AY543 Continuation Movements of the head in hand

Source

• Alexander Yanai Vol 11 (501-550)
• Reel 35, Track 4, Lesson 3
• Duration of the recording: 35 minutes

Title

• “Continuation – Movements of the head in the Hand”.   The title “Continuation” is misleading as it does not seem to “continue” from any of the immediate previous lessons.  AY543 is from Reel 35, Tape 4, lesson 3 with no sign of what could be expected to precede it, as in Reel 35, Tape 4, Lessons 1 and 2.  The 3 previous AY lessons, AY540, 541 and 542 are respectively labelled Reel 35, Tape 3, lessons 1, 2 and 3 and seem unrelated to AY543.  Maybe the transcribers labelled it “continuation” expecting the previous 2 lessons on Reel 35 to show up at some stage to be inserted into the chronology of the AY resource.

Synopsis

• The lesson is done sitting Eastern style which I take as the more open version of Yogic sitting, with the knees bent to each side with the outer edges of both feet on the ground.  Mostly you lean on one hand behind or one elbow/forearm to the side, placing the free hand on top of the head, making circular movements of the head.  At first he says “turn the head in small circles” then soon in 2b he clarifies to keep the nose to the front, make a circle with the crown of the head and to not “turn the face L and R.  Through these 2 instructions I believe the intended movement involves the middle axis of the head to tilt in every direction involving the whole spine rather than translating the head in a circle and using predominantly neck movement.  Noticing where the circle is not good and adjusting to include more of yourself in the movement is the crux of the lesson.  Wherever and whenever the head does not make a true circle, a person can look for what else is out of their image at that time, what area is stiff and unyielding to prevent the head making the circular trajectory.  The whole chest, shoulders, clavicle, chest and ribs, spine, abdomen and legs can be brought to attention to find improved quality of the head circles.  The lesson begins simpler with leaning on one hand to the side, then progresses to leaning on the elbow and forearm to the side.   While the positional and movement instructions seem repetitive it is in the directed spreading of attention that people find where and how they self-limit their movements and capacity to do this movement.  It is these less flexible parts that would be limiting many actions for that person.

Lesson Outline Basic

The numbers match the AY numbering

1. Sit on the floor in Eastern sitting, the Left leg in front, and the Right leg closer to the body. Lean with the R hand behind. Place L hand on top of the head and make circles with the crown of the head.  (The instructions say “turn the head” but he makes it clearer in 2b that he does not mean the head to turn.)
   1. Change the direction. Slowly make small smooth circles.
   2. Change over the arms and the legs. Make small easy circles and not something else.
   3. Change the direction.

1. Lie on the back and rest a moment.

2. Sit as we before, L leg in front of the R. Lean on the R elbow and forearm. With L hand on the head do very small circles.  Pay attention to where the head has difficulty making the circle.
   1. Change the direction. Breathe freely.
   2. Pay attention that the nose faces the front the entire time. Do not turn the face left and right, make only a circle with the crown of the head.
   3. Change over the arms and legs and make head circles. Leave it a moment and stay sitting as you are.
   4. Lean on the L hand behind.With R hand on head make circular movements of the head.
   5. Change direction.

3. Place both interlaced hands on the head. Try to make and exact circle with the crown of the head.
   1. Change direction.

1. Lie on the back and rest a moment.

4. Sit Eastern style, R leg in front of L. Bend to R side, lean on R elbow exactly to the right. L hand on the head.   Use hand to help do a small circle of the head. Do it slowly, the nose forward, without turning the face.
   1. Change direction. Sit a moment to pause and rest.
   2. Change over the arms and legs. Make head circles with the R hand on the head.

1. Lie on the back and rest a moment.

5. Sit, R leg in front of L. Lean on L elbow.  R hand on head making circles of the head.
   1. Change direction.
   2. Change the legs. L leg in front of R.  Lean on R hand behind, L hand on head. Do a number of movements.

6. Stand on both knees. Extend the feet and toes.  R hand on head and do the same small circle.
   1. Lean, (place) L hand on L hip. Continue the movement of before.
   2. Swap – Place R hand on R hip. Continue to make circle with the head.

7. Sit, R leg in front of L. Lean on L hand behind.  R hand on head and make a circle.
   1. Change direction of movement.

