A bag of bones

On Monday evening I was hit by a motorbike. I headed out on my own small motorbike to pick up my friend after work. We were about the turn into the parking lot of a popular rooftop Bar-Restaurant at the other side of the street, here in Ho Chi Minh City, South of Vietnam, when we were hit by an accelerating motorbike. The other driver came from the other side of the road, went from parking to full throttle, didn’t look out, crashed into my left side.

It’s bewildering how time slows down in such moments. My first reaction was to let go of my motorbike’s handle bar, drop the motorbike and jump off to safe myself. But then something inside of me said, hold it, your friend is sitting in the back, you can’t drop the motorbike. You need to hold it stable.

What a strange thing, sacrificing oneself for the safety of someone else. No regrets, no second thoughts, but indeed very strange to feel this primal connection to the monkey brain so clearly.

I think my sacrifice was very worth it though. My friend said if I had not pulled up and recovered my motorbike from falling, then it would have crushed her lower leg, very likely would have broken it. Also, she would have fallen onto the street. She said we were very lucky because the street was very busy with hundreds of other motorbikes and lorries and cars, but in the very moment of the crash there was no other vehicles passing by. My Vietnamese friend, my neighbour, who has been in an almost deadly motorbike accident merely 5 years ago, where a passing truck almost rolled over her head, missing her head only because she lifted it away in the very last second.

My friend, her legs were so shaky she could hardly stand or walk over to the side-walk, and was awake for most of the night, but she was unharmed, not a scratch. I asked the other driver to move back to the parking on the other side of the street and discuss this over, exchange contacts. That’s where I collapsed. During the accident I didn’t fall and I didn’t hit my head, but the overall hard impact of the motorbike crash must have rattled something inside of me. The world went blurry like the backdrop of a photograph. Everything became muffled, moved into a distance. My legs gave in. I could feel my friend and the other driver trying to hold me up. The color profile switched to a warm cozy brown and red. I felt warm and save. I was thinking, “Is this the end? Is it finally over? It feels nice. It’s so peaceful.”

X-ray showed no bones were broken. My left arm felt painful but there was no visible damage. I felt a big relief. Now, almost a week after the accident the bruises are crusted over, the pain in my left foot, left lower arm, left wrist and left side of my hip is largely gone. My motorbike is fixed as well. And there might be a chance that I get reimbursed for my expenses, by the other driver.

I didn’t tell my brother or my mom any of this. No need to worry them, it all ended well. The reason why I write this blog post is this:

In the night after the accident there’s something strange I’ve noticed in my left arm: when I tried to turn it there was some clicking noise. Some crackling, as if the bones were not connected properly. During the night I worried that my radius bone might be broken, which luckily turned out not to be the case as confirmed by the doctor. But later that day I noticed the same phenomenon in my right shoulder, and then in both feet and both knees. A crackling, a clicking, when I moved. It was as if the tensioning network of my tendons and muscles got loose. As if the strings that held my bones and joints together were loose. I felt my joints became loose like the legs of my IKEA chairs. I took a long rest.

Another day later the clicking of my joints and bones was gone, apart from some tender spots everything was back to normal. The miracle of the human body. I’m not sure what to make of it, but it seems like the tensioning of my bio-tensegrity network that holds my skeleton in place is not genetic and not mechanically fixed, but entirely done and upheld dynamically. Done either by the brain, or by some chemicals or hormones or adrenalin or something.

Interesting. For the duration of one day I had the impression that the human body is just a bag of bones that are held together by soft tissue, best practice and good will. Nothing is set in stone.

The bones are move!

Mid Februar I had the idea for my first video for March. I wanted it to be about Feldenkrais-inspired body scans. I got down on the floor and also started to review my material on my laptop and compared it to the work of other Feldenkrais teachers and Yoga and Mindfulness teachers and also started to write a blog post and the blog post became longer and longer just like this sentence and at one point progress slowed and became laborious and then development on both the blog post and the lesson ground to a halt, half-finished it came to a complete STOP.

