FREE Functional Movement Education, 15th Anniversary Celebration!

 FREE MOVEMENT EDUCATION!!
15^th Year Celebration!!

Free Functional Movement Education sessions on May 21 & 22 for you!!

Do something wonderful for yourself.  You deserve it!!

Since May 1997, this now marks the 15^th Anniversary of my office location in Santa Monica.  To show my appreciation to you, in Celebration, I have chosen to offer free Functional Movement Education sessions to the public in my office at Guan Acupuncture & Movement Education Center in Santa Monica, California on both Monday, May 21, and Tuesday, May 22.
      Reservations Required:   tel. 310-395-1952

Functional Movement Education sessions:
By developing your own body awareness, these hands-on bodywork sessions have therapeutic effect in alleviating joint pain, such as back, neck, shoulder and wrist pain.  By discovering your own pattern of how your body moves during these private sessions, you learn improved mobility, pain relief, and a healthy way for using your body.  Sessions are 45 minutes.

Call tel. 310-395-1952, or cell 310-938-6595, to schedule an appointment, so you can say:

Goodbye! to Pain and Stiffness and Hello! to joy and comfort.

Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education Center
Dr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
www.feldenkraisjamesspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"

"If you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to stiffness and pain!"
To see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful "'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here

Functional Movement Education for Yoga

The core of my Functional Movement Education practice is helping people having acute or chronic pain of the back, neck, shoulder, and wrist.  However, I also work with yoga students, or yogis, who are interested in improving their flexibility, ease and comfort, within their practice of yoga.  Some of these people are currently in pain, some are already very healthy.  These latter individuals are simply looking for a better way to improve their yoga.

During a session with a yogi, I use Functional Movement Education strategies to facilitate people's comfort in getting into the various beautiful yoga postures, or "asanas", as they are called.  Adaptable to all levels of ability or experience, working hands-on with clients, I present a Functional Movement Education approach to "stretching" in order to improve their yoga practice.

We all know that Functional Movement Education is a wonderful body-centered self-discovery process.  Yoga can be also.  An obvious difference is that Functional Movement Education uses movement for self-exploration and awareness while yoga uses asanas, mudras, and intentional kinds of breathing.  Therefore, I've found it sometimes to be a beautiful union between two different forms of self-exploration.

Complementing my primary passion of Functional Movement Education, I've discovered in recent years a strong fondness for yoga.  It's interesting how my love for one ignites my passion and application for the other.  Within my own personal time, each occasion in which I design a Functional Movement Education lesson around a certain yoga pose, I find that I enjoy the yoga even more so.  I'm also discovering that the more I do yoga, that returns my interest to Functional Movement Education for more movement exploration.  What a serene blend between process-oriented and goal-oriented kinds of work!

Functional Movement Education can dynamically help improve your flexibility and comfort within an asana.  Some of the asanas I have worked with clients for improving have been, in their English name:  Lotus, Cat, Camel, Hero, Plough, Spinal Twist, Head to Knee, Smiling Cow, Cobra, and the Bridge.



"Sensible Feet, rather than Sensitive Feet"

Each particular session with a client is unique with that particular person and on that particular day.  However, to give a tangible to what I do, I'll give a physical example of when I work with a yoga student who approaches me for improvement in sitting cross-legged, or sitting in Lotus.  Often times I am able to improve the yogi's flexibility by "working the client's feet".  More accurately, I am working through the client's feet, sensing for connections to the rest of the Self (body).  As I am working, I am asking within myself, "How does this (foot) connect to the rest of the Self?"  I may never actually articulate an answer.  However, it is this indulgement into this Inquiry Process that is the Functional Movement Education work.  I may also begin to gently turn or "play" with the client's toes and foot, as I am "into the process" of being aware of the connections throughout this individual as I am "exploring" the feet.  At some time during our "dance" together, I may find that I am even able to ultimately interlace the client's toes together, only if it is easy and comfortable to do so.  However, this is not a direct goal of the session.  As a practitioner, I am into the moment.  ...  I am into the process ... not the goal. 

Clients, afterward, are often amazed at how much more comfortably and easily they can sit cross-legged, or even in some form of Lotus.  What an improvement!  It's wonderful how this strategy can open oneself up for sitting.  One reason for this is because of the coherent connections between the toes/feet and the rest of the Self.  The toes/feet are instrumental in balance, which influences the organization of the Self.

