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.
Fundamentals of a Healthy Back (workshop lesson)
Back-lying, often knees bent, sometimes legs crossed, tilting. Clarifying our image of the "five curves" of the axial skeleton in action: the traditional three (lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spine), plus the sacrum/tailbone and the skull. Learning to sense functions and efforts through all five curves, including breathing.
If you struggle with the legs crossed, knees tilting configuration and movements used for parts of this lesson, you might instead do one of these first: Legs as Free as a Baby’s, or Folding, Foundation, and Feet, or The Hip Joints: Moving Proximal Around Distal. They will help improve the hips and lower back and make this lesson more accessible.
It’s helpful to have a very secure place for the foot stand when the legs are crossed closely together. Consider options to create more friction.
Near the end of this lesson I had a verbal slip I didn’t notice while teaching: I mention the “five lines” instead of the “five curves” of the spine. I meant the curves, which are the dominant image of the lesson; I’m asking you to check in on that image once again.
Longtime Feldies know how much more often we talk about the five lines image of ourselves (the stick-figure schematic) in scans before and after ATMs. Oops.
For some learning context including goals and principles from the workshop where this lesson was recorded, check out my TwinCitiesFeldenkrais.com blog post Info and lessons from Healthy Back workshop. It includes the principles discussed after the lesson, and links to versions of the lessons that followed after the break mentioned at the end of this recording.
This lesson is found in our Miscellaneous Lessons collection. It was taught at the beginning of a workshop and followed by versions of these lessons:
- My second workshop lesson was based on another classic: The Movement of the Eyes Organizes the Movement of the Body. We used the basic rotation in side-sitting from this lesson (known colloquially as “Dead Bird” in the Feldenkrais community) as a refrain while we explored different ways to tilt the pelvis and head with the assistance of the spine and whole back / chest in side-sitting.
- We finished the workshop with a short chair-seated version of another classic lesson, with heavy references to awareness of the three dimensional movements of the spine and chest. There are several full versions of this lesson, including the first lesson in Easier Sitting (in chair-seated), and Your Navigational Pelvis, a lying down version.
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.
- Comfort & Configuration
-
If you struggle with the legs crossed, knees tilting configuration and movements used for parts of this lesson, you might instead do one of these first: Legs as Free as a Baby’s, or Folding, Foundation, and Feet, or The Hip Joints: Moving Proximal Around Distal. They will help improve the hips and lower back and make this lesson more accessible.
It’s helpful to have a very secure place for the foot stand when the legs are crossed closely together. Consider options to create more friction.
- Clarifications
-
Near the end of this lesson I had a verbal slip I didn’t notice while teaching: I mention the “five lines” instead of the “five curves” of the spine. I meant the curves, which are the dominant image of the lesson; I’m asking you to check in on that image once again.
Longtime Feldies know how much more often we talk about the five lines image of ourselves (the stick-figure schematic) in scans before and after ATMs. Oops.
- Curiosities
-
For some learning context including goals and principles from the workshop where this lesson was recorded, check out my TwinCitiesFeldenkrais.com blog post Info and lessons from Healthy Back workshop. It includes the principles discussed after the lesson, and links to versions of the lessons that followed after the break mentioned at the end of this recording.
- Context
-
This lesson is found in our Miscellaneous Lessons collection. It was taught at the beginning of a workshop and followed by versions of these lessons:
- My second workshop lesson was based on another classic: The Movement of the Eyes Organizes the Movement of the Body. We used the basic rotation in side-sitting from this lesson (known colloquially as “Dead Bird” in the Feldenkrais community) as a refrain while we explored different ways to tilt the pelvis and head with the assistance of the spine and whole back / chest in side-sitting.
- We finished the workshop with a short chair-seated version of another classic lesson, with heavy references to awareness of the three dimensional movements of the spine and chest. There are several full versions of this lesson, including the first lesson in Easier Sitting (in chair-seated), and Your Navigational Pelvis, a lying down version.
- 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.
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3 Comments. Leave new
After the ‘MN Hunch Season’ is over, the easy going, very clear directions in following N.S.K. in slowly helping us to coordinate the movements with an amazing stretch, awareness and opening of the vertebrae to feel more flexible but controlled more, and feeling better alignment on my aging body and now can stand up straighter. Appreciate this so much after taking classes from N.S.K. many years ago at the JCC in St. Paul. Thank you!
Especially after this difficult winter we Minnesotans are so glad to throw off our parkas and shivering hunches! Happy to help!
That was a wonderful lesson Nick. It was really interesting to observe the relationship between the breath and the 5 curves.
Thanks again