Posts Tagged ‘Feldenkrais workshop’
June 22, 2010: Compute in comfort
Posted by Vita in Mindful Movement Tips on June 22nd, 2010
Does this picture resonate with you? Do your shoulders and neck hurt if you work at the computer for more than a few minutes?
We can get so focused on the screen and on what we are doing that we don’t realize that our head starts to assume a “turtle neck” position, evoking the image of a shortened turtle’s neck protruding from its shell. This position, especially if prolonged, can contribute to neck and shoulder tension.
The following can help you sit with more support and thus help to organize your head and neck more comfortably:
• Sit in the front of your chair with your feet firmly on the floor. Ideally your knees are slightly lower than your hip joints.
• Close your eyes. Gently roll forward and back on your pelvis until you can feel you are sitting right on top of your sitting bones.
• As you move forward and back how does the shape of your spine change? How do your head and neck respond?
• As you come firmly onto your sitting bones, the weight going into the sitting bones will help your spine lengthen upward and your head to find its optimum place on top of the spine, allowing the neck to attain its natural length. This is because as weight goes down into the pelvis and sitting bones, an equal and opposite weight moves up allowing the spine to lengthen and head to assume a more natural position.
• When you are sitting comfortably, notice where your face is oriented and whether your chin tilts downward slightly. This also helps the neck to lengthen.
• Turn your head a little to each side and notice the freedom of movement in the head and neck.
Do you want to learn more about safer, more comfortable computing? Join us at our next workshop, Safer Computing, this Sunday June 27, 10 am – 1pm.
We will explore the conditions for health and easy movement in the shoulders, neck, arms and hands while working at the computer. For details and to register click here.
June 1, 2010: Relaxing the eyes to relax the whole body
Posted by Vita in Mindful Movement Tips on June 1st, 2010
If there is tension in and around our eyes, many movements and actions, particularly those involving turning, lifting or lowering the head, become harder.
To relax the eyes:
• Lie on your back and close your eyes.
• Rub your palms together (to warm them) and place them over your eyes.
• Cover your eye sockets with the heels of your hands and rest your fingers on your forehead. Your elbows will point to the ceiling.
• Relax your hands and elbows. Feel your shoulder blades resting close to surface you are lying on.
• Keep your eyes closed and covered. Feel the warmth of your hands on your eyes. Take a few moments to lie quietly and breathe normally.
• Notice what colour or colours you see.
• Can you see a black background? The blacker the background, the more relaxed your eyes are.
• Spend a few moments lying quietly with your eyes closed. Before you open your eyes, roll your head very slowly and gently a little bit right and then left.
• Gently open your eyes. Feel the sensation in your face, around your eyes, in your neck and notice how you are breathing.
• Take a few moments to slowly get up and return to your activities.
To explore more about relaxing the eyes join us at our next #Feldenkrais workshop, Sunday June 13, 10 am – 1pm. For details and to register click here.
Last Spring Workshop is on Sunday June 27, Safer computing
May 11, 2010 – Avoiding the dangers of sitting
Posted by Vita in Mindful Movement Tips on May 11th, 2010
An article in last week’s Business Week titled Your Office Chair Is Killing You reports that sitting too much can contribute to high cholesterol and high blood sugar level. We also know that prolonged sitting can cause low back pain as well as shoulder and neck strain. When we stand weight is distributed through the hips, pelvis and knees but when we sit the pelvis and lower back take most of the weight contributing lower back (lumbar) pain.
So if you cannot get a fancy office chair (and as the article suggests that might not be the answer) what can you do to support yourself when sitting?
Try the following:
• Sit at your desk, your back away from the back of the chair.
• Place your feet flat and firmly on the floor about hip width apart instead of on the chair’s base or on the computer tower. Support through the bones of your feet will connect into the hip joints and pelvis and help take some pressure off the lumbar vertebrae of the back.
• Adjust the height of the chair so that your hips are the same height as your knees or slightly higher (or place your feet on a phone book or block).
• Perch yourself on top of your two pelvic sitting bones.
• Drop your shoulders away from your ears so they hang freely and your arms relax.
• Breathe easily and feel how your ribs expand and contract.
• Adjust your position frequently.
• Get up and move at least every 20 minutes.
Upcoming #Feldenkrais Spring Workshops:
Sunday May 16, Essential Breath THIS WEEK, REGISTER NOW!
Sunday June 13, Relax Your Eyes, Relax Yourself
Sunday June 27, Safer Computing
May 4, 2010 – Flexible Brains
Posted by Vita in Mindful Movement Tips on May 4th, 2010
“What I’m after isn’t flexible bodies, but flexible brains.” Moshe Feldenkrais
Through movement, Dr Moshe Feldenkrais challenged us to learn how to increase the flexibility of our brains. In his movement lessons we learn new ways of doing things because just doing the same thing another way is not really learning.
In honour of Moshe Feldenkrais’ 106th birthday on May 6, try to do one of your daily activities differently. For example:
• Eat part of your next meal with the fork or spoon in your non dominant hand. Notice how that changes your confidence that you won’t drop anything. What sensations in the rest of your body do you have to pay attention to?
