New Years' Routine Begins

I’m on day 9 of the Amherst training. Another front-lying lesson, turning the head with the hands. The elbow in back is lifted off the floor, in this case the left one, which is very difficult for me. Antidote to all the time I spend holding a now 14-pound baby on the left hip. Here she is, making rolling over moves:

There is so much optimism in this training—the beginning of a new and wonderful method. And such a glow in Feldenkrais’ voice when he mentions “people of the guild.” I wonder what he would think of the state of things now. Most practitioners I talk to seem consumed with the difficult task of building a business and quite dissolusioned with the guild. Things are more of a survival mentality.

June 19 AM, part 2. Day two of my new routine, though I’ve been studying over the holiday break and before. This is potent stuff. I feel so fortunate to have these materials. One hour five days a week is about the right pace, as Feldenkrais says himself at one point. The 4-5 hours/day schedule of the training is just for convenience’s sake, but real human learning is optimal 1-2 hours daily.

He continues this segment with movements of the eyes to the right, and from there up and down. In the training he says to sit, but I chose to lie down and really let my neck relax. The lesson is predominantly to the right and adds the left direction, completing a circle, only at the end. He mentions nausea and the tonic neck reflex, as influenced by the eyes. Blind spots, and how much our overall self-use is dictated by our gaps in skill using the eyes. Myopia and its origins is mentioned in an earlier recording, as most often in school in an unfamiliar/threatening environment. Then we get glasses and our eyes are “ruined for life.” I don’t have my weaker prescription glasses here to try out but my vision does seem richer. The jewel-like colors in my office--house where I study hit relaxed eyes. Eyes that are ready to look out gently at any distance with a smooth quality, actually are reluctant to fix on the computer screen.

Channukah-arms pattern in front-lying round out the lesson. I feel amazing—relaxed enough to nap, but too interested in life and the next thing! There is a lot I meant to have written up to now, being as I am at the end of the second week of videos, but I'm letting that go and moving on. NEW YEAR