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the science of White Belt principle 9Embody and Share

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© 2010 Nia Technique, Inc. | NiaNow.com Principle 9 Lesson Plan | 1

The White Belt Continuing Education Course is an integral part of your Nia Livelihood Package. This course supports

you in deepening your Nia education at home, helping you physically embody the White Belt Principles in and out of

Nia class. Your Embody and Share book is chaptered by principle, with each chapter supported by these Lesson Plan

downloads you can work with at your own pace.

science - craft - Art

Exploring the Science, Craft and Art of Nia naturally

reveals the magic of nature and the human form—the

patterns, beauty and expressions of life sensed and lived

in a body.

Science explores the “why” of what we do. Craft explains

the “how” of what we do. Art expresses “what” we do to

make Nia a unique expression of ourselves.

All Nia practice is supported by The Body’s Way, an

applied science of using the body in accord with its specific

structure and design. The more you understand the design

of the body, the more you can make conscious choices to

improve your overall comfort, functioning and health.

Science: Why

True embodiment of information occurs when we

integrate cognitive learning, somatic awareness and

an understanding of the physical laws of nature. These

natural laws are rooted in the sacred geometry of life,

the mathematical blueprint found in every aspect of

the biological universe. What exactly does this mean?

When viewed closely, every element of nature can

be broken down into a pattern of smaller parts, which

too can be broken into yet smaller parts, and so on

“The feeling of awe and a sense of wonder arises from the recognition of the deep mystery that

surrounds us everywhere, and this feeling deepens as our knowledge grows.”

—Michael S., Schneider,

A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe: the Mathematical

Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science

without discernible end. This infinite, universal pattern

is the foundation of the term “Sacred Geometry,” the

mathematical wisdom that forges a bridge between the

“one” and the “many” within everything—including our

human bodies.

On a molecular level, geometry is encoded in our

bodies and thus in the way we move. From the angles

of atomic bonds to the spiraling helix of our DNA; from

each spherical cell branching out into tetrahedral shapes,

which together form greater parts—which too form

greater parts—everything in our bodies represents a part

of a greater whole, one geometrically interconnected,

inseparable and unified. Our movement is no different.

From the moment we are created in the womb, we

are moving—creating new patterns and rhythms in

the world in accord with the sacred geometry of our

bodies. By visualizing the underlying shapes of our

upper extremities—the sacred geometry of The Body’s

Way—we can truly connect with the design and function

of our arms, hands and fingers. We can use them to

their full potential for dynamic healing and expression,

independant but integrated with the whole of our bodies

and lives.

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Craft: How

Our hands and arms are designed to reach out and draw

in, moving energy into and away from the center of our

bodies. Through the sensation of “touch,” our hands

connect us to both our physical bodies and to the person

within. While our upper extremities have a specific

design, form and function, they also reveal our individual

stories—past, present and future. In other words, each of

us has a unique shape and movement pattern within The

Body’s Way that reflects our personal history—the result

of all the choices, attitudes and beliefs that have shaped

our bodies and lives.

Like everything in the universe, the body is designed to

ebb and flow, to continually reach out and draw in. This

is how energy is cultivated, exchanged, transformed and

harmonized. Because the upper extremities are highly

moveable, they naturally foster great change, the root

of ebb and flow. As conscious beings, we can actively

foster the ebb and flow of healing and conditioning by

changing the way we move. Our mobile, expressive

upper extremities remind us that by moving with

awareness—by creating conscious change—we become

free to direct the course of our bodies and lives.

Each part of the body functions best when it can move

freely, while also integrated with the whole. Our most

natural movement occurs when our actions are a direct

response to an internal force, such as emotion, desire,

or intent. These “internal response actions” stimulate

dynamic, integrated movement that begins from the core

and moves outward through each part of our bodies,

triggering our upper extremities to organically move

in unique and expressive ways. The force of emotion is

birthed from the emotional body, physically sensed and

expressed as speed and core impulsiveness. The force of

desire is birthed from the mental body recognizing the

emotional body, and expressing it to the outside world.

Desire is physically sensed as magnetism and a core

ache. The force of intent is birthed from the mental body

choosing a specific outcome to manifest, and is physically

sensed as laser-like power.

Art: What

The upper extremities include your two hands (and

all ten fingers); your two wrists, two elbows and

two shoulder joints; your four forearm bones (two

on each arm), two upper arm bones, two clavicles

and two shoulder blades. Each part is designed for a

specific function, and each is designed to work both

independently and together.

