Zoe’s moving blankets
To begin
Get a blanket. Lie down on the floor. The bed is too squishy and yoga mats are too sticky. Use your own blanket, or get a moving blanket, which we all use in Feldenkrais. They are thick and easy to slide on. (I get mine here, USA cargo control, for around $20 each.)
Make yourself comfortable. Do you need a folded towel under the head? A rolled blanket under the knees?
Attend to yourself in a deep, almost meditative way.
Move gently. Do not struggle against yourself. Your nervous system does not learn if you are mean to it.
Do not do reps. Stop when your attention drifts. Bring it back or rest.
Only do what feels comfortable and easy. Repeat: Only do what feels comfortable and easy.
Stop before anything is uncomfortable. If something is uncomfortable, do less, imagine it, or rest.
Give yourself permission to rest. There is wisdom in resting.
Do not worry whether you're doing it correctly. Just go through the movements and let the lesson unfold. You do not have to “do” the lesson. Rather, let the lesson “do” you. Exploring the variations is what helps you reclaim your innate movement intelligence. It will happen whether you want it to or not, you don’t have to make anything happen.
For more orientation, read these short blog posts:
And listen to my short note on the Foundations of Feldenkrais (try lying on the floor to listen):
Why are lessons on the floor?
It’s because it is more conducive to learning when you remove the the postural work of standing. While lying down, we can do movements we cannot do while upright, due to the decrease of the anti-gravity muscles. You want to eliminate the need to balance upright while paying attention to movement because it increases so much proprioception.
In other words, you will do yourself more of a favor by doing a lesson on the floor, then getting up to see how it feels.