A Feldenkrais Blog

Dear Students:
I love exploring and teaching Feldenkrais® eye lessons because the changes for most people are so powerful that one could call them miraculous.  That is exactly how I felt after benefitting from them on my path to overcoming leg pain.

I had ankle surgery in 2001, due to an old gymnastics injury that became debilitating. Afterwards, I experienced the same leg pain that I had before the surgery.  Being a Feldenkrais® Practitioner, I wasn’t surprised because I was moving with the same pre-surgery movement pattern and the trauma of the operation accentuated it.  Knowing this I was excited to engage upon the process of learning how to walk, dance and flip again without leg pain.  The most effective way I was able to do this was by gaining awareness about the habitual way I used my eyes and by slowly changing it.

I discovered that my dominant right eye didn’t allow me to stand fully on my left leg.  After learning to use my eyes more symmetrically I was able to stand in a way that didn’t cause me any discomfort.  When I discovered the behavioral & emotional components that coincided with my physical habit, I was able to establish more quickly an efficient way of standing and maintain it.  This was when I became able to do all that I wanted from hiking to ice skating.

Most of the time during this long and enriching process the way I used my eyes was elusive to me.   Gratefully, my curiosity; the belief in myself; and my faith in the wisdom behind the Feldenkrais Method®, kept pushing me forward.  Without these traits, I might have given up.

I think the Awareness Through Movement® lessons that focus on the movements of the eyes are brilliant!  Every day when I stand and walk without pain I thank Moshe Feldenkrais for giving us his knowledge in this attainable way.

David Webber was blind when he experienced his first Awareness Through Movement® lesson.   It was a life altering moment when he realized during that lesson that he could learn how to see again.

Following are his words:  “The Feldenkrais® lesson seemed to disarm my defenses.  The constant and surprising shifts of attention throughout the lesson, and the explicit search to notice differences, kept me interested, alert, and engaged in the process.  I was ripe for change.”  ~David Webber; (The Brain’s Way of Healing by Norman Doidge, M.D., page 214)

David explains so completely why I never tire from learning through this method and why I am so excited to teach my next workshop, Quieting the Eyes, Quieting the Mind on Feb. 27th.  I believe after attending this workshop you may learn to see clearly the miraculous healing powers that lie behind your eyes!

~Donna

Happy New Year Students:
I  believe we create our present and future realities through our thoughts & imagination.  Gratefully the Feldenkrais Method® teaches us how to do this through thinking, sensing, feeling, & moving.

Every cell in your body responds to your self talk and to what you are capable of imagining.  When imagining a future situation, your brain will become focused on doing all that it takes to get you to that situation, whether it is positive or negative.  That is why it is important to think about what you want to happen in your life and not about what you are afraid of happening.

Every day choices can help you to start changing your thinking to one that will create more intelligence and vibrant health.  The following questions are for you to ponder upon to help you make your choices with thought and awareness behind them.  Learning to think in a new way can be developed throughout your day with each decision you make.

This can be the beginning of more intelligence; peace of mind; vibrant health; and a future that you want for yourself! Choosing an intelligent path starts with a right thought that can lead to a positive action.

What way of thinking will make your movement or exercise experience more beneficial to your overall health?  I exercise because I:  a) am afraid of getting old;  b) feel good when I do it; c) want to be thin;  d) am compulsively in a habit  e) want to reach a higher level of consciousness;  f)  want to become healthy

Choose the surface that requires the ankles, knees & hips to move with more intelligence:  a) concrete;  b) treadmill; c) dirt path;  d) mountainous terrain

Which activity will allow your arms to become more intelligent:
a) computer typing;  b) braiding hair; c) crawling; d) drawing; e) climbing a tree

What kind of environment helps your lungs to function at a higher level:  a)  running at a fitness center; b) running in a city; c) running in a suburb development;  d) running in a forest

Which way of eating will give my body more nutritional value?  Eating:  a) at a restaurant; b)  a home cooked meal from my home grown garden; c) a home cooked organic meal; d) a frozen dinner