• Work with the computer mouse on the opposite side for 30 minutes. At first it will feel very strange. Try to notice what parts of your body have to accommodate to the new organization. Notice if you are clenching your teeth? Is there more tension behind your shoulder blades?
• As you walk down the street pay attention to which side of the street you habitually walk on. Then cross the street and walk on the other side. Notice how that changes the feeling in your neck, how you have to turn your head differently and what you notice in your pelvis and back as you walk.
• Each day challenge your habitual use of self in one way. You will be surprised at what you learn about yourself.
We are celebrating Dr Moshe Feldenkrais’ birthday this week. Free class (Tues, Wed at 7, Friday at 9:30) this week for new students. Bring someone to class or send them this invitation. Treats for everyone!
April 27, 2010 – Body Talk
Posted by Vita in Mindful Movement Tips on April 27th, 2010
A recent article in the Globe and Mail by Wallace Immen affirmed the effect of body language on how we communicate. How we use our body when communicating also changes how we appear to others and ultimately on how we feel.
Try different ways of using your hands while you communicate and notice any changes in your audience’s responses:
• The next time you are talking with someone, as you are speaking keep your hands below your waist.
• Notice how your shoulders are rounded slightly forward. What do you notice about your chest? Is it open and pointing upward or slightly caved inward? How do your back and neck feel?
• What is the reaction of the person to whom you are speaking? Are they listening to you with focused attention?
• Then move your arms up to the level of your mid trunk or higher.
• Do you feel taller? Is your chest more open and more up and forward? Did your breathing change? Does your back feel more comfortable? Is your neck longer? Are you delivering your message with more enthusiasm?
• What is the response of your audience?
• Bring your arms higher and notice what happens.
Play with how you use your body when you talk to people, individually or in group presentations. You might notice a change in how they respond as well in how you feel about your ability to present yourself.
In #Feldenkrais classes and sessions our focus is on learning how to use our body differently to help make all our activities easier and more pleasant.
Spring Awareness Through Movement classes are in progress. Please join us at any time.
April 20, 2010 – Heads up! (while walking)
Posted by Vita in Mindful Movement Tips on April 20th, 2010
While walking outdoors, some people, particularly those fearful of falling, keep their heads hanging down and their eyes fixed on their feet or on the sidewalk right in front of them.
The next time you are walking outdoors do this short experiment:
• Walk as you usually do.
• Notice where your eyes are focused – down to the ground, out in front of you or to the side. Is your chin pointing to the ground or is it parallel to it? Feel the angle of your neck.
• Then let your eyes move to the sidewalk or track 10-20 feet (6-9 meters) ahead of you.
• Notice how this changes the orientation of your chin to be more parallel to the ground. It also alters the angle of the neck and changes the position of your lower back..
• Do you notice any change in your breath? Changes anywhere else?
• As you walk, alternately look down and then ahead of you.
When looking ahead you have a broader view of upcoming obstacles. Your neck will be longer and you might notice your lower back easing. You might feel more comfortable over all!
To learn more about some common mistakes we make while walking join us for our upcoming #Feldenkrais workshop, Pleasurable Walking, this Sunday April 25. Register by Thursday April 22. For details and to register click here
Spring Awareness Through Movement classes are in progress. Please join us at any time.
March 16, 2010 – Springy hips
Posted by Vita in Mindful Movement Tips on March 16th, 2010
The hip joint is where the large thighbone or femur meets the pelvis. It connects the lower and upper body through the spine and is key for all activities involving the legs and pelvis, such as standing, walking, running and sitting.
Try the following to discover the relationship of the hip joint with the foot and lower back:
• Sit on the floor with your feet on the floor, knees pointing to the ceiling.
• With your left hand, reach around the outside of the left knee to hold the outside edge of the left foot, near the toes. Try to keep the thumb and fingers together. If you wish, lean on the right hand for support.
• Lift the left foot off the floor. Each time you lift the foot the foot cross the knee underneath the left arm so it flips to the outside of the arm; the knee will point to the left. Then flip it back under the arm so the knee points to the right and the sole of the left foot points to the left.
• Repeat a few times.
• As you repeat the movements pay attention to the rotation of the hip joint in the pelvic socket, make sure you continue to breathe and release your jaw. What do you notice happening in each sitting bone and in your rib cage as you flip your leg?
• Stop the movement. Slowly get up onto your feet. Feel the connection of each foot on the floor and gently walk around, noticing if you feel any differences between the left and right foot.
• At your leisure repeat with the right leg.
This Saturday, March 20 is the first day of Spring. In the Northern Hemisphere, Spring starts when the sun crosses the equator, moving north.
On Saturday, join us for our next workshop, Getting to Know Your Hip Joints, 10 am – 1pm. Register online at http://www.feldenkraisvancouver.com/
No More Pain in the Neck – Feldenkrais Workshop
Posted by Vita in Workshops, Classes, Events on March 3rd, 2010
If you work at the computer for hours each day you may experience some upper back and neck tension. We do a lot to try to reorganize our work environment but often don’t think of reorganizing ourselves for better movement and more comfort.
In this workshop we will explore what it is that we are doing throughout our day that places strain on the neck. We will learn how to rethink how we are doing these everyday movements in the context of the whole body.
Advanced registration required and space is limited.
$65, mats and refreshments provided.
