MAKING THE CONNECTION
The Artificial Floor in depth
In October 2019, Larry Goldfarb introduced the Baltimore Feldenkrais® Teacher Training to the iconic Functional Integration® lesson known as THE ARTIFICIAL FLOOR.
Over five days of ATM®, talks, demonstrations, practice sessions, debriefs, and discussions, the trainees explored the lesson’s score, getting to know its inner workings, learning logic, and compositional design. As Larry guided them step-by-careful-step through the score, they developed the requisite sensitivity and hands-on techniques in conjunction with refining their self-use. The aim was to learn the FI® by cultivating the ability to feel — and move — the student through the board.
The curriculum investigated the following fundamental questions to develop an appreciation of the lesson from inside out:
- What did Feldenkrais mean when he referred to a standing leg?
What are the whole-body implications of this idea? - What, specifically, does the teacher look at and feel for?
How do you make sense of what you notice?
How do you develop that hidden sense of reaching further than you touch?
How does this relate to working with and through the board? - What, specifically, does the teacher look at and feel for?
How do you make sense of what you notice?
How do you develop that hidden sense of reaching further than you touch?
How do you learn to feel through the board? - And then, of course, there’s knowing how to respond:
How do you determine the options and understand their implications, including where they most likely lead? - How does the teacher move so that actions like lifting the student’s leg become easy and educational?
- What’s the difference between using the board as a learning aid and making it the lesson’s throughline, between it being a teaching tactic and serving as the unifying theme?
- How do you understand THE ARTIFICIAL FLOOR from both sides of the board?
The recordings of this course consist of more than nine hours of instruction, including:
23 talks, demonstrations, debriefs, and discussions
[21 Video files, 2 Audio files]
7 Awareness Through Movement® lessons
[Audio files]
To see the complete content of this program, please click on the plus sign below:
DAY 1
Larry introduces himself
— Talk [12 min: 07 sec]
Burning Questions
— Q&A [26:08]
OBSERVING STANDING AND WALKING
— ATM+Lab [19:23]
Creating moments of co-discovery
— Talk and Lab [07:24]
Creating an environment for learning
— Talk [03:44]
PILLOWS AND SWINGS – FOOTPRINT
— ATM [47:59]
WITNESSING WALKING
— ATM+Lab [48:27]
DAY 2
Table intelligence
— Talk [12:07]
PERSPECTIVES ON STANDING
— ATM+Talk [07:22]
Initiating contact
— Demo+lab [09:32]
Sensations of support
— Talk+discussion [25:38]
Audio only
Preparing the student for the return of the habit
— Talk [14:52]
How feedback systems work
— Talk [38:36]
The big picture and the details
— Demo [17:48]
A section of this video is not quite in focus.
DAY 3
Learning together
— Talk+demo [43:42]
Audio only
PILLOWS AND SWINGS – Straightening and bending
— ATM [50:02]
Understanding standing
— Talk [6:06]
DAY 4
One of Moshe’s jokes – plus a bit
— Talk [04:22]
Reaching toward the thoracic spine
— Demo + Lab [06:59]
Explore the AF score
— Demo [09:34]
The long and winding road
— Talk [05:45]
Finding the standing leg
— Demo+talk [14:52]
DAY 5
The ring of the first rib
— Demo [14:54]
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO TAI CHI
— ATM+talk [09:34]
Standing and pushing.
— Lab+Discussion [13:13]
When to give an artificial floor lesson
— Talk [07:36]
Giving Dot the FI
— Demo [49:28]
Brief comments on Dot’s FI
— Talk [02:09]
PILLOWS AND SWINGS
— ATM [46:33]
Closing comments
— Talk [09:07]
Rather than cancel the five-day ARTIFICIAL FLOOR advanced training scheduled at the Feldenkrais Institute of Vienna in November 2020 because of the international coronavirus lockdown, Larry moved the program online. To make the best of this situation, he also added a bonus two-day review session in January 2021.
These seven days of invaluable instruction provide an advanced perspective on this classic lesson. The curriculum goes into even greater detail and depth, giving you an even more comprehensive understanding of the incredibly potent FI. Plus, you’ll get to see him give this FI three more times.