An especially enjoyable moment in my practice occurred when a yoga teacher in the area, Deanne Shower, age 56, came to see me out of curiosity.  In the beginning of our session, she expressed that she was experiencing an intense tightness and pain in her right buttock when doing any Head-to-Knee pose.  This was unfortunately affecting her practice and teaching of yoga.  I guided her through a gentle “Head to Knee lesson".  Instead of having the intention of bringing her head to her knee (while the legs are straight), I built our session together around having her first explore bringing her head toward her knee while her leg is comfortably bent.  Then I would ask her to maintain the same relationship between her head and knee, namely that the two remain touching, while she slowly extend her leg in order to straighten it.  Instead of the traditional “hamstring stretch” that is taught to almost every American in our school system, this Functional Movement Education strategy teaches the relationship between the hamstrings, back, neck, and the rest of the Self (body) for more efficient movement.

At the end of our session, Deanne was overjoyed.  She told me that she no longer had ANY pain when performing the “hamstring stretch”.  She then amazed herself by proudly showing me that she was actually able to wrap both legs behind her head, exclaiming “I’ve never been able to do this.  This stuff really works!”

I love how my experiences with yoga people have always been positive.  They have always been quite open to Functional Movement Re-Education work. 

If you are just starting to develop an interest in learning yoga, I would advise you to first find an instructor that you feel comfortable with, and that you feel comfortable enough to be allowed to slowly go and learn at your own pace.  It’s important that you do not feel compelled to have to be able to pre-maturely force yourself into a yoga pose.  Be sure that you do not feel that you are, before you are ready for it, overly-stretching, in order to attain a, supposedly, certain level of fitness.  Find a teacher that you feel is nicely pacing you, and you do not feel is rushing you beyond your immediate abilities.

The best to all,

James

Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education CenterDr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"

"If you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to stiffness and pain!"
To see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful "'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here

For Practitioners: "Two Tools for My Practice ... The Table (Folded) and Telephone Books"

[Please allow me to state up front that the following blog is for Functional Movement Education Therapists, rather than for others.  I will soon be coming out with some more articles for the general public.]

Greetings Colleagues!

I observe that many different forms of healing therapies employ the use of tools within their work. For example, some "bodyworkers" sometimes use a tool in order to be able to do, for instance, deeper soft tissue work, while still being able to salvage their thumbs, hands, or arms from overuse. Since our profession, Functional Movement Education, an extremely powerful form of movement and somatic reeducation, also falls under the same protective umbrella with these other helpful modalities, vis-a-vis, the Healing Arts, it may be interesting to explore exactly some of the different "tools" that we frequently, or, occasionally, use within our own profession.

As Movement Educators, we are all familiar with the use of props, for the purpose of support, for a client when she is lying on our table. For example, supposing a client is lying supine (on her back), as practitioners, we may, or may not, choose to apply some sort of foam support behind her knees, as well as, possibly, under her ankles, if we see that it may be educationally useful.

Likewise, we may also apply padding, for instance, behind the lower back, the nape, the wrists, a shoulder, etc., if we see a large gap behind these areas. Thus, we may possibly consider the use of foam or pads as tools within our profession.

Evidently, the term, "tool", is not being conveyed in the traditional sense of the word, that is, "a device used to perform or facilitate manual or mechanical work". This use of the word, "tool", would convey a categorizing of a, for instance, "doing something", or, a "doing something onto". This would espouse the principle employed by a therapy, of a "working on". Whereas, we are familiar that this does not, at all, confer Functional Movement Education, which, instead, conveys the principle of a "working with". Utilizing this perspective, I am employing the term, "tool", to illustrate a device, which, as Practitioners, we encapsulate its use, in order to assist us within our exploratory process.

When working with our clients, we are familiar with the use of chairs, or, even the use of a vertical wall, which is wonderful for using for standing lessons. We often times employ the use of rollers. Frequently, we place a pad(s) behind the head. Sometimes we enjoy using a plastic or wood board to simulate the valuable "artificial floor" lesson. Analogously, the use of a board, applied to the hand, for an educational "artificial floor" lesson to the hand, can be helpful. This can be easily done with the client lying prone (on their stomach, or, front side), their arm hanging off the table, over the edge.

