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In this lesson we slowly develop circles of the shoulders and hips on one side.

You never know, in life, when you're going to be stuck up against a wall and need to reach into your back pocket. If this function concerns you, this is the lesson for you.

On the other hand, you may have more generalized interests, like ungluing your shoulder blades, freeing your neck, or undoing patterns of holding in the abdomen that limit everything else you do. This lesson can help you with those things too.

This is the first of two lessons in the January 15 Workshop: Weight and Weightlessness, 2011. We're in sidelying, finding how to manage the weight of the long leg in various directions/configurations.

It's a mash-up of Mia & Gaby's lesson (1977 #9) and Moshe's AY #232 (minimal movements lying on the side, for those following along at home.

The second lesson is Walking backward--or in a recording from a couple of years ago, Walking backward.

When we fold forwards (flex) we think of this as shortening. But every shortening involves lengthening. You can lie on your back and take your knee and elbow towards one another--and that involves a certain level of challenge in lifting lefts and head. This lesson takes a familiar idea and does it in a different orientation -- sidelying -- and in this very low-effort environment, more refinement is possible.

This is the second lesson in the April 2010 month of lengthening lessons.

The theme this month is "Finding Length." Here's a suggestion for working with this lesson. You might do it first in a very casual way where you pay attention only to getting comfortable with lying on your side with your legs in the positions described. Don't make too much effort with the arm/chest/chin directions on your first go through. Come back a day or two later, and do it again (fog horn comments and all), and now that you're not so much occupied with your balance on your side and your leg arrangement, you can play with the lengthening movements and the arms/chest/chin in a lighter and more refined way.

This lessons demonstrates the reach of your fingertips extending all through your spine and chest....and in all directions.

Watching the local students do this lesson this week was really a treat. It's like watching a room of people giving themselves FI lessons (one-on-one hands-on Feldenkrais).

What could he be thinking? How did anyone ever come up with the idea that you could lie on your side, top knee in front on the floor, turn your face and shoulders towards the ceiling, and tap your shoulder blades on the ground? It feels impossible - in an entirely unique way for each shoulder!