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Folding, Foundation, and Feet
Back-lying, knees bent, integrating bending of the ankles through the joints of the legs and into the pelvis and lower back, blending into a classic Feldenkrais lesson which draws the head, elbows, and knees toward each other in different combinations. Improve the folding and unfolding of the body through refining coordination of the flexor muscles, building awareness of the use of the ground (foundation), and lengthening the extensors.
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What a wonderful folding lesson. To connect the folding of the upper torso with the lifting of the foot and the tilting of the pelvis, helped me to engage my lower back in the movement. Never before I felt it that clearly. Thank you! Stephanie
I love how this lesson clarifies the lower back too! As I wrote in the notes, I really am indebted to Mark Reese for his linking of classic folding the torso with the flexion of the feet and pelvis.
I have done a lot of Feldenkrais with many instructors and your lesson are no doubt the best I have experienced. Thank you for sharing these.
I’m so glad you are enjoying and valuing them. Please spread the word!
What a fantastic lesson, I’ve been struggling with various forms of somatic practice, feldenkrais, Alexander etc. believing that there is something there for me that would unlock a lot of tired long term tension, but simply haven’t been able to really tap into anything more then a vague feeling of relaxation, never real change. This lesson was completely different it’s as though I found a new sit-up, a new torso… a new center.
Thank you
Thanks for your comment! I’m so glad to hear you found new ideas and experiences, and I hope you explore many more lessons! Please spread the word.
Great lesson . At the end of a day of standing, this puts me back in a more functional posture and relieves back strain. I breathe more fully too!
This is a lesson that I repeat regularly to center my frame, balance and posture. Each time I repeat, my awareness grows deeper. So do the connections that carry so magically into my walking and increasingly bring lasting relief to chronic back, hip and shoulder pain. Thank you for teaching me how to walk again!
I did the lesson two days ago, because I have an issue in one of my knees. And it worked, my knee hurts less. But I also enjoyed very much the lesson because of the playfulness, originality and creativity. Thanks Nick
That was wonderful, thank you!
That was so . . . . Feldenkrais. . . At first, my upper shoulders/back were working to fold, and at the end no! My lower back area was doing the pressures. It was risky of me because my SCM does a lot of work in sit ups, but it seems to handle well. . . sure I’ll need to repeat this lesson many times.
I have to update. I work up with a sore tight neck from this and tight traps. Obviously I’m straining there even though I’m not aware. When this happens in Feldenkrais, where you lack the awareness and ability to relax those muscles that want to fire, does that mean this lesson is too advanced?? I would love to know about how to be able to get progression in feldenkrais. Because my awareness is very low and coordination in good movements as well. Thanks
Thanks for the update. Sometimes a lesson sends us in a direction before we’re ready to change a particular aspect of our long-held patterns. It’s hard to tell from a distance, but that’s my guess here. For now, I would avoid lessons where you have to lift your head while lying on your back (like this one), or just simulate (imagine) these steps in lessons where this movement comes up but it’s not the primary focus. Lessons with very neck-passive rolling of the head may be helpful, like when you use a palm or back of your hand on your forehead to do the rolling. Also lessons working with pelvis mobility with head awareness: Your Navigational Pelvis comes to mind.
wow you nailed it on the spot. I know they are engraved patterns in me. By sticking to the lessons that you have mentioned, will that with time help me get rid of those patterns, will it be enough to get rid of those long-held patterns?? And how do you know when to try more?? Thanks so much!
Hard to answer in detail from afar (and even in person I can’t predict the future) but these two related principles may help: Feldenkrais learning is powered by your authentic curiosity, and therefore there’s little learning value to rote movement. So if you feel safe, engaged, joyful, comfortable, and better after particular lessons, by all means you can stick with only a very few lessons. But as soon as you’re feeling not so sure about those things or a little bored, it may be time to venture out into other lessons. Done small and lightly enough (even in your imagination) any lesson can inspire curiosity, expand awareness, and be beneficial to anyone. I see you’re a Member, so you can use the Related Lessons tabs on lessons you love to help you follow lines of learning that are working well for you.
Thanks so much. That was very helpful info
Could you do more lessons on this? One of my ankles has a tough time with this. I twisted it years ago and it seems to be perpetually twisted in towards the arch. It has improved with this lesson but I’m wondering if other ankle or foot lessons would also be helpful.
Besides the foot-related lesson mentioned in the Related Lessons tab, there are several in this collection (Lessons for Better Posture, Walking, and Running) which address the organization of the feet and ankles. Check out the lesson descriptions for mentions of feet, or simply work your way through the whole series. 2023 UPDATE: Also check out our Deep Dive course called Supple Feet, Powerful Legs.
Hi Nick, although I’ve done this lesson a few times, it always amazes me how much more I discover each time! and how much taller I feel when I stand up after! thank you so much for this!
I found quite some benefit in spine awareness thinking of this as spine like a chain backwards. Some of the areas below the shoulder blades became freer in a way I couldn’t achieve in the chain lesson.
Wanderf teaching as always! Thank you again and again for being amaizing inspitation to my practice of lerning , intergrating lesson into my own body and making teaching comunity class easy and clear ????
Dorota
The folding made me feel like I was doing origami. This lesson really opened up my breath. Thank you.
I loved this lesson It’s always enjoyable when you feel perceptively different at the end. Also good to be able to evoke the essence of the lesson in a short time.
I also ,with others ,did a number of the movements when standing ,and it is interesting to feel your nervous system grappling with a new balancing challenge.
Many thanks Ann
This lesson has been incredibly informative and beneficial for me. It has connected jigsaw puzzlements from other ATM’S into a bigger picture. Thank you so much! It’s my go-to favourite at the moment. Your teaching is truly wonderful and the gift of it here hugely appreciated
I agree with Julia and it’s part of my daily practice. It was so helpful to do a lesson which inspired me to find my own path. I have variations like big toe to elbow and nose to knee with remarkable benefits. I can now squat easily and have much more movement in my ribs and spine since embracing this lesson. It’s a winner!
Thank you Nick
Ann
I became more aware of the middle of my body. At the end of the lesson, my walking was more graceful and articulated from the middle.
Thank you, what a great lesson!
HiNick&FeldyFolks,
Lovd that lesson!! went from barely lifting my head to touching head to knees effortlessly and then rolling at the end like a ball! and of course after, in standing and walking -wow!
the curves feel less curvy, head feels more back/supported and more upright overall and so ‘heavy’, because the skeleton is holding me so much more than my muscles usually needlessly do;) and also(!) the tingliy/‘chi’ feeli ng of energy free+moving—very nice—
Glad im a member—Thanks for fun+powerful lesson-
Wonderful! Thanks for taking the time to let us know about your experience, and for your support!
These lessons are incredible, Nick. I just discovered Feldenkrais a couple of months ago and these lessons are unwinding my body and releasing long held muscle tension. I am so grateful. Thank you.
Welcome! That’s wonderful – thanks for commenting and let us know what else you discover!
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?
Pardon my slow reply. The self-image is both the things you said: it is our concept, in body/mind/social spheres—and everything else that we are—of who and what we are, and what we can do. Arguably the most important thing Feldenkrais ever said or wrote is simply the first sentence of Awareness Through Movement: “We act in accordance with our self-image.” To improve ourselves we must change our self-image, in order to change our behavior.