LOG AIFTT IV
Segment 9
17 August – 4 September 2015
Week 1 – Larry Goldfarb
17 – 21 August 2015
Monday 17 August 2015 AIFTT4 0801 ATM TILTING TILL TOMORROW On back w/knees bent: begin to roll the pelvis towards the head (test m/m). Notice how the pelvis moves in relation to legs, chest, etc. Notice breathing. Does pelvis move U or D when breathing in? Notice what you do, then do the opposite. Continue rolling the pelvis and notice if the feet are pushing. Lift both heels and put them down. Lift and drop both heels. Lift toes of R/L/both feet. Lift ball of foot, leaving toes on the floor. Alternate lifting toes/ball of foot on R/L/both feet. W/both feet, lift toes, then forefoot. Return in reverse order: first forefoot, then toes. Lift both forefeet w/o toes lifting actively. Note change in m/m hips, pelvis, and spine. Repeat and drop forefeet. Test m/m. Push feet to roll pelvis, then let go of the pressure. Repeat, pushing w/heels, w/forefeet. Then repeat w/o pressing the feet: slowly roll using the belly muscles. Continue slowly, w/one hand on bottom of the chest and other hand just above the pubic bone, while listening to the m/m. Note how hands move closer together. Move chin closer to/away from chest so head goes F/B. Note jaw and tongue. Repeat, holding chin w/both hands, moving upper teeth away from lower teeth. Explore this m/m w/tongue U/D/out. Move chin D/U, w & w/o holding chin w/hands. Test m/m w & w/o pushing feet. Coffee AIFTT4 0802 Talk + Lab Introduction to Segment 9; Schema and Scenario This segment, for FI, we'll follow one lesson theme in 3 ways. Approaching the same theme in different ways 'multiplies' the amount of lessons we can teach. We can vary in position/relation to gravity. E.g. teach a folding lesson while lying on the back, on the side, sitting, standing, etc. Another way to bring variation to lessons is to use SPIFFER categories to change the accent of the lesson. A third way is to use a different floor plan (design, choreography, and scenario) in presenting the lesson. You can compare this w/different ways of presenting a detective story; Sherlock Holmes stories and Colombo stories unfold differently. This segment, we'll also play with teaching a Mini ATM, which can be used to get people interested. E.g. when you have 1 hour to present the Feldenkrais work: you have time to talk and teach a short part of an ATM. Get together in a trio and catch up. Discuss: 1. What have you been doing in terms of ATM? 2. What have you been doing in terms of FI? 3. What are your questions for this segment?
4. What is your learning objective for this segment? Discussion in the whole group again: If your objective is e.g. to gain understanding of something, how do you measure 'understanding'? How would you measure something like perception? Go back to same trio: find out if your learning goal had to do with understanding or doing and define the outcome. What will you do that demonstrates that you have learned what you want to learn? Lunch AIFTT4 0803 Demo + Lab Ancient Five Hands review Larry demonstrates hand placement of Ancient 5 hands Technique on the skeleton. Duo: In sitting, A rounds and arches the back. B uses Ancient 5 hands Technique to learn about partner's arching and rounding, asking the Qs: Where does the m/m begin? Is this the same in arching and rounding? How much of the spine is moving? Tea AIFTT4 0804 Discussion Discussion of Ancient Five Hands review Comments included: In the 5 hands position, the spine can be moved and sensed as a whole. The Q you ask the person makes a difference for what the m/m is like, e.g. asking the person to look U/D versus asking to slouch/sit up. Larry: Noticing takes time, so it is important to slow down. There can be m/m in between your hands or underneath your hands. M/m does not only happen F/B, can also be in lateral plane. This may have to do w/asymmetry in person's organization. Larry: When placing your hands in 5 hands position, you give person a frame (like having the top, w/picture, of a 1000 piece jig saw puzzle). Homework for tomorrow: hand in your learning objectives. Further homework (not for tomorrow) is to start thinking about: What group would you like to give a talk to? What activities would this group be interested in? What would you tell them about the Feldenkrais Method?
AIFTT4 0805 ATM LOWERING THE HEAD On hands, knees, & feet: round back, let head hang down, and return. Note change in pressure on the hands. On hands, elbows, knees, & feet: continue lifting and lowering the head. Place head on the floor: round the back and return to middle (not arching).
