Moshe Feldenkrais taught us how to explore our bodies via his Awareness Through Movement Lessons.
Russell Delman trained with Moshe Feldenkrais and he brings a uniquely deep understanding of the the Method into his work.
Pati gently guides Ella through a series of subtle awareness through movements leading to her independently transitioning from prone, to kneeling to standing.
It is a please to watch Emily joyfully exploring the myriad ways her body can move.
Dr. Michael Merzenich, explains the connection between brain plasticity, neuromovement and Feldenkrais Method.
Emily finds a peaceful place in nature to do a series of very interesting awareness through movements.
Watching babies discover their movement potentials can inform our own awareness through movement journey.
Keeping the process of movement discovery alive is the key to livelong vitality.
You’ve heard this phrase a hundred times before no doubt, and you understand what’s implied here. Anything goes. It’s all good. You’re free to choose anything. Be as crazy, or as sane or spontaneous as you want. Try anything. Trust your will to a goal. There’s no wrong way, there are no mistakes. One hears this famous Feldenkrais quote not infrequently, and usually in the environment of a movement lesson exploration. I always chuckle when I hear it.
But what does Moshe really mean when he makes this request?
The effort involved in “doing any damn thing you want” is predictably excessive, habitual and ill-fitted to the stimulus that set it off. Like a deep groove or well-travelled trail, there is no requirement for exploration or novelty or authentic and organic freedom of thought or action. Doing any damn thing you want produces ironically the opposite, a deeply grooved pattern of action, unoriginal and deeply conditioned.
My professional life is devoted to helping others find greater comfort, vitality and reduced anxiety through the methodology of the somatic philosopher & martial artist, Moshe Feldenkrais. One of the myriad ways I practice and embody the philosophy he developed is to study videotaped trainings he taught in the United States during the mid 1970’s to early 1980’s.
Dr. Feldenkrais gives us 3 key inherent principles basic to any movement. These are neuromuscular organization, timing and orientation. When we attend to movement and offer novelty and variation within a structured movement exploration, then new learning occurs.
Say, for example sitting in your chair as you read this, that you want to be more comfortable. Do anything to accomplish greater comfort.
Go ahead! Be curious, what did you do to make yourself more comfortable? Can you express it nonverbally or out loud doesn’t matter, how you make yourself more comfortable? Listen to yourself…, that’s right. Give your self some time to experience how you did the thing to make yourself more comfortable.
Okay, now let that go for a moment.
Okay, now, let’s move with intention and awareness:
Return to your chair sitting away from the chair back, move back and return from the middle to the right side sitz bone. Right, and return middle to right and back to middle. Many times. Make it easy, make it comfortable. Keep going. What is your head doing? Where does it go? Can you express what is happening in the movement of your head when you rock to the right sitz bone? How does your spine move when you rock to the right side? How does it bend, flex, or arch? What is happening there? Can you express in words or images what you sense and observe?
Now go to the left sitz bone, rock leftwards and return to middle, slowly, many times. Make it easy, make it comfortable. Keep going. What is your head doing? Where does it go? Can you express what is happening in the movement of your head when you rock to the left side sitz bone? How does your spine move when you rock to the left side? How does it bend, flex, or arch? What is happening there? Can you express in words or images what you sense and observe?
Let’s go in another direction. Move and shift your weight to your pubic bone, so arrange yourself so that from where you’re sitting on yourselves, you shift your weight to your pubic bone. Many times. Make it easy, make it comfortable. Keep going. What is your head doing? Where does it go? Can you express what is happening in the movement of your head when you rock to your pubic bone? How does your spine move when you rock forwards like this? How does it bend, flex, or arch? What is happening there? Can you express in words or images what you sense and observe?
And now shift weight to your tailbone, many times.
Make it easy, make it comfortable. Keep going. What is your head doing? Where does it go? Can you express what is happening in the movement of your head when you rock to your tailbone? How does your spine move when you rock here? How does it bend, flex, or arch? What is happening there? Can you express in words or images what you sense and observe?
Okay, that’s it. rest yourself. Close your eyes if you want, and rest, breathe.
For one last time, go ahead! Sense how you make yourself more comfortable in sitting.
Go ahead, do any damn thing you want!
Can you more deeply sense and observe how the freedom to move is actually more informed and with a deeper integrity now that you’ve paid attention to yourself in this way? How do you sense this freedom in yourself? What has changed?
And this was Moshe’s exemplary & loving guidance
Disengaging from habitual patterns is necessary for learning. When you know what you’re doing, and have a clearer knowledge of self and ability, you reduce the effort of the will & release habitual thought & action.
Then, you can do any damn thing you want!
Do You Envision a Way of Moving Where Your Greatest Resource for Healing is Within Yourself?
I invite you to join me for an inspirational afternoon of discovery and joyful movement. Through participatory movement explorations, you’ll connect with your body’s natural skill in restoring pain free movement. You’ll improve your self-listening skill and learn how fundamental somatic relationships that are currently hidden, can be ‘resources’ to bring you closer to the health and vitality that you dream of. Unlike a structural approach which seeks to alter bone, muscle and other soft tissue, this is a brain-based approach, using precise, process-oriented movement sequences blended with awareness.
The workshop is intended to bring to light outdated movement maps that interfere with your clear intention and action, and replace them with present-moment-informed movement. When you blend awareness with movement exploration you invite radically new ways of self-expression & freedom in movement. This embodiment and awareness process is organic, without the judgement of an inner critic, or conditioning. By practicing structured movement sequences with embodied presence, you strengthen your resiliency muscle; an important step to release & freedom from unnecessary pain and suffering.
The movement processes are easy and simple, and focus on improving awareness of how your movements are organized in the present moment. With Pati’s skillful guidance, you’ll discover new pathways and fresh perspectives of yourself in movement, organically emerging from your imagination, yet deeply rooted in human embodiment principles.
My experience with thousands of clients applying the practical tools of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, my teacher and mentor, is that instead of fully inhabiting our actions, we are inhibiting them in full or in part. Yet, ironically, we don’t recognize that this is the case! Over time, this lack of full embodiment, diminishes our health, leading to physical ailments, likeliness of acute or chronic injury, and reduced resiliency after injury.
This Workshop is for Everyone!
Uncover and restore pleasure, joy, self-support, resiliency, mental sharpness, clear action, & self knowledge from my simple, yet potent awareness based movement explorations.
From high performers to those with neuromovement challenges—all are welcome. Regardless of the degree, intensity, or chronic nature of injury, trauma, or challenge; deep & lasting shifts in posture, balance, flexibility, pain relief & vitality are possible.
Please be able to get up and down from the floor without assistance and bring a personal large size mat or quilt for movement and 2 bath-size towels. Dress in layers & wear loose, roomy clothing. Women; An exercise bra without hooks or snaps is best. Bring your own beverage container and beverage and whatever light snacks you need. Arrive a few minutes early to choose a movement space in the studio. (yoga sticky mats will be provided)
Please preregister here
ABOUT PATRICIA
As a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner for 30+ years, my services cover all ages and a full range of diagnoses, from acute injury rehabilitation to complex neurological challenges. I provide my clients and students with practical embodiment tools to restore biological optimism and full function. My work with children takes me around the world where I inspire myriad families and children to tap into their infinite capacity to learn and improve. I consider this modality to be educational in practice and transformational in outcome.
Owner-Director The Center for Mind, Moving & Learning, based in Ashland, Oregon