I propose two other tools which I relish within my work, (1) the Functional Movement Education table, itself, provided that it is a portable folding table (2) the use of telephone books.

I enjoy using the Functional Movement Education table, folded in half, and then securely latched up, as if for packing away. For instance, after positioning the folded, locked-up table, vertically (i.e., at an exact right angle with respect to the floor), I will then have the client straddle over it, so that her feet are just barely touching the floor. This set up provides a wonderful simulation for standing up in the vertical, while, at the same time, there is only a very minimal amount of force actually traveling through the client's feet. The client is "weightless" while in standing! The table is supporting the client in standing, through her groin area, as opposed to supporting her through her feet. This provides the sensory motor experience of standing, without, otherwise, efforting through her feet, thus, an excellent opportunity for exploration, without the client possibly holding onto her, otherwise, habitual patterns.

The practitioner can also ask the client to bend her legs, so that her inner thighs are straddling, lightly pressing into, the table, in order to emulate sitting, more accurately, sitting on a bicycle or motorcycle, or horseback riding.

Using the folded table to emulate standing or sitting gives the practitioner an abundant access to almost all of the different areas of the client's body. Thus, it creates a large opening for simultaneously working THROUGH many different classical landmarks, which might otherwise be sometimes untouchable, i.e., a unique access to both sit bones, as well as full access to all sides of the ribs, etc.

Sometimes, for additional support, rather than having the table free standing, which might sometimes require the client to be a little concerned for her balance while straddling over it, I may, instead, place the folded table in between two sturdy supports. For example, I will push together my desk and my filing cabinet, so that the folded table, which is positioned vertically in between them, is then securely locked into place. I position the table so that at least two feet, or so, is sticking out from in between my desk and filing cabinet, in order to allow enough room for the client to comfortably position herself over it.

Depending upon my level of comfort with the client, I may join her and also straddle the upright folded table, usually from behind, to position myself closer to her.  This provides an ideal place for the practitioner to run his fingers and hands up and down the client's spine and sacrum for doing, for instance, extension, flexion, or lateral bending lessons. The table becomes a "two-person saddle". Practitioner and client are, both, "riding the horse together".

On some occasions, if the client's feet do not comfortably reach the floor, I will place another "tool" that I use, that being telephone books, under her feet.


The use of telephone books also applies to when the table is in its original position, where it is unfolded, that is, where it is set up in its horizontal position, expressly, its entire length being about 16 inches or so along the floor.  In this instance, I will use simple, easily accessible, telephone books, when necessary, when doing a Kneeling Over the Table Lesson, and the client's knees will not, otherwise, comfortably reach the floor. Furthering the assurance of comfort, I will always place a kneeling pad between her knees and the telephone books.

Before using a telephone book, I will first wrap strong, packing tape around its entire perimeter, lengthwise, as well as, its entire width, in order to better maintain its solid rectangular shape. Otherwise, the depth (thickness) of the telephone book can sometimes buckle, slightly, under weight.  If, sometimes, the material of the outer cover of the book is too glossy or slippery, I will wrap it completely in paper, taped to seal. This allows better solid footing for the client, as well as being more aesthetically appealing.

Getting back to discussing the utilization of telephone books pertaining to working with the client while the table is in its original position, unfolded, that is, the table is positioned horizontal along the floor, the entire length of the table being about 16 inches or so from the floor.  ...  We all know how important it is to lift a client's arm, leg, head, or any part of their body, with the conveyance of little effort on our part in order to give the sensory-motor experience to the client of what it is like to move easily or effortlessly.  To give a practical application of how I use a telephone book to help me with this, let's suppose that the client is lying supine on my table.  I will arrange for her to be lying so that there is about 1 1/2 feet between her head and the edge of the table.  Within this 1 1/2 feet of space, I will sit on the table in order to bring my pelvis close as is comfortably possible (comfortable to both parties, the practitioner and client) to the client's head, in order to be able to gracefully and easily lift the client's head.  It is necessary for me to straddle my legs over the table in this position.  For shorter practitioners who have difficulty in straddling their legs over the table while it is in this horizontal position, simply place telephone books on either side of the table so that as your feet straddle over the side of the table, they don't need to go so far down as to be able to ultimately reach the floor.  Instead, having a thick telephone book nicely resting on the floor, your feet only need to go so far as to be able to rest them on the telephone book, which is supported by the floor underneath it.  Thus, a practitioner can feel very comfortable in this position of straddling a horizontal table.

