Long Neck, Heavy Heavy Head - 2 - Rolling Head Front and Back with Hugs
Long Neck, Heavy Heavy Head - 2 - Rolling Head Front and Back with Hugs
Self Massage for upper back and everywhere else
Based on “Hugs front and back” from “And the Head is Free Series” by Arlyn Zones, GCFT®
Need a hug, an upper back and neck massage, with ribs and hips enjoying relaxation as well? This lesson delivers. With a little trance on the side.
“Long neck, heavy head” aims to counteract shoulder slumping and back rounding that accentuate the worst of our figures. Decades of bad habits, including the last decade of mobile phone addiction, makes holding an elongated spine, from lumbar to cervical, out of reach. Let’s change that with an exploration of naturally lifting the chest and flattening the belly, even a belly carrying a little extra padding.
In keeping with a fundamental Feldenkrais teaching method of initiating movement from ‘the other end,” this lesson offers variations on twisting and releasing the spine: head twisting around the torso, torso rolling below the head, hips rolling below the torso, torso rolling above the hips, legs rolling in the hip sockets, hip sockets rolling around the femur heads. And we do this on both the front and back for different sensations of gravity.
While one variation might be beautifully easy for you, a different one might shine a spotlight on a block or misalignment that you might have been blind to. Yes, even after all these ATMs, as we continue to untangle old habits and face changes, new kinks are always showing themselves.
Science Nerd Candy Bowl:
Spine Overview - Blake Martin (5:13), clear explanation and demonstration of movement and constraints in each section of the spine, demonstrated on a miniature skeleton
Thoracic versus Lumbar Rotation, Twist and Shout or Don’t - Blake Martin (3:45), witty explanations of vertebrae structure and function, with emphasis on lumbar and thoracic spine
Set Up for a Supine and Prone:
On a mat with padding for head and knees as works for you, so neck and long back have room to open up and flatten
Optional padding under hips and maybe knees for prone segments; some people like to create a ‘head cradle’ out of rolled towel laid in a circle to support the forehead and lift the neck
OR side-sitting in a level, stable, armless chair, with knees and hips level, possibly a seated, shoulder-height support for arms
How you might feel after this lesson: Looser all over; Longer; Open; Breathing deeply; Upper back massaged; Ribs released; Possible realignment of legs in hip sockets, arms in shoulder sockets; Able to use core to roll torso, pelvis, head; Able to let head be heavy and neck long; Able to support the head from deep in the spine; Spaced out - another trance-inducing lesson.
“We do the movements just to test ourselves if we are sleeping or are awake. That means [to distinguish] if we are able to pay attention, to do what we want, or if something inside of us, by itself, does what it wants. In other words, we are trying to stop being machines, but rather to become something closer to being a human that has awareness, knows what he is doing, and does what he wants... ”
Wednesday 9:30 am or 6:30 pm class registration, keep using it. If you were registered for the 12:00 pm Wednesday session, you’ll need to register. Registered, paid students receive the lesson recording link on Thursday. $40/month; $15/single lesson. PayPal or Venmo to jackisue@aol.com. Or check to Jacki Katzman, PO Box 116, Bethlehem, NH 03574
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