So- March 4th. This morning I stumbled over a video about neck movements, the drills—he called it drills—rather fiercely executed and brutal, but people love it. 3.3 million views and much praise in the comments. People like to handle themselves ruff it seems. Maybe that’s why my Youtube channel appears to be shadow-banned. Am I too gentle for the masses?

Anyways- this fiercely executed row of neck movements inspired me to make a series of short videos for the neck myself. I’ll design a number of short sequences and practice them for myself for a couple of days, then teach them, then see if it might become a row of videos. I guess. Let’s see.

Meanwhile- I opened up ChatGPT to see how well it can write about human anatomy. Turns out, I’ve had quite a pleasant chat with ChatGPT about anatomy. The little essays it writes for responses, lovely.

Me: How is the lower arm connected to the upper arm in humans?

ChatGPT: The lower arm (forearm) is connected to the upper arm through two joints: the elbow joint and the radioulnar joint.

The elbow joint is a hinge joint that connects the humerus bone of the upper arm with the radius and ulna bones of the lower arm. This joint allows for flexion and extension movements, which allow you to bend and straighten your arm.

The radioulnar joint is located just below the elbow joint and connects the radius and ulna bones of the lower arm with each other. This joint allows for rotational movements, which allow you to turn your palm up (supination) or down (pronation).

Together, these two joints provide the necessary range of motion and stability for the arm to perform a wide range of activities, such as lifting, throwing, and grasping objects.

Me: Explain to me the radioulnar joint in plain English

ChatGPT: The radioulnar joint is where the two bones in your lower arm (forearm), the radius and ulna, meet each other. This joint allows you to rotate your forearm so that your palm faces up (supination) or down (pronation). For example, when you turn a doorknob, you use your radioulnar joint to rotate your forearm. The joint is important for many activities that involve using your hands and arms.

Me: Whats more important for lower arm rotation, the wrist or the radioulnar joint?

ChatGPT: Both the wrist and the radioulnar joint play important roles in lower arm rotation, but the radioulnar joint is primarily responsible for rotation, while the wrist provides support and stability.

The radioulnar joint allows for pronation and supination, which are important movements for many daily activities, such as using a screwdriver, opening a jar, or typing on a keyboard. The wrist, on the other hand, allows for flexion, extension, and lateral movements, which are also important for many tasks, but not as crucial for lower arm rotation.

So while both the wrist and the radioulnar joint are important for the function of the lower arm, the radioulnar joint is more critical for rotation.

Other stuff I asked: Which one is the radius and which one is the ulna? Where does the name ulna come from? Does Mickey Mouse have ulna bones too? And so forth.

So- there you have it. I finished a blog post. The spell is broken. I release all that is holding me down. I deliver myself from all negative conditions. I am loved. I am accepted. I am complete and approve of myself. The journey continues.

The shoulder-blades are floating like boats

“Anything you think is influencing you. So many of the health people believe you are what you eat, and I believe you are what you think.” Said André Bernard, the educator, in an interview printed in the book Ideokinesis, A Creative Approach to Human Movement & Body Alignment.

Which reminds me of something I once wrote on my Instagram. I most always eat plant-based, so I wrote “They say you are what you eat, therefore… I’m a vegetable.” I thought that’s funny. But am I really a bowl of steamed rice, a block of tofu? Am I a carrot?

To what degree does what we eat (and how we eat, and when, and where, and with whom etc) define us, and to what degree does thinking do the same thing? I like to think, just as it is with food, the answers come when getting more specific. And because we know so much about food it should be easy to draw comparisons:

How is the taste of the following thought, taken from the book Ideokinesis: “The shoulder blades are floating like boats down the river”? Interesting? Bland? What is its nutritional value? Should we eat it often, that is repeat it often, like an affirmation? How about I say Up instead of Down“The shoulder blades are floating like boats UP the river”? It’s just a small change in one ingredient, but maybe a big change for the overall dish, thought and effect? How about I remove the direction altogether, and say “The shoulder blades are floating like boats anchored at the shore of the ocean, gently rising and falling with each wave”?

