Self Guided Audio Lessons
Imagine you landed on a deserted island and need a comprehensive self-help kit to keep your body healthy and tuned up. These 2nd Edition collections of audio guided lessons have tracks to break-down each lesson in smaller chunks to address the most common areas needed for Optimal Vitality, Performance and Healing. Over 39 updated mastered individual lessons are available – each series below has more information– click the links below. Get the complete collection on iTunes/Amazon or have access to this library on Patreon and you’ll have the tools you need for Optimal Vitality!
To buy Annie’s Feldenkrais CDs on Amazon search for Digital Music Annie Thoe – be sure to buy the entire album, not just a track.
Access all these audio lessons plus over 200 video lessons on Patreon:
“This work is an ongoing blessing in my life. I’ve lived with cerebral palsy and am on my last couple of weeks with the Breathing Audio Series…It’s been a phenomenal couple of months!…I can’t tell you when I’ve felt better, been more active, been in better spirits, learned more about myself – or had more fun (I’ve been also adapting the floor lessons to sitting.)”
-from N. D., Pennsylvania
You can choose to gradually go through a 45-50 minute lesson in parts as a short break during your day or complete an entire lesson in one session. Below is a short synopsis of each collection. *Purchase these download lessons directly viaiTunes and Amazon – search for “digital music Annie Thoe Sensing Vitality“
*Feldenkrais Practitioners/Students: check out the full list of lesson sources at end of this page. As of April 1, 2020, CDbaby is no longer hosting purchase of this lesson library You can purchase these download CDs on iTunes and Amazon — search for Annie Thoe – Feldenkrais and be sure to buy the complete album of each lesson.
Balance Lessons
Align and tone the entire spine for “core” support, strength and agility. Sense greater emotional & mental balance.
1. Cardinal Lines (Esalen 1) Essential Feldenkrais lesson for core spinal alignment and tone. Improve posture & balance for walking and all activities. Lie on your back and use various movements of the 5 cardinal lines of your limbs and head.
2. Finding Center (Esalen 2) Find a solid “center” with your spine for better balance and core support! Lie on belly to gently align and tone your spine through lifting movements using one leg or your head with arms and other leg in various positions.
3. Turn the Spine (AY 308) Lengthen your spine with gentle turning for improved balance, flexibility and posture. Lie on back with one leg long with movement variations of holding head or arms to differentiate turning the spine.
4. Move Against a Flat Plane (AY 112) Improve agility and core support for graceful walking, running and dancing. Align spine and hips. Lie on back and in sitting with guided hand and foot movements against and imaginary glass plane.
5. Lower Leg Circles (AY 118) Slightly more advanced lesson for aligning core & sacrum, strengthen footing and leg support. Great for agility. Lie on back and on belly positions with knees bent, moving legs in circles with various positions.
6. Stork Diagonal Balance (AY 345) Improve one-legged balance and leg alignment for elegant walking, running and all activities. Lie on back with sliding movements with arms overhead in various positions of bent legs, lengthening with one heel.
Breathing Lessons
Ease in breathing builds a strong foundation of vitality and greater freedom.
1. Breathing to Your Bones (AY 179) Improve breathing capacity, oxygen intake and posture. Deeply relaxing and energizing, great for athletes & musicians. Lie on back with knees bent and on belly with various arm and leg positions with gentle movements.
2.Waves of Breath / Four Parts (AY 180) Deeply calm and stabilize nervous system for better brain function and emotional balance. Lie on back with knees bent or on belly with arms in various positions and use rhythmic tapping for 4-part breath.
3. Riding Waves / Twist Spine (AY 188) Improve air intake with chest expansion and lengthening spine. Excellent for athletes & musicians. Lie on belly with various positions of one arm extended and with movements of head and chest with 4-part breath.
4. Expand in Six Directions (Original A.Thoe) Great for emotional balance, relaxation, sports and music performance. Improve chest expansion and breathing from sensing inside the lungs in six directions through head movements on back, side and belly.
