Awareness Through Movement® Lessons

Before beginning please read: How to do Awareness Through Movement Lessons

These lessons are not exercises they are movement practices.  How you do them, how you bring awareness to your experience, will determine what you get from them. If you have any health problems please consult with your health care practitioner before doing any of these lessons.  Though they are very gentle, some lessons may not be beneficial for you.

QUICK LESSONS

Free lessons you can do most anywhere in 10 minutes or less

Releasing Tension in Your Neck, Upper Back, and Shoulders  This lesson is to help release the tension in your upper back, neck, and shoulders.  If you do the movements slowly, without pushing or straining, you will feel better after doing them. You will also be learning to move with better integration so over time, you’ll have less tension.

Sitting Comfortably  Many of us find ourselves becoming uncomfortable when we sit for long periods of time. This is often caused by not sitting in such a way that you have the support of your pelvis and spine.  If you do the movements slowly, without pushing or straining, you will find yourself sitting more easily, with greater comfort.

Full-Length Lessons - $10 Each

ORGANIZING YOUR BACK, NECK, LEGS & PELVIS FOR
GREATER FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 

Flexion of the Trunk (A1)
Flexion is one of the primary movements of the trunk and is key to good posture, walking, running, and balance. This lesson helps to reorganize how you flex your trunk which will integrate your head to your pelvis. It is also very good for releasing tight back muscles. As always, if you have any particular back problems, consult with a health care practitioner before doing this lesson!

Simple Flexion (A1b)
This simple lesson of integrating the movements of flexing the trunk and spine can have profound effects on your sense of balance and your experience of being supported by the ground.

Tilting Bent Legs with Triangle Arms (A2)
Twisting, flexing, and extending your spine can result in unwinding tension in your ribs and the muscles of your trunk.  Your ribs and shoulders will feel relaxed and supple after this lesson and your gait will be better organized.

Tilting Crossed Bent Legs with Triangle Arms (A3)
This is a surprising lesson that alternates movement of the lower abdomen and the chest to release your diaphragm, ribs, and spine. As the lesson progresses, you will add differentiation of the movement of your eyes, head, and pelvis which will further release your chest and spine. This is a complex lesson, and it would be optimal if you first did E1, I2, and I3 before you do this lesson. You will feel a delightful change if you do this lesson gently!

Carriage of the Head (A4)
This lesson brings a new sense of how your head can rest comfortably on your spine and brings greater ease to the movements of your neck and upper back. This lesson is taught while lying on your stomach.

Head to Knee with Pushup Arms (A5)
Many of us tend to have shoulders that round forward with our head forward of our spine. This uncomfortable posture comes from many of the things we do, such as spend time in front of computers. This lesson will help to free up the movement of your shoulder blades and upper back, while teaching extension of your spine. The result is your head will naturally return to an aligned and comfortable place. This lesson is mostly taught while lying on your stomach.

Returning Movement to the Base of the Neck (A6)
This lesson brings awareness to the area where upper back and spine meet the base of the neck. It can help in finding balance while standing and walking and help connect the movement of your arms to the movement of the spine.

Connecting Through the Diagonals (A7)
This lesson will leave you feeling connected through your trunk into your arms and legs bringing greater ease and freedom to walking, reaching, running and doing everyday activities.Many have reported it helps with problems related to an unstable sacrum (the very first words of the lesson are a bit unclear - they ask you to take a walk and notice your experience of walking).

Preparing to Crawl (A8)
Being able to crawl skillfully is essential for being able to stand, walk, and run. Really, it is essential for doing any complex movement skillfully! This lesson helps you to organize your pelvis, shoulders and spine so that you can move fluidly and easily.

On Back, Twisting and Moving Your Sternum (A9)
This lesson can help free the movement of your chest, ribs, head, neck and pelvis, effecting how you breathe, stand, walk, and do most of the activities of life.  Many people report they find a new freedom and ease in their chest and ribs after doing the lesson.

Simple Side Bending (A10)
Side bending is a fundamental movement of your spine, which provides a foundation for most of your basic movements and postures. Many of us gradually restrict and lose the ability to side bend our spine, which over time can result in damage to hands, wrists, shoulders, knees, hips, feet and ankles.

Extend, Rotate, Look at Hand Reaching Overhead (A11)
This lesson focuses upon a primary developmental pattern that we rely upon for ease of motion, a lower body push supporting an upper body reach. The lesson helps restore movement through your back, ribs, and neck and integrate them for greater freedom of movement.