As with any information ... Take what is useful to you. ... Discard the Rest. ...  Invent what you still need.

Enjoy!

The best to all!
James

Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education Center
Dr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"

"If you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to stiffness and pain!"
To see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful "'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here

Improve Your Spinning through Body Awareness: for Breakers and Wannabes

How many of us are in awe and wonderment in watching “breakers”?  Don’t you love seeing the athletic finesse of “freezes”, “popping”, “toprock” or “downrock” moves?  Although I am not a breaker, being in the field of orthopedics and movement re-education, the principles pervaded within my following article may be helpful for breakers, wannabes, as well as for the novice parent, pretending that he or she is a “top”, wishing to “play spin” with their child.  Since the term “break dancing” is looked down upon by the hip hop culture, whether you are or not, let’s pretend that y’all are "breakers", “b-boys” or “b-girls”.

Here’s something that can improve your “spinning” facet within the “B-boying” universe.  Please find below a routine you can use to gain more body awareness to assist you in your improvement process to be able to swivel or spin more efficiently and “authoritatively”.  This routine consists of several different movements, or “movement sequences”.  After a certain movement sequence, you may find that you are inspired to further explore the movement on your own and to see where it naturally leads you, one movement seeming to naturally take you in to another movement that you feel drawn to do.  Thus, you may have a small desire to go a little tangent to the lesson and explore and play with some of your own related movements that the lesson has sparked in you.  That is fine.  Allow yourself to be creative.  Allow yourself to spiral off into your own movement and awareness discoveries.  You can always come back to the structure of the routine whenever you wish.  That structure being …

Start out by sitting on your pelvis (your buttocks) on the floor.  You’re sitting on the ground with your knees bent, feet slightly lifted in the air, and you try to generate momentum for spinning around like a top.  Be creative.  Explore and play with how many different ways you can spin around on the floor.  If you’ve been continually spinning around in one direction, now begin to spin around in the other direction.  Also be creative in how you can spin around in this direction.  Notice in which direction it is easier for you to spin.  To the right or to the left?  If you’re not sure about this, just let it go.  We’ll get back to this question in a moment.

Spinning, if you will, is, relatively, a rotation around a vertical axis.  Now let’s have some fun exploring and playing around with some variations.  Doing the same action of spinning with different variations, rather, with different bodily movement patterns, will ultimately bring more body awareness.

Which side do you spin more easily toward?  If you’re not sure what I mean, ask yourself, which side would you say that you spin more smoothly, more efficiently?  To the right or to the left?  Or, ask yourself, which side does it feel more comfortable to spin toward?  If you had to spontaneously choose which side you would be more comfortable to spin toward, which side would it be?  On which side can you spin farther? 

Personally for me, I am aware that I spin more efficiently going to the left (as opposed to the right).  Thus, spinning toward my left is “my good side”.  Determine if this is true for yourself, or if you prefer to spin to the right.

In Functional Movement Education Therapy, we first work with the” good side”.  That is, we work on improving, even more so, the “good side”.  Then, afterward, if we are still interested in doing so, we work the “bad side”.  Incidentally, it should be noted that by only working the “good side”, the “bad side” will also see improvement.  In fact, sometimes, “the bad side” will improve more so if you continue working with improving the “good side”, as opposed to attempting to directly work the “bad side”. 

The below routine is formatted around those individuals, like me, who turn better going toward the left.  Therefore, for those of you who turn more efficiently going to the right, please substitute the words “right” for “left”, as well as substitute “left” for “right”.

Do the following movements, below in bold, slowly and well within your comfort range.  This isn’t meant to be a workout or exercise regimen, in the traditional sense, anyway.  Instead, this is about Learning.  It’s about sensory-motor learning, giving your Self (your body) the opportunity or experience to build new bodily movement patterns.

Again, don't feel regimented by the following routine or lesson.  Feel free to do the following movement sequences not in their listed order, rather, to do them out of order.  Even feel free to mix and match various movement sequences.  Be creative.  Let your curiosity guide you, provided that it is always comfortable for you, that you always remain within your comfort range.:
 
Spin to your left as you initiate the movement with your left leg.  That is, think of kicking your left leg outward toward the left as it leads the rest of your Self (body) to also spin to the left.

