Awareness Through Movement #436

Head and shoulders – KNOW THY VERTEBRAE

“This lesson leverages the torso’s large muscles and bones
to enhance spinal mobility, shoulder flexibility,
and whole-body coordination,
preparing the body for multidirectional movement.
Anatomically, it improves vertebral articulation,
muscle balance,
and sensory-motor control.
Ontologically, it fosters self-awareness, curiosity, and agency,
deepening the connection to one’s embodied self
through mindful exploration of movement.
Each step builds on the last,
creating a cumulative effect of physical and perceptual refinement.”

It’s another classic Feldy lesson with what seems like an endless range of variations that could have people shrugging off some tension.

The shoulders are a complex region, those bones sitting atop the ribs are connected with fascia, tendons, ligaments, fine muscles woven together to provide us a huge range of movement -
moving the ears to the shoulders,

the shoulders to the ears,
moving one up, as the other moves down (like scales)…
as well as a whole range of other movements.

I thought these images might provide a visual of what’s happening inside
as you do tonight’s lesson.
This software does not provide a true representation of what is happening,
there is MUCH more movement of the ‘discs’ opening and closing
as we move from side to side…
this video shows a fraction of the movement available…
as one side opens and the other side closes.
If you manage to think of this happening inside you
as you do the lesson tonight,
it might change the experience:

For some people there is moving the head from the cervical spine (only) which could explain why so many people have neck pain…

whereas when the whole spine is involved then the weight of the skull is distributed through the whole system… as you might be tempted to feel.

I see many people at the beach mesmerised by the water flowing in, and out…
imagine being equally as mesmerised with what is happening within:

Here is the lesson, enjoy learning more WITH yourself as you move tonight.