Workshop: Spinal Support and a Powerful Pelvis (Patrons)

This full workshop recording presents two short talks and two lessons on the theme of Spinal Support and a Powerful Pelvis. Patrons can listen to the full, uninterrupted workshop on this page. All users can access the separate, edited tracks in our Getting Oriented collection.

Most Accessible  chair-sitting  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 – 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 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – Join!

Join the Project! Members and Patrons see streamlined lesson pages, and can access My Journey (the and above), and the Related Lessons tab below.

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 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 – 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, try another browser or contact us.

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!

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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 – Comments

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Tip – What’s New

Community tip: See what Nick and other Felden-fans are interested in right now. Check out What’s New at the bottom of our homepage for recent blog posts and listener comments.

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.

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
  • Clarifications
  • Curiosities
  • Context
  • Related Lessons
  • Source

Lesson 1: Whenever your knees are bent and feet are standing, let them be about the width of your hips and your knees quite bent (if your knees allow that) so that your lower legs are “standing” near vertical. Later, when one foot is standing and the other leg is long, if you find your standing foot frequently slipping, you might find a way to increase the friction under your foot so you don’t have to work to keep it in place.

Lesson 2: You’ll need a simple, level chair, with a firm or lightly upholstered surface. Find a chair that’s an appropriate height for you, so that when you’re seated at the front of the chair your knees are slightly below the height of your hips. Knees are bent simply, comfortable space between them, with your feet standing on the ground underneath them. Stack something firm under your feet if your feet don’t reach the floor easily, or your bottom if your knees are above the height of your hips.

Many people will find that their sense of the weight of their sitbones is uneven at the beginning of lesson 2, especially if sitbone awareness is new to them. Notice how it changes over the course of the lesson.

You can read more about ideas mentioned in Talk 2 and Lesson 2 in a post I wrote called About Dynamic Sitting, including the planes of movement mentioned in the lesson.

This audio recording is found in Legacy and Alternate Lessons, which features other versions of some of our recordings, available exclusively to our Patrons.

All users can access this workshop’s separate, edited tracks in our Getting Oriented collection.

This recording was made in a workshop I called Move Smarter, Safer, and Stronger with Feldenkrais: Back to Basics.

Members and Patrons. Learn more or login:

Members and Patrons. Learn more or login:

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1 Comments

  1. Gail Fishman on November 21, 2019 at 5:42 pm

    Hi NIck, I enjoyed the first Comfort and Configuration. I liked the intro conversation and found the body scan a little long. Love the length of the practice and how impactful it is and how you invite us to feel what feels good and what feels supportive. None of this seemed in draft form, seems ready to roll! Thank you! Love it when my sacrum can speak to my spine!

    Reply

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