Arms Like a Skeleton, with a Bias

Recorded live in a Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement (ATM) class, the lesson below is copyright Nick Strauss-Klein, for personal use only. All our audio lessons are ad-free and 100% donor-supported.

Before you begin read this for practical tips and your responsibilities, and check out Comfort & Configuration below. Click the other lesson note tabs if you’re curious.

Tried it, liked it? Join the Project as a Member or Patron! You’ll ensure the sustainability of this site while enjoying our donor benefits. To keep up with new and featured free lessons and other Feldenkrais Project news join our email list.

MEMBERS & PATRONS: To access the Source and Related Lessons tabs below, please login then use your browser’s back and refresh buttons.

Back-lying. This quiet, simple presentation of a classic Feldenkrais lesson becomes the background for a potent exploration: how does seeking and sensing our natural spinal bias – and resting our attention with it or away from it – affect how we move, feel, and function? Recorded near the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown, this lesson starts with a four-minute talk about embodied equanimity, and the particular "rabbit hole" of learning we'll be heading down together.

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!

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

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.

Study tip: Many instructions are repeated. If you get a little lost, rest and listen. You’ll often find your way. If you need it, use the 10 seconds back button.

Join The FP and help us share Feldenkrais with the world! If you already have, thank you for your support! Our Members and Patrons get amazing donor benefits – learn more.

Tech tip: On mobile? Depending on screen size, the audio player appears differently. Try landscape mode or start playback then use your phone’s audio controls.

Study tip: If a configuration or movement causes any increase in discomfort, or you feel you just don’t want to do it, don’t! Make it smaller and slower, adapt it, or rest and imagine.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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

Comfort & Configuration
Curiosities
Clarificiations
Context
Related Lessons
Source
Download

Whenever you bend your knees and stand your feet on the floor, allow a comfortable width between your knees and feet that allows you to balance your knees effortlessly.

All vertebrates (including us) have a natural spinal bias, which means the spine can be sensed and functions a little more fluently, clearly, and as a whole on one side than the other. This isn’t something to be corrected or made symmetrical with the other side; rather we can benefit from learning to sense and harness it as integral to our identity and self-image.

Type in the word “bias” on our search page to see the other resources (several in our free public collection) that are mentioned in the recording. We’ve got a collection of valuable lessons that explore the primary spinal bias. If you’re a Member, login before searching and you’ll see even more lessons cross-referenced. Patron-level donors have access to additional “bias” lessons.

The pause button can be a learning tool: in the latter parts of the lesson when you’re asked to repeat earlier movements while thinking of the biased or other side of your spine (and seeking to be able to sense the difference) if you need more time to explore, just make more time by pausing the recording. Having a timeless sense of exploration is really helpful when developing new subtle awarenesses. One of the best things about studying from a recording (according to one of my longtime in-person students) is I’ll stop talking whenever you want me to!

The torso spine (lumbar and thoracic) are what I mean when we’re “thinking along one side of your spine.” It’s the torso spine – not your neck – that’s important to the spinal bias image as it’s introduced.

This lesson is found in the collection called Learning the Limbs, from the Center. It’s also in our Free While Constrained Deep Dive.

Members and Patrons. Please login or join the Project to view related lesson titles and links.

Members and Patrons. Please login or join the Project to view Nick’s comments about sources he used while developing this lesson.

Members and Patrons. Please login or join the Project to download this lesson’s MP3 file.

Comfort & Configuration: Whenever you bend your knees and stand your feet on the floor, allow a comfortable width between your knees and feet that allows you to balance your knees effortlessly.
Curiosities: All vertebrates (including us) have a natural spinal bias, which means the spine can be sensed and functions a little more fluently, clearly, and as a whole on one side than the other. This isn’t something to be corrected or made symmetrical with the other side; rather we can benefit from learning to sense and harness it as integral to our identity and self-image.

Type in the word “bias” on our search page to see the other resources (several in our free public collection) that are mentioned in the recording. We’ve got a collection of valuable lessons that explore the primary spinal bias. If you’re a Member, login before searching and you’ll see even more lessons cross-referenced. Patron-level donors have access to additional “bias” lessons.

The pause button can be a learning tool: in the latter parts of the lesson when you’re asked to repeat earlier movements while thinking of the biased or other side of your spine (and seeking to be able to sense the difference) if you need more time to explore, just make more time by pausing the recording. Having a timeless sense of exploration is really helpful when developing new subtle awarenesses. One of the best things about studying from a recording (according to one of my longtime in-person students) is I’ll stop talking whenever you want me to!
Clarificiations: The torso spine (lumbar and thoracic) are what I mean when we’re “thinking along one side of your spine.” It’s the torso spine – not your neck – that’s important to the spinal bias image as it’s introduced.
Context: This lesson is found in the collection called Learning the Limbs, from the Center. It’s also in our Free While Constrained Deep Dive.
Related Lessons: Members and Patrons. Please login or join the Project to view related lesson titles and links.
Source: Members and Patrons. Please login or join the Project to view Nick’s comments about sources he used while developing this lesson.
Download: Members and Patrons. Please login or join the Project to download this lesson’s MP3 file.

We all thrive when more people are doing more Feldenkrais. Please share this resource!

4 Comments. Leave new

Judith Rainey
May 22, 2020 7:15 pm

Thank you moved into pleasure with my present self. Enjoying your lessons.

Reply
Bettina Falk
May 23, 2020 3:26 pm

I liked the lesson a lot. The pacing met my systems requirements nicely. And I also was very intrigued by the wording and several times surprised by the unintrusive and friendly invitations to take care of myself. I especially enjoyed working with the bias along the sides of the spine. Very interesting! I moved much more precise, slower and I had more sense of my spine and it’s continuous length while moving shoulder and hip.
After getting up, standing + walking was very smooth, my back softer all the way down into my hipjoints. My vision softer and more peripheral and colors seemed more intense. Thank you!

Reply
Sara
August 28, 2020 7:43 am

This has been my go-to lesson in recovery from ‘mouse shoulder’ (computer related strain). I find that each time I practice it (many times now), different aspects and qualities of the (excellent) guidance are revealed. In other words it continues to inform my movement in fresh and interesting ways. Not all instructors are so skillful with language in conveying the profound simplicity and ease of Feldenkrias. Thank you for making this freely available.

Reply
Lorraine
October 10, 2020 5:40 pm

This lesson was a revelation to me.
I have a number of injuries along the spine and my bias and awareness changes somewhat along the length of my spine. I am going to do it again, focusing my awareness on the places where my awareness goes fuzzy.

Reply