E=Motion is a bimonthly newsletter about The Feldenkrais Method® and movement education, including posture, gesture and its relation to health. Presented by Lavinia Plonka, certified Feldenkrais teacher and author of What Are You Afraid Of? E=Motion is distributed by subscription only. To subscribe, use the sign up box below. To unsubscribe please scroll to the end. Feel free to forward this newsletter!

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Did you miss the last "E=Motion" Newsletter? September 2003
December 2003

• The Body in Question
  
• News, Workshops and Appearances
• Book Readings in Asheville and Sarasota

Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, for everyone can see and few can feel. Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.
Niccolo Machiavelli (1469 - 1527), The Prince

The Body in Question: Talking With the Hands

We are all familiar with our intentional gestures - the pointing finger, waving hello, shaking hands. There’s a logic and history behind each of them. To wave hello shows an open hand - no weapon. Shaking hands with your right hand makes it hard to pull out your knife or gun, turning it into a gesture of friendship. But why does holding hands feel so good? Why wring our hands when anxious? What purpose does drumming the fingers serve? And why, when overcome with shyness, do we jam our hands in our pockets? For me, a study of the hands is filled with innumerable questions and a wonderful opportunity for self study.

Recently some scientists have proposed that our gestures are not so much movements designed to clarify our thoughts to others, but are a dialogue with the self, as if the gestures are communicating and clarifying like a feedback loop to the brain. So someone could watch your hands and get a sense of your thoughts. Delsarte, the French 19th century teacher of oratory mentioned in previous articles, called the hands the mental part of the arm. Not only that, but he divided the hand itself into zones. The palm he called the vital or physical side, the back, the emotional side, and the side of the hand (pinky side) is the intellectual side.

You can easily verify this by remembering the first time your adolescent crush slipped her hand into yours. Or a time when there was a power failure and you had to grope your way to the flashlight. The palm of your hand is filled with sensory receptors, especially the tips of your fingers. I remember when I was a teenager, a myth we had was that if a boy was holding your hand and he stroked your palm with his finger that meant...! In the sensory map of the brain, the area of the hand and fingers is huge. On the other hand (pun intended), stroking someone’s face with the back of the hand is very different than using the front. Even putting the back of the hand to the mouth elicits a different response than putting the palm on the mouth. Try it for yourself and you will see. To use the back of the hand is often a choice, it implies an intentionality that perhaps connects it to emotions. We dismiss someone or something by waving it away with the back of the hand. Gestures of disdain or disgust are given with the back of the hand. Perhaps as research in neuro-cardiology continues, they will find a direct neural link between sensory information in the back of the hand and the heart.

We all know people who gesture wildly, and create an air of franticness about themselves. Or people who seem to be clutching their purses, books or even their fists, holding on for dear life. You may have experienced it yourself caught in traffic while late, clutching your steering wheel. Or perhaps after a particularly stressful phone call, you can barely peel your hand off the receiver, it’s gotten so tight.Anxiety expresses itself in the hands, and is a great feedback device for tuning into what other tension may be unrecognized in your body. You can be sure that if you are gripping, flailing, wringing your hands or chewing your nails, that there are other parts of you that are scrunched, grabbing and holding. Of course, it’s always useful to take a breath and let go for a moment. There are also some simple somatic (body) things you can try to help bring yourself back to a centered place.

You may be familiar with the Indian word mudra, which roughly translated means hand position. Pictures of sages - from Buddha to Jesus - show them with fingers touching, some fingers raised. They signify blessing, teaching received, giving, prayer and much more. Could it be that these ancient people had an understanding of the neurological connection between hand and mind? When you feel anxious, you can use this same approach to calm yourself down. Here are two simple ways based on lessons from The Feldenkrais Method® that can calm your nervous system no matter where you are - in the lobby waiting for a job interview, in the seat of an airplane, or about to face the in-laws. You can do these with either hand, or both hands. Do not do this while driving, although you can do a bit at a red light.

1) Softly, as slowly as you can, begin to touch your thumb with one finger at a time. From the index finger to the pinky, keeping the contact as light and delicate as possible. Go up and down touching and releasing, letting your breath stay regular.

2) Softly bring all your fingers together to touch your thumb. Then release them all. Create a soft pulsing of your fingers and thumb, as if your hand was some kind of a sea creature, softly closing and opening. Do it slowly and softly, trying to keep the rhythm regular. You will notice that when anxious thoughts or distractions come in, your rhythm will change, or even stop!

These movements create a kind of neurological feedback loop to the brain, sending an A-OK signal that gives your brain permission to stop sending adrenaline and cortisol through the body. So next time you feel tension or anxiety affecting your ability to move easily through life - let your fingers do the talking!

Upcoming Workshops and Appearances

Beyond Words - Gesture, Posture, Health and Personality

• March 13 & 14, NYC
  To register: Ken Nintzel, 212-228-3754 ext.3
  kennintzel@hotmail.com
  August 27, Seattle, WA (Feldenkrais Method Annual Conference)
  www.feldenkrais.com

Courageous Living: Body/Mind Tools for Anxious Times

• April 2 & 3, Carrboro, NC
  Candy Conino, 919- 489-0418
  shawn-candy@mindspring.com
• April 30, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, May 1, 10 - 5.
  Sarasota Felenkrais® Studio
  $150/ $125 if registered by April 8
  Registration: Barbara Leverone, 941-362-0944
  brlev@comcast.net

  *Also appearing at Sarasota Books and News, Sunday, May 2, 1 - 3 PM

• May 7 & 8, Asheville, NC
  Lavinia Plonka, 828-225-5789
  laviniap@att.net

*All of the above: Friday 6:30 - 9:30 PM, Saturday, 10 -5

• June 12 & 13, Los Angeles, CA
  Saturday 5:30-9:30 PM, Sunday, 10 -4
  Joann Benjamin, 818-907-0971
  joannbenjamin@vdn.com
  

Book Appearances

• April 24, 7 PM - Malaprop's, Asheville, NC
• May 2, 1 PM - Sarasota Books and News, Sarasota, FL

Would you like to schedule a workshop in your city? Please contact me: laviniap@att.net Check out the workshop descriptions at www.laviniaplonka.com. Or we can collaborate to create a workshop that is right for your location and students.

Asheville Workshops

• March 27 - 1-4 PM
  The Way Of Harmony and Spirit: Aikido Principles and Nia
  Taught by Anne Lowry Parr and Lavinia Plonka
  Saturday, February 28 - 1 - 4 PM, $35
  Move Intuit, Merrimon Ave, Asheville - 350-7710
  About Nia (Neuromuscular Integrative Action)

"The Art of Peace does not rely on weapons or brute force to succeed; instead we put ourselves in tune with the universe, maintain peace in our own realms, nurture life, and prevent death and destruction. The true meaning of the term samurai is one who serves and adheres to the power of love.

Morihei Ueshiba

Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba called it "The Art Of Peace." The essence of aikido is to blend with your partner, working from your center and following the energy (ki) of the movement. Learning to feel this energy helps create an experience of dynamic stability. You are strong, but also able to move in any direction. Any conflict becomes resolved through following instead of resisting. Learning to work from a grounded, yet fluid center impacts not just your dancing, but your life. In this exciting afternoon, we'll play with this centering, spiraling energy of Aikido leading up to a Nia experience based on this powerful teaching.

(Anne Lowry Parr is a brown belt Nia instructor and co-director of Move Intuit.)

• May 7&8 - Courageous Living: Body/Mind Tools for Anxious Times
  Synergy Center, 6 Lookout Rd., Asheville
  $150/828-225-5789
  Details see workshops listing

Ongoing Awareness Through Movement® Classes

Improve Posture, Increase Range of Motion, Reduce Pain the gentle way. More info: Feldenkrais FAQ)
Mondays, 4PM, Synergy Center
Tuesdays, 6:30 PM, Move Intuit
828-225-5789 or www.laviniaplonka.com

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Books and CDs

What Are You Afraid Of? A Body/Mind Guide To Courageous Living (Tarcher/Penguin)

Available in bookstores April 12. To pre-order your copy from Amazon, go to www.laviniaplonka.com.

Have A Comfortable Flight!

Simple exercises to remain flexible while in an airplane seat - CD
Recently mentioned in a NY Times article on back pain. It's also excellent for car passengers or computer jockeys stuck at their desks.
Order at www.laviniaplonka.com