What activity will provide health to your ears and nervous system:  a) attending a heavy metal concert; b) sitting by a brook;  c) listening to classical music at home; d) watching television while working on the computer

Choose the activity that will help your vision improve:  a)  watching the sun set;  b) watching television;  c)  text messaging; d)  using WiFi;  e) gazing into the distance

What kind of self talk will allow you to accomplish your goals easier:  a) I was never as smart as others;  b) I am intelligent;  c) I am hopeless;  d) I have everything I need to figure this out;  e) I will learn from my mistakes

Is __________ beneficial to my well being if I don’t have the right thinking behind it?  a) yes;  b) no;  c) it depends upon the situation

“No matter how closely we look, it is difficult to find a mental act that can take place without the support of some physical function.”
-Moshe Feldenkrais

I have found throughout the years of exploring the Feldenkrais Method® that my body is an expression of my thoughts.   As I become aware of my thoughts I can then choose to change them to ones I like.

I hope these questions are the beginning of a wonderful imagined future for you & your loved ones!
~Donna

Happy Holidays:
Remember there will be no Feldenkrais classes on:  Dec. 22, 24, 29 & 31!  I will however be available by appointment for Functional Integration sessions at Improving Through Movement during that time.  To help you prepare for the new year, I  posted my workshop dates and times for 2016 so you can schedule them in your calendar. Click here to learn more.  

Name the person that Dr. Feldenkrais is working with in the picture to the right and  earn $20 off a Functional Integration session to be used this month (Dec. 2015).  This offer is available to the first five people that contact me with the correct answer!

This Feldenkrais student was a Philadelphia icon when Dr. Feldenkrais worked with him.
Can you tell me his name using only 3 letters?
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Is it possible to improve your tennis stroke without picking up a tennis racket?
The answer is yes – it happened for me!  The last time I tried to hit a tennis ball against this wall I couldn’t return it and I didn’t have a back hand.

For over two decades I have not given one thought to tennis until I came upon this wall again from my childhood.  As if by magic when I hit the ball for the first time recently,  I was able to volley it back and forth for quite awhile including with a back hand! Now I look forward to playing tennis with this wall every time I visit it!

How is this improvement possible when I didn’t pick up a tennis racket for over 25 years?  The impossible became possible for me because I have been supporting my brain development through the Feldenkrais Method.  This is an explanation that not everyone will believe until they experience it themselves.   Another person studying this method may report that without trying they became a better artist or mathematician.  What have you become better at due to your brain development?  I would love to hear about it and share it with others.  Contact me with your story.

Have a wonderful holiday season and I hope to see you often in the New Year!
~Donna

Dear Students:
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember that there will be no class on Thanksgiving day. For the remaining of 2015, I will teach upon request your favorite Awareness Through Movement class lesson, thus far.  Contact me and explain the lesson as best as you can and I will teach it once again! I look forward to Repeating your Favorite Lesson!

I am excited to share a sweet video with you to help you understand what I mean when I say things like, “move slowly; gently & become curious about how you do this movement.”  You will see a curious toddler teaching himself how to move up & down stairs in a more self pleasing way.  This little fellow demonstrates what I am always trying to invoke in you.  Take the time to watch this child show you how it is done!  I can’t come close to expressing what you will see captured on this film!   
[To view click here.]

The next time you come to Feldenkrais class remember how this little guy’s attention became captivated with his learning. When you explore with curiosity like this you will be able to figure out how to do whatever you desire!

The way this child explores movement is what Moshe Feldenkrais studied when he watched babies. Instinctively he knew that he had to teach people of all ages and ability levels, this way of exploring movement in order for them to succeed.   Fortunately he was able to bring this philosophy to us through the Feldenkrais Method.  I am so grateful!

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An Avowed Dream Coming True:
I am proud to announce that I will be performing with Netco Modern Dance company for their upcoming season.  Becoming a member of a dance company has been a dream in the making for me.  As a teenager I was deathly afraid of stepping onto a dance floor yet I admired everyone dancing from the sidelines.  After years of doing Feldenkrais I realized that I could learn to do what I desired.   Now many dance classes later I will be dancing for the first time the amazing choreography of Jen Berlet’s at the Lancaster Country Day school on Nov. 21 & 22.  Click here to find out the details.

