Walking scan, and then a lesson lying down. How do you transmit force down through your legs, how do you sense the rebound from the Earth? How does this lesson impact your movement after the lesson? For one student who mostly imagined, he began with a tremendous limp from a lumbar injury; at the end of class, no limp. What changed for you?

This is a partial recording of an amalgamation of many lessons and much playing. A lesson in standing, feel free to take time to rest seated, or lying on the ground. 22 minutes only, available. 

Recorded on June 4th, at Wise Orchid Tai Chi in Seattle, this lesson is a beautiful exploration that helps us to reorganize the way we use our hip joints. Being able to access and use the hip joint effectively can decrease lumbar pain simply because for many of us, we use our low backs and other parts of ourselves, instead of using this most important part of ourselves. 

Go slow, go small. The greatest improvements come from the smallest explorations.

An exploration based on the Alexander Yanai Awareness Through Movement Lesson 179. How does your breath impact your movement? How does your movement teach you new possibilities? 

We begin already lying on the floor.

Curious? Review how to do an ATM before you try one!

The scan in the beginning is in standing! Go easy. Do less. Feel more.

Pay attention to how you do what you do, and only do what feels gloriously available, and delicious. This video below is an approximation of the lesson, as a reminder, but not as a determination of what you will do. Sometimes when doing a lesson, you would not even know I am moving. The beginning of the movement is enough. The intention is enough. Then, see how you change!

Be sure to do a scanning process on your back as you begin. 

Play with the idea of not being goal oriented, and being goal oriented. Feel the movements associated with both states of mind. How does being goal oriented change your demeanor? How does it change your facial muscles?

In today's lesson, we will do movements similar to this, in a lesson based on the Alexander Yanai Awareness Through Movement®  lesson. The image can be useful, as we use our eyes to learn, as well as our sensing. But, as with any image, the purpose is to help you discover the possibility for movement within your own system, and that possibility may be smaller, feel different, require a speed that allows for you to deeply sense yourself. 

Only work in ease and curiosity, when you are stuck, use your imagination.

Next week, we continue on with building intelligence in the hip-joint, which affects the knees, and the feet!

Audio to be posted after class this evening. 

3/5 is a combo of "Spine like a Chain" and an introduction to "Rolling Fists". The recording for this didn't work very well. I'm linking here to two lessons that are the components. 
Spine Like a Chain - Liz Sisco 
Introduction to Rolling the Fists - Liz Sisco.
Here's my not great recording, below. 
3/12: We did a further exploring of Rolling the Fists. 
The first 35 minutes, the recording is awesome! After that, not so great. Here are notes to help you remember what we played with during the part when the audio goes cablooey.
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Recorded 2/19/2019
Before the recording began, we looked at the shape of the pelvis, and found our own. Take a moment to bring your hands to the hip bones, and to notice the height, width, and shape of your pelvis, and how it connects to the spine from the saccrum. 

Please prop yourself with a folded yoga mat, bolster, or folded towel. 
Otherwise, you may choose to use a chair, with room for your hand to rest behind you, if that works. Throughout the lesson your needs may change.

At the end of the lesson, if you wonder what I am doing, I am walking on the floor using my sitting bones only. That means lifting one sitting bone, skootching it forward and setting it down, lifting the other, and so on. 

AY stands for Alexander Yanai, the street where Moshe Feldenkrais gave many lessons. We did not do the complete ATM, but if you are interested, I'll gladly share with you another audio copy.

My audio skills will improve, I hope, as we "move" forward.