In Nia, the primary tools we use to condition and

explore our upper extremities are imagery and

visualization. Imagining your hand to be a paintbrush,

for example, naturally stimulates your fingers, wrists

and the palms of your hands to move as you are

painting. For further inspiration, you might visualize

colors flowing from all ten fingertips as you “paint”

the space around you. Or, you might imagine you

are a cat or a fierce lion, stimulating your hands to

move like soft paws, or sharp claws. These powerful

cognitive “tools” naturally inspire your arms, hands

and fingers to come alive and move and in their

full range of motion, expressing what you think and

feel—almost as if on their own!

Movement Arts inspiration

Each of the three movement arts of Nia (Martial

Arts, Dance Arts and Healing Arts) brings a unique

inspiration to the upper extremities.

Martial Arts inspires your upper extremities with the

force of focused intent and the concept of “energy

follows attention.” For example, in an upper or outward

block, you might use your elbow with the focused

intent to direct the energy of your block. Or, you might

focus on using the heel or “blade-side” of your hand to

direct your movement with precision.

Dance Arts inspires your upper extremities with the

force of emotion and personal expression. For example,

you might say “Yes!” as you raise your hands up toward

the sky, or release a sound of anger when throwing your

hands out in fists.

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Healing Arts inspires your upper extremities with the

force of desire. For example, you might use the desire to

heal your shoulder joints to dictate the direction of your

palms as you move, which plays a key role in the way your

shoulder joint opens or closes. You might also use different

parts of your hands—front, back, or sides—to direct energy

in ways that support healing in your whole body.

With all upper extremities moves, always begin and

end in neutral position. Neutral is the sensation of your

shoulder girdle resting like a relaxed halo above your

ribs, allowing your upper arm bones to hang down into

the pull of gravity. In neutral, your shoulder blades rest

easily over your ribs, ready to be engaged. Beginning and

ending in neutral allows you to move from your center,

a place of strength, stability and relaxation, naturally

recycling energy so you can sustain power and grace.

Each time you return to neutral, you have an opportunity

to consciously realign, re-focus and more skillfully begin

your movement from a place of dynamic ease. When

a movement begins “out of neutral,” you might sense

imbalance, lack of power, or dynamic tension, rather

than ease. When this happens, simply return to neutral

and mindfully begin again.

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Read

For this part of the lesson plan, you will read sections from

your Embody and Share book and answer questions about

what you learned.

Move

These lessons help you embody Principle 9, The

Upper Extremities of the Body, transmitting cognitive

information into physical sensations.

Self-Assess

These lessons gauge your growth and competency in

Principle 9, The Upper Extremities of the Body.

Exploring The Body’s Way

This section includes quotes and reflections to help you

explore the White Belt Principles.

Watch

For this section, log into NiaNow.com and go to the

Continuing Education section to watch the Principle 9

Teacher Training video with Debbie Rosas.

Lesson Plan Format

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the Upper extreMities of the Body

Principle 9

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Read1. Read Chapter 9, The Upper Extremities of the Body,

in your White Belt Embody and Share book.

2. In your journal, answer the questions below.

introduction

•Describe two ways in which consciously working

with Principle 9, The Upper Extremities of the Body,

has changed your body and life.

•How has a deeper understanding your upper

extremities enriched the health and well-being of

your body and life?

•What is the most dramatic shift in your movement

that has taken place since consciously working with

Principle 9?

principle 9: the Upper extremities of the Body and your Body

•How often do you acknowledge the amazing

healing, conditioning and expressive powers your

upper extremities provide your body?

•What can you do to make activating and moving

your upper extremities a part of your daily life?

•When you are not activating your upper extremities,

how do you recognize this disconnection and what

do you do to consciously reconnect?

•What main techniques does Nia provide to help

you stay connected to your upper extremities?

Voice of the Upper extremities of the Body

•Describe what this voice has inspired, motivated and

educated you to do.

•What self-healing wisdom from the upper extremities

has revealed itself to you?

science

•Describe how and why Nia’s approach to the upper

extremities is The Body’s Way.

•How does the way you move your upper extremities

affect your nervous system?

•How does the way you move your upper extremities

promote self-healing in your body? In your mind,

emotions and spirit?

craft

1. Teach one person who is fit and one person who

is unfit how to heal his or her shoulder girdle using

“palm directions.”

2. Using the triad for Principle 9, create an affirmation

that helps you self-heal your upper extremities. Make

this self-healing act a part of your Nia classes and

lifestyle practice.

Example: Before you get out of bed in the morning, say:

“Today, I will direct my upper extremities by connecting my

hands to the world, consciously touching everything with

awareness, including the space around me. As I touch, I will

both receive and give.”

