Nervous, Circulatory and Digestive Systems

Today, we explored a number of systems. We began by palpating the abdominal region in order to gain a better understanding of the organs that lie just beneath the surface. Just below the rib cage in the front, we found the stomach to the left and the liver to the right. You can see how large the liver is in these images. The 23 feet of small intestines in the middle framed by the large intestines the ascend from the right hip, drape across the front of the abdomen and then descend down the left side to run along the sacrum before entering the colon.
On the flip side, we worked in pairs to help one another find our kidneys by placing our hands on either side of the spine at the bottom of the rib cage. Then we traced the path of the ureters as they descended toward the bladder. You can see the organs very well in these images.

We then took a moment to trace one anothers nervous systems from the brain, down the spinal column and then the network of nerves as they branched off the spinal cord. This video above "A Stroke of Insight" talks alot about the right and left hemispheres of the brain in a fantastic tale that you will never forget. Check it out!

We did a little reggae dance of the circulatory system. This video gives a more visual experience of the circulatory system that may expand your understanding.

Finally, we took the Magic School tour of the digestive system. As a group, we walked our way from the mouth through the esophagus to the stomach. We went single file through the small intestine and then became quite dehydrated in the large intestine. Then, we got all bunched upon in the colon until Traci pushed us all out. Splash and bravo! This video above is also a lot of fun.

What learning would you like to integrate from today?

Respiratory System

Exploring the respiratory system. Beginning with the nose, we brought our attention to the air as it moved in and out of our sinuses. We explored the mouth, lips, and tongue and brought our attention to the air as it passes through on its way into the body and its way out of the body. Bringing our attention to the these two spaces and following them to where they meet in the larynx. Continuing further, we enter the trachea and imagining this major airway as it divides into the bronchi and then subdivides into ever smaller and smaller passages.

At the end of these subdivisions, there are alveoli, small grapelike structures where oxygen enters the bloodstream and carbon dioxide is released. Once the blood has been oxygenated, it is then pumped throughout the body.


At the base of the lungs is the diaphragm, a domed shaped muscle that draws air into the body as it moves toward the pelvis. We explored the movement of the diaphragm and the expansion and contraction of the ribcage in a few dance sequences. We explored why we breath rapidly into the upper lungs when startled as well as the calming effect of breathing while allowing the belly to respond as babies do. We tracked the four stages of breath: the inhale, the suspension, the exhale and the suspension that follows.


We also explored a couple of yogic breath practices. The video above gives a demonstration of opposite nostril breathing. The video below offers an example of the fire breathing. At the end of the class, we meditated while focusing and counting the breaths.



What was your experience of the respiratory system?

Muscular System

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Today, we explored the muscular system through Thai massage. Jamie Hall lead us through a hands on exploration that not only familiarized us with the muscles but also provided a wonderful sense of healing and release.

We began at the feet, touching and holding the soles of the feet and poured our weight straight down into our hands squishing the muscles in the calves and the thighs. We avoided putting a lot of pressure on the knees (where there are smaller muscles and more bone near the surface).

Next, we took hold of the legs at the heels and rocked the body back and forth and provided traction that created a sensation space in the hips. Holding one leg at a time, we intuitively guided and supported our partners leg as it moved through circular pathways. Crossing the leg over the body provided an opportunity for stretch and allowed access to massage the muscles on the inside of the other leg.

Moving on, we next massaged the muscles in the back where they met the bone by feeling for bony landmarks. We then lifted and supported our partners arm and rotated the shoulder while massaging around the scapula. We squeezed the big muscle of the neck (the trapezius) and laid our partners arm long along their body and pressed it into the body rotating the hands front and back.

With our partners lying on their front, we walked the palms of our hands up the back careful not to put direct pressure on the spine. We kneeled on our partners gluteus maximus and massaged with our knees! Finally, we gave our partners bodies a brush with our hands to refresh and invigorate at the end.

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What did you experience of the muscular system today? Any surprises? Difficulties? Write of the experience to touch as well as the experience to receive touch. Did this class change your relationship to your muscles in any way?