5. Quick Tune-up to Expand (Original A. Thoe) Calm emotions/mental stress, improve breathing for sports and music performance. 8-minute lesson to improve chest expansion in sitting position, using hand on chest in various positions with rhythmic breathing and counting.
6. Rhythmic Breath / All Sides (AY 187) Expand lungs and flexibility of ribcage. Deep relaxation and ease for sports & music performance. On back, belly and sitting in various arm positions and head movements using 4-part breath.
Head & Neck Lessons
Lighten up: When you head moves lighter and easier, all other movements become easier too.
1. Lowering Your Head (AY 5) Uplift your head in a centered position. Reduce strain in neck and entire spine. Open shoulders. Sit in various positions while lowering and lifting head in guided movements to uplift your emotions and sitting posture.
2.Tracing the Perimeter (AY6) Helpful for centered state of mind. Stabilize your head for a flexible neck and body. Move your head in a gentle circle around one finger in various positions from sitting to lying.
3. Extend Head (AY 296) Improve extension of neck and lighten your head with guided movement. Clear emotions and throat tension. Open your heart. Make small circles with hand on head in various positions in sitting and on belly.
4. Fluid Neck / Spanish Dancer (AY 154) Improve ease of turning your head, shoulders and spine to move fluidly like a Spanish dancer. Sit with legs in various positions with hands on hips with guided movements of head, shoulders, eyes.
5.Lifting Head (AY368) Improve neck stability, tone and ease of movement in all directions. Lift your head with hand while lying in many positions: on back, side, belly.
6. Pecking (AY 129) Improve flexibility, tone and precision of each neck vertebrae. Align head for sitting. Free up tension in your neck, shoulders and chest. Use variations of pecking movements on back, belly and sitting.
7. Rolling on Cheek (AY 25) Improve flexibility of your upper neck and shoulders. Ease for turning your neck and side bending. On hands and knees with variations of arm and feet positions with one cheek gently rolling on floor.
8. Tilt Head Sideways (AY 1) Improve neck flexibility with side bending, turning. Opening your chest. Improve stability and alignment of knees and ankles. Variations of moving with hand on head or overhead while side sitting.
Low Back Lessons
Sense the power residing in the core of your body. Stabilize Mind and body.
1. Bridge Pelvis (AY 43) Improve alignment and tone for low back, hips and spine using variations of bridging while lying on back with knees bent. Feel stable support and easier breathing. Improve Posture.
2.Head & Pelvis Clock (AY77) Make smoother hip movements using an imaginary “clock” with head & pelvis while lying on back in various positions. Improve alignment, ease and coordination of your entire spine and hips for stable support.
3. Lengthen & Lift Back (AY379) Use lifting or reaching of your arms and legs while lying on back or on belly to lengthen the sides of your back. Extend your reach, align and tone. Feel softer in your chest and shoulders and greater power in your back.
4. Releasing Hips with Feet (AY 302) Soften shoulders and lengthen back for easier, stronger support of spine. While lying on back, use various gentle movements with one knee to improve alignment for the low back, hips and spine for walking.
5.Hello to Hip Joints (AY241) For fluid walking & standing support. Lie on back or in sitting position while coordination protruding belly with leg movements. Helpful for ease & recovery from whiplash, falls, sacrum pain, big toe & foot pain.
6. On Belly, Legs Pushing (E 24) While on belly, push with toes with arms and legs in various positions for low back alignment and core support. Improve back & disc alignment, tone core. Great for running, reaching and balance.
7. Buttocks Walking (AY 13) Use the two sides of hips and back while sitting or kneeling. Movements help tone core support of spine and engage gluteal and pelvis support to improve back & disc alignment. Great for walking, hip alignment and balance. (Slightly advanced lesson- not recommended with severe SI joint instability)
Shoulder Lessons
Open the FLOW of your creative potential with more freedom in your chest, arms and hands.