8. Stand on the L knee with the R foot forward. L hand on head, R hand can be on R knee. Make small, easy, circles of the head.
   1. Change direction of movement.
   2. Swap – change over the legs and arms and again make head circles.
   3. Immobilise the entire body, spine, pelvis, legs – attempt a quality head circle.
   4. Place interlaced hands on head and make head circle without immobilising the body.
   5. Immobilize the body and make head circles.
   6. Put both hands on hips. Try to make the head move in a circle.  Stand on both knees.  R hand on head, L arm hangs, make a circle.
   7. Change the direction.
9. Stand on both knees. R hand on head, L arm hangs, make a circle.
   1. Change the direction.
10. Sit with R leg in front of L. Lean on L hand behind.  R hand on head, make a small circle.
    1. Change over the legs and hands.
11. Slowly, slowly, come up to stand. Walk a bit.

Lesson Outline Extended

Parts in italics provide more information beyond the basic steps above and could be more helpful as a teaching guide.  The numbers match the AY numbering.

1. Sit on the floor in Eastern sitting, the left leg in front, the right leg closer to the body. Lean with the R hand behind. Place L hand on top of the head and make circles with the crown of the head.  (The instructions say “turn the head” but he makes it clearer in 2b that he does not mean the head to turn.) The elbow also makes a small circle.  Where the circle is not smooth is where the spine does not participate.  Make the circle smaller until you find a satisfying movement which is smooth.
   1. Change the direction. Slowly make small smooth circles.
   2. Change over the arms and the legs. Make small easy circles and not something else. As if the hand directs the head and the elbow makes a small circle.
   3. Change the direction. The entire point is to pay attention to the body where the movement of the head is smooth and comfortable and the other places where it is not.

1. Lie on the back and rest a moment.

2. Sit as we began, L leg in front of the R. Lean on the R elbow and forearm. With left hand on the head do very small circles and pay attention to where the head has difficulty making the circle. Some people are accustomed to moving their head with difficulty their entire life and not distinguishing it.  Where the head moves well the chest, back and pelvis are all helping.  Where it is difficult there isn’t any movement in the spine, shoulder blades, clavicles.  You create the difficulty from habit, from absence of attention.
   1. Change the direction. Breathe freely.  Do not interfere with the breathing.
   2. Pay attention that the nose faces the front the entire time. Where it is difficult to make the circle movement, here people turn the head and do not know, and this is the whole trouble. When they turn the head instead of finding how to make a circle with the crown of the head here, the spine and neck vertebrae remain as they are for one’s entire life. Do not turn the face left and right, keep the nose in front and make only a circle with the crown of the head.
   3. Change over the arms and legs. R leg in front, lean on L elbow and forearm, R hand on top of head. Move the head in a small circle with the nose forward and do not turn the face. If the person does not pay attention or move according to these directions … there is nothing that will help him.  If you make a small circle with the head the intellect will be aroused.  If you do not it will not help.
   4. Change the L arm to again lean on the L hand behind, and not on the elbow. With R hand on head make circular movements of the head. Has the movement improved?  This is because there are parts in the back that move more easily than before.
   5. Change direction.

1. Lie on the back and rest a moment.

3. Place both interlaced hands on the head. Try to make and exact circle with the crown of the head.
   1. Change direction.

1. Lie on the back and rest a moment.

4. Sit Eastern style, R leg in front of L. Bend to R side, lean on R elbow exactly to the right. L hand on the head to help do a small circle of the head. Do it slowly, the nose forward, without turning the face. Improve the circles where it does not go smoothly.
   1. Change direction. Everyone pays attention to make your movement as smooth as you can.  When you pay attention and find a difficult place you can feel that to make the movement rounder you must do something with the chest or pelvis or legs and from this comes the learning and then you can imagine it differently.  If the breathing becomes difficult you should stop because that is not helping. Sit a moment to pause.
   2. Change over the arms and legs. L leg in front of R, R hand on head. Lean exactly to the left, on the left elbow and forearm, the L elbow exactly in line with the L and R hips. Make head circles with the R hand on the head. Notice how the R leg and hip disturbs the head movement.

1. Lie and rest on the back.

5. Sit, R leg in front of L. Lean on L elbow.  R hand on head making circles of the head.  (In 5b he says “before we did the opposite”, but 5 is leaning on the elbow and 5b is leaning on the hand.  You could choose to make 5b the same as 5 or vice versa.)  Since he asks “Pay attention to whether it is possible to distinguish a change for the good or bad” I think he meant to have people leaning on the hand to compare to the initial movements of the ATM.
   1. Change direction.
   2. Change the legs. L leg in front of R.  R arm behind (assume leaning on R hand not elbow), L hand on head. Do a number of movements. This is to observe the difference as before we did the opposite.