42 talks, demonstrations, debriefs, and discussions
[Video files]
6 Awareness Through Movement® lessons
[Audio files]
Plus 1 overview document
[PDF files]
To review the complete content, please click on the plus sign below:
THE ARTIFICIAL FLOOR REVISITED Summary Index
— Document
Day 1
What you can learn about the ARTIFICIAL FLOOR
— Talk [22:00]
AS ABOVE, SO BELOW
— ATM [20:09]
Observing while changing the position of the head in standing
— Lab [5:55]
Guided FI, Rolling head and bringing footboard to foot
— Demo [32:25]
Rolling head and bringing the footboard to the foot
— Lab [36:55]
About not being perfect and what it means to make contact
— Discussion [52:25]
Day 2
About self-organization and the footboard
— Talk [12:52]
DIFFERENTIATING THE FEET
— ATM [1:00:55]
About the joints of the feet
— Discussion [5:06]
About the standing leg
— Demo [5:16]
Guided FI, organizing yourself to give FI and articulating the ankle joint
— Lab [48:22]
Making the self-use suggestions helpful
— Discussion [9:18]
About organization of the teacher
— Demo [20:34]
What are you looking for in this lesson
— Discussion [14:00]
Rounding and arching your back while using the footboard
— Discussion [14:46]
Day 3
The anatomy of the shoulder girdle
— Talk [13:32]
WALKING THE WALL
— ATM [34:57]
WALKING THE WALL cont.
— ATM [9:45]
About how your nervous system recovers from injury
— Discussion [6:04]
Guided FI, Using the edges of the footboard and your visual imagination
— Lab [46:44]
Using the edge of the footboard and lifting the whole leg with the board
— Demo [50:43]
Clarifying the rays of toes and lifting the leg
— FI Demo [26:20]
Day 4
About having x-ray vision
— Discussion [8:21]
ON THE BACK – TWISTING THE SPINE WITH THE HEAD FIXED
— ATM [30:54]
What you’ve learned so far about the footboard
— Demo [16:02]
Playing Tic Tac Toe with the footboard
— Demo [37:45]
Debriefing the Tic Tac Toe demo
— Discussion [8:04]
About the subtalar joint and going with the person
— Discussion [24:32]
Day 5
About the development of the ns, muscles, and skeleton
— Talk [14:13]
About C1 and C2
— Talk [16:41]
About the spinal engine and more
— Talk [23:51]
THE AIRPORT LESSON
— ATM [27:50]
Guided FI — Reviewing and refining, including Larry guiding Lindy— Lab [19:56]
Specific guided FI suggestions
— Lab [21:12]
Looking ahead and closing comments
— Talk [14:53]
Larry gives the ARTIFICIAL FLOOR FI
— Demo [1:18:17]
Day 6
About your questions
— Discussion [3:41]
What did your partner learn?
— Discussion [25:56]
Your laundry list of questions
— Discussion [52:12]
About practicing being a practitioner and a client
— Talk [3:10]
Choose your own adventure FI with Seth
— Demo [1:04:36]
Questions for the next step
— Demo [43:43]
Day 7
Video of Mary
— Demo [13:56]
Reflecting on the video demo with Mary
— Discussion [21:19]
About the ATMs taught in the workshop
— Talk [22:07]
DANCING WITH THE BOARD – Guided FI
— ATM + Lab [42:07]
About taking learning with you
— Talk [13:55]
About continuing your learning
— Discussion [9:28]
Your homework and the next steps
— Talk [16:11]
Whether you’re new to this lesson or an experienced teacher, you’ll find the insights and understanding needed to deliver this lesson most effectively and beneficially.
These are recordings of a live event; a few tech trip-ups happened during the training segment. So you know, we have only audio files of the two talks, a video close-up that’s out of focus, and the mic was far away from Larry once or twice.
To make sure that the files are as ready-for-primetime — at the very least, that the sound quality is up to snuff — they have been professionally edited. Though the production values may be more homemade than Hollywood, the content is eminently understandable, lucid, and illuminating.
MAKING THE CONNECTION consists of a total of 29+ hours of advanced training. This program is available exclusively to Feldenkrais® teachers or trainees with a professional Become a Better Teacher (BABT) account on the Mind in Motion Online website.
