Essence for “Experts”: Whole Body Arms (31m, Patrons)

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Members and Patrons. Learn more or login:

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

It’s designed as a review version of Whole Body Arms (Patrons).

It was recorded in a Patrons Quarterly meeting on January 16, 2025. Don’t miss the recorded lesson discussion linked at the bottom of the Curiosities tab!

The usual Curiosities

This is a great lesson for reversing lefts and rights on a second listening.

After this was recorded one student pointed out that she could explore the final action of “circling her arm” without actually moving it at all, instead exploring all the proximal moving and shaping. Brilliant, and fits the lesson’s purpose perfectly!

About Essence for “Experts”

As we add more lessons like this later this year I’ll expand this into a blog post:

• Essence means these 30-minute versions review the essential learning of a particular lesson, and use it to illustrate the essence of Feldenkrais ATM study.
• You are an “expert” if Feldenkrais is a regular part of your life, and you’re familiar with the source lesson: you’ve explored and valued the full-length version at least once (even if it challenged you), and you have some memory of it.
• You don’t have to be a pro, or feel like you’ve mastered the lesson. Rather, this version is a chance to review and learn more, for people who are familiar with it.
• Your familiarity with its movement cues and images allows us to get more directly to the essence of the lesson—and emphasize the essence of the Feldenkrais Method in it.
• It’s also assumed you know how to be kind to yourself and explore thoughtfully, no matter what’s asked of you. You know how to respond to challenge and discomfort with wisdom, patience, and curiosity, instead of cultural conditioning to use force, speed, or self-judgment.
• Finally, it’s assumed you know and love the space between stimulus and response in which action is composed. You can hear an instruction, then feel and shape your intention as it propagates from your imagination throughout your body…all the while inhibiting the urge to immediately “perform” what was asked.

Feldenkrais essentials emphasized in this lesson:

• As Feldenkrais wrote, “Imagination is more important than willpower” in self improvement. When we study, we widen the gaps between intention and action, then fill them with a compassionate curiosity about what’s possible.
• Global simultaneous distribution of movement intention. Gradually integrating into the whole image of action any parts or efforts that stand out in each movement.
• The torso’s muscles and skeletal structures are largely responsible for efficient, effective, and pleasant action of the limbs.
• Proportional muscle tone: big proximal muscles do big movement work, small distal muscles deliver it to the destination.

Lesson discussion

The Patrons and I had some reflections about what we’re getting at with Essence for Experts lessons in a discussion right after this one was recorded. This 10-minute chat is highly recommended. Please comment below to participate!

If side-lying comfort is a concern, using a softer surface or experimenting with how you support your head throughout the lesson can help. You can also start on your right side instead of your left if needed.

You are an “expert” if Feldenkrais ATM study is a regular part of your life, and you’re familiar with the source lesson: you’ve explored and valued the full-length version (even if it challenged you) at least once, and you have some memory of it.

You don’t have to be a pro, or feel like you’ve mastered the lesson. Rather, this version is a chance to review and learn more, for people who are familiar with it. Learn more in the Curiosities tab.