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SittingPretty
BYFrankWildman,Ph.D.,GCFT
Editor'sNote:
This"ChairPlay"exerciseisexcerptedfromthebook,TheBusyPerson'sGuidetoEasierMovement,byFrankWildman,Ph.D.,
whichdescribeshowtouseTheFeldenkraisMethodtomovewithmoreease,comfortandefficiency.APDFversionofthis
articleisavailablehere.

Ifyourworkisapainintheback(notuncommonforsittingjobs),youcanrelievethe
problemwiththissimpleFeldenkraisexercise.

Manypeoplehaveoverlyrigidideasabouthowtheyshouldsitinachair.Thinkabout
allthedifferentwayschildrenmovetheirbodiesinrelationshiptoachair.Inthis
exercise,youwilllearntodevelopmoreflexibleideasabouthowtorelatetoachair,
whichwillcreateamuchmoreflexiblebody.
1. Sittingnearthefrontofyourchair,placethepalmofyourrighthandonyour
lowerbackandthepalmofyourlefthandonthetopofyourhead.Makesureboth
ofyourfeetaresolidlyonthefloorwithyourfeetandkneeswellapart.
2. Moveyourlowerbackintoyourrighthandbyrollingyourpelvisonthechairand
thenrollyourpelvisuntilyoureelyourbackhollowintoanarch.Asyoudothis,
observethechangeintheheightlevelofyourhead.Restwithyourarmsdown.
Areyousittingmoreonyourrightside?
SittingBack
AwarenessAdvice:Ifitistoodifficulttoputthepalmofyourhandon

yourback,putthebackofyourhandthere.Youronlyeffortshouldbein
sensingthe,movement.Useyourrightfingertipstofeelthevertebraeas
wellasfeelingthemuscleswithyourhand.
3. Repeatthesameactionwiththepalmofyourlefthandonyourlowerbackand
thepalmofyourrighthandonyourhead.Whichsideiseasier?Rest.Observe
yoursittingposture.
4. Sitontherightsideofyourchairsothattherightsideofyourpelvisis
unsupportedandonlyyourleftsideremainsonthechair.Putyourrighthandon
yourwaistlineasyouwouldinacasualwaywithyourfingersspreadtowardyour
stomachandyourthumbintheback.Lowerandraisetherightsideofyourpelvis
sothatitgoesbelowthelevelofthechairandup.Canyoufeeltherightsideof
yourwaistlinelengtheningandshortening?Ifyouputyourlefthandontopof
yourheadatthesametime,canyoufeeltheconnectionbetweenthemovementof
yourpelvisandyourentirespineandneck?Restsittingbackinyourchair.
AwarenessAdvice:Makesureyourfeetandlegsarefairlywideapartand

observehowyourrightlegassiststherightsideofyourpelvisbypushing
theheelintothefloor.Youmightwanttoexperimentbyliftingtheright
heelfromthefloorasyoulowertherightsideofyourpelvis.
5. Repeatthesamemovementontheothersidebyhavingonlyyourrightbuttockon
thechair,withyourlefthandonyourwaistandyourrighthandonthetopofyour
head.Makesurethatyourlegsarewideapart.Isthissidemoreorlessfluidthan
theotherside?Restsittingbackinyourchair.
6. Sitfacingthebackofyourchair.Leanyourfoldedarmsonthetopofthebackof
thechairwithyourpelvisnearthefrontofthechair.Rollyourpelvisforwardto
hollowyourback,andbackwardstocurveit.Tryitwithyourheadrestingon
yourarmsaswell.Canyoualsorockyourpelvisfromsidetosidehere,pushing
throughonefootwhileliftingonesideofthepelvisandthentheother?Canyou
dothiswithyourheadatrestonyourarmsaswell?
7. Putyourhandsonyourkneesandputyourchestagainstthebackofthechairwith
yourheadlookingdownandyoureyesclosed.Canyourollyourpelvisforwards
pushingyourbellyouttowardsthebackofthechairandthenbackwards,holding
itinasyourspinecurvesawayfromyourchair.Letyourbellypushforwardsand
backwardsinharmonywiththemovementofyourspineandpelvisuntilit
becomeseasytofeelhowyourbreathingcanassistthemotion.Restleaningon
thebackofyourchair.
AwarenessAdvice:Formanypeoplewithdifficultiesintheirmiddleor

lowerback,itismucheasiertositfacingthebackofachairbecauseofthe

SittingBack

supportitcanprovideandtherequirementofopeningthehips.Thislesson
oranyofthemovementsinitcouldbeusefultoperformwheneverstress
accumulatesfromtheseatedposition.
FrankWildmanPhD,isfounderanddirectoroftheFeldenkraisMovementInstitutein
Berkeley,California.FormoreinformationonFeldenkraisortoorderTheBusy
Person'sGuidetoEasierMovement,seeBooks&Tapesorcall(800)3423424.
ExcerptedfromStriveMagazine.

TheFeldenkraisMethod

OriginsandHistory

TheBusyPerson'sGuideto
EasierMovement
(Purchasethebook)

Theoryfor
MechanismsofAction

Introduction

Applications

SittinginaChair

BiologicMechanismof
Action

ThePelvicWalk

FormsofTherapy
Demographics
Indicationsfor
Referral

ChairPlay

AdditionalArticles

Applications
ResearchBase
VisitingaPractitioner
Credentialing

AntiExercisefortheOlderand
Wiser (gerontology)

WhattoLookforina
Practitioner

EmotionalLearning(somatic
psychology)

BarriersandKey
Issues

FeldenkraisMethod:Clinical
Applications (physicaltherapy)

Associationsand
TrainingInstitutions

FeldenkraisMethodinChronic
Illness (nursing)

SuggestedReading

Learning:MissingLinkin
PhysicalTherapy
SittingPretty

ABOUTFELDENKRAIS|DRFRANKWILDMAN|TRAINING|WORKSHOPS&SEMINARS |BOOKS |TAPES |RESOURCES|HOME |SITEMAP |CONTACT

FrankWildmanPh.D.,20062014TheFeldenkraisMovementInstituteisa501(c)(3)nonprofitcorporation