Pulling a knee closer while arching the back

In sitting and lying on your back, you arch your back. At the same time you are holding one of your knees (in various ways) and let it either move away from your chest or you deliberately pull it closer. This means you are rolling your legs (head of femur) around your pelvis (hip sockets), or vice versa: your pelvis around your legs.

Can you move your legs independently from your pelvis? Do you limit the range of motion of your hip joints because of anatomical constraints, stability concerns, structural damage and pain, or because of habitual movement patterns (that can be changed through learning)?

hip-jointsextensionsupinesitting hip_joints_back_extension_1

1

Sit. Spread your legs and extend your knees as much as it is still comfortable. Lean on your hands if necessary.

Reference movement

Arch your back, in sitting

Contract your back muscles to arch your back.

  • Do not raise your knees or change the position of your legs or knees on purpose, just observe what happens.

    Don’t lean further backwards while you arch your back.

    Just do what you comfortably can, do not strain yourself.

Reference movement

Arch your back, in sitting

Contract your back muscles to arch your back.

2

Lie on your back. Stand both feet. Have your feet spread at least shoulder-width apart.

Arch your back, in lying supine

Contract your back muscles to arch your back.

  • Protrude your abdomen outwards, forwards, lift the area behind your lumbar spine from the floor.

    Notice clearly how you are lifting your lower back.

Arch your back, in lying supine

Contract your back muscles to arch your back.

3

On your back, hold your right knee with both hands.

Arch your back, hold right knee

Arch your back and protrude your abdomen.

  • Observe your right leg: does your knee move away from your belly while you arch your back? If it does, let this happen.

Arch your back, hold right knee

Arch your back and protrude your abdomen.

4

(Continuation) same position as before: with both hands hold your right knee.

Continuation

Arch your back, pull right knee closer

While you tilt your pelvis forwards (anterior pelvic tilt) pull your knee closer to your chest – rather than letting it move away.

  • At first your knee might not move at all. Start with the smallest movement possible. Let the movement gradually become larger.

Continuation

Arch your back, pull right knee closer

While you tilt your pelvis forwards (anterior pelvic tilt) pull your knee closer to your chest – rather than letting it move away.

5

On your back, hold your right knee with both hands.

Continuation

Arch your back, right knee once closer once further away

Reverse the movement many times, until you feel proficient and comfortable with it.

  • Arch your back and let your right knee move away from your chest. Then reverse the relationship again, which means to bring your knee closer to your chest while arching your back.

    Observe where you habitually aim your knee at, your chest, armpit, or more to the side?

Continuation

Arch your back, right knee once closer once further away

Reverse the movement many times, until you feel proficient and comfortable with it.

6

Sit as in the beginning of the lesson. If you need your arms for support lean on your hands.

Reference movement

Arch your back, in sitting

Arch your back and protrude your abdomen. What has changed?

  • Does your right knee come closer to the floor than your left knee?

    If you haven’t already, lie on your back and take a rest for a moment.

Reference movement

Arch your back, in sitting

Arch your back and protrude your abdomen. What has changed?

7

Lie on the back and stand your feet as before.

Arch your back, in lying supine

Protrude your abdomen. Observe how it is now.

  • Notice clearly how you are lifting your lower back from the floor.

Arch your back, in lying supine

Protrude your abdomen. Observe how it is now.

8

Supine position, with both hands hold your left knee.

Arch your back, hold left knee

Switch sides, experiment with the same movement variations as before.

  • At first, don’t do anything particular with your left knee, just observe.

    Then pull your knee closer while you arch your back, switch between both variations.

    Also, try to interlace your fingers the non-habitual way. Do you need both hands to hold your knee? What difference does it make to hold your knee one way or another?

Arch your back, hold left knee

Switch sides, experiment with the same movement variations as before.

9

Lie on your back, hold your left knee with both hands.

Arch + move knee, observe your timing

Arch your back and move your knee at the same time. Also start or stop one before the other.

  • Initiate the two movements, arching and lifting, at slightly different times, and then also exactly together. It is necessary to be able to allow for a slight offset in either direction in order to learn to make it exactly simultaneous.

    The process of getting better is more important than doing the movements perfectly.

    Moshé Feldenkrais said: „There is a difference in mobilisation whether you think of this first or that first.”

Arch + move knee, observe your timing

Arch your back and move your knee at the same time. Also start or stop one before the other.

10

Lie on your back, hold your left knee.

Arch, observe improvements

Does your knee continue to move away from your chest? Can your torso move independently from your knee?

  • Arch your back only. Move slowly and small enough so that your torso can move without moving the knee.

    Don’t force yourself to move as asked. Allow your learning to take its time. If the knee and lower back still have to move together, let it happen.

Arch, observe improvements

Does your knee continue to move away from your chest? Can your torso move independently from your knee?

11

Supine, with legs extended.

Lie on your back, observe left side

Observe your back, your left knee, and your left hip: are they lying differently than before?

Lie on your back, observe left side

Observe your back, your left knee, and your left hip: are they lying differently than before?

12

On your back, hold your right knee with both hands, with interlaced hands, below the kneecap. Left leg extended on the floor.

Arch your back, hold right knee

Observe the influence of the extended left leg. Then also pull your right knee closer to your chest while arching your back.

  • Lift your lower back from the floor. Protrude your abdomen forward.

    Pulling the knee closer shall not push the spine to the floor.

Arch your back, hold right knee

Observe the influence of the extended left leg. Then also pull your right knee closer to your chest while arching your back.

