”

This lesson examines how we are always interacting with the ground, no matter what we are doing. The specificity of that interaction, the precision of how we support ourselves, has a profound effect on our skillfulness and sense of freedom in whatever we’re doing.

“Homework,” for after you’ve done the lesson:

  • Track the sensory details of your feet relating to the floor in everyday standing activities.
  • What happens if you imagine that the floor itself is generating those actions?
  • Can you stay connected to the ground through the outside aspects of each foot, even as you turn and/or shift away from it?
  • How does the quality of your action change when you do this?
  • Spiraling away from the heels was introduced at the very end of the lesson. Can you find this in regular life activities when you’re standing and turning?

This lesson is found in Patron Treasures, our collection of lessons exclusively for Feldenkrais Project Patron-level donors.

It was recorded in The FP Weekly Zoom class on Nov 21, 2023 then edited to improve flow, clarity, and sound quality in this permanent audio version.

Members and Patrons. Learn more or login:

Members and Patrons. Learn more or login:

Got a question for Nick, or a thought about this lesson?

Use the comments section below! Public comments build our community and help search engines find us.

horizontal-squiggle

2 Comments

  1. Sara on January 4, 2025 at 11:29 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Nick Strauss-Klein on January 5, 2025 at 8:52 am

      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!

      Reply

Leave a Comment