Source

• Alexander Yanai Volume 4
• Reel 12, Track 3, Lesson 2

Synopsis

• The lesson has two apparent parts. The first part uses the process of raising one hip and bringing the opposite ear towards it (hence rounding in certain parts of the back, and folding in the chest). The second part uses a process of lengthening the spine from the pelvis thru the head, helping with the hands holding and pulling the hair.
• In a way, the first part explores bending and twisting the spine, and the second part, lengthening, and both relate to the experience of force/weight travelling from the feet to, and through, the spine and head (or the reverse).
• In teaching the lesson, practitioners report the importance of reinforcing the importance of doing the pulling with least effort. We all have a tendency to pull overmuch. Some people find they get immediate feedback of pain in the scalp, so they may pull less. Some practitioners report stating the reactive process in the neck and spine to pulling: an immediate shortening and bracing of the head/neck. By becoming more conscious of this bracing, it is important to go so gentle and slowly so as not to invoke this.

Lesson Outline

• (Highly condensed outline of key movements – to be done later)

Student Experiences

• Some with spinal challenges (esp in cervical and thoracic) find this lesson clarifies movement possibilities in a unique way
• Standing is much more clear
• Shoulders, shoulder blades much clearer.
• Integration of movement through two sides resulting in more central balance.

Questions

• Step 8: Moshe asks, “… on which side does [the body] try to roll? This means the body is making an additional movement, which you do not want…” in self-study, what would this be?
• Step 9, pulling the hair more on one side, then the other… why?
  • We are often uneven in habitual tonus on each side. This allows us (our system) to become a little more aware or (or sense) the uneven tonus so that when the even pulling (and pushing from the feet) is done, it is more even.

Cautions

• Due to the unusual rotations in the neck, significant caution is suggested – attending to small movements

Focus of Moshe’s Teaching

Indicate focus or key principles that are made explicit in the teaching

• Bending and direction of force:
  • Through the head being turned and raising, bringing ear to the rising hip, different heights of the head are correlated with a bend in a certain pair of vertebrae. Raising the hip implies a push, a direction of force upward (even though the direction was a movement of turning), and thus the system has the possibility of feeling force through that place of the bend,

Related ATMs

• The series following (esp 175 thru 180) helps to clarify some aspects of spinal movement. It is interesting to come back to this lesson.
• Tag Pulling-hair
• Tag Diagonals
• Tag Abdominal-muscles
• Tag Lengthening the back
• Tag Skewering-spine

Lengthening cervical spine:

• AY089 Lengthening the arms
• AY090 Lengthening the arms; sitting cross-legged
• AY093 Softening the hip joints to side sitting and bringing the knee to one shoulder and the other shoulder
• AY172 Stopping the Breath
• AY178 Lengthening the arms

Resources

Share Your Insights (ideas, principles, strategies, experiences, …)

• Done carefully, it is a good spine lengthening lesson for those with disc degeneration.
• Please sign your comments.
• Differing viewpoints are welcome and desired!

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