Art

Write your personal story about discovering the upper

extremities of your body (3 - 5 paragraphs). Share how you

are able to increase pleasure, comfort and self-healing in

your life by moving your hands and arms while activating

the conscious awareness of sensation. We invite you to

share your story on the Nia Forum!

recall

Celebrate what you know! Use Recall to strengthen your

competency in this principle. For any questions you cannot

answer, enjoy the process of learning something new—go

onto the Nia Forum and discuss Principle 9, The Upper

Extremities of the Body, with your Nia community.

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embodiment

•Practice movement exercises 1- 4 from your

Embody and Share book.

• Journal about your experience and answer the

questions below.

how did principle 9 help you...

• Physically change the way you move?

• Mentally affect your movement choices?

• Emotionally connect to yourself and the world

around you?

• Spiritually increase self-love?

the nia 52 Moves

• Practice all 52 Moves to Nia’s Learn the Move and

Move the Move DVD, focusing on name recognition

and the specific language used to model and master

the upper extremities moves.

• Once you can physically respond to the name of each

move and model it with dynamic ease, dance to the

52 Moves voice-prompted CD. Self-assess and observe

what you learned from your practice with Learn the

Move and Move the Move. Pay attention to how easily

you can respond to the moves’ names and verbally

share the language of the techniques.

• Using the process of “Show” (moving without

speaking) and “Tell” (saying the name of the move

with the phrase “I sense my...”), dance to the 52

Moves Energize the Move workout DVD. Focus on

conditioning the upper extremities of your body

with the Five Sensations (Flexibility, Agility, Mobility,

Strength and Stability—FAMSS).

• To support your learning process, consciously

personally train yourself (CPT) using the catch phrase,

the language of this principle’s triad, and the language

of the Five Sensations, as described in the Nia

Technique book.

create your Kata

“Kata” is a Japanese word for choreographed patterns of

movements, used in theater, tea ceremonies and martial

arts. In Nia, “kata” refers to a move or a series of moves

in a pattern, used to strengthen your skill and technique.

1. Choose any song from the NiaSounds library or

follow the suggested song list below.

2. Create your own kata, including one move from

the base, one move from the core, and one move

from the upper extremities (refer to the 52 Moves

list in the Nia Technique book and to the Learn

the Move and Move the Move DVD), or follow the

movement suggestions below.

3. Listen to a variety of music and put the same Nia

moves to the sounds you hear.

For this lesson, pay close attention to the choices you

make to guide your upper extremities. Consciously

use imagery and visualization, as well the energy of

Nia’s three movement arts (Martial Arts, Dance Arts

and Healing Arts), to inspire and direct your movement

in ways that support healing, conditioning and free

expression.

Kata Examples

For this lesson, Debbie recommends working with

the music of the Nia routine “Velvet.” Pay attention

to your body’s way of moving your arms, hands and

fingers. Play with spine movements, focusing on

mobility and stability as you explore Principle 9, The

Upper Extremities of the Body.

Music: Velvet – Your Sincerely 6:40

•Lesson: Warm up the Upper Extremities using the

set choreography of this song, moving your Base

by walking FreeDance style / Engage the Core by

moving your rib cage / Palm Directions to create

your kata.

Move

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Music: Velvet – Oolong Journey 4:32

•Lesson: Get Moving the Base of the Body using

the set choreography of this song and practice the

stances / Engage the Core by sounding “A” as you

lean / Web Spaces to create your kata.

Music: Velvet – Show You Something 6:27

•Lesson: Get Moving the Base of the Body using the

set choreography of this song, moving through space

in FreeDance style / Engage the Core by poking the

space / Finger Extensions to create your kata.

Music: Velvet – Let Your Soul Guide Your Heart 6:13

•Lesson: Get Moving the Base of the Body using the

set choreography of this song with kicks / Create

Core Stability using your hands / Finger Flicks to

create your kata.

Music: Velvet – How Does It Feel 5:04

•Lesson: Cool Down the Base of the Body using the

set choreography of this song, sensing relaxation in

your Upper Extremities / Engage the Core with the

sensation of Flexibility / Touch to create your kata.

Music: Velvet – Spring Again 5:28

•Lesson: Create your own FloorPlay with the Base

of the Body using movements of the Nia 5 Stages /

Engage the Core with all of the 5 Sensations, shifting

sensations / Touch to create your kata.

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Using the chart below, assess your skill in modeling the

52 Moves while focusing on Principle 9, The Upper

Extremities of the Body. Pay close attention to which

moves you can perform with ease, grace and power.

