Moshe Feldenkrais was fond of saying that "thinking" that didn't result in
real change
(improvement)
wasn't thinking at all. That it was just "mental masturbation."
We'll leave for later the obvious parallels to most of what passes for conversation
in our society, and just offer the missing 6 steps of yesterday's lesson
as a chance to "think without words."
In today's game/ exercise/ offering/ activity,
you get to think,
ie discover a new pattern of differences.
You have a problem to solve, the problem of moving your eyes one way,
while your head moves another. This is how learning takes place.
The numbers refer to yesterday's steps, and I would suggest starting the whole
movement lesson of yesterday from the start, and then adding this in.
The idea is to increase the complexity of rounding and arching by creating a
non-habitual movement of eyes and head relative to each other.
Or the idea is to notice differences we didn't know we could notice.
Or to revisit a difference, and feel it newly and freshly.
Or, to ...... be quiet and present while in "motion."
Or, to.......
In all the movement and thinking lessons
please
go slowly,
go gently,
look for pleasure,
look for ease,
search for learning.
Be present.
Here are the missing and additional steps, with at least a little backing up to add in from yesterday:
10. Come to the front of your chair. Put your hands on your face and head as in #8. (Hands at the side of your face, fingers and thumbs pointing backward, thumbs below your years, fingers above in the hair area).
Now combine #6 and #8.
Roll forward into a curled in ball,
so that
belly comes in
sternum comes back and down,
pelvis shifts to pressure on chair is more to the rear,
nose points down,
spine rolls toward itself top and bottom in the front
and then arch up into a looking up person
so that
belly come forward,
sternum comes up and forward,
head and nose tilt toward the skies
pelvis weight and pressure come more forward,
your back arches towards itself top and bottom in the rear of you.
Do not, do not, do not bring your neck back "too far."
Which is to say, don't "shorten" your neck.
Just have your nose tilting up easily in a way the it feels as if your neck's curve is a continuation of your spine's curve.
a. Go back and forth from belly in and rolling back on your pelvis, to belly out and rocking forward on your pelvis.
b. Feel each vertebrae.
c. Feel all the ribs.
d. Feel the sternum moving up and forward and then down and in.
e. Begin to sense your neck as part of your spine, not separate from it.
Brief tidbit for clarity in all of your life: THE FUNDAMENTAL UNIT OF INTELLIGENCE IS THE PERCEPTION OF DIFFERENCES.
Good.
11. Do the #10 again, rounding and arching and as you make and aware this movement notice differences between the folding part and the unfolding part:
a. in the ribs
b. the spine
c. the sternum
d. the pelvis
e. the head
f. your breathing
g. your eyes
12. Rest.
13. Now do folding and arching, almost like #10 and #11, but don't put your hands on your face and head. Notice the difference in how your head relates to your back without your hands on your head.
a. then go back and forth, hands on face to round and arch, and hands off
b. pay amused and delighted attention how one way connects up the movement of your head with the arching and rounding in your back.
14. Rest.
15. Now, do the movement of #10 with this added complexity:
a. Notice what your eyes are doing as you arch and lifted your head and round and tuck your head in
b. Deliberately move your eyes (open or closed, try both for more differences to experience) down as your head goes down and up as your head goes up
c. Now, try this, and go very slowly, and do just a little bit: but as your head goes down with rounding, have your eyes move to look up, as if at your forehead, and as your head (connected by hands to your back), lifts in the arching toward up, move your eyes slowly, slowly and gently down.
d. Do this many times. Take rests. Make the up and down of your head very small if you get wozzy or confused. Just notice the new difference: head up and eyes down, head down and eyes up.
e. See if you can become calm enough in this to begin to sense your spine and ribs and sternum and breathing and pelvis again, while still moving your head and eyes in opposition.
16. Rest.
17. Imagine doing #10 with the eyes in the same direction at your head. Don't DO anything. Just imagine.
a. Then do the movement once, and notice what wasn't available in imagination
b. Imagine it again, more fully.
c. Do it in reality.
d. Back and forth like this as long as you are curious and learning and in ease.
18. Rest in sitting in the 5 line meditation, and then rock forward onto your feet and feel the length of yourself in standing. Walk around and stay in the awareness mode for as long as you can. Notice the arms hanging from the spine and the legs holding up the pelvis and the pelvis holding up the head.
19. Enjoy being you today.
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