Initiate the movement of spinning to your left with your right leg.  That is, your right leg lightly kicks to the “inside”, rather, it kicks to the left to initiate the movement of spinning to the left.

Initiate the movement of spinning to your left with your left arm.  That is, think of “backhanding” with your left arm as it leads the spin.  For some of you, this may be the first time that you have ever thrown a left-handed backhand while sitting on your buttocks.  Thus, do this slowly.

Initiate the movement of spinning to your left with your right arm.
Spin to the left as you swing both of your arms to the left.

Spin to the left as you swing both of your arms to the right.

Spin to the left as you turn your head to the right.

Spin toward the left as you allow your eyes to look to the right.

Lie on your back.  Bend your knees to bring them somewhere comfortably near your chest.  While lightly hugging your knees, roll back and forth.  Thus, you’re rolling side to side, that is, to the left, to the right, to the left, to the right …

Roll your head to the right, while you roll everything else, that is, your knees and arms, to the left.

Roll your head to the left, while you roll everything else to the right.

Again, while lightly hugging your knees, roll your entire self back and forth, or side to side.

Again, bring yourself up to sitting.

Hug yourself, around your chest, and spin to the left.

Crisscross your legs.  Rather, have one leg over the other, and spin to the left.

Crisscross your legs the other way, and spin to the left.  Rest a bit.

Spin again as you would naturally.  Does the spin feel smoother, easier, more comfortable, than at the beginning of the lesson?  …  Are you possibly traveling even farther?”

Interesting.  Isn’t it?  At this point you may wish to take a break.

I observe that the spins I make by spinning around on carpeted floors are much smaller than the larger spins I am able to achieve by spinning around on stainless steel or linoleum surfaces, such as on tables or kitchen floors, they being more “spinning friendly”.  Wearing regular "street clothes" pants is more conducive to spinning on the floor than wearing sweat pants.

If you’re still interested in doing more, then, again, sit with your pelvis (buttocks) resting on the floor.  Begin to spin.  However, this time intentionally interfere with the spin, even bringing it to a standstill at any given point in its flow.

Related to this, go ahead and allow yourself to perform the spinning badly.  That is, invent as many ways as you can to mess up the movement!  As one of my brilliant, highly-skilled trainers, Ruthy Alon, eloquently beams, “Be creative.  Do it badly.”  Now rest a bit.

Spin again as you would naturally.  Does the spin feel even smoother,  … perhaps even farther than before?”

Beautiful!  The camera loves you, baby!  You own it!  “Hey dog!  MC Hammer’s on the phone, inquiring about dance lessons from you!  …”  “Yo’ top of da food chain!”


Epilogue:

Can you possibly see how you can transfer this lesson that you’ve been doing mostly in sitting, as well as a little bit in lying, into the vertical position?  That is, if you wish, translate the movement sequences for this lesson into the standing position as you begin to spin around on your toes. 

Incidentally, playing and exploring in the sitting position only, as you have been previously doing for most of this lesson, will also automatically translate into giving you more body awareness for moving in the standing position for doing this spinning kind of lesson, as well as for other kinds of movements.  Newly cultivated bodily awareness stays with you to spread out into other facets of your life.

Can you translate the movement sequences given within this routine toward the "headspin", "windmill", "backspin" or other breaker moves?  I know you can.

Happy Explorations!

Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education CenterDr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"

"If you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to stiffness and pain!"
To see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful "'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here

Alleviating Pain or Discomfort while Driving: A Movement Exploration Lesson

Do you have pain or discomfort while driving?  You’re not alone.  Perhaps a simple readjustment of the seat with respect to its distance from the brake and gas pedals may be beneficial.  Just by “doing something different”, “exploring options”, or “varying the pattern” sometimes helps.  The following is a movement exploration activity which invites this process.

