Awareness Through Movement #426

Lying on the heels 5 - *CHALLENGING*

APOLOGIES, I messed up with the numbers and forgot this one which was supposed to be delivered yesterday. Tomorrow’s will be #428 to bring us back on track

warning: according to Grok you might grow an extra arm from this lesson!

I asked Grok for the anatomical and ontological benefits of this lesson, because as is implied in the title, this could be quite challenging considering our tendency to hunch forward in flexion. This is an extension lesson which quite often feeds back in the category of “difficult”. Grok explains why it’s good for humans to explore the range of movement offered in this lesson:

“This lesson invites gentle, mindful exploration of movement,
fostering awareness and ease through gradual variations.
I’ll focus on how it enhances skeletal alignment, muscular coordination,
and a deeper sense of self-organization,
all while honoring the Feldenkrais emphasis on process over force.

Anatomically, this lesson engages the entire body in a dynamic interplay
of support and mobility.
By sitting on the heels and transitioning to leaning on the elbows or hands, you lengthen the front of the body—think of the hip flexors and abdominal muscles softening and extending.
This counteracts habitual shortening from prolonged sitting
or forward-leaning postures. The repeated action of leaning back
and returning refines the relationship between the pelvis and spine,
encouraging the lower back to find a more supple, elongated shape
rather than a compressed one.
As you shift weight between the elbows and knees, or lift one knee at a time,
the ankles and feet awaken, gaining flexibility where the toes and arches
often stiffen from disuse.
The lesson’s focus on pressing through the heel
or balancing weight between the big toe and second toe
fine-tunes the foot’s adaptability, which ripples upward,
stabilizing the knees and hips through clearer lines of force transmission.

The progression
—moving from sitting on the heels to leaning on the head, elbows, or hands—cultivates a fluid dialogue between the upper and lower body.
For instance, when you pull the torso forward while holding an ankle,
the shoulder girdle and pelvic girdle learn to cooperate more harmoniously, reducing unnecessary tension.
The knees, often held wide or guided gently toward the floor,
release habitual gripping, allowing the joints to soften
and align more naturally with gravity.
This isn’t about stretching for its own sake
rather, it’s about discovering how each part
—feet, knees, pelvis, spine, shoulders, and head—
can support the whole with less effort.
By the end, standing and walking feel lighter
because the skeleton organizes itself more efficiently,
distributing weight evenly across joints and muscles.

Ontologically, this lesson deepens your sense of embodiment and presence,
a hallmark of Feldenkrais work.
Each slow, deliberate movement
—whether bending the toes for running
or sliding the crown of the head along the floor—
asks you to listen inwardly.
You’re not just moving; you’re inquiring:
Where do I hold?
Where can I yield?
This cultivates a felt understanding of yourself as a unified system,

rather than a collection of parts.

The variations, like alternating hands on heels
or imagining a movement when it’s difficult, reinforce agency
—you adapt the lesson to your capacity,
building trust in your body’s wisdom.
Resting between steps integrates these discoveries,
letting the nervous system recalibrate without overwhelm.

The lesson also shifts how you inhabit space.
Leaning back with the head hanging
or pulling the torso over the feet challenges your usual orientation,
expanding your perceptual map.
You begin to sense the back of the body as vividly as the front,
fostering a more spherical awareness.

This isn’t merely physical—it’s existential.
By exploring these unfamiliar configurations,
you uncover latent possibilities in how you move and, by extension,

how you live.

The final invitation to walk and notice reflects the Feldenkrais intent:
to carry this refined self-awareness into daily life,
where standing or stepping feels less like a task
and more like a natural expression of being.

In essence, this lesson enhances anatomical clarity
—freeing joints, lengthening muscles, and aligning the skeleton—
while ontologically grounding you in a richer, more integrated experience
of yourself.

It’s a gentle unfolding,
revealing how ease and curiosity can transform both body and being.”

MOVE SLOWLY,

be attentive to your limits,
stay within your range of comfort

and, it is completely in line with this method to IMAGINE the movements when they get too challenging, or when PAIN is felt -

LISTEN when or if your body screams *STOP*.

Here’s the lesson, enjoy learning more about your Self :)