Skeletal System

On this Tuesday, we explored the skeletal system through movement. We began with the toes and moved sequentially through the body. One spot we focused on particularly was the bony connection where the arms attach to the body at the sterno-clavicular joint. Once we had explored the whole skeleton, we danced freely exploring the sensations of dancing our bones.

The second dance of the day was connected to the three layers of bone: the periosteum, the bone itself and the marrow. Taking each layer at a time we explored the different layers by moving our bodies and our imaginations into these areas of the skeletal system.

How did it feel to dance from the bones? Where there some bones that were harder to move? What was it like to dance from the periosteum, the layer of tissue that covers the bone where ligaments and tendons attach? What was it like to dance from the marrow where red and white blood cells are created? Did you experience a difference between these three layers of bone?

Authentic Movement Extra Credit

For those of you interested in extra credit, you can revisit the authentic movement exercises we did at the beginning of the class on your own. Studios at the IMA are often empty and so beautiful. You can re read the postings on authentic movement to refresh your memories of how it works. Afterward, post your written responses to this entry.

Alexander Technique Concluded

In todays class, we explored the relationship between thoughts and the body. We began working in pairs and played with the idea of thinking thoughts and being guided to a standing position. We thought four things: 1) I am very tired. 2) I am eager to please and to do what my partner wants. 3) I have decided that I absolutely do not want to get out of the chair. 4) I am thinking about allowing my neck to be free and thinking about allowing my head to lead so that all of me follows. What did you notice during this exercise?
We also explored the concept of direction, however briefly. We did two exercises. The first put the tops of our heads together with our partners while on hands and knees and rocked back and forth. The second involved holding our partners heads while they flexed their hips slightly in a plie and then worked to remain attached to the sensation of touch. This direction of lengthening and moving up into the contact was to provide the sensation of the lengthening that Alexander Technique describes. What did you experience in these exercises?

Here is F M Alexander himself.

Alexander Technique II

Continuing in our work with Alexander, we began class today (after a brief brain dance) by walking around the space in straight lines. In order to turn, we would turn our heads and allow our bodies to follow in the new direction taking in the sensations of how the body follows the head.
Next, we worked with partners and copied one anothers walks in order to discover the false sense of kinesthetic awareness. As we walked, we tried to be as neutral as possible and our partner's impression of our walk may have shown us aspects of our movement that we were not aware of.
Then, again in partners, we worked to discover psychophysical unity or the way use affects function. We asked our partner to tense a muscle in the body and to think of a difficult physical movement and observed what happened. What happened?Finally, we worked with idea of inhibition. We asked our partners to do a movement. Then we put our hands on our partners and asked them to do the movement while they inhibited their physical responses and allowed their neck to move freely, forward and up. As we noticed in the previous exercise, just thinking about movement can create tension. Responding to a request for movement by doing nothing creates a possibility of something different to happen. Usually, when we remove what we do not want and allow the head to lead the spine, something better and more organized will takes its place. What was your experience?

Alexander Technique

In this class, we repeated the brain dance and then began our work in the Alexander Technique. We began by doing un-Alexander which was to draw our heads down onto our necks. We explored the concept of the importance of the head and spine relationship by saying our names and making a gesture, circling ankles, wrists, and spines. We noticed what was different when we allowed the head to move forward and up from the spine. What did you notice? Next, we worked with the head and spine joint. The atlas upon which the head rests is actually in the center of our heads. We gently manipulated our partners head around this pivotal point in order to feel the actual joint and to allow an outside force to show us this point.
Then we took a walk through the space with our newly experienced head /spine connection. For homework, you were given the image of a conehead. How does your head feel differently with a conehead? What else did you experience in this introduction to Alexander?

Even Homer

The Brain Dance and Five Fundamental Actions

On this Tuesday, we explored the Brain Dance and the Five Fundamental Actions. The Brain dance was a quick physical journey through evolution that mirrors the journey each of us passes through developmentally in the first year of life. We explored our pathways and took note of the way in which our bodies are designed along pathways that end in hands, feet, head and tail. In the last portion of class, we broke down the five fundamental actions of yielding, pushing, reaching, grasping and pulling.

Please comment on your experience in this class.

For a refresher, here's the braindance described from This_Website.

Breath: take four to five deep breaths through the nose and out the mouth filling the belly, diaphragm, and lungs.

