The final class of the summer is a whole lot of rolling, using arching, rounding, lengthening, shortening, and the leverage of our hips. Have fun! 

This is sourced from many places, and is an amalgam of other lessons. More to come, another time. 

Audio here:

On one level, we are making friends with our whole leg, lower leg, foot and ankle. On another level, we are softening the chest, lengthening the back--lowering the static along the back body including back of the leg. This is a good moment to consider "reciprocal inhibition" - the principle that when the muscle on one side is working, the muscles on the other (ideally) soften. So, when we are lifting the head, we are engaging (gently) the front of us, which encourages the back of us to soften. And when we stand, things are recalibrated. What does that feel like? Perhaps greater stability with less work. You might feel like putting your socks on has suddenly become much more graceful, with your balance improved. Your hip joints may feel alive and softly present. Or, perhaps you feel how soft your lower ribs are, and how easy breathing is. Maybe something different? 
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Here's a photo reminder of some of the possible shapes you may make (imagine me setting the timer on my phone and rushing to the floor! You'll probably be more relaxed. . .). Just so you know, these are after I have done this lesson--you may start with your legs much more bent than this. 

We finished with some variations of rolling and twisting for integration, and a wee chat among ourselves, which is not included in the recording.

For this lesson, you'll need wingspan (room to reach your arms. 

Only the audio lesson will be available on the blog. I'll upload some photos/videos of the movements so that you can see an idea of what you'll be doing. However, if you don't have the video, then you'll have the opportunity to become confused, which is not a bad thing! "If you are not confused, you are not learning". 

Find some length in your neck, and where did that come from? Must be something about the ribs, as the movements we did today seemingly target the shoulders, but truthfully, the constraint is something more: What needs to move to make this easy? Where can I soften? How do I use my whole self?

On hands and feet!

This is the first lesson back in the Cottage for the winter.  This is one of a series. You'll see two versions of it at least in the blog!
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Part of a playful series that incorporates being on hands and feet. To make this more accessible, let your knees be bent, and have two solid chairs for an option under your hands, so that you don't need to worry about bringing your hands to the earth. You may find that over time, your choices will expand. 

Use everything, try everything in a slow, playful way. Get confused. Breathe. Don't worry. 
In the transcript of this lesson, Moshe watches everyone jump to do what they are told, which they apparently do without feeling how. He says: "Whoever [does] it immediately can go home because it is a sign that he doesn't know what he is doing" --what we are really doing here is learning to be in a process of learning. Doing the movement is not the point. Being in the process of learning is the point. Learning how you work, learning how you are with yourself, learning what is available for you--that's the point.