Pender December 2025
audios and notes
Audio
Noticing the End
Until Hilary said something about it, I hadn’t remembered that ‘letting go’ is a great way to see inside, too, just as the initiation is. Barbara pointed out that gliding sports are a great way to play with this—and yes, swimming! I would be delighted if letting go and just coasting after a stroke became a tool you reached for on your own!
Be nice to yourself because we are hardwired for keeping up the momentum. For me, saying ‘let go’ three times is about right because each time I feel a whole different layer, but if I go for 4 times I just get annoyed. Saying the words out loud sometimes helps, but if you have a better trick use it and tell me. And then as you let go, notice what you had been using that perhaps could be pared away or sequenced differently.
Notes
Noticing the Initiation
Moshé Feldenkrais says that once you start your movement, you are committed. There’s very little chance to improve on it. And it is also true that once you decide to start and are consciously initiating, you have actually already started. If you want to know what you are actually doing—how you committed, how you might commit ‘better’ in whatever way you want to define that—you have to accept that your consciousness is just too slow. To be aware of what you are doing, you have to move in such a way that it enhances your awareness and plays evasive tricks on your consciousness. ‘Such a way’ almost always involves slow, small and accepting. Curiosity rather than pain. So sneak up on yourself. Pay attention in a sort of a tricky way. And then just ponder doing a move. Delicately notice how you recruit yourself. Already parts of you are wanting to jump in and help. So back off. Let it go. Think about thinking about maybe moving, and see what fires up. Back off until there is no firing. Do this again and again. Go as slowly and lightly and gently and unambitiously as you can. Dally into the movement.
The Finger Lessons!
Here’s my playlist for the finger lesson, should work for Luddites. Let me know…
For Upcoming Clinic?
Barbara and Willem had asked for attention to their stooping, and then I gave y’all a lesson that went deep into your pelvis…. I just want to make sure that connection makes sense to you.