Position: back-lying
60m
Making Peace: Smooth Breath, Skillful Bias, Supple Chest (Patrons)
Back-lying. Recorded in a "Rest and Recharge" themed class, this workshop-style lesson weaves together three related ATM explorations designed to calm and restore your nervous system. Balance your breath, find and enjoy your primary spinal bias, and then unlock more suppleness in your ribs and shoulders by gently moving within unusual constraints.
60m
Freeing the Shoulders by Rolling the Arms (Patrons)
Mostly back-lying, arms in a "letter T" position. Improving the function and mobility of the shoulders by connecting them more skillfully with the chest, spine, and head. Particular attention is given to the neck and to the spine between the shoulder blades.
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.
58m
Improving Rotation, Embracing Our Differences (Patrons)
Back-lying, often using the self-hug configuration, as well as front-lying. Learning to better sense, differentiate, and skillfully integrate turning your head, neck, shoulders, chest, spine, and pelvis.
58m
The Power of Prone: Twisting on Your Belly
Designed to be as accessible as possible, this lesson uses frequent back-lying rests and auxiliary movements to help listeners find more comfort, ease, and learning value while prone. Moving with awareness while lying on your belly can lead to unique benefits for the spine, chest, shoulders, and neck, as well as improvements for posture and breathing.
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.
61m
A Dynamic “Core” Lengthens the Spine (Patrons)
(Advanced lesson. Be sure to read Comfort & Configuration notes) Back-lying, often knees bent. Using a reference image of the five lines of the body, movements of folding the legs create gentle challenges to awareness and self-regulation as you first let the pelvis move freely, then later dynamically stabilize it. While the "core" reckons with the weight of the legs, you'll explore how to maintain simplicity and length in the spine, easy fullness of breathing, and efficiency of effort.
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.
64m
Perfecting the Self-Image (Patrons)
Seated, back-lying, and eventually transitioning between, all while holding one foot in two hands. This lesson clarifies how our attention and sensory motor imagination can be consciously harnessed to improve our self-image, options, and behavior, since – as Feldenkrais writes – "We act in accordance with our self-image."