I’ve always loved owls. And the way they can swivel their head to see behind them in a moment. It would be very useful in lots of scenarios! As you probably know, an owl can turn its head 180 degrees because of the double jointed neck. And we don’t have one of those, which is sad. … More Would you like to have the turning power of an owl?
So often I hear people talking about muscle memory as if it’s a thing. Something where the muscles remember movements, and pathways, or levels of contraction. Muscle memory is a myth. It’s simply not true. There is no such thing as muscle memory. If it were people who had accidents and suffered injury to the … More The myth of muscle memory
Do you think of your neck as a separate, or as part of your whole spine? This week’s lesson is looking again at how you might stick out your neck, but from a different angle! We’ll be doing the lesson in sitting. The position change means you’ll explore different options of movement, gravity, and sensation. Your … More How Long is Your Neck?
It’s a phrase that has many meanings, of course, but I was thinking in the literal sense. Often when we spend a lot of time on computers, screens, or simply sightreading or reading, we take our head forwards in space, like a turtle. But it’s not designed to stay there! Our head is optimal when … More Are you sticking your neck out?
Draw a tiny circle in the air with your nose. As you do it feel which parts of you move along with it? For many people, the only thing that moves is the head and neck. If that’s true for you, it’s the signal that your neck is over isolated. You’re not using the support of the whole … More Do you know how to find out if your neck is stiff or uncomfortable because your spine isn’t helping it move?
Very often when people come to see me, it’s around pain in the shoulders, neck or back. Pains in the neck are a common problem! The neck is one of the many areas where the cure is often in a different place to the problem. What do I mean? The neck has 7 cervical vertebrae, … More Do you have a pain in the neck?
One thing that often changes is the breathing. I was performing a concert this evening. The sensation of playing on stage was very different from the rehearsal in the afternoon. I wasn’t particularly nervous myself, so I was asking myself what feels different and why? I did a self scan: a technique I’ve learnt in … More What’s different for you when you’re on stage, compared to in the practice room?
After a Feldenkrais lesson, you might feel different. Some of you report having more sense of groundedness, breathing more freely, of moving with greater ease, or relaxation. Other people feel their balance or co-ordination has changed. Or something about the way they move or feel about themselves has shifted. Students often ask how can I … More How can you keep the feeling alive after a Feldenkrais Lesson?
What if it’s not really useful to breathe into the belly? When they tell you to breathe into the belly, most people actually mean diaphragmatic breathing. Belly breathing is a version of it at least: to access the lengthening of the lungs as well as outward expansion. But that’s not always the only effect. The … More Belly breathing: A hidden cause of back pain?
Since becoming a Feldenkrais teacher, now a decade ago, I’ve become more and more fascinated with our anatomy. We’re so fortunate to have access in our digital world to teachers all around the world. I’ve been particularly taken with the dissection work of Gill Hedley. And took some time in the preparation of these lessons … More Ribs and the Intercostals: A team in the movement of breathing and moving
the Feldenkrais Method with Emma Alter 