Source

Ann Harmon’s Say Hi to the Hyoid, which she taught at the 2006 conference at Omega.

  • Angel DiBenedetto taught this ATM as part of her workshop on The Hand at Omega, 2003. It’s recorded and available from On-Site Recordings.

Synopsis

  • This lesson tracks our evolution from quadrupeds to bipeds.

Lesson Outline

  • WALKING ON ALL FOURS TO WALKING UPRIGHT

by Angel Di Benedetto
1. Scan lying on your back and mainly notice how you let go into the floor to find stability.
2. The main purpose of this lesson is for you to find stability in any given configuration, and, as soon as you feel stable, rest.
3. Roll over onto all fours, feet unflexed, and lean on palms. With head up, facing horizon, fingers are pointing in the same direction as your head. Tuck in your tail and flex for a moment
4. Be sure to immediately lean back on your legs if your wrists are getting tired.
5. With head up, facing horizon, go back on all fours and lean on your palms, but fingers of the right hand face right, and fingers of the left hand face left. Find stability. And then push heel of right hand into the ground, away from you, right bound until you sway left, and push heel of left hand away from you left until you sway right bound. Alternate until it feels like you are swaying right and left like an elephant. Pushing into the right heel of the hand and then pushing into the left heel of the hand, alternate.
6. Rest in sitting.
7. Back on all fours and lean on your palms, but this time your fingers face towards the back, so that your fingers are facing your knees. Bring your coccyx out, and extend yourself. Head and eyes are still facing horizon.
8. Rest in sitting.
9. Back on all fours and lean on your palms, this time bring both palms over to your right side, your right hand sits as it was before with fingers facing right, both fingers on each hand are facing right bound. And with this, look over your right shoulder. Notice the both sides of your rib cage, one side opens and expands, the other side squeezes and contracts.
10. Rest in sitting.
11. Back on all fours and lean on your palms. Bring both palms lined up and over to your left side, both fingers on each hand facing left bound. And with this, look over your left shoulder. Once more notice what your rib cage is doing.
12. Roll over and take a good rest on your back.
13. Roll over on all fours and bring the top of your head to stand on floor. (Be sure there is adequate padding under head). Stand both palms on either side of head; so there is a sense of power and balance.
14. With both hands standing, roll the top of your head clockwise, and counter clockwise.
15. Rest by staying on knees, and leaning pelvis backwards so that it rests onto calves, back of your arms also lie on the ground, next to pelvis, palm up.
16. While the left arm and hand (palm up) lie near the pelvis, slide the back of the right hand (still palm up) on the floor towards right shoulder so that you eventually stand securely onto fist on the ground next to head.
17. Slide the back of the left hand on the floor towards left shoulder so that you eventually stand securely onto left fist on the ground next to the left side of the head. With both …fists stabilized, lift the head and look forward. Find stability there.
18. Rest
19. Roll over on all fours and bring the top of your head to stand on floor, but this time also include standing both fists.
20. Right fist collapses and rolls on the back of the right hand, while the left fist is stabilized in standing. Repeat
21. Left fist collapses and rolls on the back of the left hand, while the right fist is stabilized in standing. Repeat. Does the pelvis organize itself to move in coordination with this pattern?
22. Rest on your back.
23. Roll over on all fours and bring the top of your head to stand on floor, with both fists standing stable. Lift head. Look around.
24. Remaining in this configuration, have the right hand change and lean on the palm (heel of the hand). Do you notice how you have to lean into the left fist to organize this movement? Now, bring the right hand to return to standing onto the right fist.
25. Have the left hand change and lean on the palm (heel of the hand). Do you notice how you have to lean into the right fist to organize this movement? Bring the left hand to return to standing onto the left fist, and notice how you stabilize yourself equally.
26. Alternate between both right and left, having one hand lean into fist while other leans into palm.
27. Stay on all fours, head on the ground but rest by leaning on your elbows
28. Stand still for a moment and organize yourself to come up to standing with the fists still on the ground. Can you see how you may incorporate this configuration in your own personal use of self while giving a lesson in Functional Integration?
29. Take a few moments to walk on surfaces that sit higher then the ground itself, i.e., Feldenkrais tables, chairs, walls, etc.
30. Eventually take hands away walk around like a human being. Feel your stability, feel your sense of security as you elongated, and can you detect an instinct to be playful?

Focus of Moshe’s Teaching

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

Related ATMs

  • Add links.

Resources

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

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

 
Disclaimer: This site is for sharing information about Feldenkrais® Awareness Through Movement® lessons. 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.