Seek the sensation of support coming from the ground

up—through your feet, into your core, and out through

your arms, hands and fingers. Seek the sensations of

flexibility and mobility in your connective tissue; agility,

mobility and stability in your joints and muscles; and

strength from balancing all sensations with stability. Use

repetition to develop precision and skill, while staying

connected to the sensation of dynamic ease in your

spine, core and upper extremities.

Play with hand and palm directions to develop equal

power and fluidity in both sides of your body, always

seeking the sensation of systemic movement, comfort

and pleasure. These are the voices that confirm you are

moving The Body’s Way while respecting your body’s way.

Develop freedom in your core and spine by noticing the

areas in which you tend to “lock up,” and then tweaking

your movements to support comfort and efficiency in your

whole body.

This month, repeat two Nia moves each day, paying

attention to which moves need more mobility or stability

to establish freedom in your upper extremities. When

you sense effort or tension, stop! Slow down and direct

your attention to your base, your primary support for

your core, spine and upper extremities. Strong base

support allows all other body parts to relax. Place your

feet underneath you and step at a speed and in a range

of motion that allows your connective tissues, joints and

muscles to interact and respond simultaneously, without

effort. Practice each move in all three intensity levels

until you can maintain the correct form and technique,

regardless of your speed or range of motion.

•Observe which moves ask you to slow down or

reduce your range of motion. A sense of effort or

imbalance may mean:

• Your feet are not directly underneath you, causing

your hands to tense and your shoulders compress

upward, backward or forward.

•Your stance and/or range of motion is too big,

causing your feet to tense up and contract, which

prevents your base from supporting your upper

extremities from the ground up.

•One of your base joints (ankles, knees, hips) is

locked, interrupting the flow of energy into your

upper extremities.

•You are holding your breath, rather than blending

your body with breath. As you move, focus on the

exhale to integrate your movement, so you can

efficiently support the flow of energy through your

arms, hands and fingers. Remember: When you

focus on the exhale, the inhale will naturally take

care of itself.

•Your hands are clenched and/or not engaged with

space. When you use your hands to touch and

interact with the space around you as if it is tangible,

your core will naturally support the movement of

your upper extremities. This allows your upper body

to relax and sense where it is in relationship to the

space around it.

•You are “holding” one or more of your three body

weights (pelvis, chest or head). Consciously release

your pelvis, chest and head to give your spine the

freedom it needs to support the movement of your

upper extremities.

•You are emotionally and energetically “flat.” Use

imagery and visualization to consciously shift your

emotions and bring a sense of “aliveness” to each

move. Fully integrated movement engages your

body, mind, emotions and spirit, conditions your

nervous system, and keeps your upper extremities

agile, adaptable and ready for anything!

Self-Assess

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BASE

feet - 8 Moves

Heel Lead

◻�Hands/Fingers—Using every part of my hands to create shapes and connect my lower body to the movements of my upper body

◻�Wrist Joints—To take energy in and move it out through my upper extremities

◻�Forearm Bones—To spiral energy into and out of my body

◻�Elbow Joints—To direct the movement of my upper arm bones, while freeing and engaging my shoulder blades and joints

◻�Upper Arm Bones—To open and close the front and back of my body

◻�Shoulder Joints—Using Palm Directions to safely move the bones of my arm

◻�Clavicle Bones—To extend my hands and arms away from my core and open the front of my chest

◻ Shoulder Blades—To squeeze and release my rhomboid muscles, the muscles between my shoulder blades

Whole Foot


◻ Wrist Joints—To take energy in and move it out through my upper extremities







Ball of the Foot









The 52 Moves: Exploring the Upper Extremities of the BodyAs you practice the 52 Moves for this lesson plan, refer to the following downloads from NiaNow.com:

•Nia White Belt 52 Moves Movement Analysis—FAMSS

•Nia White Belt 52 Moves Anatomical Analysis—Muscle and Joints

•Nia White Belt 52 Moves Movement Analysis—Movement Forms

To activate my upper extremities and sense systemic, whole body integration as I skillfully create shapes in space, I need more movement in my:

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Relevé









Rock Around the Clock









Squish Walk









Duck Walk









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Toes In, Out and Parallel









stances - 6 stances

Closed Stance









Open Stance









A-Stance









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Riding or Sumo Stance









Bow Stance









Cat Stance









steps - 9 Moves

Sink and Pivot Table Wipe









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Stepping Back Onto the Ball of Your Foot









