Flowing Body Demonstration Lesson

For safety and best results, read instructions before doing lessons!

A ten-minute introduction to the magic of Feldenkrais.

   1. Without changing anything, expand your attention to become aware of your body. You are probably sitting down in front of your computer. Notice how you are sitting...are you comfortable? How are you holding yourself? Notice what you are doing with your feet...with your back...with your shoulders...with your head and eyes...with your breath...

2. Now stand up and give yourself some room. Stand normally, and again, notice how you feel...feet, back, shoulders, head and eyes...notice your alignment...notice where your toes are pointing...now place your left hand on your right shoulder, and gently turn your head and eyes and body to the right...don't strain. Repeat it several times...and pick a point on the wall to remember how far you turn comfortably...and rest.

3. Again, left hand on the right shoulder...now do the same movement, except this time leave your eyes looking forward...your head and shoulders turn right (but probably not so far as before), while your eyes keep looking forward. Repeat that slowly and gently five or ten times, exhaling as you turn right...and rest.

4. Repeat the original movement, turning right with left hand on right shoulder...can you turn farther with the same effort, or the same distance with less effort?...and let it go and rest for a moment.

5. Now again turn your body to the right, but this time keep both your head and your eyes looking forward while your body turns right...repeat five or ten times. Then again repeat the original movement...and notice the improvement. Rest.

6. Again, place left hand on right shoulder, and turn head, eyes, and body to the right as far as is easy and comfortable, and stay there...from that position, slowly turn your head and eyes right and left a number of times...and again repeat the original movement, and notice any additional improvement...and rest.

7. Again, hand on shoulder, turn head, shoulders, and body to the right and stay there...from that position slowly swing just your eyes right and left...swing them slowly along the horizon a few times, letting your vision float past objects...and then maybe lift the eyes a little above the horizon at the ends of each swing, and down a little in the middle...and again repeat the original movement, noticing improvements... and rest.

8. Now, repeat the original movement several times, and this time let your weight roll onto the inside edge of the left foot and the outside edge of the right foot each time you turn...maybe even let your left heel come off the floor as you turn to the right, coming back onto both feet as you return to center...repeat that a number of times, slowly....this may allow you to turn quite far...and then leave both feet on the floor, but letting the weight roll to the edges of the feet a bit, repeat the original movement...you will find you can turn nearly as far now without lifting the foot...and rest.

9. Now do the original movement a number of times with your eyes closed the whole time...after you have done it several times, stop at the extreme point and open your eyes...did you turn even further?...and now do it with eyes open a few times...find a way to let go of something so you can go as far with eyes open as closed....and rest.

10. Now just stand normally and turn to look behind you to the right...for most people there is significant improvement from the beginning movements. And try the movement to the left...it has probably already learned something from the other side, but it might still like you to go through the movements again on that side...you can do the same movements in the oppostite direction, turning to the left, with the right hand on the left shoulder, if you like.

You can see for yourself how these lessons work...each movement adds something to your experience that your mind and body spontaneously integrate into the next movement. Not only are you able to turn more easily now, but perhaps more important, if you check in with yourself, you will find a general sense of improved well-being, ease, and comfort that comes from the release of extraneous tensions. Each lesson on Flowing Body tapes and in the Lesson of the Month archive is a resource for improving your flexibility, confidence, and effectiveness.