If movements of your knees can reach your fingertips, and movements of your fingertips can reach your knees…that must mean we are each one of us a single whole creature, no?
NB: The audio is a little crappy this week. Sorry! The mike connection to the iPod wasn’t secure and there were snaps and clicks, which I then tried to take out. We lose a few whole phrases through these snaps and cracks.
Bitrate repaired in 2013, but probably the basic sound is still lousy!
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So….what does it have to do with falling?
I’ve taught this lesson a million times, as it’s in my favorite collection of “good basic lessons.” (Mia & Gaby’s SF Evening Class, 1977-78, available from Feldenkrais Resources.
Recently I was at a workshop with Jeremy Krauss studying the AY lessons, and we were working on 44. Crazy lesson. Anyway, this M&G lesson is like a baby beginner version of AY 44. Our work with 44 gave me a whole new perspective on the last section of this lesson. The way that letting the heavy knees tilt to the side–and lengthening (not reflexively shortening) on the side you’re tilting to–can be seen as a balance challenge, a challenge to that reflexive response to falling, was a surprise to me.
So how can you take this lesson to a more challenging place? AY 44 works with using your free arm to pull the arm that’s overhead (take hold of the wrist!) so eventually it comes under your head. You can keep rolling with those knees until you come onto your side (and what are the options for where your head goes?)–but do that with [[reversibility]]. And then…well, I’ll have to record 44 some day. You can do all sorts of crazy things with your legs here!
Or if you want to work with this lesson through refinement–how about trying all that knee tilting with your feet in different places? Really go slowly, take breaks, don’t rush: but feel what a difference it makes to the line drawing up and through your body to have your feet in different places.
Enjoy!
Lynette