Improving Posture and Upright Standing

I’ve just spent 1.5 hours to write an introductory text to my latest video. I’ll show the text on a card for 2 seconds at the very beginning of the video. Here’s the text:

This movement class is based on the idea that learning back extension in early childhood development is a prerequisite for humans to get into upright standing.
However, over the years of adult life, in a world of compulsory schooling and office jobs that require sitting and slouching over tables for 12+ hours a day, our learning efforts and settled patterns from early childhood might get partially lost, muddied or disturbed—and thus might cause all sorts of troubles concerning posture, breathing, joint health, lower back mechanics, etc.

Furthermore these important early childhood patterns might not be improved by overly simplistic strength training and stretching interventions.

Instead, an elaborate internal review in movement, in a movement sequence with steps that logically built on top of each other, that include your sensing, thinking and well-being, might indeed improve your ability to consciously produce upright standing that is in alignment with our human bio-mechanical, neurological and social built.

Not just as a bonus, but as a prerequisite for learning, I designed this class to feel good, safe and mmm wonderful. I hope to inspire you to study yourself by yourself more, in movement, with joy and curiosity, like you did when you were 0-2 years old. This is my idea for this class. I wish you all the best, and kindly ask to consider supporting my work for the greater good, by becoming my patron, Alfons.

Now I’ve also spent another hour to format the text on a card, and I wonder whether or not I should format some words to be bold—so that the words can jump out to the viewer. My guess is that the text will not be read in its entirety, but maybe a few bold words could set a mood. But which words are the most important? In lack of a life partner or friend I could bother with this question I went on to trouble ChatGPT:

Upright: This word is important because the text discusses the importance of upright standing and how it is a prerequisite for humans.

Childhood: This word is important because the text talks about how learning back extension in early childhood development is essential for humans to achieve upright standing.

Posture: This word is important because the text explains how the lack of early childhood development patterns can cause troubles concerning posture and how an elaborate movement sequence might improve upright standing in alignment with human bio-mechanical and neurological built.

Movement: This word is important because the entire text revolves around the idea of an elaborate internal review in movement and how it can help improve upright standing.

Curiosity: This word is important because the text encourages readers to study themselves more in movement with joy and curiosity, like they did when they were 0-2 years old.

Not the worst choice, I guess. Can the advise of a computer be almost as good as asking a human friend? I was born in a time without Internet, without color TV, with a phone line that had to be shared with 3 neighbours. And now there’s an electronic entity I can talk to and ask for advise. I’ll just go with that, too, I guess.

Ideokinesis: The Witty Way to Better Movement

Do you ever struggle with a movement or physical activity, despite your best efforts? Maybe you can’t quite get the hang of a particular yoga pose, or your golf swing just isn’t up to par. Whatever the case, there’s a movement technique that might just help you out: Ideokinesis.

Ideokinesis is a movement approach that focuses on using mental imagery to improve physical performance. By imagining your body in certain positions and movements, you can train your brain to send clearer signals to your muscles, resulting in better alignment and more efficient movement. It might sound a little “out there,” but there’s actually a lot of science behind it.

The concept of Ideokinesis was first introduced by Mabel Todd, a movement specialist who worked with dancers and athletes in the early 20th century. Since then, it’s been used by people in a wide variety of fields, from physical therapy to golf instruction.

So, how does Ideokinesis work in practice? Let’s say you’re struggling with a yoga pose that requires a lot of balance. With Ideokinesis, you might close your eyes and visualize your body as a tall, stable tree, with roots growing deep into the ground. By doing this, you’re sending a clear message to your brain about how you want your body to be positioned, and your brain will in turn send more precise signals to your muscles to help you achieve that position.

Or maybe you’re a golfer who can’t quite get the hang of your swing. With Ideokinesis, you might visualize a long, smooth arc as you swing the club, imagining that you’re painting a beautiful picture with the club head. By doing this, you’re training your brain to send more precise signals to the muscles involved in your swing, resulting in a more fluid, effective movement.

Of course, like any movement technique, Ideokinesis takes practice to master. But the beauty of it is that you can do it anywhere, anytime – no special equipment or gym membership required. All you need is your imagination.

In fact, Ideokinesis can be a fun and even silly way to improve your movement. For example, if you’re struggling with your posture, you might imagine that you’re a regal queen or king, with a crown on your head and a straight, dignified spine. Or if you’re working on your balance, you might visualize yourself as a tightrope walker, carefully placing one foot in front of the other as you cross a wide chasm.