“Health is the ability to realize our avowed and unavowed dreams.” –Moshe Feldenkrais

I am grateful to all of you for supporting me and allowing me to make a living teaching what I love to do!  Happy Thanksgiving!
~Donna

Hi Students:
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the people that sponsored me for Izzy’s 5K walk.  I raised over $300 for five year old, Israel Newswanger’s  alternative therapies.  Please keep sending him positive energy with your thoughts and prayers.
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The photo to your right is another very determined Feldenkrais student of mine. Tim is a 38 year old husband with three children. I am helping him relearn movement that he lost due to surgery on an aneurysm located near his brain stem.
If you would like to learn more about Tim or help support his Feldenkrais sessions click here to donate directly! Thank you for your support!

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My latest video (below) will give you an idea of what a Child’Space session is like for parents and babies. 

“Am I giving my baby enough “tummy time”?”  This is a common question young Mothers are concerned about today so I decided to teach Marie, the difference between transitioning time vs. tummy time.
Please share this with any parents you think would like to learn how to support their baby’s brain development.  I greatly appreciate your help in getting the word out!
~Donna

Dear Students:
A common request people ask me is: “ can you give me a movement that will help my (shoulder, back, leg) pain go away?”  The answer to this popular question follows with a video to help you understand my explanation.

Following I use an example of shooting a basketball into a hoop (replace it with any movement you want).  One day a basketball player who’s shot is usually on target plays a game where his shot is off.
It is the same player and the same court so what has changed?  During this particular game the player organizes himself in such a slightly different manner that only a person with a trained eye could detect it. Listed are some reasons that could cause him to make minor yet consequential changes in his organization: playing a better team; a pre-game argument; wearing new sneakers; or favoring an injured leg; etc.

This is the reason why one day a particular Feldenkrais® movement takes your back pain away and weeks later the same movement doesn’t.  It is also why a new organization that allows you to walk without pain seems to suddenly disappear.  The good news is, the more you become aware of the way you move, the better you can move how you want.

Fortunately the Feldenkrais Method® has given us wonderful tools to use so you can constantly train your brain through Functional Integration® sessions and Awareness Through Movement® classes & workshops!

Included is a video that demonstrates what it takes to learn a new movement organization.  You will watch how a man learns to ride a bike differently than his habitual way of 20+ years!  His curiosity, determination, and belief in his abilities allowed him to accomplish this difficult task.  Without these traits he would have found many excuses not to practice 5 minutes every day in deep concentration.  This along with his playful way of not giving up when he made many mistakes was the key to his success.  Today he is able to ride a bike in an unusually new way, and he understands the remarkable way his brain works.

Watch him do this while using the following analogies to assist you to think in a Feldenkrais® way.

The regular bike riding movement pattern will symbolize a habitual movement pattern that doesn’t serve you any longer.  This pattern could turn into:  back pain; a knee injury; carpal tunnel syndrome; depression; attention deficit; etc.

Learning the backwards bike riding movement pattern will be like creating a new movement pattern.  This pattern may feel like:  pain relief; a supportive knee; restored feeling in the hands; uplifted emotions; a quieter mind; etc.

The little boy’s regular bike riding movement pattern will represent a young habitual movement pattern that doesn’t serve you any longer.

Learning to move in a way that doesn’t cause pain (or injury) is just like learning to ride a bike!  Remember this man’s delightful attitude and let it become contagious when you feel like giving up!
~Donna

Dear Students:

I highly recommend Dr. Norman Doidge’s book, The Brain’s Way of Healing for anyone that wants to learn how to heal, through natural ways without toxic medicines or invasive surgeries.  I wish I could put this book in the hands of every parent with a child with special needs and every person suffering from brain injury, chronic pain or disease.

Each alternative therapy mentioned in this book encourages neuroplastic learning much like the Feldenkrais Method® does.  I think you will find the book easy to read because of your own understanding of how the brain learns through your experiences with classes and sessions.  I hope that I can inspire you to read the entire book in this short review.