On Stomach, Lifting Head, Leg, and Arms (A13)
This lesson is done on your stomach and is relatively difficult. It can help you to release muscle tension and integrate movement in your back, spine and neck, unbinding your ribs for better breathing.

On Stomach, Tilting Bent Legs with Pushup Arms (A14)
This lesson can profoundly change how you carry your head over your spine and help to correct 'computer & mobile phone posture’, (back rounded, chest retreated, head forward of spine). As always, proceed gently with awareness. The lesson is 32' long.

Extension on Stomach, Translating Head (A15)
Many of us find ourselves slumping most of the time, but don't really know how to change. Very few people know how to sit up comfortably. This lesson helps you learn to more easily extend your spine and sit and stand vertically with greater ease. It is also a great way to comfortably extend further into sphinx or cobra for those who practice yoga.

Sitting, Turning Eyes, Head and Shoulders (A16)
This lesson can help free the movement of your neck, upper back, and ribs and is wonderfully relaxing for your eyes. The lesson is done side sitting on the floor leaning on one hand with one knee bent to the front and the other to the side and back - if this will be uncomfortable or you have any problems with your low back, then sit on the edge of a chair.

Circling the Top of Your Head (A19)
Many of us lose track of where our head is in relation to our trunk, pelvis, legs and arms. This can cause poor balance and an inability to move well. Carefully done, this lesson can re-integrate your head with the rest of your body, leading to better posture, movement, and balance.

Rolling Side to Side (A20)
When moving well, our whole body participates in any movement we do. Many people learn from the experiences of their lives to stop moving their ribs, which can cause excessive stress in the neck and lower back, as well has hips, knees, ankles and feet. This simple lesson can help you begin to be aware of the integration of hips, trunk, shoulders and head, by moving in an undifferentiated way. It is a deceptively simple lesson that can lead to a new sense of gracefulness in how you sit, stand and move.

Roll and Reach (A21)
This lesson leads to increased freedom of the movement of your ribs, chest, back and shoulders which will positively effect your posture and the integration of your whole body in walking, running, and anything you do that involves the integration of your whole body.

Side Rolling with Differentiation (A22)
This lesson helps you learn to differentiate the parts of yourself involved in rotating, twisting and reaching which will lead to better integration and coordination. This will help to improve posture, gait, and the actions you do throughout your day. You will need a pillow or folded blanket to place under your head as you lie on your side for this lesson.

FREEING YOUR JAW, MOUTH & NECK

Tongue, Palate and Eyes (C1)
This lesson is a very safe and effective way to move into the process of freeing the movement of your jaw and neck.

Jaw, Neck, and Pelvis – Nodding Head (C2a)
This lesson integrates the movements of your jaw, neck, spine, and pelvis to free the movement of your jaw as it opens and closes.

Jaw, Neck, and Pelvis – Turning Head (C2b)
This lesson integrates the movements of your jaw, neck, spine, and pelvis to free the movement of your jaw as it moves from side to side.

The Relationship of Jaw, Tongue, Neck, and Pelvis (C3)
This lesson can help you bring attention to the movements of your jaw and tongue and how they relate to freedom of movement of your neck and pelvis.

Differentiating the Movements of the Face (C4)
Some of us hold a great deal of tension in our face – eyes, jaw, cheeks and mouth. This effects the movements of one’s neck and hips, which can result in a tight, sore neck and back as well as long term degradation of the joints of legs, hips, spine, neck, and shoulders. Freeing our face frees movement throughout our body.

Sucking (C7)
Coordinating the actions of sucking works to release lips, tongue, and jaw which in turn effects our necks and muscle tension in the deep belly and pelvic floor. It is well worth exploring.

Tongue, Teeth, Jaw and Sucking (C8)
This lesson continues from the last with further exploration of the relationship of tongue, teeth, jaw, neck, spine and pelvis through the actions of sucking. Please try it, if need be, in a room by yourself.

COORDINATING YOUR FEET, LEGS, PELVIS, & SPINE

Frog Legs (D1)
This is a great lesson to help integrate the movement of legs, spine, and hips.

Getting to Know the Hip Joints (D2)
This is a deceptively simple lesson that can be a great help in releasing tight hamstrings to provide greater ease when standing or walking.

Spinal Chain; asymmetrical and rocking (D3)
We often forget that we are held up in gravity by the pressure of our feet against the ground. This lesson helps to re-establish our ability to press our feet against the ground and connect that pressure all the way through our skeleton.

