Often used if there is a carpal tunnel issue, repetitive motion injury, or hand, wrist, or arm pain from over-use of the hands or wrist, this Awareness Through Movement® lesson is a series of simple movements done on the back. It is one of my favorite lessons because it can have such surprising results – addressing pain in the area of the back, neck, shoulder, jaw, and even feet. But often people find the lesson because of computer overuse, and it has come to be known as the Hand, Wrist, and Arm Pain Lesson.
Almost all of the movements in the lesson are done on one side of the body, often leaving a dramatic difference between the two sides. Don’t worry! Your two sides will even out in a number of hours, without any movements on the other side. Of course, if you want to stop during the lesson, that’s fine, or if you want to do a little movement on the side that you didn’t use during the lesson, that’s OK, too. But it might be interesting to experience the difference between the two sides while it lasts. Distinguishing differences is how we learn.
If you have an issue with your hand, wrist, or arm pain, it might be interesting to come back to this lesson a few days after the first time you do it. You will undoubtedly find new understandings and experiences. And each time you slow down and attend to what you are doing, you’ll learn more. One student who did this lesson told me she realized for the first time how hard she hit the keys of her computer keyboard. Experimenting with a light touch was a major breakthrough for her.
After you’ve done the lesson, a day or so later, try lying on the floor and taking a few minutes to relax and allow memories of the lesson to come back to you. Do a little of whatever movements you remember. Those may be the movements you need the most.
And if you want to learn more about how the Feldenkrais Method is used for hand, wrist, and arm pain, check out this article by Feldenkrais Practitioner Cliff Smyth.