Source

• SF Evening Class Notes (1976) (Ehrman, ed; 2005)
• Lesson #2, June 21, 1976

Synopsis

This extensor lesson, mostly with legs long and face turned one side or the other, cheek on back of hand, includes sliding the head/supporting arm from side to side in the air; lifting opposite and same-side leg with knee bent and foot to ceiling as you lift the head; pushing low belly into ground; variations with hands standing (turning head from cheek to cheek; turning to look over each shoulder); and placing backs of hands on low back, sliding down to lift shoulders and lift head. There are interludes of flexion (self-guided: knees to elbows in all the combinations) to balance.

Lesson Outline

• Reference movement: face down, legs long, forehead on hands: look up towards ceiling: how far?
• Face down, look R with L cheek on back of R hand (and L hand underneath, also palm down). Lift head using R hand; then R hand and elbow.
• Lift and slide together L & R.
• Reference movement. Reference movement and stay: take eyes (closed) to look further up to ceiling. Repeat reference.
• Same position as above, but bend L leg and align L foot to neutral. Lift L knee: elbow lighter? Lift knee and head/arm. Then head/arm alone. Other side (i.e. R leg).
• Reference, with eye variation again.
• Rest face up and do some flexor movements.
• Second side, lift head and arm and slide L & R. Switch hands, and continue to take head L & R. Switch both head and hands (so you’re doing the one remaining variation that you haven’t used to take the head L & R), and slide/translate.
• Then, while lifting, press the abdomen between the belly button and pubic bone to the ground. Turn head and do the same.
• Reference.
• Lift head with both hands–legs react?
• Reference, and then rest face up and do flexor variations (lift legs, and head with interlaced hands and do variations of elbows to knees).
• Now face down with hands and elbows as for push-up: turn head from side to side (then reference); bend knees so feet are to ceiling and look over one shoulder and the other towards the heel on that side (then alternate).
• Reference, with and without lifting the legs at the same time.
• Face down, back of hands in small of back–slide hands up and down, and then, as you slide your hands down towards and over your buttocks, lift head and look up (shoulders lifting head).
• Reference; then lift head with both hands–legs engage now?
• Walk around: heavier than normal? Go back to the floor and do the flexors.

Focus of Moshe’s Teaching

He comments and demonstrates at the end that if you only do the extensors and don’t do the balancing flexor movements, you will end up walking very heavily and straining your back in walking.

Related ATMs

• Bending more easily may be the same lesson.

