STUDY WITH ALFONS

If I would be a Physical Therapist… and had to design a movement based training program… I would either start with solutions to common problems, or more systematically with child developmental patterns. 

Flexion. Extension. Rotation.

I would look at early childhood reflexes: the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex, the righting reflex, the withdrawal reflex, postures and responses to the fear of falling. And then progress to lessons that bring students up to sitting, standing, walking. I would certainly also look at object manipulation and handling. Walk along the lines of Occupational Therapy. I would probably have reading, writing, and anatomy on the curriculum as well.

But I am no Physical Therapist. 

I would not design a training program like that. And I would certainly not start with sucking-like-a-baby or several days of curling-up-like-a-hedgehog lessons.

Instead.

I would probably start with focusing on abilities. And how to improve the seemingly un-improvable. I would – probably – start with the ability to sense the pull of gravity. Explore deeply what we’re working with, here on Earth, as upright walking mammals with a head that’s sticking out of the torso, arms, legs, bones, the ability to feel, improve, fall and rise again, and all that.

I would start on the floor. I would – probably – start with rolling from side-lying to lying on the back. And the other way round. And, the other way round. A roll over, not a push over. Staying as close to the floor as possible, at first. Postpone reach-ups to a later date. Start with rolling the eyes, the head, or start with rolling one leg, bending one knee. Or start with reaching like a skeleton, but in side-lying. I can think of 20+ different lessons from the top of my head.

I would work-in moments for improving the ability to sense, put-that-into-words, judge, and improve orientation, timing, movement quality, how things connect and don’t connect. Experience how the use of one shoulder, one leg, one arm, one side is as different from the other, just as our use of one hand is different from the other (right handed, left handed). And all that.

This is the best part: these lessons are surprisingly easy to do, the positions and movements available to almost everyone. They do feel extraordinarily good, and they leave you feeling extraordinarily well. Curious. I have learned something. I want more. Not only physically. These moments also give us a feeling of being acknowledged as individuals, respected, and being in the right place. 

Plus, it immediately gives students something interesting, fun, engaging, to work with. A movement progression, growing in subject matter as well as difficulty. Something to practice at home. Something to get better at. They might even want to share what they’ve just learned with their own folks, or their own students.

In fact, creating own versions of the lessons, sharing them, and talking about them would be part of the curriculum.

That’s how I would start.

„Wolf Haas is an Austrian writer. He is known for his crime fiction novels, four of which were made into films. He has won several prizes for his works, including the German prize for crime fiction.”– Wolf Haas’s page on Wikipedia

„Wolf Haas attributes his success to the unique way he tells his stories, rather than the stories themselves. ” – Study of Silentium, Master of Art Thesis by Paul Geisler

„In the first novel, I was so occupied by this newly discovered language that I didn’t really care about the plot. With each subsequent book, I’ve paid a little more attention to it. As far as I am concerned, plot and language are best balanced in the last two novels.” – Interview with Wolf Haas in „Die Welt”, 2011

A fancy rooftop bar & restaurant, in the city centre. Its first opening after the most recent COVID-19 lockdown. Like what seemed half the users of facebook, we too were waiting in line for an elevator to take us up. There were 3 girls with headsets, 4 guards, 8 elevators. But only one elevator seemed to be in service. The line spawned in front of the elevators, crossed through the entrance hall, which was marble-floored, marble-walled, and big enough to could have housed an Italian Cathedral, threaded itself through the blocked up rotating entrance doors, and when you were still waiting outside you could as well have been lined up for next year’s iPhone and it’d been faster to get one of those.

It was a long line, well presentable. I-have-been-in-the-upscale-office-all-day, smart casual, and dressed-to-impress were the looks. People were either waiting politely in silence, or whispering, or chatting cheerfully–with their voices down as not to bother the other nicely lined-up guests.

But there’s always that one guy. You know who. You have seen and heard him many times before. That one guy speaking loudly enough so that he could be having his conversations across the entire length of a football field. That one guy with a slightly concerned yet cheerful face who chats up anyone.

„Been here before? Oh, the view, fantastic!”, brushing through his thick hair with a big gesture, „Yeah, definitely. As a matter of fact, the first modern hotels were Inns in medieval Europe. Mid-17th century, mostly for coach travellers. People with big money…”, serious eye-balling now, will we silent people understand? „Mid-18th century onwards… at the earliest…”

Quite frankly: this archetype of a guy has an annoyingly active presence. But with a smooth, could-be-rather pleasant, strong voice, easy accent, unintended humour, and compelling short stories. Yet when he’s standing next to you, you would rather lower your head in order not to draw his attention.

