Differentiation of Pelvic Movements by Means of an Imaginary Clock (Patrons)

Lying on the back, mostly knees bent, feet standing, using the image of a clock painted on the back of the pelvis as a guide for building awareness and refining control of the pelvis, and relating it to movements of the head.

63m

Before you begin read this for practical tips and your responsibilities, and check out Comfort & Configuration below.

Recorded live in a Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement (ATM) class, this lesson is copyright Nick Strauss-Klein, for personal use only.

Tip – Directions are Relative

Study tip: Directions are always relative to your body. For example, if you’re lying on your back “up” is toward your head, and “forward” is toward the ceiling.

Browser/device size and audio player

Tech tip: On mobile? Depending on screen size, the audio player appears differently. Try landscape mode or start playback then use your phone’s audio controls.

Tip – skip a lesson

Study tip: If you can’t find a comfortable way to do the initial movements or configuration of a lesson, it’s ok to skip it for now and go on to another lesson.

Tip – What’s New

Study tip: If you’re really enjoying a movement and want to explore longer, or you just need a break for a while, pause the recording!

Tip – Complete the Movement

Study tip: Complete one movement before beginning the next. You’ll improve faster if there’s enough time between movements that you feel fully at rest.

Tip 3 – Head Support

Study tip: It helps to have a large bath towel nearby when you start a lesson. You can fold it differently for comfortable head support in any configuration.

Tip – what to wear

Study tip: Wear loose, comfortable clothes that are warm enough for quiet movement. Remove or avoid anything restrictive like belts or glasses.

Tip – Comments

Project tip: Leave a lesson comment below! It’s a great way to give feedback or ask a question, and it helps google find us so we can achieve The Feldenkrais Project’s vision!

Tip – LESSS is more

LESSS is more: Light, Easy, Small, Slow, & Smooth movements will ease pains and improve your underlying neuromuscular habits faster than any other kind of movement, no matter who you are or what your training is!

Tip – Lesson names

What’s in a lesson title? Lessons are about an hour unless a shorter duration is shown in the title. Thanks to our donors they’re freely offered unless marked “Patrons” – those are how we thank our Patron-level donors.

Tip 4 – Padding

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.

Tip 2 – Social Sharing

Project tip: Try the social buttons below. Please help us to achieve our vision: spreading the life-changing benefits of Feldenkrais study as widely as possible!

Tip – Join!

Join the Project! If you already have, thank you for your support! Members and Patrons can access the full lesson notes in the tabs below: just login.

Tip 1 – Interrupted?

Study tip: Interrupted or don’t have enough time? You can return to the lesson later today or tomorrow. Read how best to continue your learning on our FAQ page.

Tip – Rewinding

Study tip: Many instructions are repeated. If you get a little lost, rest and listen. You’ll often find your way. Or use the rewind button on the page or your mobile device.

Tip – Technical Difficulties

Tech tip: If you have any trouble with the audio player, reboot your browser. That solves most issues. If not, please contact Nick.

Tip – Pause the recording

Study tip: If you’re really enjoying a movement and want to explore longer, or you just need a break for a while, pause the recording!

While we offer 52 free lessons, this one's just for our Patron-level donors. You can preview the lesson notes and comments below, but to access the audio you’ll need to join The FP as a Patron. Learn more

If you are a Patron, please log in:

  • Comfort & Configuration
  • Curiosities
  • Context
  • Related Lessons
  • Source

For most people this is a very accessible lesson. If it’s easier to begin exploring movements of your pelvis in seated positions, you might first explore our Easier Sitting collection.

NOTE: In this teaching the clock image is “painted” on the back of your pelvis — not on the floor as I usually teach it — because I’m following Moshe’s original version in his book. This means 12:00 is painted on the top, 6:00 toward your tailbone. 3:00 is right and 9:00 is left.

If the Feldenkrais Method had a greatest hits album, The Pelvic Clock might be track number 1! Moshe Feldenkrais passionately made the case that we should all learn to better sense, organize, and regulate the relationship of our pelvis to the rest of ourselves, particularly the spine and head.

The additional variations mentioned in Moshe Feldenkrais’s source text after the lesson ends are as follows. Perhaps on a second study of this lesson you might pause the recording after I mention these variations (right around the one hour mark) and try them out:

  • After the last recorded movement step (where the pelvis and head circle from 12:00 in opposite directions simultaneously), I inquire about what the eyes are doing. Can you learn to let the eyes follow the circling of the pelvis instead of the head? Eventually reverse the circles of all three: pelvis, head, and eyes. Rest on your back.
  • From lying on your back, prop yourself up on your forearms so you’re leaning on your elbows, upper arms plumb with gravity (as one might do lying on the beach, sitting up a little to look out over the water). Open your knees wide apart and put the soles of the feet together in front of you on the ground. Explore any of the movements of the pelvis we’ve done: from the center to 6:00, 12:00, 3:00, or 9:00. And arcs in either direction: little arcs, half-circles, or full circles. What does your head do? What kinds of movements do you experience through your whole spine and chest, now that it’s not limited by contact with the floor? Rest on your back.
  • Sit up more fully and lean back on your hands on the floor behind your body. Put the soles of the feet together. Explore pelvic movements as in the last step. Rest on your back.

This lesson is one of 12 in Moshe Feldenkrais’s 1972 book Awareness Through Movement. The Feldenkrais Project has a collection of lessons from this source.

It was taught in the context of a Feldenkrais Fundamentals class which was designed to be a practical study of Moshe’s Awareness Through Movement book. Study tips for the book are here, along with info about where to get it.

This lesson also appears in our Pelvic Clock “Primer”.

Members and Patrons. Learn more or login:

While taught in my own words, this lesson comes directly from Moshe Feldenkrais’s 1972 book Awareness Through Movement.

Got a question for Nick, or a thought about this lesson?

Use the comments section below! Public comments build our community and help search engines find us.

horizontal-squiggle

6 Comments

  1. Matthew Lanzi on June 3, 2020 at 1:37 pm

    If 12 o’clock is towards your head, wouldn’t 3 o’clock be to the left?

    Reply
    • Nick Strauss-Klein on June 3, 2020 at 2:24 pm

      I’m glad you asked. Normally I teach this lesson with what I think is an easier-to-understand clock orientation, but because I’m following the Moshe Feldenkrais original lesson in the Awareness Through Movement book here, I do it his way in this one.

      Moshe’s clock image is “painted” on the back of your pelvis, not on the floor as I usually teach it. You can jump to where I explain at the 10-minute mark in the lesson: 12:00 is painted on the top of the back of pelvis near your lumbar, 6:00 toward your tailbone, meaning 3:00 is right and 9:00 is left.

      Reply
  2. Matthew Lanzi on June 3, 2020 at 3:20 pm

    Is there a lesson that goes more in depth into the role of the foot and leg muscles in relation to these circular movements?

    Reply
  3. shan shnookal on April 2, 2022 at 1:51 am

    I’m glad the question was asked about 3 and 9. I’m used to doing it the “other” way, and found it difficult to re-orientate. Got up and checked the questions! It still took a big mental effort, and i found the clockwise/anti confusing, too. Nevertheless, it’s a great lesson!

    Reply
    • Nick Strauss-Klein on April 3, 2022 at 9:33 am

      Thanks for commenting. Now that I know this has tripped up a few people I’ve added some detail to the Comfort & Configuration tab. Thanks for helping others in this way!

      Reply

Leave a Comment