Rib Basket, Shoulder Cloak (Patrons)

Framed by brief standing explorations of breathing and walking, this mostly back-lying lesson is designed to improve differentiation of the ribs and shoulders, and to improve their integration with functional movements of the arms, legs, hips, spine, and head. Uses a fascinating constraint of precisely relating the scapulas to the plane of the floor.

Average Challenge   back-lying 

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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 – 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.

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Tip – Technical Difficulties

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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 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 – Join!

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Browser/device size and audio player

Tech tip: On mobile or tablet? Once you start playing the audio, your device’s native playback controls should work well.

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 – 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 – What’s New

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Tip 5 – Discomfort

Study tip: If a configuration or movement causes any increase in discomfort, or you feel you just don’t want to do it, don’t! Make it smaller and slower, adapt it, or rest and imagine.

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

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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.

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 – 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!

We offer over 50 free lessons, but this one's just for our Patron-level donors. You can learn about it in the free lesson notes and comments below, but to access the audio you’ll need to join The FP as a Patron. Learn more

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  • Comfort & Configuration
  • Context
  • Related Lessons
  • Source

This lesson benefits from a lower friction mat, so please avoid using a sticky yoga mat (for example). Throw a smooth blanket over it if that’s all you have.

This lesson is found in Patrons Monthly, our collection of lessons exclusively for Feldenkrais Project Patron-level donors, with one or more new lessons added every month.

It’s one of our only lessons that appears in three Deep Dive courses, because it benefits a lot of different functional contexts and learning contexts. They are: Shoulder Cloak, Rib Basket, Sliding Sternum and The Illusion of Isolation and Better Balance.

Audio was captured during a live Zoom class on June 30, 2020, then edited for flow and clarity.

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3 Comments

  1. jean kirk on April 3, 2021 at 7:33 pm

    This is a great lesson. I learned more about being upright than I have from any other lesson. Jean Kirk

    Reply
  2. Joan Oliver Goldsmith on April 5, 2021 at 4:56 pm

    For me, sensing the weight of the elbows was really important in keeping the shoulder blade on the floor. Also, when lifting the left hip, the left lumbar region really wanted to tighten and protect. I wasn’t often successful in keeping it soft even though that felt much more pleasant.

    Reply
  3. Sara on January 14, 2024 at 12:02 pm

    I noticed I was using my entire rib cage to breath in the upright check-in at the end – a sense of three-dimensional expansion being possible. I plan to return to this and see if I can progress in keeping the shoulder blades truly in the up/down plane. Great session – thank you.

    Reply

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