This is the guy, who as a child, did not fall into The Word Gap. He was the child that got exposed to 40 million words more than the least cared for children. In his world, words, conversations, language, are as available as American Dollars are to Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos. And by constantly talking, to whomever, he just keeps getting ahead of everyone else.

The crime stories of Wolf Haas read like as if that guy sat down with you over a casual drink, and is giving his very best efforts, at the height of his skills and his best knowledge, to tell you what happened.

That’s how smooth Wolf Haas’s narration flows. His stories are charged with references and credible details, impressive knowledge of local customs and circumstances, things that catch and hold attention. His written language is like spoken language. It’s full of colloquialisms (but no swearing), skipped words, half finished sentences, common phrases, catch phrases, and phrases to catch attention. Ok, here’s the best part. This is very interesting. That’s the important point. To understand this you need to know… He’s using these elements like Fast-Food restaurants are using salt, sugar, and frying oil. Put in enough of that and you can swallow anything. And – if on top – you have the right recipe for your sliders and burgers, then they will never get old.

However, there was something that puzzled me deeply. I watched a dozen or more interviews featuring Wolf Haas on Youtube. My problem was this: He’s quiet. He holds back. He crosses his legs and holds his head to the side with low muscle tone. He’s polite and almost shy. He waits until the interviewer finishes his question and then starts thinking about what he could answer. And halfway into his answers he would pull back and try to rephrase, respond to the interviewer’s facial expressions and body language. According to what I’ve seen on Youtube, Wolf Haas could definitely NOT pull off his written voice in actual speaking. Not by a long shot.

How does this match together?

This really bothered me. It bothered me over the course of a couple of weeks. It was like an itch I couldn’t scratch. I just could not match those two (completely different) sides of him together. How could such a quiet scholar, a meticulous craftsman, a former advertisement copywriter have such a powerful, fearless, highly entertaining written voice?

And then, as it is with many such things, it came to me suddenly. It was hot and dry all day, late afternoon already, I was driving and forcing my scooter through a difficult traffic situation, and while I pulled hard to the left, to avoid colliding with a wrong-way-driver from the right, I suddenly knew how Wolf Haas did it.

I wanted to end today’s writing on the previous paragraph. Leave you with this. But I can’t help but to share my epiphany. He might have done it like this:

Wolf Haas found himself his favourite „that one guy”, maybe knew him all along, distilled his distinct way of telling stories, and on that base modelled his narrator. Just like Richard Bandler and John Grinder model people. Model characters in a novel, certainly, but model the narrator? What a concept! What a twist! Wolf Haas is not only a courageous hero, but also a narrator-modelling genius.

I was driving down a narrow two lane street. The car in front of me was going slower and slower and slower. Then it blinked to the left while pulling over to the right, and came to a halt at the right side of the street.

Why did he blink to the left when he pulled to the right? I figured the driver used his signal lights NOT to indicate that he is going to the right, but to signal me that I shall pass him on his left side. 

Interesting. „Creative use” of his car’s turn signals. Made me question traffic rules and our common agreements on the use of traffic signals altogether.

I notice something similar in movement classes. 

When we are standing, or sitting, then everyone is very clear about:

• Up is where the head is.
• Down is where the feet are.
• In the back is where the back is.
• In front is… in front.

However, I often start my movement classes with lying down on the floor, supine in a horizontal position, lying on the back with legs extended. In this position, suddenly, the „creative use” of directions starts:

• Up is suddenly no longer where the head is, but where the ceiling is.
• Down is no longer where the feet are, but gets reassigned to where the floor is. 
• In front is where the ceiling is. Double tap here. 
• In the back is still in the back, but now that’s also where the floor is. Two is better than one, huh?

Maybe that’s not even a re-assignment of directions. Maybe that’s how many of us see the world, our position in its coordinates, the sky is up and the floor is down, always, invariably so, not coupled to our own orientation.

But how can I lead a beginners movement class, when a good half of my students erased two directions from existence?

„In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.” – Thích Nhất Hạnh

There’s a famous monk here in Vietnam, the father of Engaged Buddhism. He has published over 130 books, including more than 100 in English language, which have sold over 5 million worldwide.

