Unwinding My Tension: A Self-Exploration Exercise to Enhance Ease of Sitting and Walking.

Unwinding My Tension: A Self-Exploration Exercise to Enhance Ease of Sitting and Walking Jackson O. Minneapolis, MN 55447-0009, OPTP, 1998, VHS, approximately 25 min, $39.95.

This 25-minute video is based on the Feldenkrais Method. This method uses self-directed and practitioner-directed movement lessons to promote movement awareness with the goal of increasing the ease and, therefore, the efficiency of movement. According to the description on the cassette, the purpose of the video is to provide an opportunity to unlearn old movement patterns and explore moving with increased grace, comfort, and ease. It is narrated by Osa Jackson, PhD, PT, who is a Feldenkrais practitioner, and the video features 2 women executing the movement lesson. A written warning encourages patients with neck pain, low back pain, and fibromyalgia, to consult their physicians before initiating the lesson.

In her introduction, Jackson discusses how the mind and body work together and how habitual movement is healthy unless it is helping to build tension. She also warns viewers to be aware of sources of tension such as being in a hurry, being upset, or experiencing pain, fear, or fatigue. Viewers are then invited to watch, visualize, or physically participate in the lesson. The goals and rules of the lesson are explained. The goal of the lesson is simply to have a pleasant learning experience. The "rules" for the movement lessons are summed up in the phrase, "Pain is no gain and commit to feel in charge and pleasantly be there."

The lesson is performed with the body supine and lying on a roller. Participants are asked to rest and breathe easily and to position themselves comfortably while the roller is positioned straight down under their backs. Jackson then directs attention toward the participant's breathing and the path that it travels, asking questions about which body parts are moving in response to the breath (eg, the chest or the belly). She makes suggestions for attending to different features of the breathing action. Participants are asked to make the breathing easier, and Jackson recommends that viewers position themselves to minimize discomfort, clear the room of distractions, and focus inward. She asks participants to roll off the roller and offers several suggestions, using props, to assist participants in positioning themselves for comfort.

Jackson suggests that, once positioned, viewers perform a rolling activity to the right and left in which the eyes lead the movement. Viewers are urged to attend to the position of their jaw. Then, the viewers are asked to initiate a movement of counterrotation in which the eyes and head move in one direction and the pelvis moves in the other. Participants are cued to move at a small amplitude and rate and to focus on their breathing, and they are encouraged "to go slower so the brain has time to notice."

The lesson concludes with instructions for planning how to get off the roller and out of the supine position. Once on the floor, the viewers are offered several movement awareness cues. They are asked questions about how they feel on the supporting surface: Does their body feel more in contact with the mat? Do they feel longer? They are asked to explore these feelings using their skeleton to support most of their weight. Finally, participants are invited to get up and walk while focusing on how they feel.

The title of the video suggests that, as a result of this lesson, there will be an unwinding of tension that will improve the participant's sitting, standing, and walking. The video, however, lacks an explicit instruction on how to unwind tension via relaxation. Because the lesson is performed lying supine on a roller, there is no clear indication of how the lesson may affect sitting, standing, and walking. The instructions to the participant are made in the form of suggestions. Although this is consistent with the Feldenkrais approach that allows the participant to generate their own solutions to a movement problem, it is difficult for the novice viewer to follow. The appropriate audience for this lesson is not clear, nor is it clear how the video should be used. It would help the user greatly if the purpose of the video and instructions on how to use the video were more explicit.

The lesson itself is clear; the movement awareness suggestions are consistent with the Feldenkrais approach and may be valuable for individuals who are unaware of how they are moving and breathing. The video might be improved if it were longer, so that participants could position themselves comfortably and engage in the self-exploration that Jackson recommends. At times, the need to open the eyes and watch the video interferes with the ability to participate in the lesson. It may help to instruct participants to pause the video until they are ready to continue. This video would probably be used best by therapists who understand the intent of the video and are able to educate patients on how to use it.

Judith Deutsch, PhD, PT University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Newark, NJ

Dr Deutsch is Assistant Professor in the Graduate Program in Physical Therapy. She is researching the practice patterns and outcomes of physical therapists who use the complementary therapy and structural integration (Rolfing). Ellen Zambo Anderson, PT, GCS, and Lori Derr assisted with this review.