Please log in to your Professional Account to purchase this item
Frequently Asked Questions
Most of the ATM lessons in the Baltimore training segment are based on the PILLOWS AND SWINGS series, which is found in the Alexander Yanai collection, starting with AY 360. Larry also draws on the STANDING OSCILLATIONS lesson.
In the Vienna program, Larry combines classic ATMs with his own compositions, including the now well-known AIRPORT lesson.
Yes, Larry gives one of the trainees the entire lesson from start to finish at the end of the Baltimore training segment. The Vienna program includes Larry giving the footboard FI three times.
These are recordings of a live event.
The Baltimore training recordings include a few imperfections: two of the presentations are available only as audio recordings, a video close-up of a demonstration that’s out of focus, and, because Larry’s microphone wasn’t working, his voice is far away once or twice. That being said, the recordings have been edited to optimize sound quality.
The Vienna course happened on Zoom. The recording quality is very good, and these files have also been edited. Please note that the videos are in “presenter” mode, meaning you only see Larry on screen.
After you purchase MAKING THE CONNECTION, the files will be available in the Mind in Motion Online (MIMO) Library.
You can stream the audio and video files directly from MIMO; you may also download audio files and documents. Please note to protect the privacy of the participants in the course and prevent piracy, the video files are not downloadable.
You receive more than 29 hours of training, including.
65 talks, demonstrations, debriefs, and discussions
13 Awareness Through Movement® lessons
For the complete list of the contents of each course, see the following two FAQ items.
DAY 1
Larry introduces himself
— Talk [12 min: 07 sec]
Burning Questions
— Q&A [26:08]
OBSERVING STANDING AND WALKING
— ATM+Lab [19:23]
Creating moments of co-discovery
— Talk and Lab [07:24]
Creating an environment for learning
— Talk [03:44]
PILLOWS AND SWINGS – FOOTPRINT
— ATM [47:59]
WITNESSING WALKING
— ATM+Lab [48:27]
DAY 2
Table intelligence
— Talk [12:07]
PERSPECTIVES ON STANDING
— ATM+Talk [07:22]
Initiating contact
— Demo+lab [09:32]
Sensations of support
— Talk+discussion [25:38]
Audio only
Preparing the student for the return of the habit
— Talk [14:52]
How feedback systems work
— Talk [38:36]
The big picture and the details
— Demo [17:48]
A section of this video is not quite in focus.
DAY 3
Learning together
— Talk+demo [43:42]
Audio only
PILLOWS AND SWINGS – Straightening and bending
— ATM [50:02]
Understanding standing
— Talk [6:06]
DAY 4
One of Moshe’s joke – plus a bit
— Talk [04:22]
Reaching toward the thoracic spine
— Demo + Lab [06:59]
Explore the AF score
— Demo [09:34]
The long and winding road
— Talk [05:45]
Finding the standing leg
— Demo+talk [14:52]
DAY 5
The ring of the first rib
— Demo [14:54]
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO TAI CHI
— ATM+talk [09:34]
Standing and pushing.
— Lab+Discussion [13:13]
When to give an artificial floor lesson
— Talk [07:36]
Giving Dot the FI
— Demo [49:28]
Brief comments on Dot’s FI
— Talk [02:09]
PILLOWS AND SWINGS
— ATM [46:33]
Closing comments
— Talk [09:07]
THE ARTIFICIAL FLOOR REVISITED Summary Index
— Document
Day 1
What you can learn about the ARTIFICIAL FLOOR
— Talk [22:00]
AS ABOVE, SO BELOW
— ATM [20:09]
Observing while changing the position of the head in standing
— Lab [5:55]
Guided FI, Rolling head and bringing footboard to foot
— Demo [32:25]
Rolling head and bringing the footboard to the foot
— Lab [36:55]
About not being perfect and what it means to make contact
— Discussion [52:25]
Day 2
About self-organization and the footboard
— Talk [12:52]
DIFFERENTIATING THE FEET
— ATM [1:00:55]
About the joints of the feet
— Discussion [5:06]
About the standing leg
— Demo [5:16]
Guided FI, organizing yourself to give FI and articulating the ankle joint
— Lab [48:22]
Making the self-use suggestions helpful
— Discussion [9:18]
About organization of the teacher
— Demo [20:34]
What are you looking for in this lesson
— Discussion [14:00]
Rounding and arching your back while using the footboard
— Discussion [14:46]
Day 3
The anatomy of the shoulder girdle
— Talk [13:32]
WALKING THE WALL
— ATM [34:57]
WALKING THE WALL cont.
