This can be one of those lessons where you try something, take a break, try it again, take a break. Remember to decrease the amount of effort as you become comfortable/oriented to a movement. One of the signs of using a lot of effort is your breathing (or lack there-of). Another sign might be using your upper body to lift your pelvis, or pinning your head in the center during rolling movements. Remember, the movements are here for you to learn about yourself: in themselves, the movements aren't the point. So more/larger isn't better. Small, and clear is more helpful. Feel what you do. Feel the trajectory of movement. Listen for ease in your breath, hands, jaw, and eyes as you go.

Available on Patreon ​patreon.com/heatherdanso

Today's lesson is a balancing of the muscles that fold us, and the muscles that hold us up -  in other words, we are organizing, discerning, and coordinating the muscles along the spine. That being said, many things happen: the diaphragm is addressed in relation to folding and twisting. In twisting, there are elements of side bending, of curling, and of backbending, so it is a lovely way to actually lower the unnecessary work along the spine. 

Did you feel taller? Did your head feel on differently? Did you find more freedom in your thoracic spine and did that impact your ability to twist and to roll your head?

This lesson is now on Patreon

A lesson incorporating elements similar to bridge, helping to clarify the midback, spine, and relationship of the movement of the pelvis, torso, and head. 
50 minutes long! 5 minutes of sensing begins this meditative exploration. Taught at Momentum Climbing SODO

Walking scan, and then a lesson lying down. How do you transmit force down through your legs, how do you sense the rebound from the Earth? How does this lesson impact your movement after the lesson? For one student who mostly imagined, he began with a tremendous limp from a lumbar injury; at the end of class, no limp. What changed for you?

Recorded on June 4th, at Wise Orchid Tai Chi in Seattle, this lesson is a beautiful exploration that helps us to reorganize the way we use our hip joints. Being able to access and use the hip joint effectively can decrease lumbar pain simply because for many of us, we use our low backs and other parts of ourselves, instead of using this most important part of ourselves. 

Go slow, go small. The greatest improvements come from the smallest explorations.

Curious? Review how to do an ATM before you try one!

The scan in the beginning is in standing! Go easy. Do less. Feel more.

Pay attention to how you do what you do, and only do what feels gloriously available, and delicious. This video below is an approximation of the lesson, as a reminder, but not as a determination of what you will do. Sometimes when doing a lesson, you would not even know I am moving. The beginning of the movement is enough. The intention is enough. Then, see how you change!

Be sure to do a scanning process on your back as you begin. 

Play with the idea of not being goal oriented, and being goal oriented. Feel the movements associated with both states of mind. How does being goal oriented change your demeanor? How does it change your facial muscles?

In today's lesson, we will do movements similar to this, in a lesson based on the Alexander Yanai Awareness Through Movement®  lesson. The image can be useful, as we use our eyes to learn, as well as our sensing. But, as with any image, the purpose is to help you discover the possibility for movement within your own system, and that possibility may be smaller, feel different, require a speed that allows for you to deeply sense yourself. 

Only work in ease and curiosity, when you are stuck, use your imagination.

Next week, we continue on with building intelligence in the hip-joint, which affects the knees, and the feet!

Audio to be posted after class this evening.