On hands, knees, & feet: lower head w/o having elbows on the floor. Place head on the floor, between arms + hands. Round the back and return. Stand up and notice what standing is like after this change in orientation. Walk around.
Tuesday 18 August 2015
AIFTT4 0806 Talk + Lab The Object of Objectives Larry talks about how having been a magician was a perfect preparation for becoming a Feldenkrais practitioner. A magician does not fool people, people fool themselves. A Feldenkrais practitioner does not teach people, people learn themselves. A Feldenkrais practitioner knows how perception works and uses it to learn. As a teacher, when giving a lesson, you have to think about the experience you want the person to have. As a student, you're occupied w/your own experience. In FI, when asked what they want, most people will present w/a complaint or pain to get rid of. An objective has to be stated in the positive. For FI, describing the objective in terms of an action helps to think of an ATM constellation that would work. Larry gives the example of learning objective for a trainee: taking less time to prepare an ATM lesson. One needs strategies like finding the red thread, floor plan, etc. It helps to reduce the lesson to an outline, looking at the teacher's perspective. Lab: go back to yesterday's trio and discuss ONE learning objective, using this new information. The idea of describing a learning objective with the criteria of “SMART” (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Result oriented, Time focused) is introduced. Coffee AIFTT4 0807 Talk A little more Feldenkrais History including Alexander and Hannah Moshe was a good thief; he 'borrowed' from different methods to help people learn. Larry talks about differences and similarities between Feldenkrais and Alexander Technique. Description of Hannah Somatics by Siddhartha and by Larry. Discussion of Moshe's struggle w/authority; the question is how you, as a teacher, support other people in being their own authority. AIFTT4 0808 ATM IN PRONE LIFTING THE ELBOWS AND ROLLING THE PELVIS Scan on back/on belly. On belly: L hand on R, forehead on hands, roll pelvis to L/R. Connect m/m w/breathing, then reverse in/exhalation. Repeat w/hands reversed. Roll pelvis w & w/o pushing knee into the floor. Roll pelvis R & L slowly, then lift one side of pelvis and drop it. Larry quotes from Moshe's writings about the importance of taking care of yourself. On belly w/forehead on hands: lift R elbow (note m/m R arm pit, chest.) Lift R armpit. Lift elbow and armpit. Repeat on L, alternate L & R. Note path of the elbow. On back w/knees bent: place B of R hand on forehead, B of L hand in R palm, and take R elbow
towards the floor w & w/o bending the wrists. Alternate R & L. Repeat, moving both elbows towards the floor, then B/F, then faster. On belly w/forehead on hands and R leg drawn up: lift R/L elbow, alternate. Repeat w/other hand on top. Repeat w/L leg drawn up. Roll pelvis L & R. On back w/legs standing: lift forefeet and drop, lift heels and drop, alternate, repeat faster. Lift R heel & L toes, vice versa, alternate. Lunch AIFTT4 0809 Talk + Lab Being Comfortable on the Belly revisited This week, we'll work w/FI on the belly. Person needs to be comfortable, so look at their organization lying on the belly: pelvis is 'flat', head is turned 90 degrees. This turning & side bending needs to happen between the pelvis and the head, preferably distributed throughout the spine. Decreasing the twist, by drawing up the leg or a pillow underneath the shoulder, helps to make person more comfortable. You can test for comfort by finding out if they are moveable, e.g. in spine, leg. Duo: make partner comfortable in prone and test. AIFTT4 0810 Demo + Hands-on Introduction to the Back Scratcher Prone is more comfortable w/C-curve; contracted muscles on the convex side of the C-curve interfere w/this. This technique supports the contraction of the muscles so they can let go. Demo w/Dina in prone: Practitioner sits at the head, places and 'hooks' 3 fingers into the muscles at the back (convex side) of the C-curve at the bottom of spine, and rolls the pelvis B a little. The practitioner keeps fingers dug in at same place as the practitioner comes up to sit tall, then slowly let’s go. Practitioner lines up to person's spine, adjusting amount and direction of the pull to the muscle contraction. Continue like this up to the height of the shoulder blades. Duo: follow steps of demo w/partner.
Wednesday 19 August 2015
AIFTT4 0811 Lab + Discussion Revisiting Prone FI from segment 5 During segment 5, we worked in prone w/the aim of: 1. Being comfortable in prone. 2. Working on the function of the arms. 3. Being able to look around in the world. Trio: A is lying on the belly. B & C each show and each copy one technique from segment 5. After one round, change roles and repeat same cycle w/next person on the table. Discussion of experiences.