Corresponds with cellular breathing and the first breath of life.

Tactile: With your hands, squeeze strongly each arm, each leg and the torso, back, and head (whole body). Then tap lightly whole body, then slap sharply whole body and then brush smoothly whole body. Explore a variety of other tactile movements such as scratching, rubbing, soft pinching, tapping, etc.

Corresponds with cellular identity, what is our physical dimension.

Core-Distal: Move from the center out, through and beyond the fingers, toes, head, and tail. Then curl back to torso while engaging core muscles. Movement that grows and shrinks, stretches and curls into big "X"s and little "o"s is great!

Corresponds with radial symmetry and our fetal position in the womb and at birth.

Head-Tail: Move the head and tail (lowest part of spine or coccyx) in different directions and pathways. Play with movement that brings head and tail/pelvis together curving forward and backward and side-to-side. Keeping the knees bent helps to release the pelvis. Wiggle the spine like a snake.

Corresponds with fish and the ability to lift the head.

Upper-Lower: Ground the lower half of body by pressing legs into floor with a slight knee bend. Swing arms in different directions and stretch and dance upper body (arms, head, spine) in different ways. Ground upper half by reaching arms out into space with energy as though you were hugging the earth. Dance with lower half - try marching in place, simple knee bends, jumps, leg brushes, and other actions.

Corresponds with amphibian

Body-Side: Make a big X with your body. Dance with the left side of your body while keeping the right side stabile (still). Then keep the left stabile and dance with the right side. With knees and elbows slightly bent like a "W" bring the left half of the body over to meet the right half and vice versa (like a book opening and closing). Follow your thumb with your eyes as it moves right to left and left to right. Do the lizard crawl with arms and legs open to the sides - reach left arm and knee up then right arm and knee up like a lizard crawling up a wall. Move your eyes right to left and left to right (looking at the thumb near your mouth helps) to develop horizontal eye tracking.

Corresponds with lizard and early crawling

Cross-Lateral: Do a parallel standing crawl with knees and hands in front of you. Let your eyes travel up and down looking at one thumb as it reaches high and low for vertical eye tracking. Do a cross-lateral boogie dance finding as many ways of moving cross-laterally as possible such as touching right knee to left elbow, left hand to right foot, right hand to left knee, left hand to right hip, skipping, walking, crawling, etc.

Corresponds with mammals, monkey and humans walking

Vestibular: This pattern may be done at the beginning of the BrainDance. Choose a movement that takes you off balance and makes you dizzy. Vary the movements you do each week. Swing upper body forward and backward and side-to-side. Make sure head is "upside down." Tip, sway, roll, and rock in different directions (any movement that makes you dizzy). Spin 15 seconds one direction, breathe and rest 15 seconds, then spin 15 seconds the other direction. Take three to four deep breaths to center yourself after spinning!

Corresponds with proprioception and our ability to balance

Five Fundamental Actions

Yielding - getting grounded, connecting to the environment
Pushing - creating boundaries, learning to say no
Reaching - exploring, curiosity, desire
Grasping - making connections with new ideas, object and others
Pulling - bringing new things into ones life

Blogging

Hi Everyone,

Great work on the blogging. I am really enjoying reading your entries. It gives me a good idea of what you are experiencing;,your struggles, connections and differences. It was interesting to note how each person responded differently to different stages. Some loved the fish. Some loved the cellular stage. As I noted at the beginning of the course, each of you will have your own response and whatever that response, it is your truth. There is no need to be anything other than you are. There is no right or wrong. There is only the experience.

One thing that I hear repeated on the blog is the subject of relaxation. Relaxation is not necessarily the goal of this course. Relaxation may happen, but that is a response. The goal of the course is to unpack the body and find out what is inside. Imagine buying a computer with a bunch of programs already installed and running. If this was your first computer, you might think that all computers are like this and not realize that some programs can be minimized, turned off or deleted if they do not serve you.

Some programs, like vision or speech, take up so much RAM or memory that when they are running other programs like touch, hearing or the kinesthetic sense are overpowered. All of our senses and systems have unique information and functions for our aliveness. Getting in touch with our sensory selves, our inner selves and our journey provides valuable information for physical, mental and spiritual health.