Explore the following, initially anyway, while your car is still parked.  Since it's not good for your car to repeatedly press the gas pedal while the engine is turned off, therefore, we'll only work with the action of pressing the brake pedal.  Don't worry.  The sensory-motor learning you experience by exploring and playing with the action of pressing the brake pedal will also transfer or carry over into the action of pressing the gas pedal.  J

Assume your driving position …  You know …  where your hands are on the wheel, your back comfortably against the seat, your left foot on the floor  …

Place your right foot on the brake pedal, and go ahead and press it a few times.  Notice how you press your foot onto the brake pedal.  That is, would you say that you press it more with the inside of your foot or the outside of your foot?  Vary the way you press your foot into the brake pedal.  That is, explore and find different ways to press the foot.  For example, press with more of the inside of your foot a few times.  Press with more of the outside of your foot a few times.  Go back and forth between the two variations.  That is, alternate, first pressing the brake pad with the inside of the foot, then pressing with the outer edge of the foot, then with the inside of the foot.  Continue alternating back and forth between the inner and outer edges of the foot.

Press the brake pad with more of the toes.  Press with less of the toes.  That is, press the brake pedal feeling that the focal point of the foot is more toward the center of the foot or closer to the heel.

This is a movement exploration lesson.  There’s no right way or wrong way to press the foot into the brake pedal.  You’re just exploring different options for pressing the foot.  Right now, this is just a fun learning laboratory opportunity that you’re allowing your Self (your body) to have.  Your body is exploring and learning new ways of moving.  Rather, YOU are exploring and learning new ways of moving.  For all of the following movement descriptions below, it is implied to do each movement a few times.  Always rest when you need to.  Of course, the following is not intended to be an intense cardio workout or strength conditioning exercise.  However, you may still feel the need to rest frequently after each step.  Don’t push yourself to complete all of the several steps without taking a break.  “Less is More” when it comes to sensory–motor learning.

You’ve been exploring and playing with different ways for moving your foot or ankle joint.  Now move up to the next joint, in this case, the knee.  Move the knee in or out as you press the brake pedal with your right foot. 

After exploring and playing with the movement of the knee for a little while, go up to the next joint, the hip.  Move your right hip forward as your right foot presses the pedal.  Move your right hip backward as you press the pedal.  Lift your right hip off the seat as your right foot presses the brake pedal.  That is, the left side of your pelvis presses into the seat as your right foot presses the brake.  Press the right side of your pelvis into the seat as you press the brake.  Now alternate side to side.  That is, go back and forth between pressing the left side of your pelvis into the seat and then the right side of your pelvis into the seat and then the left side into the seat …

Lean a little forward as you press the brake pedal.  Lean a little backward (pressing your back into the seat) as you press the pedal.  Lean to the left as you press.  Lean to the right as you press.

Can you think of other ways to explore and move while you are pressing the pedal?  Create new ways or new patterns with your body as you press the pedal.

Now, let all of that go.  Just rest in sitting for a little while.

Now press the brake pedal, as you would naturally, without necessarily having any disposition of what you think is the “right way” to press the brake pedal.  Does this now feel differently than it did in the beginning of this lesson when you pressed the pedal for the first time?  Perhaps it even feels “easier” for you to press the brake pedal.  The action of moving your foot downward onto the pedal possibly now feels lighter or smoother.


Functional Movement Education Exploration:

You are exploring while you are learning new ways of moving.  You may find that during this play routine, above, you have possibly forgotten about your discomfort or pain.  You may notice that after playing with all of these different ways of moving, in addition to moving more smoothly or efficiently, you are no longer in discomfort.

Happy motoring!

Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education Center

Dr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"

"If you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to stiffness and pain!"


To see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful "'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here

How to Survive the Discomfort of a Long Plane Flight or Car Ride: A Functional Movement Education Therapy Approach

 

As we Functional Movement Education Therapists like to say, “Movement Education is about options. …  It's about having options.  It's about exploring for yourself different choices …  having fun while doing so.”                                      


In this mindset, …

As you find yourself sitting in your car or plane seat dreading the long ride ahead of you, grab, either, your coat, a sweat shirt, towel, or some type of clothing item or material that has a substance to it in order to roll it into a soft “log”.  Place this new rolled-up towel or coat behind your back.  The positioning of this rolled-up towel behind your lower back, some refer to this as a “lumbar roll”.  This may feel very comfortable for you at first.  However, after 5, 10, 15 minutes or so (possibly longer), you’ll probably wish to vary the positioning of the rolled-up towel.

“Vary the position.   Be creative.  Explore different options.”

For example, after having the rolled-up towel placed behind the lower back for several minutes, move the towel to be, instead, behind the middle of your back.  This change may feel comfortable or at least interesting to you.  However, after some time, you will probably want to vary the positioning of the towel again.  Rather, you may wish to move the rolled-up towel to a new location.

