Dear Students:
Crawling in all it’s forms, plays an essential role in the development of the
neurological, muscular & skeletal systems of a baby. If you look closely at a newborn you will not see any back curves because the vertebral curvatures are created during the first year of life through rolling, creeping, crawling & climbing motions. These developmental movements prepare babes in amazing ways, for sitting, standing & independent walking.
When an infant pushes his head, torso, arms, pelvis & legs into the floor his bone density is stimulated to grow, his muscles develop & his awareness comes alive. Eventually slithering across the floor becomes an achieved reality. If this process is uninterrupted, his confidence & curiosity can grow & keep him continuously engaged in learning. This can positively influence the paths he chooses to walk upon during his entire life.
I share this short video with you so you can watch Baby Liv as she learns to crawl & become aware of herself & the environment around her. I hope you watch it as my words cannot describe her broad levels of growth.
If you delve into crawling as an adult it can help you to physically, emotionally & mentally reorganize yourself in wonderful ways. It can also be a very humbling experience if you are troubled with stiff muscles, exaggerated vertebral curves & weaknesses. Fortunately during Awareness Through Movement (ATM) lessons, students of all ages & abilities can learn to slowly & gently move in small increments towards creeping across the floor before trying to go faster or more powerfully.
Years ago a young mother came to my (ATM) class on a day I taught a lesson that concluded with her propelling herself forward on her belly much like a baby. At the end of class she came up to me with tears in her eyes and told me that she, “didn’t realize that crawling was so hard”. She humbly thanked me for helping her find empathy for her four month old son who was struggling with “tummy time”. On another occasion, a mother of a teenager with special needs had a similar reaction after a lesson. She forlornly expressed that she wished she had known about Feldenkrais & understood the importance of crawling before her daughter was born. I assured her it was never too late to learn.
On a compatible note, crawling has become a popular craze in the fitness world. Creeping like an animal on all four limbs, helps exercisers get stronger & more flexible at the same time. With that thought, I felt it would be fun to share an instructional video of the “lizard crawl” with you. The instructor demonstrates very well how to safely accomplish this difficult crawl by taking you through some proper progressions. I like this exercise & ones like it because they require full attention, are functional, challenging & time efficient. If you decide to exercise in this creative manner be sure to take it gradually & one step at a time.
Happy Thanksgiving! Peace to all on Earth.
~Donna
Contact Donna Bervinchak at: