RESOURCES FOR AWARENESS THROUGH MOVEMENT®
I
am offering the enclosed handouts in the hopes that they will be of some
interest to students and practitioners. I have developed them over the past few
years and hand them out to students in my training programs before their ATM supervisions.
Discussions with Elizabeth Beringer contributed to the refinement of many of
the ideas. I would like to be an advocate for a greater sharing of Information
and ideas between us, and hope that this will be a Small step in that
direction. I am sure that many people will have more ideas to add to these
lists. They are not meant to be all inclusive and I welcome anyone who wishes
to communicate directly with me, to do so. Yours, David Zemach‑Bersin (dzbersin@aol.com)
Feldenkrais® Resources
Mid‑Atlantic Feldenkrais Professional Training Program
AWARENESS THROUGH MOVEMENT
1.
Use at the beginning of virtually every ATM lesson.
2. Invite students to make themselves
comfortable, to remove shoes, glasses, belts, etc.
3. Relate to the theme or content of
lesson. Highlight specific relationships which are germane to lesson.
4. Keep voice calm and conversational and
language simple.
5. Use to convey idea that class is a safe
environment, where whatever is felt is OK, good, valuable, important.
6. Use to Set up idea that we are not
trying to change anything or make anything different than it is.
7. Pace helps to bring student's attention
to themselves, conveys that there is time for self‑observation and that
kinesthetic sensations are valuable, worthy and reliable.
B. Proceed from the general to more
detailed.
9. Refer to contact with floor, weight,
sensations without implying that one way of feeling or lying is more desirable
than another.
10. Direct student's attention to sensory Information,
using both internal and external contact with themselves.
11. Attention to breath.
12. Scan should usually be systematic,
e.g. toes to head.
13. When dope methodically, with clear
Intention, a Body scan can be an entire lesson.
1. Learn to give clear sensory based
instructions in simple everyday language.
z. Understand how to pace attention via
instructions and commentary.
3. Learn to observe the group and adapt a
lesson to particular variations in self‑organization, i.e. the
limitations of specific students.
4. Develop ability to give instructions
and commentary in a non‑normative, non‑judgmental and non‑self
referential way.
5. Learn to create a safe and calm ambiance
and an interest and curiosity in learning.
6. Understand how to use your voice,
intonation and volume to keep the student's interest.
7. Learn to understand the basic
strategies utilized in most ATM lessons.
8. Understand the conceptual basis of ATM
lessons.
9. Know how to present greater and lesser
challenges to a group.
10. Be able to articulate the basic ideas
underlying the
Feldenkrais
Method.
11. Develop overarching ideas which you
can talk about.
12. Develop a varied repertoire of ATM
lessons.
GENERAL BACKGROUND STRATEGIES
1. Begin with a body scan.
2. Pause between movements allows for
fresh attention.
3. Use of rests as time to feel
differences.
4. No demonstration.
5. Movements done slowly.
6. Small movements.
7. Reduction of effort.
8. Variation vs. repetition.
9. Attention to process rather than goal.
10. Avoidance of pain.
11. Use of sensory comparisons.
12. Exploration as learning vs. repetitive
exercise or seriousness.
13. Errors or mistakes as valuable to
learning process.
14. Focus on ease and quality of movement
vs. stretch and strain.
15. Alternating attention between detail
and general, foreground/background or exclusive/inclusive.
16. Use of constraints in relation to
gravity or movement of a joint.
17. Attention to breath, in relation to
movement, feeling or activity.
18. Attention to quality vs. quantity.
19. Measure improvement in small steps.
20. Use the generalization of attention or
contact throughout the body to create a more proportional distribution of
effort.
21. Use of the 'neutral' in orientation
and as a reference for quality.
22. Use of imbedded positive kinesthetic
and psychological suggestions.
1. Generalized and differentiated
movement.
2. Proximal ‑ Distal reversal.
3. Auxillary movement.
4. Change orientation to gravity.
5. Exaggerate differences or asymmetries.
6. Self‑touch.
7. Move area adjacent to limitation or
injury.
8. Utilize central aspects for effort.
9. Reference or test movement.
10. Create a challenge or difficulty.
11. Learn on one side only.
12. Vary speed, rhythm or range.
13. Vary initiation or sequence or path of
movement.
14. Use Imagination or visualization.
15. Compare right and left.
16. Non‑habitual or unique
juxtaposition of connected elements, e.g., movements of jaw and hand.
17. Use of voice to alter quality or
orientation of attention.
18. Use of story or metaphor.
19. Clarifying skeletal structure and
function.
20. Elimination of anti‑gravity
function.
21. Approach function or pattern from
different parts/points.
22. Breakdown movement into components.
23. Use micro aspects of action pattern or
difficult movement.
Copyright
© 1998 David Zemach‑Bersin
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