Coffee AIFTT4 0812 ATM THE 7TH CERVICAL On hands, knees, & feet (all 6es): find a place to put head on the floor in between the hands. From all 6es begin to sit B, leaving hands on the floor. Then come F and place head on the floor. There are 2 ways to do this: head can go to the floor and slide F or head can make an arc in space before coming to the floor. Try both. On all 6es: place the top of the head on the floor in between the hands. Roll head so back rounds and return. Then reverse: arch back and roll head. Alternate arching and rounding. On hands, elbows, knees, feet, and head (all 9s): round the back. Repeat w/heels of hands holding your head still. In same position: arch. Alternate rounding/arching. On hands, knees, feet, and head: roll head and move chin towards chest. Repeat, keeping back rounded. Roll the head so the nose goes towards the floor, by arching the back. Explore variations of rolling the head U/D w/tailbone tucked, w/pelvis moving, keeping low back in neutral. Roll head and pelvis. Stop in a comfortable place and move scapulae together/apart. Note which way the head rolls. Roll the head so C7 comes over the head and repeat m/m of scapulae. On all 9s: arch low back and roll towards top of the head. Do opposite. Alternate: making S-curve. Switch from S to C curve. Lunch AIFTT4 0813 NB: 2 parts in recordings!! Talk + Lab Questioning the Directions with the Back Scratcher Larry promises to send some articles explaining “learning objectives”. If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. It is important to test if what you do has a result/the result you are looking for, therefore TOTE: Test → Operate → Test → Exit In FI, you use this to check: - Where you put your hands. - What you do w/self (self-use). - What you are sensing for. E.g. using back scratcher, this would entail: - Sensing that you are in the muscle and staying there. - Getting taller yourself, as you are asking the person/muscle to get longer. - Taking over the work of the muscle; you have to find the direction the muscle was pulling in. To adjust to the pull, you move the ring of your first rib in an arc while staying tall. - Coming back to neutral slowly (important). Lab: w/partner, use back scratcher and find directions of the extensor muscles on the convex side of the C-curve. Tea AIFTT4 0814 Discussion + Lab Exploring ATMs about Arching Q + A about the lab included: “I find the bone, but now I need to look for muscle...”
Answer from Larry: The directionality of the touch is the same for the different tissues. This week, the FI in prone is not about side bending and C-curve, but about arching. Lab: in trio, find ATMs about arching. How do you elicit arching when you're lying on the belly? Find examples of this in ATM.
Thursday 20 August 2015
AIFTT4 0815 Talk + Lab Turning Prone Arching ATM into FI So far, we have worked towards comfort lying on the belly. What would you do to prepare a person for a lesson about arching/how do you find out if arching is a good idea for the person? A person's shape is not constant; it is related to gravity. Trio: take a section of the ATM about arching in prone you picked yesterday. A does the m/m of the ATM section. B + C listen to how the skeleton moves; to arching. B + C figure out FI equivalent of ATM m/m. B performs this equivalent, C checks echo. Change roles. Add working on self-use. Comments when exchanging experiences included: A constraint in FI is different from a constraint in ATM. For ATM, Moshe thought of ways to “pin yourself down.” Reference to wrestling/judo. Trying to elicit the m/m of arching from top, bottom, everywhere. This is an “All roads lead to Rome” scenario. This can make up a lesson. Different people do the same m/m differently. Thinking about what happens in the beginning helps you find the (smaller) steps for FI. One step of ATM could be an entire FI. Coffee AIFTT4 0816 Lab + Discussion Eliciting Arching Prone from the Top Each trio shows their ATM section and the variations they have explored. 1. Prone: ATM m/m of lifting head, arm, and shoulder together. FI equivalent: arm/head in tighter constraint are lifted by practitioner. 2. Same m/m as #1 w/both arms lifting together w/head. Evaluation: moving pelvis, spine, and shoulders to see if ready for arching, like a scan. FI equivalent: lifting head + both arms. Alternative: leave person's head resting on the table and lift shoulders w/practitioner's elbows leaning on the table. 3. Alternative for FI strategy in #1: Head turned R, resting on R arm: lift R elbow w/head, leaving R hand on the table.
