Difficulty: Most Accessible
58m
Thinking and Breathing (Patrons)
Back-lying and seated, improving awareness and use of the whole breathing apparatus by directing attention to specific anatomy while experimenting with "stepped" breathing and different body configurations. Starts with an essential anatomy lesson that cultivates concepts and imagery used throughout the ATM lesson.
36m
The Power of One Foot (22 or 36 min, Patrons)
A "short version" stopping point is noted in the middle. Back-lying, one knee bent, framed with brief walking explorations. This potently asymmetrical lesson dives deeply into the common ATM lesson ingredient of pushing one foot into the floor. Intended to inspire improvisation after studying, this lesson asks: can you learn how to improve how you’re feeling and functioning even with short or very simple ATM explorations? How about one-sided, or self-led?
60m
Self-Hug, Embracing Our Differences (Patrons)
Back-lying, often knees bent. Learning to gently roll the head, shoulders, and chest from side-to-side while skillfully differentiating other parts of the body, especially the legs and pelvis. Explore how we constantly reconfigure our internal organization in order to keep a part of our body unmoving in relationship to the outside world. NOTE: helpful photos in the Comfort & Configuration tab.
60m
One Bell Hand / Two Bell Hands…and Feet (31m + 29m, Patrons)
Named after the shape the hand makes, this pair of half-hour lessons is designed to be completed together the first time through. Reset your nervous system and learn to relate the activity and skillfulness of your hands with your whole self.
- Lesson 1 - Side-lying, balancing a forearm and lower leg in relationship with bell hand movements.
- Lesson 2 (starts at 31:30) - Back-lying, sensing the relationship of the orientation of head and eyes with the activity of the hands, and relating the hands with the feet.
39m
Holding Your Breath, in Awareness (15 or 39 min, Patrons)
Back-lying and some front-lying. Relaxing the nervous system by exhaling through consonants, then bringing awareness to what actually happens when we hold and release the breath, so we can become freer and more spontaneously adaptive to life's different breathing situations. The first 15 minutes can be a standalone lesson.
45m
Refining the Shoulders and Hips (45 min, Patrons)
Back-lying, sometimes knees bent. Explore small, precise movements of the shoulders and hips, and the fine relationships between them, with an intention toward reducing unnecessary efforts in the torso and improving walking.
60m
Arms Like a Skeleton, with a Bias
Back-lying. This quiet, simple presentation of a classic Feldenkrais lesson becomes the background for a potent exploration: how does seeking and sensing our natural spinal bias – and resting our attention with it or away from it – affect how we move, feel, and function? Recorded near the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown, this lesson starts with a four-minute talk about embodied equanimity, and the particular "rabbit hole" of learning we'll be heading down together.
38m
Lifting and Pressing (38m, Patrons)
Back-lying, some front-lying. Relating to the support surface with simple, potent movements designed to promote whole-self awareness and distributed, lengthening efforts as we physically connect to our world.
26m
Simple Floor Clock (26 min)
Mostly back-lying, knees bent. (Begins briefly in standing, then sitting on the floor.) Using a mental image of a clock face on your mat, learn to better sense and coordinate essential arcing movements of your pelvis, and how they relate to your whole self.
36m
Length Without Effort (36m)
Begins in standing briefly, then mostly back-lying, knees bent. Relating and improving turning and twisting functions from your head down to your feet and back, and becoming more sensitive to the movement and length possibilities between them.