The following experiment will help you experience how the position of your feet can affect the comfort of your back, even while sitting.

• Sit toward the front of the seat of your chair so that you arenít leaning against the back of your chair.
• Position your feet flat on the floor a comfortable distance apart from each other and have your knees over your feet.
• Sit in a way so that youíre not slouching.
• Now cross your ankles. Does crossing your ankles cause a change in the position of your back?
• Test it out by, again, alternating between having your feet flat on the floor and doing something other than having your feet solid on the ground. Do you start to feel tension in your back when your feet arenít flat on the ground?

  When you sit with each foot flat on the floor AND you sit on both “sit bones” (ischial tuberosity), you have four points of support.

• Again, sit in a way that youíre not slouching with your feet flat on the ground. Place your hands directly below your waist at the top of your hipbones (iliac crests).
• Go into a slouch and notice that the tops of your hipbones (iliac crests) tilt backward.
• Roll the top of your hipbones forward just until they point upward to the ceiling. Now you are sitting on your ischial tuberosity so your pelvis can support your spine.
• As you alternate between #2 and #3 of this section,†look around yourself. Notice if there is a difference in how far you can look to the right and to the left.
• As you alternate between #2 and #3 of this section, reach with your arms. Notice if thereís a difference in the freedom of your shoulders and arms.

Skeletal awareness is just one of many ways the Feldenkrais Method® of Somatic Education helps people move more comfortably and efficiently throughout their working day.