I had been getting a bit pushy with Nisarga’s movement lessons. Needless to say, it was counterproductive. He was getting bored rapidly or cranky. I was getting frustrated at the lack of a breakthrough. So yesterday, I decided to back off (long overdue). I spent time reading about the Feldenkrais Method, reminding myself of what I was to do and what not to do. I watched videos on youtube. Returned to our session with a calmer mind, determined to do nothing, till it “happened”.
And it happened. Boy how it happened!
In one session, Nisarga learned to say “wawa” with a finger stuck in his mouth while saying “baba” so that his lips didn’t touch. Rapidly, he moved to more fingers, less fingers, stuffing T-shirt in his mouth and…. saying “wawa” erratically, but without anything preventing his lips from meeting and producing “ba” instead. Five minutes later, he was making a “guuuuh guuuuh” sound.
I stopped while we were ahead, did some work with his back and legs and worked a bit with a “false floor” (another post about this maybe later). Today, as he was sitting straddling me as I lay on my back, he suddenly leaned forward, pushed with his legs and put his upper body weight on my arms (he still lacks strength) and voila! He was standing!!! Heavily supported and very brief, but the movement was there, the shift of weight on his legs, the straightening while pushing.
I supported his elbows so he could put weight on them and he stood up even straighter. Transferred him to a lousy walker we have (need to get a better one) and with some encouragement and generous assistance, he was trying to pull himself into standing there as well.
What a transformation from nothing happening yesterday, to everything buzzing today!!!
And as always, it took me to dial down my hyperactivity, do less, listen more.
In a brilliant, brilliant mood. Only wish I had someone who could run a camera while these moments were unfolding.
