We will be looking at some of the fundamentals involved in teaching, especially regarding the freedom of the joints for semiflexion and the importance of how our hands and arms are connected to the whole of ourselves.

Semiflexion (aka ‘monkey’, a position of mechanical advantage) is of course fundamental to teaching and in everyday life; everyday we use it and we also teach it. Semiflexion requires length which in turn requires a reduction in unnecessary tension, and one component of minimising tension is balancing freely.

In addition, the legs need freedom not only for the joints to be able to move and bend easily and freely, but also for the rotation of the legs which happens between the standing and the bending. The free rotation of the legs adds to our understanding of the direction ‘knees forward and away’.

Another hallmark of a good semiflexion is the widening of the back and, with it, what may be called breathing latitude.

Having established a desirable semiflexion, our hands and arms can work as a natural extension of our head–neck–back. When teaching, our hands also work as sensory organs, sensing the muscular tonus of the student we work with. The more accurately we perceive how students are using themselves, the better we are able to suggest and guide – with touch and verbally – what is needed for the individual.