Unfortunately, in November 2014, he experienced a severe brain hemorrhage, which put him in a wheelchair. Since then he underwent multiple — I quote Wikipedia – „aggressive” therapies. He’s still being wheeled around though, and is said to be still unable to speak.

After spending most of his life abroad, these days he’s back to his home in Vietnam. However, for his medical care they are flying-in famous doctors from abroad, to administer their medications and needles. It’s complicated, because of the COVID-19 situation. But they have the means, so it’s possible.

I just don’t know how mindful someone can swallow pills and how mindful a therapist can stick needles into their client. And how much of „aggressive” treatment someone can take (or needs) before looking for something better.

I’m in Vietnam too. Just a short domestic flight away from him. It’s quite ironic. Even though I’m not specialised in stroke patients, nevertheless, with the teachings of Moshé Feldenkrais I could open a new world to him. After all I’m regarded as a distinguished, accomplished Feldenkrais practitioner, approved of by many. For the famous monk it would be very soothing, healing, magnificent even; a big relief to experience this kind of becoming aware, learning, and improving ability again. Western vegans have a track record of living well beyond 100 years of age. He might even take a few steps again. Maybe write, or dictate, a new book.

But there seems to be no way to bring us two together. More to my disadvantage than his, I guess. With such a teaching success I would benefit much more than he would. Allowing me to work with him would put me on the map of history and secure my livelihood for all years to come.

He on the other hand, even if unable to walk and speak, his new way of sitting and silent teaching touches upon all our souls, and I guess he’s happy inside, no matter what the outside world presents to him.

Something has changed. After something like 42 days of daily blogging I no longer have to look for topics. The topics are storming into me. They try to tsunami out of me.

„Here is the key distinction. If it’s work, people try to figure out how to do less. And if it’s art, we try to figure out how to do more. And when we put kids in the factory we call school, the thing we built to indoctrinate them into compliance, why are we surprised that the question is ‘Will this be on the test?’ Someone who is making art doesn’t say, ‘Can I do one less canvas this month?’ They don’t say, ‘Can I write one less song this month?’ They don’t say, ‘Can I touch one fewer person this month?’ It’s art. They want to do more of it. But when it’s work, when it’s your job, of course you want to do less of it.” – Seth Godin

Suddenly this quote from Seth Godin’s TEDx talk „Stop stealing dreams”, which I always thought I understood, suddenly I experience it. I’m living it. My bones are moving.

I did invent a couple of  movement sequences before, just the way Dr. Moshé Feldenkrais did. I designed them from scratch, and I was very happy with them, just as I was very happy with some of my blog posts.

However, I never committed myself to invent a new movement sequence every day, day after day, as a practice. But this is what Moshé Feldenkrais is said to have done. And I guess, after some time, the movement sequences just spurted out of him. Over time he created hundreds, some say well over a thousand, of his brilliant lessons.

Researchers have put The Word Gap of children from different social backgrounds somewhere between 3 million words and 30 millions words. How many millions is it?

Officials might throw such big numbers around just in order to collect money for their NGO programs (and of course, probably more importantly, for their management fees). Just saying. But that’s another story. There’s strong arguments for the existence of The Word Gap. It is real.

I looked up some numbers: 130 words per minute is a very comfy speed for speaking, listening, or reading. That’s 7800 words per hour. All seven Harry Potter books combined contain a total of a bit more than 1 million words (1,084,170 words to be precise). You do the math.

That’s something like five months of daily reading out loud for one hour.

I’m pretty certain that such a gap exists for movement too.

However, the currency seems to be a different one. In The Word Gap we’re looking at life chances and most importantly The Income Gap. With movement, I guess, the currency is not „money” but „wellbeing”.

In terms of closing The Movement Gap by systematic, guided means, looking at my numbers I can report this:

Movement sessions work both as a) DIY approach from my videos or audio recordings, or b) as personally guided sessions – or as a combination of a) and b). Especially with hands-on the second approach might be faster, a bit more efficient, and probably more personal.

My clients are usually at least 25 years old. And equally distributed over all age groups above that. I guess below 25, movement related problems (as in „mathematical problems” and as in „medical problems”) are attributed to a lack of sleep, drugs, choice of friends, or luck. Once a critical threshold is passed, people find out that it’s 1. something else 2. they can do something about it. Some people realise that before 25 years of age, or at any age above that. And some, obviously, never.