Cross Front









Cross Behind









Traveling in Directions









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Lateral Traveling









Cha Cha Cha









Slow Clock









Fast Clock









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Kicks - 4 Moves

Front Kick









Side Kick









Back Kick









Knee Sweep









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CORE

pelvis - 2 Moves

Pelvic Circles









Hip Bumps









chest - 4 Moves

Chest Isolations









Shimmy









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Undulations









Spinal Roll









head - 1 Move

Head and Eye Movement









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UPPER ExTREMITIES

Blocks - 4 Moves

Upward Block









Outward Block









Inward Block









Downward Block









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punches - 4 Moves

Upward Punches









Outward Punches









Across Punches









Downward Punches









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elbow strikes - 3 Moves

Elbow Strikes Down









Elbow Strikes Back









Elbow Strikes Out









hands - 7 Moves

Touching









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Fist









Pumps









Strikes









Chop-Cut









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Web Spaces









Palm Directions









fingers - 8 Moves

Finger Extensions









Finger Flicks









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Creepy Crawlers









Spear Fingers









Catching Flies









Claw Hand









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Power Finger Crossover









Balance Finger









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Exploring The Body’s WayExplore all Nia principles with awareness. Awareness is the

body’s ability to pay attention to detail and respond without

intellectual judgment or reasoning. Physical awareness

helps you develop flexibility, agility, mobility, strength,

stability, comfort and alignment. Mental awareness helps

you craft the life you desire. Emotional awareness guides

you to internal peace. Spiritual awareness connects you to

your higher self, keeping you aligned with your purpose.

Activate Awareness

• As you receive information, consciously notice the

physical, sensory relationship between your body and

the internal experience you are having.

• Slow down, sense and observe your body’s responses.

establish Awareness

•Pay attention to what you sense in your body.

Notice if the information you are receiving

increases joy and pleasure.

• Seek sensations in your body that either clarify or

challenge what your mind believes to be true.

• Confirm what you believe to be true through

sensation. Use the triad Listen, Think, Test to validate

and embody the Nia White Belt Principles for yourself.

research triad

Listen Think

Test

listen

Proactively seek information from resources you find

motivating and inspiring.

think

Apply a Nia principle or concept to your new information.

test

Pay attention to what you sense in your body to confirm

what you believe to be true.

“The triad is the form of the completion of all things.”

- Nichomachus of Gerasa (c. 100 A.D., Greek noe-Pythagorean philosopher and mathematician)

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“25 centuries ago, Plato wrote that the most important

task for a society was to teach the young to find

pleasure in the right objects.”

— Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi,

Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of

Discovery and Invention

Body

“There are a number of examples in which pressure of

the tips of the thumbs on one another or on the floor,

or the compression of the fleshy mound at the base of

the thumb (the thenar eminence), results in additional

pressure of the scapula on the rib cage, provided

the forearm is pronated and the humerus is rotated

laterally. For example, lift the arms in parvatasana or

virabhadrasana I, fingers interlaced, the palms inverted

so as to face upward and the biceps turned laterally;

at the same time, lower the scapulae. Then press the

tips of the thumbs into one another as the upper arms

are rotated laterally, and feel the stronger bite of the

scapulae onto the rib cage as they press the sternum

forward and upward. The thumb-to-thumb effect is

weak to nonexistent if the scapulae are allowed to rise

(upper trapezius contracted) as the arms are extended

upward.”

— Mel Robin, A Handbook for

Yogasana Teachers: the Incorporation of

Neuroscience, Physiology, and Anatomy

into the Practice

Debbie says: There are so many subtle differences we can

make to improve what we feel—to enhance pleasure and

functioning in the body. I am always impressed with how

the seemingly subtle use of my fingers and hands makes

every part of my body engage in ways that make me

whole and strong.

“The hand consists of the metacarpals and phalanges

together with the surrounding muscles, vessels,

nerves,skin, etc. The hand is a versatile “tool,” capable

of tasks ranging from fine precision (playing piano,

threading a needle) to great strength (swinging a

sledgehammer, unscrewing a stubborn jar lid). The

success of humans as a species is due in large part

to our ability to grasp and manipulate objects. The

strong, opposable thumb is crucial in this respect,

and is one adaptation which allowed humans to

take the evolutionary ‘quantum leap’ beyond their

primate ancestors.”

— Blandine Calais-Germain,

Anatomy of Movement

Debbie says: What a gift the thumb is! If you strain your

thumb, you will quickly learn that the thumb is one of the

most important parts of the human hand. As the nurturing

finger, the thumb reminds me to nurture everything I

touch. My thumb makes me feel more connected to my

heart in more ways than one. Is the thumb evolutionary or

a necessity, reminding us humans to have a heart?

“The Rock Cycle. Consider the slowly changing rocks

that mesh their own long cycles of weathering, melting,

cooling, crushing, compression, and reformation within

the greater whole.”

