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.
Folding, Foundation, and Feet
Previously known as: Flexion, 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.
- As you get into the movements of the lesson you’ll notice quickly that they resemble traditional abdominal exercises you may be familiar with. Please minimize the size and effort, and maximize your comfort instead. In this learning context there’s no value to fatiguing your muscles.
- Experiment with how you hold your head with your interlaced hands to find the most comfortable way. You may want to hold a lot of your neck along with the base of your skull.
- There’s never any goal to make the elbow and knee touch in these movements; they are simply aiming toward each other. Often through the course of the lesson they will spontaneously start to get much closer, or perhaps touch, but this is not due to more effort. In fact we’re looking for you to use less effort to fold as you become more efficient and get free of unnecessary muscle tonus in your back that is competing with the folding.
- Those who are very flexible can simply move the elbow and knee past each other, with the elbow brushing sometimes the inside of the knee, sometimes the outside.
This recording begins with a three minute talk about what Feldenkrais is and isn’t, and how Feldenkrais movements are always in service of awareness, even when they resemble traditional exercise. Why build awareness? Because our awareness is what regulates how we behave.
This lesson is found in the Standing, Walking, and Running collection.
Like most of our lessons, this one can be studied out of context, but you may find additional learning value by approaching it in the order of the collection it’s in.
The lesson mentioned from “last week” was Floating Toward Bridging. If you’ve come this page as the second lesson in our Standing, Walking, and Running collection you’ll notice I’ve elected not to include Floating Toward Bridging in this collection, but it’s fine to do that lesson any time if you’re curious. There are also many related bridging ideas in the next Standing, Walking, and Running collection lesson.
Members and Patrons only. Please login or join the Project to download this lesson’s MP3 file.
Members and Patrons only. Please login or join the Project to view Nick’s comments about sources he used while developing this lesson.
Members and Patrons only. Please login or join the Project to view related lesson titles and links.
This is a refinement and refocusing of an older lesson called Folding, Foundation, and Length. Logged in Patrons can listen to this alternate teaching in the Legacy and Alternate Lessons collection.
Please login or join the Project as Patron to access Legacy and Alternate lessons.
- Comfort & Configuration
-
- As you get into the movements of the lesson you’ll notice quickly that they resemble traditional abdominal exercises you may be familiar with. Please minimize the size and effort, and maximize your comfort instead. In this learning context there’s no value to fatiguing your muscles.
- Experiment with how you hold your head with your interlaced hands to find the most comfortable way. You may want to hold a lot of your neck along with the base of your skull.
- There’s never any goal to make the elbow and knee touch in these movements; they are simply aiming toward each other. Often through the course of the lesson they will spontaneously start to get much closer, or perhaps touch, but this is not due to more effort. In fact we’re looking for you to use less effort to fold as you become more efficient and get free of unnecessary muscle tonus in your back that is competing with the folding.
- Those who are very flexible can simply move the elbow and knee past each other, with the elbow brushing sometimes the inside of the knee, sometimes the outside.
- Curiosities
-
This recording begins with a three minute talk about what Feldenkrais is and isn’t, and how Feldenkrais movements are always in service of awareness, even when they resemble traditional exercise. Why build awareness? Because our awareness is what regulates how we behave.
- Context
-
This lesson is found in the Standing, Walking, and Running collection.
Like most of our lessons, this one can be studied out of context, but you may find additional learning value by approaching it in the order of the collection it’s in.
The lesson mentioned from “last week” was Floating Toward Bridging. If you’ve come this page as the second lesson in our Standing, Walking, and Running collection you’ll notice I’ve elected not to include Floating Toward Bridging in this collection, but it’s fine to do that lesson any time if you’re curious. There are also many related bridging ideas in the next Standing, Walking, and Running collection lesson.
- Download
-
Members and Patrons only. Please login or join the Project to download this lesson’s MP3 file.
- Source
-
Members and Patrons only. Please login or join the Project to view Nick’s comments about sources he used while developing this lesson.
- Related Lessons
-
Members and Patrons only. Please login or join the Project to view related lesson titles and links.
- Alternate Version
-
This is a refinement and refocusing of an older lesson called Folding, Foundation, and Length. Logged in Patrons can listen to this alternate teaching in the Legacy and Alternate Lessons collection.
Please login or join the Project as Patron to access Legacy and Alternate lessons.
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8 Comments. Leave new
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!