1. Feathertip Control (AY 18) Loosen chest, shoulders and arms to extend your reach and open chest with a feather light precision inspired by birds. While mostly lying on back with arms to side with elbows bent, roll bent arms in various positions to differentiate shoulder movements.
2.Wring & Roll (E 10) Free up shoulder and spine tension through rolling your arms, head, spine and pelvis in a “sacred cross” while lying on your back or seated. Feel ease for turning and reaching.
3.Lift Off with Your Wings (AY125) Lie on belly with legs in various positions and gently lift and reach arms in various ways to improve back extension, open chest and loosen shoulders. Improve lightness and ease of arms to reach behind, like wings.
4. Pull Arms / Free Shoulders (AY 44) Lie on back, belly and sitting positions: gently pull one arm in various positions to open one’s rib cage, neck and shoulders with side bending movements. Feel flexibility and length in your shoulders and entire torso.
5.Moving Wings Behind (AY220) Slightly advanced Feldenkrais Lesson. Lie on back with hands in various positions behind back while moving pelvis. Helpful for opening rounded shoulders and improved head turning.
6. Lengthen Arms (AY 158) Loosen shoulders from the rib cage by turning head and spine, reaching arms in various positions while lying on back and sitting. Free upper back for upright posture and open rounded shoulders. Helpful for scoliosis.
Vision Lessons
Improve the entire brain function for greater perception, clarity, deep relaxation and lightness in your life.
1. Tuning Eyes and Brain (AY 15) Sit or lie on back with relaxed movements of eyes sensing entire shape of eyeball, tracking close and medium ranges. Improve reading clarity, peripheral vision, coordination, whiplash, neck and chronic pain.
2. Shaping Eyes to Move Smoothly (AY 165) Sit or lie on back, clear vision habits through relaxed movements of sensing entire shape of eyeball, tracking close and medium ranges. Improve reading, peripheral vision, coordination, whiplash, neck and chronic pain.
3.Eyes & Pearls (AY26) Lesson done in sitting with sliding an imaginary pearl on a string. Improve focus and balanced strength of each eye using a tracking practice. Helpful for body coordination, reading and mental clarity.
4.Bull’s Eye Focus (Thoe) Lie and sit in many positions with eyes tracking from bridge of nose to many areas of the body and the room. Improve targeted focus, speed and peripheral vision. Helpful for body coordination, reading, sports and mental clairty.
5.Standing Eye Swing (484) Gentle lesson mostly in standing position to improve eye-foot coordination with turning. Helpful for balance, stable walking, sports agility, chest and neck flexibility.
6. Bird Vision (Thoe) Learn from the birds to widen and sharpen your peripheral vision while lying on back. Improve eye tracking and broaden range of field. Improve balance, attention and adaptability for walking, sports and all activities.
Reference List for Feldenkrais Practitioners & Training Students:
Many of the Lessons above adapted from these sources in Moshe Feldenkrais’s Esalen Workshop and Alexander Yanai series:
Esalen 1 Balance
Esalen 2 Balance
Esalen 10 Shoulders
Esalen 24 Low Back
AY 1 Head & Neck
AY 5 Head & Neck
AY 6 Head & Neck
AY 13 Low Back
AY 15 Vision
AY 18 Shoulders
AY 25 Head & Neck
AY 26 Vision
AY 43 Low Back
AY 44 Shoulders
AY 77 Low Back
AY 112 Balance
AY 118 Balance
AY 125 Shoulders
AY 129 Head & Neck
AY 154 Head & Neck
AY 158 Shoulders
AY 165 Vision
AY 179 Breathing
AY 180 Breathing
AY 187 Breathing
AY 188 Breathing
AY 220 Shoulders
AY 241 Low Back
AY 296 Head & Neck
AY 302 Low Back
AY 308 Balance
AY 345 Balance
AY 368 Head & Neck
AY 379 Low Back
AY 484 Vision