— Michael S., Schneider,

A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the

Universe: the Mathematical Archetypes

of Nature, Art, and Science

Debbie says: I am struck by the similarity of the Rock

Cycle and the cycles of human transformation. As I

observe myself and my students attempting to change

their movement habits, I see the weathering effect old

habits have on the body. As we dance, I see a melting

away of “doing it the same way”; a releasing of what

was, a crushing of the old; and the reformation of

movement within a greater whole—one of change and

P9 Quotes

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transformation. I am a rock, slowly changing how I use

my hands and arms. I am aware of the weathering effects

old movement habits have on my neck and shoulders. In

time, this too will change. My lesson is to be patient, to

allow my bones and tissues to shift in their own time, in

their own cycles of weathering, melting, cooling, crushing,

compressing and reformation, so that I might feel a greater

connection to wholeness.

“The first thing to decide is whether or not such habitual

use of the head and neck is important. Consider this:

the whole region at the base of the neck, both front and

back, is a veritable maelstrom of muscular coordination.

It is here that those most inadequete evolutionary

adaptations – the shoulders and upper arms – will exert

their distorting influence during the many activities in

which we engage.”

— Wilfred Barlow,

The Alexander Technique: How to Use

Your Body Without Stress

Debbie says: I have often wondered how I can imprint the

deep relaxation I feel in my neck and shoulders after a

good cry into my daily movement. What is it that happens

when I cry? My extremities allow the core of my body—

my pelvis, chest and head—to be my primary support.

Now, I consciously seek the sensation of what I call my

“cry dance,” to help me release any exerting influences my

shoulders and neck might have on the rest of my body.

Mind

“The wave is not the water. The water merely told us

about the wave moving by.

—R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983),

American inventor, engineer, poet,

mathematician, and futurist)

Debbie says: Watching hands and arms moving in space,

I am constantly reminded that when the body is being

moved, it is not the person moving the body. We mentally

intend to lift our hands up to the sky, and as we do, we get

to witness the invisible force of the universe made visible,

rippling through the body. This is one of the great joys I

get from watching bodies move through space—I get to

witness the magic of the universe rippling itself through

the body. It is the endless wave that like the tides, come

and go.

“To execute [even such a simple thing as sitting down]

must require the right degree of action of a great many

muscles and nerves, some hundreds to thousands of

nerve fibers and perhaps a hundred times as many

muscle fibers. Various parts of my brain are involved

in the coordinative management of this, and in so

doing, my brain’s rightness of actions rests on receiving

and dispatching thousands of nerve messages, and on

registering and adjusting pressures and tensions from

various parts of me.”

— Wilfred Barlow,

The Alexander Technique: How to Use

Your Body without Stress

Debbie says: I am in awe of the task of caring for a body

from the perspective of the body. I do my best to be aware,

to pay attention, to listen and respond. I am slow. Therefore,

the best thing I can do for my body is remain sensitive

to pleasureable sensations. The way I use my hands can

positively affect the messages my body receives and

dispatches. I want the receiving and the dispatching to be

rooted in pleasure and love, so my job is to choose comfort

and pleasure. In doing so, I will accomplish my desire.

“In the Two we experience the very essence of numbers

more intensely than in other numbers, that essence

being to bind many together into one, to equate

plurality and unity. Our mind divides the world into

heaven and earth, day and night, light and darkness,

right and left, man and woman, I and you—and the

more strongly we sense the seperation between these

poles, whatever they may be, the more powerfully do

we also sense their unity.”





9lesson


Debbie says: The power of two in the human body is

visible in our two feet, two ankle joints, two sets of shin

bones, two knees, two thighbones, two hip joints, two

sides of the pelvic girdle, two kidneys, two lungs, two ears,

two eyes, two nostrils, two lips, two sides of the brain, two

shoulder joints, two shoulder blades, two clavicle bones,

two sides of the rib cage, two upper arm bones, two

elbows, two forearm bones, two wrists—and two hands!

By consciously recognizing my two hands, I am able to

sense seperation and independence: my left hand holding

my right hand. I am able to also sense dependence, the

balance and harmony that can only come when two

become one.

“I think that all mind patternings are expressed in

movement, through the body. And that all physically

moving patterns have a mind. That’s what I work with.

In every workshop there’s a certain mind, or mood of

the room, when most of the people are doing any given

pattern. And then, when we change patterns, the feeling

in the room changes. For instance, when you are in the

push patterns, it’s like being in a cave; whereas, when

you go to the reach and pull patterns, the whole room

lightens up. All of a sudden people are aware of the

light and sound and others. So people are impressed—

in any of the work, whether it’s through the body

systems or through the developmental work—that we’re

really dealing with the physical manifestation of mind.