— ATM [9:45]
About how your nervous system recovers from injury
— Discussion [6:04]
Guided FI, Using the edges of the footboard and your visual imagination
— Lab [46:44]
Using the edge of the footboard and lifting the whole leg with the board
— Demo [50:43]
Clarifying the rays of toes and lifting the leg
— FI Demo [26:20]
Day 4
About having x-ray vision
— Discussion [8:21]
ON THE BACK – TWISTING THE SPINE WITH THE HEAD FIXED
— ATM [30:54]
What you’ve learned so far about the footboard
— Demo [16:02]
Playing Tic Tac Toe with the footboard
— Demo [37:45]
Debriefing the Tic Tac Toe demo
— Discussion [8:04]
About the subtalar joint and going with the person
— Discussion [24:32]
Day 5
About the development of the ns, muscles and skeleton
— Talk [14:13]
About C1 and C2
— Talk [16:41]
About the spinal engine and more
— Talk [23:51]
THE AIRPORT LESSON
— ATM [27:50]
Guided FI, Reviewing and refining, including video of Larry guiding Lindy
— Lab [19:56]
Specific guided FI suggestions
— Lab [21:12]
Looking ahead and closing comments
— Talk [14:53]
Larry gives the ARTIFICIAL FLOOR FI
— Demo [1:18:17]
Day 6
About your questions
— Discussion [3:41]
What did your partner learn?
— Discussion [25:56]
Your laundry list of questions
— Discussion [52:12]
About practicing being a practitioner and a client
— Talk [3:10]
Choose your own adventure FI with Seth
— Demo [1:04:36]
Questions for the next step
— Demo [43:43]
Day 7
Video of Mary
— Demo [13:56]
Reflecting on the video demo with Mary
— Discussion [21:19]
About the ATM‘s taught in the workshop
— Talk [22:07]
DANCING WITH THE BOARD – Guided FI
— ATM + Lab [42:07]
About taking learning with you
— Talk [13:55]
About continuing your learning
— Discussion [9:28]
Your homework and the next steps
— Talk [16:11]
The ATMs range from a short exploration to the expected, more or less standard, length; the talks and discussions run from a few minutes and some seconds to 50-some minutes; and the FIs are an hour or so long.
Please check the drop-down menus in the description text above to find the length — in minutes and seconds — of each file.
NB: During the live Baltimore training segment, the cameraperson didn’t follow Larry (or the other faculty member) around during the ample learning labs and practice sessions. Not surprisingly, much of the most important learning happens during these experiential processes.
Consider MAKING THE CONNECTION as a kind of manual, one that reveals what’s behind and inside this remarkable FI. Whether you engage with the material on your own, with a study buddy, or in a practice group, please use MTC as a roadmap for learning.
These video and audio files are not a collection of armchair thought experiments, a discourse in disembodied philosophy, nor some kind of spectator sport. Working with these resources over time, doing the labs and ATM lessons makes for an exploration of the lesson from both the teacher’s and student’s perspectives.
The best way to use materials is in whatever ways that support your preferred learning strategies. We encourage you to find ways to challenge and expand your ways of learning.
Sorry, we do not sell DVDs or CDs, for that matter. MAKING THE CONNECTION is only available electronically via the Mind in Motion Online website. You can stream the video and audio files and download the audio and documents.
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Disclaimer: The Feldenkrais Method® of neurophysical education is presented on this website for educational and entertainment purposes only. The Method and all articles, videos, photos, audio recordings, and documents of any kind available on this website are not intended to substitute for professional help or medical treatment. Nothing on this website is intended to diagnose or treat any pathology or disease of any kind. This website, all media files found on it and the creator of any and all of these files, and anyone featured on these files, cannot be held responsible for any injuries or discomfort that occur. Before doing any of the movement lessons described or portrayed on this site, consult your medical practitioner.
Please remember these helpful and crucial guidelines:
- Stay in your range of comfort.
- Listen to the wisdom of your body.
- The Feldenkrais Method is a “NO pain, MORE gain” approach to improvement.
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