Gentle lessons for tender muscles and tired brains

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This lesson unwinds all the tension across your back. It has lots of soft rolling, first by tilting the knees, then by rolling the pelvis, then by rolling the chest and upper back, and, finally, everything together.

A classic lesson I give to almost all my students. It trains the pelvis and spine to let go, and you can be half asleep and you’ll still get something out of it. In fact, you might get more out of it as you let go of familiar tension, bringing about dynamic adjustments in gravity whether you want them or not! 

For similar rolling and “letting go” lessons, see:
217 Roll chest, point elbows, lengthen spine
55 Gentle rolling across back with bell hand
125 Rolling head, coordinating hips

A go-to lesson for balancing the front and back. The slower and smaller you go, the freer and longer you’ll feel. I love how it connects the pelvis and head through the gentle turning of the spine.

Version of flexors and extensors lesson.

Other versions:
43 Tilt knees, lengthen arms (same as this one)
76 & 77 Coordinating flexors and extensors
91 Tilt knees, roll chest and head
211 Eyes, neck, arms, triangle (focuses on the eyes and neck)
380 Gentle twisting with flexors and extensors

I love this quote, “The intellect is no substitute for vitality,” meaning we can’t think our way through these movements because we tire when we tell ourselves what to do all the time (the executive function trying to exert conscious control). Experiment with letting this lesson “do you” and try not to tell yourself off. It’s exhausting! This one is similar-ish to the last one, yet with different questions of the chest and arms so your back gets different cues.

(Version of flexors and extensors from Mia Segal/Gaby Yaron 77-78 evening classes, lesson #3)

Other versions:
43 Tilt knees, lengthen arms
76 & 77 Coordinating flexors and extensors
91 Tilt knees, roll chest and head
211 Eyes, neck, arms, triangle (focuses on the eyes and neck)

This lesson rolls up the spine and asks you to be really specific about what you sense. It is a spacious interlude to all that rotating.

This lesson puts your spine on a rolled blanket and you start rolling this way and that, then bending the arms and hips in interesting ways, mimicking a crawling motion. It’s very soothing for the spine and ribs.

Do the whole magic roller series:
230 Release neck on rolled towel
46 Low back on a blanket
59 Release shoulders and mid-back with a rolled blanket

(Ruthy Alon, Mindful Spontaneity, p. 113)

Another quote I like: “Feldenkrais cleans the brain from patterns that are not necessary to what we are doing, but we keep doing them because we do not know they exist.” This lesson highlights unnecessary patterns and offers a possibility to feel long, tall, and graceful!

For another lesson on a flexible spine, see 312 How to roll to the side #2

(AY524)

A flexors and extensors extravaganza! Another version of coordinating front and back. You can’t have too much rotating and rolling. I do these lessons when I feel stuck and the habit I’m in is just sitting there no matter how much I shift my position. However, if I shift my whole pattern of action through my spine for just ten minutes, I feel put back together.

More versions:
43 Tilt knees, lengthen arms
76 & 77 Coordinating flexors and extensors
87 Tilt knees, rotate spine, fold chest
89 Tilt knees, roll chest and head

(Mia Segal/Gaby Yaron 77-78 evening classes, lesson #12)