And by becoming attuned to the alignment of the mind

and the physical activity, the element of choice comes

in; one has conscious choice then.”

— Bonnie Bainbridge, Cohen, Sensing,

Feeling, and Action

Debbie says: Changing our mind is how we accept and

make choices. The body desires change. In my hands, I

am constantly reminded of the changes, the choices, I

have access to at any given moment. The dance of my

hands and arms as they express themselves provides me

with a picture of the moving patterns of my mind. In my

hand gestures, I am able to witness my thinking mind.

emotions

“Five-fold symmetry fills a special place in nature’s

design lexicon. The five-pointed star’s association with

excellence, power, and authority is manifested in nature

as beautiful and efficiently designed forms. Pan’s fertility

was symbolized by the five-pointed star because the

shape is a key to nature’s fecundity and generative

powers, providing freshness, fullness, and fertility of

life. The archetype of five-ness expresses itself as living

forms and in the attributes of living creatures.”





Debbie says: When it comes to my upper extremities, it

is my hands that shape the generative powers inherent

in moving. Changing the way I reach out with my hands

adds a freshness to my experience. The freshest experience

of all is when I remember to emotionally connect to the

five-ness of my hands, the quality that connects me to all

living forms. I move my hands and am in awe of the magic

of my body and the world I live in. In these moments, I am

emotionally full. I am in peace and in love.

“The arms are like wings; we have to learn how to

use them. They become light, very light, when the

grounding is properly done with gravity under our feet.

Leonardo da Vinci gave a great deal of attention to the

flight of birds, since he was experimenting with the

possibility of human flight. He wrote: “When a bird

flies down, then the bird’s center of gravity is outside

the center of his resistance.” We must realize that the

gravity under our feet, attracting us towards the center

of the earth, is outside our bodies. This is similar to

what happens between the earth and the sun: the earth

gravitates around the sun, but the sun is outside the

earth attracting it towards itself.”

— Vanda Scaravelli,

Awakening the Spine: the Stress-free

New Yoga That Works with the Body to

Restore Health, Vitality, and Energy

9lesson


Debbie says: What a gift it is to see through another’s eyes,

to receive understanding from some else’s viewpoint. The

concept of “oneness” was brought home to me when I

realized I am the eagle—I must learn how to fly and use

my wings! I must explore movement, not only by sensing

my body, by watching my body and other bodies, but also

by watching the world moving around me—by watching

the birds, dogs, cat and all animals, as they are in constant

motion and harmony. They will teach me to fly with the

wings of my hands and arms.

“The benefit of thumb action in paschimottanasana is

especially clear. With the hands holding the feet, the

fingers wrapped around the lateral edges of the feet, press

the thumbs into the first metatarsal heads. This action

serves two important purposes in this posture: the thumb

action not only helps the depressed scapulae lift and open

the chest, but also supports the strong foot position, which

helps straighten the legs and spread the toes.”

— Mel Robin,

A Handbook for Yogasana Teachers:

the Incorporation of Neuroscience,

Physiology, and Anatomy

into the Practice

Debbie says: To mindfully guide my body by sensing pleasure

is one thing. To use greater body knowledge—to draw upon

the wisdom of yoga—is to receive detailed information so I

can go even deeper into sensation. The result is that I learn

how to live in my body more functionally. The simple act

of using my hands and fingers amazes me. “Coming into”

each of my body parts helps me awaken to deeper levels

of sensation, to a deeper knowledge of how all parts work

together and rely on one another.

“...one can set the hands on the wall with the edges of the

thumbs and the index fingers touching the wall, and then

press both to the wall while rotating the upper arms and

depressing the scapula in adho mukha svanasana. When

in the position with the hands blocked, if the heels can be

blocked as well, then the effects on the scapulae are further

magnified.”

— Mel Robin, A Handbook for

Yogasana Teachers: the Incorporation of

Neuroscience, Physiology, and

Anatomy into the Practice

Debbie says: My upper extremities are my connection to the

sense of touch. Touching the invisible, the space around me,

I feel the activation of Natural Time measurement. Through

touch, I get to see my body’s proprioceptors in action. I get

to experience something magical inside me: proprioception,

the internal voice that lets me know where my body is

and what it is doing—a voice that comes to me through

sensation. It is my responsibility to do all I can to enhance

my ability to sense, to develop my senses, so I may have a

healing and loving relationship with my body.

spirit

“When truth has been revealed to us, we cannot go

back into the old pattern with our usual silly mistakes.