Some new possible choices or places for re-positioning the rolled-up towel can be (as well as, think of others):

*  Along various parts of your back, up or down, left or right.  Rather, left of the spine or right of the spine, or more toward your upper back, or more toward your sacrum.

*  Underneath your left buttock or underneath your right buttock.

*  Behind your left or right shoulder blade.

*  Even placing something underneath your feet, such as a thick book(s).  Thus, repositioning or raising the level or height of your feet in relation to the floor.

Although it’s not mandatory, you may wish to be proactive … or maybe not.  J  That is, you may wish to reposition the rolled-up towel to a new location a few minutes before you expect that the current positioning of the towel will no longer feel comfortable to you.

Whatever new arbitrary position you choose, remember that if, in the very beginning, it does not feel comfortable, or at least interesting, then avoid that particular positioning or placement of the rolled-up towel.  Let pain be your guide.  Rather, let pleasure be what you are drawn or attracted toward.

Please remember that there is really no such thing as the “perfect sitting position”.  No matter how, supposedly, ideal a particular position feels, most likely, sooner or later, you’ll have to readjust it.  Some folks espouse that the supposed “best way to sit” is to be sure that your upper body or torso is aligned perpendicularly or at a right angle to your thighs, and that your thighs are at a right angle to your lower legs, and that your ankle is at a right angle to your foot.  Sure, this may feel comfortable for a little while.  But, again, after some time, you’ll probably have to find another way to re-position your body.  There is no such thing as the ideal sitting position, but, rather, think of sitting as a dynamic (rather than static) art where one continually explores and plays with various  positions and movements.  Speaking of movement, …

Sometimes making small movements while sitting is helpful.  These do not necessarily have to be obviously large or visible movements as if you were doing the hip hop “heel toe” or “popping glide”.  Some of you, who are familiar with creating a “Body Clock”, may find it helpful while in sitting to delineate a “Pelvic Clock” or a “clock” around your mid-back area.  Rather than immediately creating a large, 360 degree clock, you may first wish to explore going back and forth directly between the hours of 12 and 6 O’Clock or between 3 and 9 O’Clock, before doing just the first quarter of the clock (the hours of 12, 1, 2, and 3), before ultimately tracing the full circle (the complete clock).

Be creative during your long journey.  Think of creating clocks along your Self (your body) wherever you wish, as well as any other strategies or options that will make your journey more pleasurable.

“Getting there (can be) is half the fun!”

Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education CenterDr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"

"If you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to stiffness and pain!"
To see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful "'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here

The Profound Movement Concept of the Spiral

Greetings again, friends!

I wrote the following while allowing myself to freely think outside of my health care occupational work of movement reeducation and therapy.  I allow myself to do this sometimes.  :-)

I am in awe with how much our reality is engaged with the entity, the "Spiral".  Right within my own backyard as a Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, I notice the existence of various spiral Body Awareness lessons within our community, that explore and play with, or are oriented around the tendency for Spiral.  I thought I might commentate on some additional observations of mine regarding this unique trajectory, the Spiral.

The action of the spiral is a very economical way for generating power, as displayed in Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais’s "Sitting to Standing" lesson, which employs the unique trajectory of a twist or spiral, as well as in the fabulous lesson by the Master Trainer, Ruthy Alon, in her "Standing Up from Sitting - Inner Dynamics of Gravity, Spiral and Timing" (25 minutes in length), on her magnificent "Free Your Back" audiotape lesson series.

In hands-on Functional Movement Education bodywork, the simple action of, for instance, say, lifting a client's arm or shoulder, or, pushing a client’s hip, as well as many other actions, sometime naturally lead into a spiral.

