Franklin Method Fellowship

Episode 15: The Jaw

In episode 15 of the Franklin Method Fellowship we look at the jaw. This is a common place where many people hold tension. Tension in our jaw is influenced by the neck and shoulders, upper body posture, the pelvic floor, breathing, and stress. This can create clicking and deviations in movement of the TMJ joints and affect the mobility of our spine. The good news is there are many tools that we can use to release tension, create balance, and promote a sense of ease in this area. We make connections in this episode to the movements of the jaw and the pelvic floor. We look at the movement of the TMJ joint and incorporate some fun exercises with the tongue and cheeks. Enjoy the episode! Please leave a comment and share about your experience.

Episode 14: The Hip Joint

In this episode 14 of the Franklin Method Fellowship we look at the hip joint. We begin noticing common postural patterns in standing and how that affects our ability to bear weight through the hip joint. We look at how the hip joint is much more internal in or body than we may think. We look at the functional anatomy of how the femur head moves in the acetabulum (hip socket) as we bend and stretch our legs. To help us with this movement we use the image of the femur head as an eye that closes when we bend and opens as we stretch our legs. We release muscles around that hip joint and do some strengthening exercises to help us center the femur head in the acetabulum. Lastly, we practice getting up and down from sitting which we all do a lot and images that can make this movement easier and more efficient. Enjoy the episode and share in the comments what you notice about your hips!

Episode 13: The Knee

In episode 13 of the Franklin Method Fellowship we look at the knee joint. The health of the knee joint impacts our ability to walk, run, go up/down stairs, and get up and down from a chair or the floor. The knee joint is in between the 2 longest levers of the body and has to deal with forces coming from the ground up and forces coming from the joints above. How does it do that? We explore the challenges of the knee and the beautiful design that helps with these challenges. We look at the bones that make up the knee joint and important movements for healthy function. We embody the bone rhythms of the knee as we bend and stretch our legs. This helps improve mobility, strength, balance, and find effortless posture. Enjoy the episode! Your knees will thank you!

Episode 12: The Feet Patron Content

The patron only content for episode 12 is exercises for the feet that everyone can benefit from. Therefore, we decide to make it accessible to you all. The feet are the foundation of the body and need to be mobile, supple, responsive, and able to sense the environment. This is a great exercise practice to integrate into your daily routine and a great way to prepare your feet for walking, running, sports and daily life. Enjoy the practice!

Episode 12: The Feet

In this episode we look at the feet. The feet are the foundation for our body, but how much do we know about them and pay attention to them? In this episode we experience how the foot has to change quickly between 2 modes, propulsion and foundation. Sometimes our feet are more rigid and sometimes our feet are more spread out. We look at the orientation of the foot and how it is actually a spiral. We do an exercise to twist the foot to get the spiral function of the foot going. We take a tour of the bones of the foot that feels amazing and lastly finish up with exercises for the feet using Franklin Method Balls. Enjoy the episode!

Episode 11: The Shoulder

In this episode we look at the shoulder, which is a common area where people experience tension. We explore the many joints that make up the shoulder. We use muscle sponging for the Trapezius to release tension in the shoulders and the image of the Trapezius as a sail and water flowing down the muscles. We practice everyday movements like reaching and how we can use more of our joints to have better mobility. We also embody support for the shoulders from the rib cage, spine and all the way down to our feet. Lastly, we do an exercise to tweeze the clavicle to create space with the 1st rib. Enjoy your relaxed neck and shoulders!

Episode 10: Parkinson's Disease

In this episode we discuss Parkinson's Disease and some of the common symptoms associated with it. We share exercises that can help improve rigidity, a flexed posture, proprioception, balance and coordination. We kept this episode short as there is so much information about Parkinson's Disease and it affects many systems of the body. Our previous episodes on the heart, lungs, breathing, and pelvic floor are also beneficial for Parkinson's Disease. Make sure that you've checked with your doctor, and you have a safe setup when practicing the exercises. We show a lot of modifications to make them very accessible for all levels. If you do not feel comfortable with the exercises you can still benefit by watching the exercises and imagining that you are doing the movements. Enjoy the episode! 
The Franklin Method is also called Dynamic Neuro-Cognitive Imagery. There has been research done on using imagery with people with Parkinson's Disease. Here is the study below for reference.
Abraham Amit, Hart Ariel, Dickstein Ruth, Hackney Madeleine E. "Will you draw me a pelvis?" Dynamic neuro-cognitive imagery improves pelvic schema and graphic-metric representation in people with Parkinson's Disease: a random controlled trial. Complimentary Therapies in Medicine. 43 (2019) 28-35.

Bonus Episode - Biotensegrity with Susan Lowell de Solorzano

In this bonus episode we have Susan Lowell de Solorzano on the podcast. Susan is an expert in the new and fast-growing field of Biotensegrity. She is co-founder and board member of the Stephen M. Levin Biotensegrity Archive. She is show-runner and co-host of BIotensegriTea Party episodes. She is the author of Everything Moves: How Biotensegrity Informs Human Movement and other books. Susan has a background in Tai Chi Ch'uan and internal Chinese Martial Arts, music and kinesthetic learning.
Susan discusses what Biotensegrity is and how it relates to the human body. She gives experiences of how we can feel Biotensegrity with the tensegrity Skwish toy and a breathing exercise. She talks about how Biotensegrity offers a different perspective from conventional biomechanics and what brought about the shift away from the biomechanical model dating back to the 1600s. Please take Susan's advice as a hands-on teacher and build a tensegrity model where the compression elements and tensile elements don't touch each other. Please make sure you visit her YouTube Channel (Susan Lowell de Solorzano) and build a tensegrity with common household items.
You can watch the live recorded zoom meetings of the BiotensegriTea parties on the Biotensegrity Archive YouTube channel. Just search Biotensegrity Archive on YouTube and subscribe. Visit https://biotensegrityarchive.org/ and click on mailing list to join the email list.
Show Susan your appreciation by leaving comments. Enjoy the episode!