Or: Person's hand on B of head, practitioner's R hand underneath L side head, practitioner's L hand at chin, L forearm against person's R upper arm. Moving head and arms: having used up degrees of freedom allows to move in a different part of the spine. By using up the easy m/m for the person, they will start to move somewhere else. Lab w/same trio: try out these ways of lifting head + arm. A is on the table in prone. B lifts A's head and arm in one of the ways shown. C helps B w/self-use. AIFTT4 0817 ATM JUDO ROLL 1 On hands, elbows, knees, & feet: place R side of the head on the floor. Roll the point of contact towards the top of the head, rolling on side of face. Do just the beginning, feeling the rest of yourself. Repeat w/L side of face on the floor. Repeat in opposite direction. In same position round/arch low back. Alternate. Repeat w/head turned L. W/head turned R: roll head to move nose towards the floor w/o lifting elbows. Repeat w/head turned L. Repeat w/elbows up in the air. Take L elbow towards the floor on the L, note influence on turning the head. Find way to let elbows help head. Repeat on other side. Explore placing hands close to shoulders/in front of elbows. W/hands in front of elbows: turn nose towards ceiling. Elbows or head can lead the m/m. Repeat on other side. W/elbows on the floor: roll head to floor/ceiling. Repeat w/toes as for running. On hands, elbows, knees, & feet w/head to R: begin to lift R/L knee. Repeat w/head turned L. Turn head to floor/ceiling, then towards top/jaw. Roll point of contact in a circle, then opposite. AIFTT4 0818 NOT RECORDED Lab Eliciting Arching Prone from the Top continued. AIFTT4 0819 ATM JUDO ROLL 2 On hands, knees, feet, w/elbows in the air, head turned R: reach to R w/R elbow. Repeat L. Alternate. Repeat w/head turned L, then w/head in the middle. Allow the head to be rolled. Same position w/head turned R: lift R thumb/index/middle finger/pinky/ring finger. Repeat on L. Lift all fingers on R/L/both. Lift fingers, then knuckles, then return in reverse order. W/head turned L: lift heel of L/R hand. Lift heel, knuckles, fingers of R hand. Lift R hand and begin to reach along the floor towards L. Allow head m/m and breathing. Bring R hand B. Repeat m/m w/L hand; head stays on the floor. Repeat w/head turned R. Bring L arm to R and roll shoulder/head to look towards ceiling. Repeat on other side and begin to roll on to R shoulder and B of head. Note the moment when you can begin to lift one knee. Repeat, lifting arm towards ceiling. On hands, knees, feet, w/elbows in the air, head turned R: make circle w/head.
Friday 21 August 2015
AIFTT4 0820 Lab Eliciting Arching Prone from the Bottom Trio: find and explore m/ms in ATM (eliciting) arching from the bottom end.
Use ATM as resource for FI. AIFTT4 0821 Talk + Lab Finding the Floor Plan We have been lifting the head, eliciting arching from top, and then eliciting arching from bottom; putting these together makes a lesson. This choreography from top and from bottom we can call: two ends to the middle. The pattern of the lesson (schema) changes how you tell the story (scenario.) Examples of different schemas: - 2 Ends to the middle. - Trail blazing: following the same trail several times. - Play it again Sam: repeating same 'questions'. - All roads lead to Rome: periphery to center. - Growing a lesson: center to periphery. - Both sides now: comparing the sides. - Four corners. - Every which way. Larry has been creating different maps for the Feldenkrais Method. These maps can help you recognize the way you teach and give you more choices. AIFTT4 0822 ATM JUDO ROLL 3 On hands, elbows, knees, & feet: place the head on the floor and slowly roll point of contact to the top of the head, moving the back; chin goes towards chest. Roll head in opposite direction. Alternate. (Test m/m.) Repeat w/toes standing. Hold head w/hands, round back towards ceiling. On hands, elbows, knees, & feet, top of head, w/R toes standing: lift and straighten R knee. Note if there is tendency to lift R elbow. Repeat on other side. Demo w/3 people: when lifting L knee they shift towards 1. R side 2. L knee going straight B 3. R shoulder Try same m/m. Repeat w/R arm crossed in front on the floor. Stay w/knee lifted and look towards floor/ceiling, moving eyes and head together/separately/opposite, differentiating eyes and head. Repeat on other side. Test m/m.
