Rolling from Lying to Sitting and Standing: An Awareness Through Movement® Demonstration

Article Summary

Andrew Dawson begins lying on his back and lets a sweep of the arm develop into rolling, sitting, and eventually standing. The short film presents the movement as a continuous exploration, with pauses for rest and repetition along the way.

A Movement That Continues to Develop

The Feldenkrais Guild UK® presents this short film made by and featuring Andrew Dawson. Uploaded to YouTube in 2012, it shows part of an Awareness Through Movement® lesson sometimes described as “Rolling Up to Sit and Stand.”

The film is minimalist. Brief directions appear on the screen while Dawson explores the movement without spoken instruction. He begins on his back, sweeps an arm across the floor and over his head, rolls onto his side, and comes onto an elbow. After repeating and resting, he allows the same movement to develop until he comes to sit and then stand.

The Directions in the Film

The complete sequence of on-screen directions is spare:

Lie on your back.
Let your arm sweep across the floor and over your head.
Come onto your side.
And onto your elbow.
Take a rest.
Repeat the movement.
Take a rest.
Explore.

These words establish a starting place and a direction without prescribing every detail. “Explore” opens the sequence. Dawson repeats and varies the movement until rolling becomes a pathway to sitting and standing.

From the Sweep of the Arm to Standing

At first, the action is small. Dawson lies on a red mat and lets one arm travel across the floor and overhead. As the arm changes direction, his head and chest turn, his weight shifts, and he comes onto his side. The floor remains part of the movement, supporting each change of orientation.

Coming onto an elbow creates another possibility. Dawson can continue toward sitting, return to lying, or pause. The rests shown in the film belong to the exploration; they separate one attempt from the next and make room for another variation.

Later, split-screen views show the action from more than one angle. Dawson continues through side-sitting and transfers his weight until he rises. Standing appears as a continuation of the rolling rather than an isolated effort added at the end.

“Movement is life. Without movement life is unthinkable.”
— Closing text in the film

The closing words fit the economy of the demonstration. A simple movement of the arm changes the organization of the whole person. Given time, repetition, and variation, that movement can travel much farther than it did at the beginning.

Watching the Demonstration

This is an edited demonstration, not a complete guided lesson. As you watch, notice where Dawson receives support from the floor, how his head follows the changing direction, and when an arm or hand helps him transfer weight. Also notice that he returns to the mat and rests. The finished path to standing grows out of these quieter repetitions.

The film’s instructions are presented as on-screen text and therefore require watching the video. The written sequence above provides access to the words, while the companion describes the essential visual progression. Anyone exploring floor movement should remain within comfort, rest as needed, and use suitable support if moving between the floor and standing is uncertain.

Related Reading

• What Is the Feldenkrais Method®?
• How to Do Awareness Through Movement® Lessons

Source and rights note: This page embeds the original film from Andrew Dawson’s YouTube channel. The video description credits the Feldenkrais Guild UK® and identifies Dawson as the filmmaker and featured practitioner. This page does not independently host or modify the film.