Source
- Advanced Training Jeremy Krauss Fall 2011
- Notes by students in attendance (Lynette Reid, with the collaboration of Ann Devine-King and Debra Wanner, and Marian Jarina).
- Posted with permission of Jeremy Krauss; all errors in transcription and interpretation belong, however, to the note-takers!
Synopsis
In this side-lying lesson, you work with rolling backwards to take the weight off the bottom shoulder, and try different options for turning the head.
Lesson Outline
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- Throughout the lesson, proceed symmetrically: first the variation on one side, then repeated on the second side. For this ATM, each numbered instruction is repeated on the second side before moving on to the next.
- In both sitting, somewhat symmetrically, and lying face up, turn head to distinguish rolling while not rubbing head on the floor, from rolling while rubbing head on the floor (aka turning around the axis).
- Lie on R side, R arm extended in front, L arm resting on/across chest, hand on elbow or upper R arm. Roll shoulder backwards until weight comes off bottom shoulder.
- On second side: let hip go too, knee lift (though still hanging to the side) and foot come to the floor. This is not about twisting, but rolling. Feel ribs on L against floor: do these let the hip roll back?
- Leave the top arm draped throughout, feeling its weight.
- Attend to lengthening/shortening of sides throughout. Is the lengthening more in the shoulder, or more in the pelvis?
- Same action as 2, emphasizing the lengthening of one side and shortening of the other: as the weight comes off the bottom shoulder and knee comes up, stay in that position, and take the back of the head to the right and face to the left. How does being off the bottom shoulder let you do this with the head? How does the top arm hanging across do this? Many do not have much differentiation in the upper thoracic area for this.
- Same action as 2, but slide head backwards instead of turning it, so that your face stays oriented in the same direction: to the wall in front of you. Then stay back with weight off bottom shoulder, and take the back of the head R and the face L. How does this relate to the R side becoming short, the L side lengthening? Lengthening from the pelvis?
- Same as 4, but turn your head as you come off your shoulder: how would you turn your head? As in sitting or lying? Stay with face towards ceiling, and slide the back of your head (with face to ceiling) L and R. If the upper thoracic is differentiated, this sliding of your head will engage down to your pelvis.
- Lying face up, knees bent & feet standing: reach across chest with each arm in turn. As you do this, do you roll your head as you do in lying or turn it, taking the back of the head back?
Focus of Teaching
We are working with a developmental theme, but working with it in the sense of clarifying it for adults, not in the sense of approaching it through the stages that infants actually go through.
- The position as having the weight off the lower shoulder; the weight of the arm draped over the chest (not hanging behind).
- Infants have a great deal of control of their heads long before they develop the ability to lift the head.
Related ATMs
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Resources
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