Spinal Chain; Arms Reaching (D4)
This lesson helps you find greater balance in standing and walking while integrating your arms. It provides the grounding of spinal chain brings, as well as connecting movements of the upper back and neck into how we reach our arms.

Painting with the Feet while on your Stomach (D5)
This lesson helps integrate movements of your legs and hips with movements of your spine and ribs.

Circling the Feet while on your Stomach (D6)
This lesson is similar to ‘Painting with the Feet (D5)’, with a bit different approach.

Toes and Feet (D7)
Doing this lesson can lead to the surprising discovery that bringing greater awareness to the movements of your toes and feet can lead to greater vitality and calmer energy.

Standing on Crossed Legs (D8)
A great lesson to help with balance and coordination. It also functions as a tonic for your entire organization for walking.

Hips and Trunk (D9)
A good lesson to integrate the movements of legs, spine, and hips. Before doing this lesson it is best to start with a less advanced lesson, like Frog Legs (D1).

Hips and Trunk, Holding Knee (D10)
A continuation of D9, Hips and Trunk, this lesson brings a great deal of side bending and arching movement to your spine, helping to free the movements of sternum, ribs, pelvis and legs.

Straightening the Leg by Retreating the Hip (D11)
This lesson is done on your side and will help integrate the relationship of legs and spine. It can result in a great feeling of openness across the upper back.

Sexy Legs (D12)
This lesson frees the movement of your legs by increasing the range of motion of your sternum, upper back, shoulder blades and rib cage. Quite often we think of our legs as stopping at our hip sockets, which may be true ‘anatomically’ but isn’t true functionally. The more we sense the relationship of our legs to our trunk, the more integrated and easy our movements will be.

Flexible Knees (D13)
Knee pain is often caused by restricted movement of one’s spine, ribs, abdomen, and sternum. This lesson frees up those areas, so that your knees can move with greater ease. Take note that much of the lesson takes place on your hands and knees, if you have an issues with your wrists it might be best to choose another lesson.

On Stomach, Sole of Foot to Ceiling (D14)
This is a deceptively simple lesson and can have far reaching results, integrating your whole body simply by bringing attention to precise movements of your foot.

Spine Chain Rotating the Upper Back (D15)
This lesson will give you a much greater awareness of your upper back in the area between your shoulder blades and higher, as well as bring greater freedom of movement to your ribs, sternum and spine.

 FREEING YOUR BREATHING

See Saw Breathing (E1)
If you find that your breath is shallow, or frequently find yourself holding your breathe, this lesson can be very helpful. It works with the parts of ourselves that move while we breathe. It does not teach a ‘right’ way of breathing, but creates the potential of breathing freely in all situations.

Radial Breathing (E2)
During periods of stress our breathing can be thrown off and lead to disconnected movement. This lesson helps connect movement with the action of breathing, reintegrating a way of breathing that is fundamental in all healthy movement.

Breathing Volumes (E3)
This lesson brings you in touch with the movements of breathing so that your nervous system becomes better able to adapt your breathing to whatever situation you find yourself in.

IMPROVING YOUR USE OF ARMS & SHOULDERS

Arm and Shoulder Comfort (F1)
Distress in arms and shoulders usually comes from isolating arm and hand movements in one’s arms and hands – which though sounding logical works best in machinery. This lesson helps you learn to involve your whole body in movements of your hands and arms which leads to greater arm and shoulder comfort.

Sitting, Turning Around Hand (F2)
Another lesson that approaches the distress in arms and shoulders that can come from isolating arm and hand movements. This lesson is done sitting, preferably on a bench or a flat bottomed chair. It helps you learn to allow chest, ribs, spine, and sternum to move with the actions of your arms and hands.

Hand to Mouth, Mouth to Hand (F3)
This lesson uses the basic function of bringing your hand to your mouth to focus on how the neck, spine, and belly are involved in movements of the hand and arm. It can relieve tension in the upper neck and between the shoulder blades.

Working with the Dominant Hand (F4)
I first used this lesson to help people who had trouble sleeping – in fact, it’s a great lesson to do in bed, as the movements are fairly minimal. It can help calm your whole nervous system down while helping you learn better use of your hands, arms, and shoulders.

Reaching Through One Arm to Roll from Back to Side (F5)
This lesson helps integrate the use of your arms with your shoulders, spine, pelvis, and legs. It increases ease and freedom of movement during your day. It will also help you learn to roll from back to side with greater ease. A t some points in the lesson you will be on your side, so have a folded blanket or pillow available.

