Alan Questel

Sitting Better... How to Use a Chair and More

We sit a lot. An article in Livescience cites studies that say sitting is killing us! But we are all living longer, which means we are sitting even more, so what can we do? Maybe we all sit too much, so as long as we are doing that, why not sit better? We live in a world of chairs nut how well do we get in and out of them, sit or stay comfortable on them, and in any kind of chair? And what about the floor? When was the last time you were comfortable there?

Please Choose Format:

by Alan Questel
We sit a lot. An article in Livescience cites studies that say sitting is killing us! But we are all living longer, which means we are sitting even more, so what can we do? Maybe we all sit too much, so as long as we are doing that, why not sit better? We live in a world of chairs nut how well do we get in and out of them, sit or stay comfortable on them, and in any kind of chair? And what about the floor? When was the last time you were comfortable there?
Sitting is more than just sitting. Sitting is not just a resting place, it is also a transition point. From standing to sitting, from sitting to lying and all the way back up again. Come and understand how sitting is much more than your bottom resting on a surface. In this workshop you will discover what helps you use any chair, sit anywhere, in a dynamic way, using more of yourself. Get more comfortable sitting in chairs, sitting on the floor.
Get better at coming in and out of a chair, any chair, and get better at coming up and down from the floor. And all the things you do while sitting can get easier, reading, writing, eating and just hanging out. Come to this workshop because sit is going to happen, so why not do it well?
6 CD Set


Come and understand how sitting is much more than your bottom resting on a surface. In this workshop you will discover what helps you use any chair, sit anywhere, in a dynamic way, using more of yourself. Get more comfortable sitting in chairs, sitting on the floor.
    CD One
  • 1. Intro/Humor/My job/The Method/Kindness/What is sitting?/How to do it all - 18:40
  • 2. ATM 1 - Sitting in all directions - 58:24


  • CD Two
  • 1. Discussion/The ground
  • 2. ATM 2 - Coming to sit with your skeleton and the floor - 41:35
  • 3. Discussion/Habits/Initiation/Inverted Judo-transmission of force/Distribution of effort/What would improve your sitting? - 11:35


  • CD Three
  • 1. ATM 3 - Spiraling up and down - 30:04
  • 2. Discussion/Connection and range/Healthy origin of movement/Benjamin Zandler - 03:44
  • 3. ATM 4 - Sitting to - 36:09


  • CD Four
  • 1. Discussion/Being tired/What to expect/2 kinds of truth/Making the abstract concrete/Motor learning & systems theory/It depends/What forms us/I feel short/What is the best chair?/My aunt & uncle’s chairs - 26:57
  • 2. ATM 5- Half a chair sitting/Dropping one buttock - 35:55
  • 3. Discussion/Clarifying connections/Symmetry/Laughter..humor - 13:43


  • CD Five
  • 1. ATM 6 - Another way of getting to sitting..to another way of sitting..to standing - 32:08
  • 2. Discussion/Cramps/Lessons as preparation/Being healthy - 04:31
  • 3. ATM 7 - Dual pelvic clocks - 35:23


  • CD Six
  • 1. Discussion/Awareness..the bad news..the really bad news..the good news - 03:30
  • 2. ATM 8 - Sit to stand with different placement of your feet - 28:25
  • 3. Discussion/Good posture/Reversibility/Comfort for action..airplane seats - 05:02
  • 4. One more thing! And goodbyes! - 02:37

Alan S. Questel trained directly with Dr. Feldenkrais in Amherst, Massachusettes. Since that time, he has lectured and taught at hospitals, colleges and Feldenkrais Professional Training Programs throughout the world. He is known for his clarity, creativity and down-to-earth style of teaching. He brings a depth of understanding, humor and a gentle human perspective to the learning of the Method and creates lively conditions for learning.

An actor before becoming interested in the Feldenkrais Method, Alan worked and toured with Jerzy Grotowski (My Dinner With Andre) and Paul Sills (Second City, Chicago and Story Theatre). Even today, one of his great interests is the embodiment of creativity, and he has developed a body of work for performers utilizing the Feldenkrais Method. Alan sees the Method as a means for individual maturation, and aspires towards making this appreciable and concrete for his students both in training programs and in his practice.

Subscribe