No excuses can be accepted, no justifications can be

offered; life is too demanding and we have to hold it in

our hands.”

— Vanda Scaravelli,

Awakening the Spine: the Stress-free

New Yoga That Works with the Body to

Restore Health, Vitality, and Energy

Debbie says: The idea of holding life in my hands makes

me acutely aware of my hands. The understanding that life

is always in the palms of my hands inspires me to move in

loving and grateful ways. I seem to touch the world more

gently knowing that at my fingertips is life itself.

“The feeling of awe and a sense of wonder arises from

the recognition of the deep mystery that surrounds

us everywhere, and this feeling deepens as our

knowledge grows.”





Debbie says: Knowledge is fuel that inspires us, our bodies

and our students. Knowledge is all around us, as the

mathematical wisdom of Sacred Geometry is everywhere we

look. Like the plants that have a five-fold pattern, my hands

also have a five-fold pattern. When I look into the palms of

my hands, the center of my two fives, I am aware that in the

palms of my hands is life itself. Every time I reach out with my

hands, I am one with the plants and the universe.

9lesson


“Harmony makes small things grow. Lack of it makes

great things decay.”

—Sallust (c. 86-34 B.C.,

Roman historian and politician)

Debbie says: Spirit is my messenger. When I listen to the

voice of my spirit, I am always guided into alignment. By

moving my upper extremities, I receive the opportunity

to sense and cultivate harmony. Tracking the sensation

of harmony is how I move and heal; how I avoid the

decay that comes from lack of harmony—the sensation

of struggle, effort, pain and strife. Harmony is always

available to you in the palms of your hands, in the

movement of your shoulder joints, hovering and sliding

underneath your shoulder blades. When we move our

arms, hands and fingers, harmony is there, waiting for us

to dance and play.

“Unlike the still center, the circumference speaks of

movement. We replicate this universal principle in our

geometric constructions whenever we turn the compass

around its point and scribe a circle. Symbolized in

nearly every culture as a wheel, the circle represents

nature’s universal cycles, circulations, circuits, orbits,

periodicities, vibrations, and rhythms.”





Debbie says: No other part of the body connects me as

deeply to the spirit of our universal cycles and rhythms

as my hands. My hands are constantly speaking to me

and to the world. As I observe them in motion, I see

they move much like a compass. My thoughts and

emotions are the fuel that inspires my hands and arms

to gesture, to scribe their messages around me, always

following the shape of a circle. My hands reach out

and come back to me, swimming in the sea of life’s

patterns—of Sacred Geometry.

resources

Barlow, Wilfred. The Alexander Technique: How to Use

Your Body Without Stress. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts,

1990. Print.

Calais-Germain, Blandine, and Stephen Anderson.

Anatomy of Movement. Seattle: Eastland, 1993. Print.

Cohen, Bonnie Bainbridge. Sensing Feeling and Action:

The Experiental Anatomy of Body-mind Centering. 1980-

1992. Berkeley, CA, USA: North Atlantic, 1993. Print.

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Creativity: Flow and the

Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York:

HarperCollinsPublishers, 1996. Print.

Robin, Mel, and Mel Robin. A Handbook for Yogasana

Teachers: the Incorporation of Neuroscience, Physiology,

and Anatomy into the Practice. Tucson, AZ: Wheatmark,

2009. Print.

Schneider, Michael S. A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing

the Universe: the Mathematical Archetypes of Nature,

Art, and Science. New York, NY: HarperPerennial, 1995.

Print.

Scaravelli, Vanda. Awakening the Spine: the

Stress-free New Yoga That Works with the Body to

Restore Health, Vitality, and Energy. [San Francisco]:

HarperSanFrancisco, 1991. Print.

9lesson


debbie’s recommended reading list:

Calais-Germain, Blandine, and Stephen Anderson.

Anatomy of Movement. Seattle: Eastland, 1993. Print.

Hogarth, Burne. Dynamic Anatomy. New York: Watson-

Guptill Publications, 2003. Print.

Myers, Thomas W. Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians

for Manual and Movement Therapists. Edinburgh:

Churchill Livingstone, 2001. Print.

Rolf, Ida P. Rolfing: the Integration of Human Structures.

Santa Monica, CA: Dennis-Landman, 1977. Print.

Schultz, R. Louis, and Rosemary Feitis. The Endless Web:

Fascial Anatomy and Physical Reality. Berkeley, Calif.:

North Atlantic, 1996. Print.

Todd, Mabel E. Thinking Body. Hightstown, N.J.:

Princeton Book Company, 1991. Print.

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