At the end of today’s class someone asked, “What’s the takeaway?” That’s a problematic question because the kernel isn’t so helpful in practice without the whole.  Actually, I call that the Monopoly Rule: In Alexander and Monopoly, you have to build evenly.

What We Did

Nevertheless, I did try to focus on just defining the torso.  It extends  from the top of the spine, to the bottom of the pelvis, to the ends of the shoulders.  This definition is important because the torso is different from the rest of the body and it has a different job than the head, legs and arms (the appendages).  Mainly, it stays back while everything else goes forward.  The torso is the structural element from which the appendages are expressed.  Clarity of the torso gives the appendages strength.  Structural weakness results when the appendages and torso get tangled together.

What to Do

As I suggested in the beginning, defining the torso is only a piece of the whole, but it’s still important.   You can make progress with this on you own by just enjoying noticing the difference between your torso and the rest of your body as you are going about your day.  You don’t have to take time out.  But if you want, you can spend a dedicated 10 or 15 minutes lying down as you do in class with your head on a book and your knees up.   With your mind’s eye, look for the ends of your torso.