Ruthy Alon, one of the best “organized for movement” practitioners on our planet, beautifully demonstrates, during many of her public workshops, how the action of the spiral is evident within the leg, most likely the whole Self (whole body), during the leg's trajectory during walking. Many of us are familiar with how the action of reaching with the arm is enhanced when we allow the arm to twist or spiral.  For example, say you wish to pick up an object from, for instance, a dining table or a shelf.  Thus, allow your arm to freely “pronate” as your arm begins the movement of reaching.  “Pronation”, or “to pronate” means to rotate the hand or forearm so that the surface of the palm is downward or toward the back.  Also, you will find it helpful to allow your arm to pronate when performing other activities … such as when throwing a punch, speaking of which …

Many of the authentic punches in the sport of boxing, for example, the “left jab” or a “straight right” both employ a spiral, that is a twisting of the arm in a pronated direction, while an “uppercut” punch employs a supinated spiral, or “supination”.  “To supinate” means to rotate the hand so that the palm is upward, rather, so that the palm is facing up or forwards.  Also, observe how frequently two fighters or boxers dance around the ring against one another, before they gradually, ultimately, meet in the center of the ring to exchange punches. Again, this displays a spiral.  The concept of dancing around a confrontation, as boxers sometimes do, all the while, gradually migrating towards the heated epicenter (thus, the trajectory of a spiral), is intriguing, as opposed to tackling something, unpreparedly, head-on.

The principle of the Screw, recognized within Mechanics as that fastener having “helical” threads, is an excellent demonstration of the ease and power of a spiral. The large amount of torque or “Moment Arm” generated from the action of turning a screw is often utilized for lifting, raising, and permanently fastening immense objects.

Scientists are aware of the spiral structure of a galaxy.  Also, it has been conveyed to me that neighboring galaxies encounter one another in a spiral fashion. Likewise, on the other end of the spectrum, the very beginning of life, the initial contact between a sperm and egg is a spiral dance between these two lovers before they ultimately connect with one another.

The powerful, but very gentle, form of bodywork, Ortho-Bionomy, developed by formerly Canadian, then British Osteopath and Judo Master, Dr. Arthur Lincoln Pauls, passionately espouses the power of the spiral, as I am sure that other forms of bodywork do as well.

An extremely thought-provoking movie, the psychological thriller, "Pi", is named for the Greek symbol representing the value denoting a circle's circumference divided by its diameter, thus, an unending, irrational number.  Released in 1998, the film touches upon the concept of a spiral, Kabbalah, and other philosophical issues, through its main character, a young mathematician genius.

Some animals exhibit spirals in the shape of their horns, teeth, or claws.

Whether man-made or in nature, we are surrounded by spirals.  Please find below probably just a fraction of some examples within our world …

*  Tree rings or annual growth rings of a tree.
*  Nautilus shell.
*  Grooves on the old style record LPs.
*  Spider web.
*  Cork screw tool.
*  Strand of DNA.
*  Water outflow from a sink or bathtub, i.e. “down the drain”.
*  Tornado.
*  Hurricane (the "eye" of the hurricane being the origin or the focal point).

Although some of the above may be associated with a “twist”, or a “helix”, I am still allowing either of these to also be categorized as a spiral.  Thank you very much, Math Police.

Interestingly, the expression, “He’s spiraling downhill.”, or, “He’s on a downhill spiral.”, apparently infers that this individual is not directly going downhill, but is traveling a gradual, twisting, widening path to be gradually encroaching upon “the end or bottom of the hill”.  Thus, this individual is progressively, piece by piece, becoming worse and worse to finally, ultimately, eventually reach the “down hill”.  [Wow!  That was a mouthful.]  Rather than admitting that this individual has already “hit rock bottom”, by referencing the “spiral” term, at least one is expressing some slight politeness or courtesy toward this individual.

Can you think of other examples of a twist or spiral within our world, rather, within our reality?

Can you think of other applications or other philosophical paradigms related to this profound movement concept of the spiral?

If you don’t want to bother, you can just relax and come in for an unwinding, spiral, bodywork session.  :-)

Take good care,
James

Guan Yin Acupuncture & Movement-Education Center
Dr. Lin Cheng Speer, LAc, OMD, PhD
James Speer, Injury Rehab Therapist
Functional Movement-Education Therapist
Practitioner of the work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
1003 Wilshire Blvd. Suites #203, #208
Santa Monica, CA 90401
tel. 310-395-1952www.drlinspeer.com
"Health Is All that Matters!"

"If you’re in pain, or your body aches, I give you the sensory motor experience to be able to move freely, effortlessly, pleasantly, without strain or discomfort. Say 'Hello' to relaxing, and 'Goodbye' to stiffness and pain!"


To see my popular YouTube video of me demonstrating the wonderful "'2-Minute Movement-Education Miracle' to Free Up Your Stiff Neck", Click Here