Theme Extensor Lesson

• 25 Lessons from Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation – Lesson 5
• Amherst 1 – Week 1 – 06/11/80 PM1 – Extensor lesson (part 1)
• Amherst 1 – Week 1 – 06/11/80 PM2 – Extensor lesson (part 2)
• Amherst 1 – Week 4 – 07/03/80 Diagonal pressing
• Amherst 2 – Week 4 – 06/30/81 PM Preparation for Headstand: Turn the Head
• Amherst 2 – Week 4 – 07/01/81 AM1 Prone Worm Movements / Worm on Stomach (includes On the Back to Release Extensors; The Bow, Imagining Knee to Elbow, Worm on Back, Rock on Head, and Hands Under Knees)
• Amherst 2 – Week 5 – 07/06/81 PM2 Arching Back to Bridge / Bridge on Head, Holding Ankles and Sitting Bridge
• Amherst 2 – Week 5 – 07/07/81 Bridging on Back and Walking on Shoulders
• Amherst 2 – Week 5 – 07/08/81 AM1 Bridging on back and walking on shoulders (cont.)
• Amherst 2 – Week 5 – 07/08/81 AM2 Bridging on back and walking on shoulders (cont.)
• Amherst 2 – Week 5 – 07/09/81 Preparation for Headstand / Semi-bridge on back, hold ankles
• Amherst 2 – Week 6 – 07/15/81 AM2 Bridging on Right Side / Side Wave (Under Gate) (Continuation)
• Amherst 2 – Week 6 – 07/16/81 PM2 Walking on your stomach (includes hopping on buttocks)
• Amherst 2 – Week 7 – 07/23/81 AM2 Prone-Raising and Moving Pelvis and Heels / Pelvis Orbits Around Foot (Included—Prone-Rocking the Body on the Stomach / Arc on Stomach)
• Amherst 2 – Week 9 – 08/03/81 PM1 Weight Shifting to Dancing
• ATMEC05 Did You Ever Stand Better
• AY002 Seeing the heels
• AY007 Seeing the heels while lying on the stomach
• AY031 Lifting in thought, on the stomach
• AY042 Lifting the head and knee
• AY057 Lifting the head on all fours
• AY058 Transferring support while on the stomach
• AY069 On the stomach; twisting while lifting elbows
• AY076 Slow lifting; on the stomach
• AY087 Lifting the head and legs while twisting
• AY099 Lifting the elbows with a loose hand
• AY105 On the stomach; basic lifting of body parts
• AY106 The knee bent on the abdomen
• AY123 On the knees; diagonal see-saw
• AY134 Rolling in a bridge with the hands on the ankles
• AY137 Twisting the back and pelvis with the elbows and legs
• AY139 Touching the floor with the hands, #1
• AY184 Lying on the feet 2
• AY216 Lifting the hands at the head in a “V”
• AY222 On the abdomen, a hand lifting the head
• AY227 Swinging bent legs to strengthen K ferm or Lengthening the erecting muscles (The extensors)
• AY246 General coordination
• AY279 Lifting up on the hands
• AY301 Twisting the back, lifting the head, shoulders, and limbs
• AY305 The line of effort in the back in lifting
• AY326 Sitting – Lying
• AY353 Wiggle the knees
• AY368 Lifting the head by extending the arms
• AY370 Lifting the head
• AY379 Lengthening on the stomach and back
• AY397 Lifting up on the hands
• AY398 Continuation
• AY437 Touching the heels in standing
• AY445 Back and neck
• AY449 Bending in standing
• AY473 On the stomach training the back
• AY525 Lifting head and eyes
• AY542.2 Baby rolls (not in IFF edition)
• AY549 On stomach lifting pubic bone
• Berkeley 1973 – 3. Extension 6/19 AM
• E02 – Lifting Head, Legs, Arms (Stransky Notes)
• E24 – On stomach, bumping knees (Stransky Notes)
• Jack Heggie – Running with the Whole Body – Chapter 3: Connections in the Back
• LT27 Extensor variation
• LT28 Advanced extensor
• LT30 Heels to head
• MG77 #02 – Lifting head on back and stomach – basic flexion and extension
• MG77 #05 – Prone, lifting the head and arm in various combinations with one knee up to the side
• MG78 #07 – Lifting head with arm on belly with various positions of the legs
• Rotterdam 1976 – Tape 2 – #2 – Extensor Lesson
• Rotterdam 1976 – Tape 3 – Extensor Lesson Continues
• Rotterdam 1976 – Tape 4 – Extensor Lesson Continues
• SF1 – Week 1 – 17 June 1975 – Extensors
• SF1 – Week 8 – 5 August 1975: Lifting the Head Lying on the Stomach
• SF2 – Week 07 – 28 July 1976: Working the Extensors
• SF2 – Week 07 – 29 July 1976: Working the Extensors, continued
• SF2 – Week 08 – 2 August 1976, pm: Lying Twisted, Lifting the Head and Working the Extensors
• SF3 – Day 19 – 14 July 1977: Prone, tilting legs in and out, holding ankles. Extensors.
• SFEC Notes – 09. Tilting legs on stomach
• SFEC Notes – 20. Using knees like drumsticks (Aug 9)
• SFEC Notes – 21. Rolling from stomach (Aug 12)
• SFEC Public Workshop – Vol. 1 – 3. Bending more easily
• SFEC Public Workshop – Vol. 3 – 03. A longer spine
• SFEC Public Workshop – Vol. 3 – 06. Advanced bending
• SFEC Public Workshop – Vol. 3 – 09. Advanced rolling to sit
• Toronto 1980 – DAY5-4 – Prone, head through the gate, rolling to sit
• Vancouver – Hotel Vancouver – 6. Prone, rolling head between hands, rolling the pelvis, lifting the head tilting the legs joined
• Vancouver – UBC – 13 Aug 73 – Prone, Extension, looking forward/up and right/left

Resources

• Here’s a recording based on this transcript: http://kinesophics.ca/diyatm/atmrecordings/extensors

Share Your Insights

• Add your thoughts about the lesson here.
• Please sign your comments
• Differing viewpoints are welcome and desired!

Key Ideas, Principles, and Strategies

• With this extensor lesson, the interpersing of flexors movements is explained for the relief it gives to overwork of the extensors and the result that subsequent rests lying face up will (atypically) result in the arch behind the back being larger, not smaller. There is a sense of developing the awareness and responsibility of the student to recognize and counteract this.

Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. Nothing on Feldy Notebook should be construed as an attempt to offer medical advice or treatment.
All contributions to this website are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 License. Do not add any copyrighted information to this website. Feldy Notebook is sponsored by Kinetic Inquiry.