I shared an article recently about an experience with someone in a Balance class who didn’t walk, stand or sit in an upright position. I want to share now what motivated a change in her mental, emotional and physical behavior in her first two classes.
Our first class together was spent re-directing her focus from her storytelling to noticing how to stay upright in her seat to do the movement patterns being shared with her.
She didn’t show up for the second class yet did come back for the third. Between our third and fourth classes there was a significant difference. She had been the first one to arrive at the third class. This meant there was enough time to spend propping her up to stay in an upright position. She was frozen solid through her shoulders, arms, neck, head and torso with one side of her rib cage being held so it was shorter than the other. 
To keep her upright props were placed under her arm on the side that was contracted (shorter side). Blocks were put under her feet so she could feel them on the floor.
By the end of the lesson she became aware that she had stopped using her back muscle strength to hold herself upright even in sitting. She had lost physical contact with engaging them!
After our class she went home and used the same propping technique to support herself in sitting. This was obvious as at the next class she was able to bring herself into an upright position in sitting and hold it. She had no concept of this the week before. As I place props under her arm I noticed her arms were more flexible and she was bracing herself less!
She was more happy and content in this class and I noticed she was listening more deeply and paying attention. At the end of this class she exclaimed, “No one is showing us this or explaining how the body works.”
This is an extreme example of the meaning of Moshe’s quote:
Flexible Bodies, Flexible Minds
I saw a new student to our balance class walking in behind her walker. She was bent completely over with arms outstretched in front of her, hands on the walker handles, head and eyes looking directly down towards the floor. I was surprised and curious at how to teach the class and include her.
From the looks of her posture she never stood back up! Did I forget to mention she is 4 foot 11 inches and a senior!
Center for Inside Awareness 