Please dress comfortably so you can breathe without restriction and remove your shoes. If you wear glasses, you may wish to remove them, at least from time to time. Some lessons are done seated in a chair with a firm seat, feet on the floor underneath your knees. Others take place on the floor on a mat or blanket. Have a towel or small support handy in case you need it for under your head.
In each lesson:
please move slowly and within a small range, at least initially.
if you experience discomfort, make the movement smaller or slower, and if discomfort persists, please continue your exploration only in your imagination or simply listen to the lesson.
rest when you like — before getting tired is ideal. Pause the recording if needed. Certainly rest if you find your attention can no longer stay on the movement practice as directed.
Each movement practice is short — for more in-depth exploration, please check my listing of classes or contact me.
Ankle Flexibility
Ankle flexibility decreases naturally as we age, especially for women. Luckily, ankles are very amenable to re-gaining movement especially when we approach with curiosity, moving within a comfortable range. We are not stretching — we are learning!
Influence of the Feet and Ankles
Please sit forward on a chair with your feet under your knees and resting on the floor. You may need to adjust the placement of a foot to find the optimal movement. Listen to how your hip joints, pelvis, spine and head relate to the movement of your ankles.
Connecting Shoulders to Walking
Movement of the shoulder blades, spine and ribs are essential to our balance, as well as our comfort and ease in walking. This short seated movement practice is drawn from Dr. Ruthy Alon’s Walk for Life® program, based on the Feldenkrais Method.
Pelvic Clock Sitting in a Chair
We all do a lot of sitting, and not always with ideal alignment. Take a break to explore small, gentle movements while seated to reduce discomfort and stiffness and to improve your posture.
Graphic from Relaxercise (M Reese, D & K Zemach-Bersin) Google Photos
Knees Tilting with Rolling Head
This simple movement exploration done lying on your back invites small movements in your hip joints and spine and relates those movements to rolling your head which involves turning movements in the upper spine and rib case. It is also a gentle warm up lesson for Elbow Spreader, the lesson recording that follows this one.
Elbow Spreader
Prior to this lesson, please walk and note movement in your two shoulders, ribs and pelvis. Which side moves more freely and fully? You’ll lie on the other side in this lesson to invite your ribs and spine to turn more easily. Please do especially small movements in this lesson. First time doing this lesson? I suggest you begin with Knees Tilting with Rolling Head, the mini-lesson just before this one.