13

On your back, left leg extended, hold your right knee with both hands.

Continuation

Arch your back, right knee closer and further away

Don't let your lower spine be pushed to the floor.

  • Start with a tiny movement of the right knee. While lifting your lower back off the floor pull your right knee closer.

    Moshé Feldenkrais called this a „movement of opposition”.

Continuation

Arch your back, right knee closer and further away

Don't let your lower spine be pushed to the floor.

14

Supine, on your back, extend both legs and arms.

Observe

Observe to what you feel in your left hip joint and behind your left knee.

Observe

Observe to what you feel in your left hip joint and behind your left knee.

15

Supine, on your back, hold your left knee, right leg extended.

Arch your back, variations

Switch knees, try the same movement variations as before.

  • This lesson switches back and forth between the right knee and the left knee. Does it make a difference which knee is used first with every new variation?

Arch your back, variations

Switch knees, try the same movement variations as before.

16

Sit, legs extended, legs spread apart wide, extended. Lean on your hands if necessary.

Reference movement

Arch your back, in sitting

Do your knees bend when you arch your back? Observe what has changed.

  • In this opposing movement some people's knees try to bend when they arch their backs greatly. Does this happen because of anatomical constraints, or because of movement habits? (buzzword "neurologically fused brain maps")

Reference movement

Arch your back, in sitting

Do your knees bend when you arch your back? Observe what has changed.

17

Supine (on your back), left foot standing, right ankle on left knee, your right hand on your right knee from above, your left hand onto your right ankle. Have your hands hold your right lower leg somewhat shoulder width apart.

Arch your back, right ankle on left knee

While your back is making a large arch let your right leg be passive.

Arch your back, right ankle on left knee

While your back is making a large arch let your right leg be passive.

18

Same position like before: supine, right ankle on left knee, hold right lower leg.

Continuation

Arch your back, pull right lower leg closer

Keep right lower leg parallel to your chest. Arch and pull simultaneously.

  • While arching your back, pull your right lower leg towards your chest.

    Pull your entire lower leg, not just your right knee.

    A small movement is enough. The movements should occur at the same time.

Continuation

Arch your back, pull right lower leg closer

Keep right lower leg parallel to your chest. Arch and pull simultaneously.

19

Same position like before: supine, right ankle on left knee, hold right lower leg.

Continuation

Arch your back, lift right lower leg closer

Instead of pulling your leg closer, lift your lower leg on its own.

  • It’s an active movement of the leg on its own.

    Play with these two different movements (pulling or lifting).

    Take breaks in between, see how a short break can help you improve.

Continuation

Arch your back, lift right lower leg closer

Instead of pulling your leg closer, lift your lower leg on its own.

20

Supine (lie on your back), both legs extended.

Rest on your back

See if there is additional change in your right hip joint and the way your right leg is lying.

Rest on your back

See if there is additional change in your right hip joint and the way your right leg is lying.

21

Sit like in the beginning of the lesson.

Reference movement

Arch your back, in sitting

See if you feel any additional difference between the right leg and the left.

  • Did your right knee come even closer to the floor?

Reference movement

Arch your back, in sitting

See if you feel any additional difference between the right leg and the left.

22

Same position like before, switched sides: supine, left ankle on right knee, hold left lower leg.

Arch, left lower leg closer to chest

Arch your back: observe. Then pull your left lower leg closer. Then lift it closer. Then rest.

  • In this position one side has to contract more than the other. This can be felt in the back and around the hips. Feel if there is an additional, greater effort in the back muscles on the side of the leg that is pulled, than on the other side.

    In this lesson Moshé Feldenkrais said: „When returning missing movements to the body, movements that actually are embedded in it from the beginning, the progress of learning can be surprisingly fast. A joint, which in the beginning feels impossible to move, all of a sudden has an ease that can be felt.”

Arch, left lower leg closer to chest

Arch your back: observe. Then pull your left lower leg closer. Then lift it closer. Then rest.

23

Supine (lie on your back), both legs extended.

Rest on your back

What do you feel on the left side of your pelvis and behind your left knee?

Rest on your back

What do you feel on the left side of your pelvis and behind your left knee?

24

In sitting, legs spread wide. Lift both arms to shoulder height, in front. Lean on them only if necessary.

Reference movement

Arch your back, in sitting.

See if sitting got better compared to in the beginning.

  • While arching, do not take your torso backwards. Have your arms lifted in front of you, if possible.

Reference movement

Arch your back, in sitting.

See if sitting got better compared to in the beginning.

25

Sit like in the beginning of the lesson. Only if necessary lean on your hands behind you.

Arch your back, lift right leg

Push with your right heel forwards in order to straighten your leg.

  • If you can't lift your leg easily, help with your hand: with your right hand take the right side of your pants.

    This is the same movement as in lying supine (albeit again in a different configuration): you arch your back, and bring your leg closer to your chest.

Arch your back, lift right leg

Push with your right heel forwards in order to straighten your leg.

26

Sit like in the beginning of the lesson. Only if necessary lean on your hands behind you.

Arch your back, lift left leg

Switch sides, push with your left heel forwards in order to straighten your leg.

  • See how it is now.

Arch your back, lift left leg

Switch sides, push with your left heel forwards in order to straighten your leg.

27

Standing

Stand and walk

Observe and notice what you feel in standing and walking.

Stand and walk

Observe and notice what you feel in standing and walking.