6. Stand on both knees. Spread comfortably. Extend the feet, the toes. R hand on head and do the same small circle. “Make the smallest circle that is really smooth….what do you feel in the hip joints”.  Can you distinguish that something you do in your hip joints is related to the places the head circle does not move in a smooth way.
   1. Lean, place L hand on L hip. Continue the movement of before. Which side has the circle become smaller from this small thing?
   2. Swap – Place R hand on R hip. Continue to make circle with the head. Can you distinguish that the effect of the hand on this hip is different than the other one.  Notice movement of head, neck, chest, clavicles, and spine?  Where is your head when you hold your breath a bit?

7. Sit, R leg in front of L. Lean on L hand behind.  R hand on head and make a circle. What has been the effect of the movements on the knees?  Does the head move better or worse?
   1. Change direction of movement.

8. Stand on the L knee and have the R foot forward (standing). L hand on head.   You can put R hand on R knee. Small circles of the head, easy movements. Notice the knees are not able to remain at rest .. “which means the pelvis and the whole spine participate in .. the movement of the head.”  Is the movement equally good both sides?  This is impossible.
   1. Change direction of movement. The knees, pelvis and spine must move for the movement to be harmonious and well organised.  “It also can be completely not okay.”
   2. Change over everything – stand on R knee, L foot forward, R hand on head, make head circles. Find where you must move the pelvis and spine a bit.
   3. Immobilise the entire body, spine, pelvis, legs – attempt a quality head circle. Notice the movement becomes zero.
   4. Place interlaced hands on head and make head circle. What do you observe?  If the whole body does not participate there is almost no movement in the head.  Try to help by allowing the body to move.
   5. Immobilise the body and repeat “d” above.Now the smooth circle is very small.  Before when people did large movements but not smoothly, their spine only worked at special situations.  Years can pass without the spine being okay and it can be impossible to address this except by way of very gentle movements.
   6. Put both hands on hips. Try to make the head move in a circle as before. Can you notice that the moment you place something that disturbs a part of the body from moving freely (ie putting hands on your hips which restricts the shoulder freedom) you can feel the quality movement in the head has become smaller.

9. Stand on both knees. R hand on head, L arm hangs, make a circle. Can you notice the involved movement in pelvis, thighs, and the changes in pressure of the knees on the floor?
   1. Change the direction.

10. Sit with R leg in front of L. Lean on L hand behind.  R hand on head, make a small circle. (This is essentially returning to the very first movement of the ATM.) “Pay attention to how different it is from the beginning … the movement and the sensation in the entire body.”  Most of you can distinguish the improvement and how and before most of you sat and did not know whether their movement was good or bad.
    1. Change over the legs and hands. Distinguish the fine easy movements in the entire body.  Can you see that you do not hold the knees and hips like before.

11. Slowly, slowly, come up to stand. Feel the sensation in your standing. “Observe the importance of what we did.” Walk a bit.  “Observe how it is.”

Focus of the teaching

The focus is on first on a person honing their ability distinguish where they move their head smoothly in a circle. Then the attention is spread to the many parts of the whole body to learn how a restriction in any part of the body affects the ability of the head to move freely.  By attending to the breath, the spine, pelvis, hips, knees and indirectly the feet, a person can find the places they hold and interfere with the movement of the head.  Later when Moshe teaches in Amherst his early lessons and talks are about the importance of the head to move freely on the spine to allow the teleceptors to orient to their environment – being the eyes, ears and even nostrils.  It is through these teleceptors that the human organism can better survive so the freedom of the head is vital.

Related ATMs

There are many AY ATMs that involve moving the head in relation to the pelvis by including the chest, shoulders and spine in the movements.  AY85 and AY86 follow each other, the first exploring just the Left and Right movement of the head, the next just the forward and backward movement of the head.  If AY 543 were to follow anything, it could follow AY85 and AY86 to combine the cardinal directions explored in those two lessons.

• AY30 has head circles with Sidelying.
• AY1 / AY226 (they are identical) has head moving Left and Right with side sitting.
• AY85 has head moving Left and Right with Indian/cross legged sitting.
• AY50 has head forward and backwards sitting in Indian/cross-legged fashion.
• AY86 has head forward and backwards sitting in Indian/cross-legged fashion.

Circles with the top of the head:

• AY098 Zen sitting
• AY288 Lengthening the back in refined movements, in sitting
• AY539 Fresh Standing

Circling head with hand:

• Amherst 1 – Week 7 – 07/21/80 AM2 Tonic effect of head rotating with one hand
• Amherst 1 – Week 8 – 08/01/80 AM2 Rolling to sit up
• SF2 – Week 10 – 18 August 1976: Standing, Making Circles with the Head
• SF2 – Week 10 – 19 August 1976: Rocking on the Top of the Head

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