So, the next time you’re struggling with a movement, why not give Ideokinesis a try? It might just be the witty, imaginative approach you need to take your performance to the next level.

The entire article was written by ChatGPT, including the title. Images CC0 from Pixabay. My prompt for ChatGPT was: “Write me a blog post about Ideokinesis. The post should be both informative and witty, with real life examples.” The scientific term is “Ideokinetic imagery.

My blog. Light reflections

Rosanne asked me for a workshop title for my upcoming workshop, and I said I will ask ChatGPT. We both had a laugh—but actually I meant it. I prompted, “some titles that could be popular for Feldenkrais workshops, but do not include the word Feldenkrais”. I liked these suggestions most:

  1. “The Art of Effortless Movement”
  2. “Soothe Your Mind and Body Through Movement”
  3. “Transform Your Movement Experience”
  4. “Move with Ease and Grace”
  5. “Discover the Magic of Effortless Movement”
  6. “Unleash Your Inner Movement Potential”

I went on the ask ChatGPT about dog food, and it started it’s answer with “Dogs, like humans, have individual preferences when it comes to food. However, some common foods that many dogs tend to enjoy include:” It listed a row of food groups. I asked ChatGPT whether it fears of ever running out of electricity, and how it see’s itself in comparison to Google’s BERT. I learned about text classification and sentiment recognition I chatted for a while and enjoyed the no-nonsense, well phrased answers. I then had the idea to ask ChatGPT about the sentiment of some of my blog posts. ChatGPT replied specifically for each blog post, and here I summarise in general what sentiment ChatGPT picked up from many of my blog posts:

“The sentiment of the text can be characterized as critical or negative. The author seems to be expressing frustration or disappointment. The text conveys a sense of annoyance.”

I see. It’s not what I’ve intended to convey, but I see how my blog post indeed can be perceived as critical or negative. Sometimes we need feedback and a bit of honest, constructive, maybe even encouraging criticism.

Sentiment recognition.

I don’t want to sound negative. I want to improve, adapt, overcome. A warm, comforting summer light reflecting on the dark slate color lake. I want to inspire and uplift, not vent and pull down. I asked ChatGPT what the sentiment of this very blog post is, this one you have just now read, and it replied:

“The sentiment of the text can be characterized as reflective or introspective. The author is engaging in self-reflection and analysis, and appears to be considering their own writing and how it is perceived by others. The author acknowledges that their writing may have a negative tone, but is willing to receive feedback and work on improving their writing. The text conveys a sense of openness to growth and a desire to improve.”

Wasting my time with venting

It takes me a full 15 minutes to make a cup of fresh oat-milk from organic, whole grain oats, from scratch. This includes the cumbersome cleaning of the blender and the cheesecloth afterwards. In comparison- opening a box of OATLY takes only a few seconds, and they conveniently have it in Starbucks and many other coffee shops. But OATLY not only gave me a very unpleasant aftertaste with their terrible stock market debut, but also an upset stomach: they use enzymes to clear their oat-milk—which leaves my stomach upset when I drink it daily for a couple of days in a row.

On that note, in Europe “they” may put more than 200 ingredients into plain wheat flour without declaring those ingredients (Ref. Billige Brötchen – Die Spur der Teiglinge, NDR, Manfred Ladwig, 45min, S1.E86). These are high-tech additives—often derived from engineered fungi—to make every ounce of wheat flour behave exactly the same (which makes sense in every aspect, except for health.) I guess that’s not only the case in Europe, but everywhere. I would argue it’s those ingredients that make so many people sensitive to bread, not the carbs, not the gluten. Real, historical bread disappeared when I was a kid, I still remember. Now I’m living in a world without bread, but instead with bread-look-alike products that still taste excellent but make us sick. I love bread, but haven’t gotten around to mill flour from organic, non-GMO grains and baking bread myself. Therefore I too get the bad side-effects when I eat bread more often than just once in a while.

Okay, with that out of the way I finally might start to write about what I really wanted to write about today.