It usually takes 5 to 10 of my guided movement sessions to be able to see significant improvements in overall movement patterns and movement quality. Clients feel these differences usually in (or after) the first session, in the form of much reduced pain and much elevated comfort. But it usually takes 10 or more sessions before they realise they have improved in very deep, significant ways.

Some clients get hooked on this realisation and do many more sessions. Which, of course, sets them significantly apart from everyone else. It’s like the seeing walking amongst the blind. Although, obviously, the blind couldn’t care less.

There’s more to it. There’s a big cultural component.

Usually children are inspired by the people around them. They learn to move like „them” – like the people around them move. They become part of a family, „he walks like his father”, or they say „she has the smile of her mother”.

They also become part of a location based culture. People from Italy, in general, walk differently to people from (just for example) China, Cambodia, Japan, Germany, or England. These differences in movement are so significant that forensic experts can attribute the shape of human bones to their respective culture of origin. I don’t think it’s genetics only. I assert that form follows function, to a significant degree.

Now. If (for example) 90 % of an adult population has acquired spine deformities and faulty movement patterns through a lack of movement or an overemphasis on specialised movement (such as sitting), then their children will still learn from these adults, and copy their problematic patterns.

Yeah. This sounds bad. I wish I could say „April Fool’s”.

There might be a safety layer in between though. Maybe it’s like with overfishing: if we would just leave the Oceans alone for a bit, they would recover. Maybe it’s the same with children. And adults. If we would just allow them to move a bit, and not confine them to indoor space and chairs all day, then they might recover.

„Mature people need to discern by themselves what they are doing, how they are doing it, and what it is doing to them. They must decide if it is good or not good.” – Dr. Moshé Feldenkrais

In 1902 the Federal Council issued binding „Rules for German Language Spelling” for the entire German Empire. The new spelling was introduced by decree on January 1, 1903 in the authorities and on April 1, 1903 (not a joke) in schools. It was also complied to in Austria and Switzerland.

Before 1903 everyone would write pretty much in any way they could, found fit or found pleasing. What a time to be alive!

After 1903 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, what is correct spelling and what is incorrect spelling has been defined. And went straight up to debate. Since that time people have been arguing vigorously, heatedly, some respectful, some full of anger, on what is correct and incorrect. #oxfordcomma

I feel for every child that went through a decade (or longer) of compulsory schooling. For having had to sit quietly at the mercy of whomever was in charge of their factory-like processing at any time. I understand that this might have wiped some children’s personality clean of the ability to protest, freed the brain of quite a bit of its original creativity, destroyed dreams, and wrapped and invisible iron cast around the children’s bodies and minds. In some statistics less than 5 % of children graduate without spinal deformities. These deformities were acquired while in school. But who is measuring deformities in their feeling and thinking, in their creative abilities?

For a great many children, long before the end of their schooling process, one main, fearful question was already successfully imprinted into their brains, whatever the task at hand may be:

„Am I doing it correctly?”

Did Picasso ask this question when he painted? Did Bighead and Lil Pump check with their music teachers if the lyrics in their song Gucci Gang are correct? (Youtube flagged their mumble-jumble as age-restricted) Does Plasteed check if his dance moves are correct? Does Lil Buck worry if he uses his feet correctly?

In recent years Austrian writer Wolf Haas became very famous in German speaking countries. For his crime stories. The stories itself are great, but what is remarkable is the language he uses in his books. He omits words, cuts sentences shorts, uses spoken language in writing. This makes his writing very easy to read, and his words come alive vividly.

Technically it’s all wrong. Writing like this? He would have failed to graduate from school. But now he’s a bestselling author. That’s a bit of a problem for the system. Thus, a lot has been written about Wolf Haas’s writing. Linguists went full throttle at it. A whole bunch of academic papers have been published about his use of language.

To me Wolf Haas is a national hero. Not because of his bestselling books. I love his books. But they don’t make him a hero. Wolf Haas is a hero because he had the nerves and the guts to stand up against the schooling system. Wolf Haas is a hero because he gave millions of children, all generations to come, the permission to write in novel ways. To invent their own style of writing. No matter what the overlord teachers in charge of the processing-of-children are saying. Because they, too, read bestselling author Wolf Haas.

Btw, I certainly do check if my spelling is correct. And I do check if my movements flow well, and connect well, when I’m rolling on the floor.