On side, Primary Movements of the Shoulder (F6)
Many of us experience tension, reduced movement, and sometimes pain in our shoulders, collar bones, shoulder blades and upper arms. This lesson guides you through increasingly novel and complex movements that help to reorganize movement and unwind tension in shoulders and arms. This is a live class recording.

Sitting and Reaching with Mobile and Stable Scapula (F7)
Many people experience pain and tension around their shoulder blades, mid back and neck. Muscle strain and tension in this area is often caused by not stabilizing shoulder blades with functional use of the arms. This lesson helps you learn to stabilize your scapulae when using your arms to prevent strain. This is a live class recording. It is a good follow up to F6.

On Side, Circling the Arm (F8)
Integrating the movements of your arm and shoulder with your trunk and pelvis reduces the stress on your shoulders. This lesson will improve your use of your arms and shoulders and leave you feeling relaxed and supple in your whole body. This is a live class recording.

Crossed Arms, Fingers Interlaced Behind Neck (F9)
Many of us carry tension in our shoulders, shoulder blades, upper back and neck.  This can sometimes go hand in hand with disconnected and unsupported use of our hands and arms.  This is a wonderful lesson for helping reconnect our arms to spine, pelvis and head, and in the process release the tension between our shoulder blades, our upper shoulders, and neck.  A caveat: If done with a great deal of mindfulness to not push, nor stretch, it will work wonders. If you push, stretch, go beyond your current know-how, you will at at worst, wake up hurting!

WORKING WITH YOUR VOICE

Equalizing the Nostrils (H1)
This lesson will not only change how you experience the tone, quality, timbre, and resonance of your voice but will help to open your sinuses and change how you experience your head organized over your spine. It can help people with jaw or neck tension, sinus problems, or be a way to change how you experience speaking. For this lesson you will need a chair and a place nearby to lay on the floor, and perhaps some kleenex as your nasal passages will be clearing. You will be toning out loud so be where you feel comfortable making sounds. (35')

Breathing and Modulating (H2)
In this lesson you will learn different ways of breathing so your breathe flows easily, as well as different ways to modulate sound so you can speak without straining. After doing it you will notice greater ease in breathing and speaking. This is a live class recording. *

*Breathing and Modulating (H2) is a variation of a lesson from a series called Vocal Integration with the Feldenkrais Method by Richard Corbeil, GCFP.  I highly recommend it – it can be purchased on line from Feldenkrais Resources.

FREEING YOUR EYES FOR BETTER VISION AND MOVEMENT

Open Focus, Open Attention (I1)
This is essentially a guided meditation that can bring you to a greater awareness of how you can see the world with different eyes. For some it can change a habit of isolation from the world and the anxiety that comes with that.

Eyes, neck and pelvis nodding head (I2)
This lesson integrates movement of the head with the pelvis and uses differentiated movements of the eyes to create greater freedom of movement of head, neck, and eyes.

Eyes, Head and Pelvis - Turning Head (I3)
This lesson helps you relax the muscles around your eyes and free the movement of your neck, back, and pelvis.

Rolling Hands and Palming Eyes (I4)
This is a very simple lesson with a great effect. It integrates your upper back and shoulders with your spine and pelvis while your eyes become relaxed and clear.*

Triangle Arms, Eyes, and Pelvis (I5)
This lesson teaches you to differentiate the movements of your head, eyes, ribs and spine. This will your bring ease to your head and eyes, plus release tension in your chest, upper back and neck. Many people report seeing with greater clarity and experiencing greater freedom of movement after doing this lesson. 

Eyes, Hands, and Breathing (I6)
This simple lesson can deeply relax your eyes and free the movement of your upper chest, back, and shoulders.  It is calming for your entire nervous system.*

Eyes, Palate, and Tongue (I7)
This lesson can bring deep relaxation to your eyes, sinuses, tongue, inside your mouth and your neck and upper back. It will help you learn to release tension in these areas and give you a better sense of how habitual tension in these areas effects your vision, movement, breathing and anxiety.*

*Rolling Hands and Palming Eyes (I4), Eyes, Hands, and Breathing (I6), and Eyes, Palate, and Tongue (I7) are variations of lessons from a series called “Seeing Clearly; A Feldenkrais Exploration of Vision” with David Webber, GCFP.  They can be purchased online from Feldenkrais Resources.