Learning from Trees - 5 - Breathing like leaves (soft hands)
Learning from Trees - 5 - Breathing Like Leaves
Allow hands to breathe like leaves
Based on “Bell Hand 1, Amherst” by Moshe Feldenkrais as taught by Alan Questel, GCFT®
The energetic torus of a plant as water ascends and food circulates and descends.
Our cross-species exploration has followed the flow of fluids up from the roots absorbing water and nutrients and through the Xylem structures, and down through the Phloem as food created in the leaves spreads throughout the tree. We have compared how roots stabilize the tree by spreading deeply with gravity to how our feet spread on the ground for stability and use gravity for propulsion.
Next to be explored, via soft hands, is the sensation of leaves. Leaves breathe. The undersides of leaves have tiny pores, stomata that open and close as do the sphincter muscles of the palm. Hands and leaves are the most flexible part of their overall structures.
Stomata (from the Greek stoma meaning “mouth”) are pores [in leaves] that regulate gas exchange with the atmosphere… The pores open and close depending on environmental conditions (e.g., changes in time of the day, humidity, temperature), thus controlling CO2 input for photosynthesis and water loss through transpiration…. In daylight, plants are both respiring and photosynthesising, so oxygen and carbon dioxide are diffusing in and out of the leaves. But overnight, without sunlight, photosynthesis stops and stomata close. With just respiration taking place, only oxygen diffuses into the leaves and only carbon dioxide diffuses out.
To emulate leaves, we use our soft hands in the the bell hand, lesson. This lesson has us lying on our backs, thinking about the sphincters of the eyes, lips, feet, pelvic floor and palms of our hands. Vibing with our friends the trees, we will imagine carbon dioxide flowing into our palms and then releasing oxygen.. Our hands will represent leaves, the sphincters of the palms emulate stomata opening and closing in response to the environment and internal needs. Boggle your mind thinking about the palms taking in carbon dioxide, creating sugars and releasing oxygen while your lungs are taking in oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide.
This is another deeply relaxing and trance-induing lesson. Be prepared to go deep, breathe deep, and explore connections between the breath, the opening and closing of the hands in synchrony with the lips, feet and pelvic floor.
We will use the kidney healing sound: choooooo to help amplify your awareness.
Science Nerd Candy Bowl:
Stomata: How Plants Breathe (3 minute lesson) - Biotech Whisperer - like the title says
The Tree Listener - Maple Hill Tree - at 4:05 we hear the sound of liquids flowing in a Copper Beech tree
SOUNDS FROM THE TREE (Bio Acoustics Of Plants) - Sonoquilibrium - (2:01) Just like it says - the sounds from inside a tree
Ultimate Torus Animation - Leianne Wilson (1:42) - how the torus builds energy flows into a closed system
Set up for supine lesson:
Lying on a mat with support as needed for back of head/under knees
Sitting on a chair with knees and hips level
How you might feel after this lesson: Feeling taller with each breath; A new awareness and appreciation for wrists and their association with feet, lungs, pelvic floor; Connecting hands to pelvic floor crown energetically; Relating pelvic floor to balance and power; A moment of relationship with nature and trees?