Chapter 1:  Physician Hurt, Then Heal Thyself, Michael Moskowitz Discovers That Chronic Pain Can Be Unlearned

This chapter is for anyone dealing with chronic pain.  Dr. Michael Moskowitz, a pain specialist used the knowledge he discovered when recovering from his own injuries to teach people how to “unlearn chronic pain”.  Continue reading Book Review: The Brain’s Way of Healing

HI Students:
Following is a favorite excerpt of mine from Dr. Norman Doidge’s, latest book about the brain’s ability to heal itself.

“According to Feldenkrais, these attempts to leapfrog through development are a huge error because no one ever learned to walk by walking. Other skills have to be in place for a child to walk—skills adults don’t think about or remember learning, such as the ability to arch the back and lift the head. Only when all these pieces are in place will a child learn to walk, spontaneously.”  ~“The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries From the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity” by Norman Doidge

This statement applies to everyone, no matter the problem one is dealing with. Whether I am helping a baby that missed crawling; an adult with a back injury; a person suffering from a stroke; or a child with special needs- teaching them the movements a baby learns in the first year of life creates & restores functioning. This may look like a baby rolling for the first time; a person dealing with a stroke speaking more clearly; or a teenager figuring out a math problem more easily.

A baby is born without curves in the spine.  The curves develop as the baby’s curiosity invites them to do movements such as rolling onto the belly and lifting the head to see something in their environment. Crawling, sitting and walking are discovered in much the same way.  Allowing a baby to go through these motions supports brain development. An adult re-visiting these movements can create new pathways in the brain and reshape the curves in their vertebral column.  All of this will improve balance and functioning no matter one’s age!

Attend a Feldenkrais class or workshop soon so you can continue to grow and heal. The workshop I taught in March sold out so I recommend signing up early for the workshop, Taking the Weight Off Your Shoulders on May 2nd.

~Donna

Hi Students:
Inside every one is a beautiful dancer that can be expressed in many unique and individual ways.

One of the things I love most about my job as a Feldenkrais® Practitioner is that I enjoy watching the dancer from within my students, emerge.  The following quotes express how this woman pictured to the left could go about finding her dancer through the Feldenkrais Method®.

“Health is measured not by the capacity to stay standing but by the ability to be knocked down and then return to standing.”~Moshe Feldenkrais

“It follows that any posture is acceptable in itself as long as it does not conflict with the law of nature, which is that the skeletal structure should counteract the pull of gravity, leaving the muscles free for movement.” ~Moshe Feldenkrais

When a student says to me, “I am getting old and was told that I shouldn’t do this or that anymore…” I kindly remind them not to give their power and dreams away and if they want they can learn to do “this and that”.

When you witness without judgement, how you move, behave and imagine yourself to be in the world, you can initiate change.  Change can happen by learning to become aware through enjoyable movements that may bring to light personal details about yourself you never knew.

“Without learning to know ourselves as intimately as we possibly can, we limit our choices.  Life is not very sweet without freedom of choice.” ~Moshe Feldenkrais

How much time & energy do you want to commit to finding your inner dancer? Remember you are worth every second.  Imagine your loved ones interacting with you, the dancer, right now.  What do you see?~Donna

HI Students!
“What I love most about Feldenkrais is that after a class or private session the “chatter” inside my head comes to a standstill,” a student shares.

When the fear of the unknown future or when the compulsive thinking stops, you are living in the present moment. Feldenkrais® helps us to get there and I appreciate this wonderful gift we can achieve even when not in class.   To live in the present moment, is as simple and elusive as becoming aware, using any of your 5 senses.

Take a moment and feel your feet on the floor; hear the sounds around you; smell the fragrance of the room; look at the vastness of the sky; or truly taste your food when eating. The present moment allows a person to find peace when being. Living in the past and/or future, can create physical, emotional and mental stress.

Aknowledge your thoughts and let them go as you come to the present.  Remember your thoughts / emotions are not you.  And when in a crisis, living in the present moment will allow you to make the best decisions based on what is currently happening and not based on a fear of what could happen.

Try it, I think you will like it!
~Donna