August ATM's a variety of lessons #4

Bending Right and left - with Olena Nitefor

During this August Special, there will be some lessons downloaded from a free site called openatm.org, and this particular one from Olena Nitefor is in kneeling.
Her bio, copied directly from the site states:

”I graduated in 1987 from the Toronto training where the first two years were Moshe recorded in Amherst. Gaby Yaron was with our training the whole fourth year, allowing me to experience her teaching first hand. I became familiar with Mia’s teaching through advanced trainings. My pre training background includes an M.Ed. in dance, performance in a company, and teaching anatomy and kinesiology. In 1988 I started teaching functional anatomy in trainings, and since 1995 have assisted through five full trainings (U.S., Canada and Europe.) Since 1997 I have led over 1,500 hours of advanced trainings, mostly in Europe. Starting in 2006, I have also been leading five day advanced trainings devoted completely to ATM. ATM continues to sustain and astound me. My home and practice are in Toronto, Canada.”

What she writes about the lesson:

“Lessons in kneeling can clarify the relation of the pelvis to the standing femurs to a greater degree than lessons in standing seem to. Anytime I have taught kneeling lessons in the context of five day workshops, I, and the participants, have found that these lessons provide excellent circumstances in which to first uncover issues with balance and then provide the means to improve balance to a significant degree. I think kneeling lessons bring the organization of the pelvis in relation to the femurs under great scrutiny.

It seems to be clearer to uncover and to clarify the posterior or anterior tilt tendencies of pelvic organization in kneeling than it does in standing. I think this is partially because in kneeling it is less possible to translate the pelvis forward than it is to do so when standing on full legs. With the translation forward "eliminated," what shows up are the preferences (and limitations) of the habituated pelvic tilt. And, in order to actually find balance on one knee, as the other foot is brought to standing, one can find the differentiations as well as the organization of the pelvis on a femur in a very thorough way.

The anterior/posterior tilt is no longer a habituated position, because the tilt needs to be put into motion to allow the other leg to sweep around into standing. The slight side tilting that is suggested as a means of freeing the moving leg, helps one find how to "pivot" the pelvis in the frontal plane. Of course, one can also just power through and miss it all, but that is a personal story.

Below is a list of further lessons which are in kneeling, either on the knees, or in side lying. Except for when noted, these ATMs are available for downlaod below:

Actual kneeling: All of these use kneeling on both knees as well as on one knee and one foot. This allows for a more dynamic use of the pelvis and trunk in relation to the femurs, and clearly develops tall kneeling. Developmentally, tall kneeling is a transitional position. Most children whom I have observed do not spend a lot of time on both knees. Sitting, which at first is also a transitional position becomes much more a position to stay in than is/does tall kneeling. So even in the developmental context it makes sense that ATMs utilize it as transitional and we do not do whole ATMs in tall kneeling.

we haven’t really talked about the knees, other than, this area, like the elbows is a meeting place of three important bones: the femur, tibia and fibula.

This lesson #263 Bending right and left takes place lying on the back, the front, half kneeling and standing.”

Enjoy hearing a different voice from a distance of a few decades which only goes to prove the timeless essence of these movements: