Side Sitting and Eye Coordination

What This Booklet Is

Welcome back from the floor. You have just completed a journey through a complex series of rotations and differentiations, and you may be feeling a newfound sense of length or ease in your neck and back. This booklet is designed to help you unpack that experience, moving from the immediate felt sense of the lesson into a clearer understanding of the underlying architecture you just explored. Using the framework of The Tuner, we will look at how this lesson systematically reduced cortical noise by breaking the habitual links between your eyes, head, and torso. The arc of the lesson—from the initial standing scan to the intricate oppositional movements in side-sitting—was designed to clarify your internal steering mechanism. We are investigating a central inquiry: can a clear signal from the eyes allow for a full-body rotation that isn't hijacked by reflexive tension in the jaw or neck? Think of these pages as a companion rather than a manual. The movements you performed were not exercises to be mastered, but questions posed to your nervous system. This guide helps you see exactly what those questions were, allowing you to revisit the logic of the lesson and deepen your awareness of how you organize your motor plans without the interference of habitual guarding.

Where You Started

Lying on the back, legs long or knees bent with feet standing.

This starting position isn't arbitrary. It's chosen to give your nervous system a baseline — a clear sense of how things are before the lesson begins. You'll return to it at the end, and the contrast is often striking.

The Question This Lesson Asks

Every Feldenkrais lesson poses a question to your nervous system. Not a question you answer with words — a question you answer with movement, sensation, and gradually shifting organization.

Can the clarity of the eye-head steering mechanism allow the motor plan for rotation to be actuated without being corrupted by reflexive guarding in the jaw and neck?

Cortical noise is reduced by systematically breaking the habitual link between the eyes, head, and torso. By asking the eyes to move further, move in opposition, or track with one eye closed, the 'Tuner' is forced to clarify the signal, melting the 'locked' state of the Shadow.

How Feldenkrais Lessons Work

To make sense of the journey through this lesson, it helps to understand three ideas. They'll come up throughout the booklet.

The Shadow

When you first try a movement, there's a part of you that grips, pushes, and forces. This is your voluntary muscular effort — we'll call it the Shadow. It means well, but it's noisy. It uses ten muscles when two would do. It holds your breath. It treats every movement as a task to be conquered.

The Foundation

Underneath the Shadow, your skeleton and reflexes already know how to support you. This deeper system — the Foundation — is quiet, efficient, and reflexive. It responds to gravity, finds balance, and transmits force through bone rather than muscle. The lesson's job is to let the Foundation emerge.

The Washing

The lesson doesn't fight the Shadow. It washes it away — through repetition, variation, and gentle complexity. Like water over stone, the unnecessary effort gradually dissolves. You don't try to relax. You simply repeat and vary until the Shadow runs out of strategies and the Foundation is all that remains.

The Journey

Here's what happened in this lesson, section by section. For each part, you'll see what you did and what was happening underneath.

Part 1: Initial Standing Swing & Scan

Exploration of global rotation and eye-head coordination in standing.

What You Did

Introduction to side-sitting position.
Standing, swing the body side to side lazily, arms dangling.
In standing swing, detect which part of the body leads the turnaround.
Attempt to track all four limbs simultaneously during the swing.
Brief rest in standing.
Compare swinging with eyes closed versus eyes open across the horizon.
Identify specific restrictions or limits in the standing rotation.

By asking you to swing with dangling arms and track all four limbs simultaneously, the teacher uses inquiry to help you sense the functional baseline of your standing rotation. You are prompted to question how your eyes—whether open to the horizon or closed—influence the fluidity and specific physical limits of this global movement before beginning the floor work.

What Was Happening

Bracing

The question being posed: Is my intent clear as I swing, or are my eyes 'fixing' on points and halting the flow?

The functional goal: Awareness of how eye-fixation creates mechanical 'catches' in global rotation.

The Person Inside

I feel my eyes grabbing at the walls as I turn, like they are trying to hold onto the room. My neck feels like a stiff pillar that doesn't want to let the horizon pass smoothly across my vision.

The Shadow

I am gripping the horizon with a hard gaze, locking my neck to keep the world from spinning too fast.

Part 2: Floor Scan & Basic Side-Sitting Rotation

Establishing the side-sitting configuration and basic torso rotation with eyes fixed on the thumb.

What You Did

Lie on back and scan body contact, joint space, and breathing.
Setup side-sitting on the first side (Side A).
Reach arm out, glue eyes to thumb, and rotate torso toward the supporting hand.
Rest on back.
Setup side-sitting on the second side (Side B).
Reach arm out, eyes on thumb, rotate torso toward supporting hand (Side B).
Incorporate imagery of spinal length and lightness during rotation.
Sense the movement and altitude of the sit bones during rotation.
Rest on back.

After a baseline floor scan, the teacher introduces the side-sitting position to explore how anchoring the eyes to the thumb organizes the torso's rotation toward the supporting hand. This stage emphasizes sensing the relationship between the spine’s length and the changing altitude of the sit bones, establishing the functional foundation for the lesson's upcoming differentiations.

What Was Happening

Softening

The question being posed: Can I glue my eyes to my thumb and let the motor plan travel from my intent to my spine?

The functional goal: Skeletal rotation organized by a single, clear point of intent.

The Person Inside

My thumb becomes the anchor for my attention, a clear target for my intent. As I turn, I notice if my jaw clenches to 'help' the twist, or if I can let the signal stay clean.

The Shadow

I am trying to 'win' the rotation by pulling with my shoulder, ignoring the signal from my eyes to stay tuned.

Part 3: Differentiating Eyes and Head in Rotation

Refining rotation by moving the head/eyes further than the torso and exploring monocular tracking.

What You Did

Side-sitting (Side B), rotate and stay, then move head and eyes further to the right.
Rest in seated position.
Practice closing one eye at a time while looking at the horizon.
Side-sitting (Side B), rotate and stay, move head and one open eye further right.
Brief seated rest.
Side-sitting (Side B), rotate and stay, move head and the other open eye further right.
Check primary rotation with both eyes on thumb (Side B).
Rest on back and scan for differences between sides.
Side-sitting (Side A), rotate and stay, move head and eyes further to the left.
Side-sitting (Side A), rotate and stay, move head and one open eye further left.
Side-sitting (Side A), rotate and stay, move head and the other open eye further left.
Check primary rotation with both eyes on thumb (Side A).
Rest on back.

The teacher questions the relationship between visual effort and spinal mobility by asking you to move your head and eyes further than your torso while side-sitting. By exploring monocular tracking across the horizon, you refine the function of rotation, discovering how the clarity of your gaze directly influences the ease of your neck and back.

What Was Happening

Softening

The question being posed: How does closing one eye change the clarity of my internal map and the smoothness of my tracking?

The functional goal: Reduction of parasitic facial effort and improved tracking across the horizon.

The Person Inside

Closing one eye reveals the 'noise' in my face I didn't know was there. I feel the muscles around my socket jumping, but as I soften, the horizon begins to glide more liquidly.

The Shadow

I am squinting and mashing my eyelid shut, creating a new 'stop' command in my face to compensate for the loss of vision.

Part 4: Oppositional Head/Eye Movements

Challenging coordination by moving the head and eyes in the opposite direction of the torso twist.

What You Did

Side-sitting (Side B), rotate and stay, move head and eyes in opposition (to the left).
Side-sitting (Side B), oppositional head movement with one eye open.
Side-sitting (Side B), oppositional head movement with the other eye open.
Check primary rotation (Side B).
Rest on back with facial mask imagery.
Side-sitting (Side A), rotate and stay, move head and eyes in opposition (to the right).
Side-sitting (Side A), oppositional head movement with one eye open.
Side-sitting (Side A), oppositional head movement with the other eye open.
Check primary rotation (Side A).
Rest on back, roll head with eyes leading.

While you hold the torso in a rotated position in side-sitting, the teacher asks you to move your head and eyes in the opposite direction to question the habitual link between your gaze and your spine. This differentiation, practiced with one eye open at a time, clarifies the relationship between the steering of the eyes and the power of the torso to improve the overall function of your rotation.

What Was Happening

Softening/Transmission

The question being posed: Can I maintain a clear horizon while my body and head move in opposite directions?

The functional goal: Differentiation of the 'steering' (eyes/head) from the 'power' (torso).

The Person Inside

This is a riddle for my brain, breaking the habit of everything moving as one block. My head wants to go with my body, but I am learning to let my eyes steer independently, keeping the signal clean.

The Shadow

I am getting confused and trying to freeze the whole system to avoid the complexity of the oppositional twist.

Part 5: Head-Shoulder Differentiation with Two-Hand Support

Using bilateral hand support to differentiate head and shoulder movements in side-sitting.

What You Did

Side-sitting, both hands on floor, rotate head and shoulders together.
Side-sitting, move head and shoulders in opposition.
Side-sitting, switch between synchronous and oppositional head-shoulder movement.
Repeat head-shoulder differentiation on the other side.
Rest on back.

The teacher uses the stability of two hands on the floor to question the habitual connection between your head and shoulders, asking you to explore their functional relationship through both synchronous and oppositional rotations. This differentiation clarifies how the upper spine can articulate independently, moving the lesson from simple eye-head coordination toward more complex spinal integration.

What Was Happening

Softening

The question being posed: Does equal pressure on my hands allow my spine to articulate more clearly through the chest?

The functional goal: Bilateral support facilitating spinal differentiation and rib mobility.

The Person Inside

Leaning on both hands gives me a stable base to explore the meeting of my neck and shoulders. I feel the vertebrae enjoying the space as I pivot my head without losing my height.

The Shadow

I am leaning too hard on one hand, bracing my ribs against the floor to find a false stability.

Part 6: Side-Bending and Rib Mobility

Exploring the lateral plane of the spine and rib cage through side-bending in side-sitting.

What You Did

Side-sitting, hand on crown, side-bend head and spine (Side A).
Side-sitting, hand on crown, side-bend head and spine (Side B).
Rest on back and scan rib mobility.

The teacher uses the hand on the crown to clarify the relationship between the head's tilt and the accordion-like opening and closing of the ribs. This exploration of the lateral plane helps you sense how rib mobility functions to support a supple spine, preparing the torso for the integrated swings that follow.

What Was Happening

Softening

The question being posed: Can I side-bend without losing the 'placid mask' of my face or shortening my neck?

The functional goal: Accordion-like expansion of the ribs and lateral spinal flexibility.

The Person Inside

I imagine I have no neck, letting the movement come from the folding of my ribs. My face stays quiet, an unexpressive mask that allows the spine to fold and unfold effortlessly.

The Shadow

I am shortening my neck and pulling my ear down with effort, forgetting to let the ribs do the work.

Part 7: Dynamic Swings and Final Integration

Integrating the differentiated movements into dynamic torso swings in sitting and standing.

What You Did

Side-sitting (no hands), swing torso and arms side to side.
Side-sitting, swing torso with head and eyes in opposition.
Repeat dynamic swing on the other side.
Stand and swing side to side, allowing heels to lift.
In standing swing, move head in opposition to the torso.
Final standing rest and walk.

The teacher invites you to bring the refined relationships between your eyes, head, and ribs into dynamic swings, questioning if you can maintain fluid coordination even when moving in opposition. This final integration transitions the differentiated floor work into the global functions of standing and walking, ensuring the newfound lightness is available for your everyday movement.

What Was Happening

Transmission

The question being posed: Is my motor plan now actuated with lightness, length, and panoramic readiness?

The functional goal: Integrated, 'involuntary' ease in rotation and upright standing.

The Person Inside

I am dancing now, the swing is lazy and free. My eyes lead, my heels lift, and the whole room flows past me without a single catch in my breath or my gaze.

The Shadow

I have stood down; the signal is clear and I am no longer needed to 'hold' or 'fix' the structure.

The Arc

Every Feldenkrais lesson has a trajectory — from effort to ease, from noise to quiet. Here's how this lesson made that journey.

How the Lesson Washed Away Effort

Cortical noise is reduced by systematically breaking the habitual link between the eyes, head, and torso. By asking the eyes to move further, move in opposition, or track with one eye closed, the 'Tuner' is forced to clarify the signal, melting the 'locked' state of the Shadow.

The Threshold of Quiet

The moment of Transmission emerges when the student can maintain a 'quiet mask' of the face while moving the head and shoulders in opposition, signaling that the Council has taken over the coordination of the twist.

The Arc

1. Initial Standing Swing & Scan

Bracing

2. Floor Scan & Basic Side-Sitting Rotation

Softening

3. Differentiating Eyes and Head in Rotation

Softening

4. Oppositional Head/Eye Movements

Softening/Transmission

5. Head-Shoulder Differentiation with Two-Hand Support

Softening

6. Side-Bending and Rib Mobility

Softening

7. Dynamic Swings and Final Integration

Transmission

What the Shadow Was Doing

Hard eyes grabbing at the horizon during the initial standing swing, creating a 'catch' in the movement.
A locked jaw and facial mask that signals a 'stop' command to the spine during side-sitting twists.
Static orientation where the torso turns but the intent (eyes) remains fixed or lags behind.
Bracing in the neck and shoulders that prevents the skeletal transmission of the rotation.

What the Foundation Discovered

Soft eyes receiving the environment, allowing the head to pivot freely on the atlas.
The emergence of a 'placid mask' in the face, reducing cortical noise and parasitic effort.
Skeletal clarity where the spine lengthens and vertebrae find space during the turn.
Panoramic readiness in the final standing swing, where intent and action are congruent.

The Lens: The Tuner

How does the clarity of your intent affect the quality of your movement? This lens investigates the master switches — eyes, jaw, neck — to ensure the motor plan created in the mind can be successfully actuated in the body.

The Tuner

The one who manages the 'meeting' between your thoughts and your actions. They are the expert in Actuation. They don't generate the power, but they make sure the signal is clean. Every movement is received as: Is my plan clear? Am I looking where I intend to go, or am I 'Fixing' my eyes while my body tries to turn?

The Shadow

A breakdown in the planning process. Because the system cannot find its orientation, it defaults to a 'locked' state — hard eyes that freeze the neck, a clamped jaw that signals 'stop' to the spine, moving the body without moving the intent. The lesson clears the path from thought to action.

Next Time

The question this lesson asks doesn't have a final answer. Each time you do it, your nervous system finds a slightly different solution. Here are some things to pay attention to next time:

Notice the very first moment of sensing — before you move. What do you feel on the floor? What's the shape of your contact?
Pay attention to the connections. When you move one part, what ripples through to distant parts? Where do you feel unexpected responses?
Each time you're asked to reduce effort, see how little you can do and still have the movement happen. The answer might surprise you.
When the teacher poses a question, resist the urge to find an answer. Let the question sit. Your body will answer in its own time.
Don't rush through the pauses. That's where the real work happens — your nervous system integrating what it just learned.
Let the imagery work on you. When you imagine a movement, your nervous system rehearses it almost as fully as if you did it. Imagination is movement.

The lesson is a conversation between you and your nervous system. Each time you listen a little more carefully, you hear something new.