The Use of Clocks
The Use of Clocks
Link for audio of Newsletter: http://tiny.cc/dcf2101
Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais introduced the idea of clocks in lessons to facilitate directions, spatial relationships, and attention in replicating how one mentally and physically sees and represents the hours in movement, for instance, when walking or transitioning from one position to another, as in coming to sit or stand. It’s fascinating how we see the clock and move around this image, which is the theme of many Feldenkrais lessons. Often we explore the clock as a circle, but many of us know from our own personal experiences that not only how we see the hours of the clock, but also how we activate to move around this image, are perplexing and not as simple as one might think. Are you familiar with the artist Salvador Dalí? He had so many images of the clock, paradoxes, with adaptations that often bring insight into this theme as to how one creates not only their image of this figure, but how they move in relationship to their self-image.
The basic introduction is through the idea of a Pelvic Clock, imagining it as a circle beneath your pelvis. Let’s clarify something about our human structure for a moment. While we’re the same, each of us is different, and the differences in how we see, think, and imagine this image are complex and surprising. Let’s think for a moment about our human structure. There are three spheres within us, our pelvic bowl, our chest, and our head, that ideally need to rest on top of our spine in the neutral position. All three spheres, or balls, interconnected by our vertebral spine, within our torso, house the vital organs that keep us alive. It’s curious how different the surprises are in how another sees this image. If you asked someone before beginning this theme, whether in Awareness Through Movement (ATM)® or Functional Integration (FI)®, to draw a simple image of a clock, how your brain sees that image can vary by generation. Many of us grew up seeing analog clocks, but many in younger generations have no image of anything other than the digital clocks they grew up with.
Drawing is a skill just like any of the skills we have developed, so you don’t need to have any artistic skills to explore this idea. Just allow curiosity to awaken and let your hand follow your eye. Drawing is also a wonderful exercise for improving cognitive challenges. Here is another skill that can improve with practice, just as the suggestion to explore and play daily to hone skills in ATM support learning, developing improved options, and adding more into our bank of optimizing the quality of our life as we age, and hopefully continue to hone more skills.
“Through awareness, we can learn to move with astonishing lightness and freedom at almost any age.”– Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
Does the image of your clock change when you are in different positions or orientations with respect to gravity? Dr. Feldenkrais intentionally changed the placement of the clock’s hours to encourage greater variety rather than wiring in only one way. He would suggest, can you do that action in at least 3 different ways with ease? How able are you to experience this image, and how does it help support cognitive potency? It requires memory, spatial reasoning, and executive function to work together simultaneously. Make mistakes, as it’s better to work through the errors to find more efficient ways to be.
This week, I will introduce the theme of clocks to play with in multiple orientations. Begin to notice how flexible you can be, entertaining movement, to feel how it can move through you instead of being held or controlled by muscular effort. If you’re sitting in a chair, imagine the clock under your pelvis, and where do you see the hours? Is it different when lying on your back, belly, or on your side? So many ideas to explore and investigate that keep your mind active and pose challenges that facilitate and enhance mental, physical, and emotional health. Tap into one, and exponentially, everything, incrementally, begins to improve.
I hope I’ve earned the privilege of your time and attention this week. Wishing you all the gift of staying active and finding strategies to improve life.
Warmest,
Peggi
