Skeleton School

Perfect Hinges

I'm composing my own movement lessons again. I decided to keep the process fast and loose this time, minimal editing, thinking along the lines of the original Alexander Yanai lessons. Record something then keep moving. Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skeletonschool.substack.com [https://skeletonschool.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

ep. 20 - Four to Sit with Bent and Straight Legs

The Four Points are a theme Feldenkrais introduces here, early in the AY series, but it's developed more later in other places like the San Francisco training. To me, AY16 seems to be two different lessons woven together, so with this episode and the previous episode, I've separated those two lessons into two separate lessons. This one is interesting because it connects very directly to another set of themes in this second reel of AY lessons, this position where you're sitting with one of your legs long and the other bent with the sole on the floor. In previous lessons, like the shoulder stand lesson, you do flexion to take yourself forward with one leg bent and one leg straight. In this second half of AY16, you into that position from a totally different entry point, and I think that's compositionally interesting. It’s also valuable from a learning perspective. If you're ready, please enjoy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skeletonschool.substack.com [https://skeletonschool.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

ep. 19 - 4 3 2 1

4 3 2 1. Not counting down to anything, but... this lesson is based on AY16, originally called Four Points. And actually this episode is the first installment. I'm just doing the first half of AY16 in this episode. Plus I added a little bit I thought was relevant. I'll do the second half of AY16 in the next episode. I posted a video of myself on Facebook doing a little piece of AY16, and another practitioner gave me some tips on how to do it. He mentioned a lot of these early AY lessons are actually based on judo groundwork that Feldenkrais was very familiar with based on all of his judo experience. Before he started elaborating his own approach to movement and learning, he was a really experienced judo practitioner and teacher. Another thing my colleague pointed out is that a lot of these early lessons don't have a lot of frills. They're not slowed down. They aren’t chunked into smaller pieces that people can easily understand. There's like a lot of information that comes quickly. So I tried to go a little bit more slowly in this lesson. And that's why I chose to break it into two. I hope you enjoy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skeletonschool.substack.com [https://skeletonschool.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

ep. 18 - Turning the Hands, Rounding the Back

One of the things that I want to do with the Feldencast is go through all 550 of the AY lessons of Moshe Feldenkrais. That’s partly a personal inquiry because I want to understand more about his compositional approach to making movement lessons. It raises the question, what is a movement lesson? What makes a Feldenkrais lesson a lesson? I’m not sure. Basically, I think it has to be structured so you learn something interesting. And it can’t just be a movement exploration or an exercise. In the last episode, episode 17, when I wanted to present something a shorter, I ended up composing my own lesson, and making it up was fun! Then I sent that lesson to a Feldenkrais trainer to find out, Does this count? I haven't heard back from him yet, so I guess the jury's still out on whether that particular authority figure will think it's a lesson. But I really enjoyed the process, and I think it stands up. Please let me know if you disagree or have any constructive criticism. Episode 19 will be back to the AY lessons. For now, I hope you enjoy this one. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skeletonschool.substack.com [https://skeletonschool.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

ep. 17 - Sitting Round with Bent Legs

This lesson is a breather, which means 1) it has to do with breathing, and 2) it's a little break from the sequence of the Alexander Yanai lessons, which are all kind of challenging and somewhat long. I had a few people suggest I make some shorter episodes because it's kind of daunting to sign up for an hour-long audio track. Although I think that's actually a form of sticker shock. A lot of times when I get on the floor and do an hour-long lesson, it's not that it seems really long. But beforehand, I think, “who has the time to lie on the floor for an hour?” So anyway, this is shorter. Half an hour. It develops some of the themes that were introduced in the previous two episodes about flexion, rounding the back. But I've tried to make it simpler. Hope you enjoy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skeletonschool.substack.com [https://skeletonschool.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]