Please begin the lesson in standing.
This workshop lesson is long, intended to be moved through in luxurious comfort and ease. Keeping a restful, almost lazy attitude can help.
There are several different sections of the lesson, so if you need a break, pause the recording when we begin to do something new. It’s ok even to come back to it later. When you do, lie down, breathe and relax, and scan your contact with the floor, then improvise briefly through what you remember of the lesson so far. Then resume playing the recording.
This lesson is found in our Miscellaneous Lessons collection and has a lot of different learning contexts on our site.
Because of its direct exploration of our the center of gravity, this important lesson appears in three Deep Dives: Supple Feet, Powerful Legs, and Better Balance, and The Pelvic Floor: Less Is More.
It was recorded in a workshop called “Organizing the Feet for Balance, Posture, and Power” and designed as sensitivity training and preparation for Activating the Arches, but it’s also valuable as a standalone lesson.
If you’re “doing the workshop” at home and going on to Activating the Arches next, you’ll probably want more of a break than the 10 minutes mentioned at the end of the recording. That was just the time until the group came back together for discussion. As long as there are no big stresses, continuing on to Activating the Arches any time today or tomorrow should create a close enough proximity in time for the relatedness of the lessons to carry through as they were intended in the workshop.
The workshop description for the evening this lesson was recorded:
Foot pain or arch trouble? Do you experience aches or stiffness in your feet, knees, hips, or lower back? This workshop will use Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement (ATM) lessons to explore and enhance the use of your feet and their relationship to the rest of yourself. Using your brain’s extraordinary ability to learn more efficient patterns of movement and action when given the right sensory information, you’ll explore:
- how a supple, intelligent use of your feet and knees can improve your balance and reduce chronic pain in your feet, legs, and back.
- how to feel and find the particular use of your feet that most improves your posture.
- how well-organized feet recruit your legs, back, and breath for powerful athletic movements.
This workshop will include ATM lessons in standing and lying (mostly on your back) positions, and discussion of neuromotor learning and the biomechanics of the foot.
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Another great lesson! I was particularly interested in this one as I recently started aikido, and a main focus is moving from the center (tanden). My feet have been hurting from this activity, as well as lots of farm work.
I became aware during this lesson of a holding in my hips that was creating a brace in my whole structure. After the lesson my walking was much freer.
An interesting aside and not a surprise to me or regular ATM folks is that my eyes were wider after the lesson! My eyes were relaxed and softly looking at the horizon as I was walking-instead of looking down which has been a habit of mine.
Feldenkrais is amazing-thank you Nick!
I had a profound experience using this lesson. It tapped deeply into both physical and emotional holding patterns. When standing after the lesson, I felt exactly like the after photos from a Rolling or Structural Integration text. Thank you, Nick, for making this work available!
At the end of this lesson, I felt more buoyant as I walked and that’s a word I’ve never used to describe my walking. I felt like I was floating, and my whole body felt light and free. As I’ve studied Feldenkrais over the past twelve months, I’ve noticed a spring in my step and a swing in my hips like never before. I can’t wait to carry this buoyancy on my next walk. Thank you again and again!
Nick – wonderful lesson!
I was impressed and surprised by how much of an impact this lesson had for me on the first run through. I felt so well organized across my whole body.
Hello Nick, I am from Argentina and I improving my English at the same time I improve my body. I love the way you teach I appreciate the colours of the description of the movements. Thank you very much
This lesson is amazing – there are so many of your helpful hints. Coming back to this lesson after experiencing ‘Improving Pelvic Floor, Control and Ease’ was outstanding! [Note from Nick: The lesson Gertrude is referring to has been split in half and renamed; it is now called Differentiating the Pelvic Floor Part 1 and Part 2]
Hi Nick when you say to push the floor with your feet @13:23 is the action more of a drawing the heels back toward the butt to engage the glutes or is it a direct push down into the floor with the heel? My physio has just given my an ex to help me engage my glutes more and switch off my hammy’ by lying on my back, legs and ankles at a 90deg angle with both feet pushing into a large yoga ball against a wall. However I don’t seem to engage my glutes but more my hamstrings and hip flexors. Do you have any thoughts as to how I may inhibit my hamstrings from taking over that I can draw from this lesson eg. pull with the heels back and direct the force toward the 4th metatarsal thereby opening the hip area? Thank you
It’s meant to be a simple push with the soles of the feet into the floor, not consciously tuned in either of the ways in your first sentence. Your last sentence is jam-packed with ideas: I highly recommend doing our two buttocks lessons, to learn to feel clearly the engagement of the buttocks, and get more control over how much you’re using your hamstrings. The Activating the Arches implications (4th metatarsal) at the end of your comment are wise, as they are tied to what I think you’re looking for. I’d revisit that one, or head into our several Spine Like a Chain lessons (and perhaps the ones in their Related Lessons tabs).
Thanks Nick very helpful. I’ve just done the first buttock lesson and interestingly my left buttock fires up much quicker than my right. Also my right arch activates (supinates) much easier than my left. This may explain why I find my walking is quite irregular as I’m not able to stabilise or root on my left whilst at the same time rotate to the right in the cross crawl movement without feeling some loss of balance. I seem to stay to long rooted on my right foot. All very interesting to discover!
Thank you for this fantastic lesson. The difference in my standing and surveying the surroundings of before and after the lesson is substantial. I felt my legs and knees much more involved with the turning in a soft and integrated way. It’s like I have all of a sudden remembered to soften and use my knees. I am most grateful to you
Wonderful lesson Nick, thanks for this.
This is another deliciously complex session. I’m intrigued to do it again after a short break to dive a little deeper into the movements and discover more nuance.