Observation: Feldenkrais in Action

In bending down to pick up a piece of paper, Steve couldn’t organize his lower back in bending; so he would lean into a nearby table with his left hand, putting an inordinate amount of pressure into his left shoulder and left upper body (left upper back, ribs, shoulder blade, clavicle, 1st rib etc.) He didn’t want to bend his knees or even one knee to pick up the fallen piece of paper, for fear of drawing attention to himself.

No wonder he couldn’t lift his arm overhead! His left arm had become habituated to glue-ing itself to his left side.

At the beginning of our session, when I attempted to move his head side to side, it went easily to the right, but not to the left. Even when I moved his head to the left, his chest on the left side, wouldn’t cooperate, wouldn’t shorten.

I had him bring his weight over his left foot, and tilt his head to the left, and consciously shorten and lengthen the left side of his chest, separately tilting his head side to side.

He immediately noticed a difference. Allowing the left side of his chest to lengthen, so that his head could easily move laterally to the right and to the left.

Later in standing he felt taller, looser and his head was more midline. It was this change in movement pattern that made all the difference.