A Feldenkrais Blog

Dear Students:
For some reason, I seem to meeting a lot people that are experiencing neck & arm pain.  After hearing their stories, I always feel compelled to give them tips on how they can lessen their upper body symptoms on their own.  By softening the hands & jaw, one can improve the movements in the vertebrae, wrists, elbows, & shoulders. All it takes is a moment of awareness for one to be able to stop a habit that no longer serves them.

The following two explorations are to help you perceive and understand the importance of what I am saying:
 1) Place an index finger, bent like a hook, between your teeth without intentionally biting down upon it. Next, make a fist with your other hand and sense if this causes your teeth to press into the finger in your mouth.  May you sense this, as it is a demonstration of the direct connection between your hands & jaw.
2)  Rest one palm lightly on the back of your neck, then purse your lips, tongue and jaw while feeling if the neck muscles tighten.  If you can sense this, you are witnessing these muscles contracting in reaction to what is happening with your mouth.

I hope these explorations shed a light on how tensing these areas unnecessarily can compromise movement in the superior extremity joints. Over time, this can cause the nerves and muscles to become irritated.

The following awareness questions may help you elevate the quality of how you carry out repeated tasks such as writing and typing: 
1) How lightly can you hold a pen and still have good penmanship? When you sign a check do you have white knuckles?
2) While typing on the computer do your shoulders rise up to your ears? Does your tongue press or move around in your mouth in an unwanted way? 
3) Is it possible to text on your phone with space between your lips and teeth?  Do your thumbs continue to reach and press when you are finished with your message?

When asking students to become aware of how they move, Moshe Feldenkrais says: “This demands a great deal of quiet attention because the habit of life is not so easily seen.”
May you take the time each day to thoughtfully attend to yourself so you can establish more pleasing ways of being in the world.
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To get a smart meter removed from your home, to stop the 5G Deployment or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Dear Students:
During early adulthood when I began eating a vegan diet, I started eating soy products such as tofu, soy milk, etc.  Very quickly, I began having digestive problems, a bloated stomach and very low energy.  Walking became an effort that felt like trudging through water.

My boyfriend at the time, was having similar troubles and began pointing his finger at the soy products.  I was in disbelief, and gratefully his research changed my mind.  He discovered that in this country, soy is processed with hexane, a toxin much like gasoline.

We immediately stopped eating soy, including products that have soybean oil in them and began reading labels more closely.  On our first soy-free day, we agreed that it felt like our bodies were detoxing.  After the detoxification was complete, our energy levels increased and we were happy as could be.

About a year ago, at my favorite grocery store, I met Christine who was very concerned about her health.  She was experiencing digestive issues along with brain fog and headaches. She was worried because her doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her. I asked her many questions and when she confirmed that she ate a lot of tofu, I understood her problem.

I suggested that she try for one week, to not eat any soy.  I also let her know that most restaurants cook with soybean oil and to avoid that as well.  I warned her about the detox stage and assured her that the next time I saw her, she would give me a big hug, if she did as I suggested. 

I sensed that I dropped the bomb a little too quickly as I could see in her eyes that she believed she could not live without tofu.  So I introduced her to tofu made from hemp and garbanzo beans and gave her other ideas.

As predicted, about two months later, Christine hugged me with feisty joy, and shared she was happily surprised by the results of the experiment. She explained, since soy is in almost everything it was hard for her to completely abstain from it, at first.  But after a night out at her favorite restaurant, that gave her such a bad, “soy” headache, she knew her efforts were well worth it.

Every time, I see Christine she has more energy and walks with a greater skip in her step.  She shed ten pounds without trying, which I have seen happen for others as well.  After her boyfriend saw the changes in her, he also decided to give up soy.  He used to swear by it as his protein source so this was another pleasant surprise for her.

Christine asked me several times, to write about her story. She wants everyone to know that her symptoms of years, only took days to go away! I agree with her, that as many people as possible need to know this information! Please pass it on.
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To get a smart meter removed from your home, to stop the 5G Deployment or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Hi Students:
Throughout the years, certain blog posts prompted more people to shoot me an email, than others. Following are the top five posts from the past, that you wanted to talk about.  They are here to revisit, to catch a missed one, and/or to contemplate upon them.  Coincidentally, I wrote the first two posts below for the Holiday season.

Compulsively Saying “Yes” Leads to Strained Relationships:
I think this post made people talk because almost everyone knows someone who is over-extended and exhausted from always saying, “yes”. The good news is that setting necessary boundaries is polite and can lead to healthy relationships.

Hurried vs. Faster:
I believe a common illusion in a busy world is that hurrying makes one go faster. I think this post helped individuals change that misconception and understand that a hurried way of acting usually creates the opposite results that one is wanting to achieve.

Opening the Sinuses:
Many readers wrote to me and thanked me for sharing the video on this post demonstrating the “Bullet Proof Sinus Rinse”.  The readers that did this Rinse said they found it to be the most effective way to clean their sinuses.

What Good Posture Looks Like:
The second video on this post did a great job in helping change peoples’ thinking about posture. I can never watch it enough as it helps me to communicate better with my students about this subject.

A Celebration Story: Gaining Physical & Mental Flexibility:
Rene was open and willing to learn new ways of thinking and being and I had great fun giving her lessons.  The only time she became a bit reluctant was when I proposed that she take a break from her exercise routine during the three weeks we worked together.  She trusted me enough to do so and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.  She wrote beautifully about her experiences in this post.  She sent me this photo of her skiing, after our sessions together concluded.

May these posts from the past help you to slow down and take better care of yourself during this Holiday season.
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To get a smart meter removed from your home, to stop the 5G Deployment or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Dear Students:
After my ankle surgery many years ago, I had to get around for six weeks without putting weight on my left leg.  This was necessary so my talus bone, the greatest weight bearing bone in the body, could heal as a chip was removed from it. 

At the time, I was living alone in a small apartment, so I became very creative in getting through day to day activities without standing on my injured leg.  I used crutches to get around outside but inside the crutches got in the way. So I started crawling in many different ways depending on the task in front of me.  Sometimes I crawled on my hands and knees, or on my hands and right foot and other times I scooted with my arms, buttocks and a limb on the floor.

I was exhausted at the end of each day due to the extra energy I was expending for healing combined with the daily responsibilities that I had to carry out. The weeks seemed to last forever. 

What I didn’t realize during this time, was that I was creating great rewards for myself! Because of my new movement routine, my upper back became more flexible and I began to organically understand how to properly prepare children and adults for walking.  Using my “arms like legs”, strengthened my bone density and improved my posture for upright standing in a way I hadn’t known since childhood. I was ecstatic with the new found freedom in my back and with the firsthand knowledge I acquired to help others more proficiently. 

This experience came to the forefront of my mind while organizing my next workshop, Extending & Arching.  Sign up now to receive the early bird special price so you can learn how to create mobility throughout your vertebral column in various unique ways on Nov. 9th! I hope to see you there moving like a younger version of yourself.
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To get a smart meter removed from your home, to stop the 5G Deployment or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Dear Students:
Creating choice in life begins with awareness.  As a Feldenkrais Practitioner I love teaching people how to become aware through the vehicle of movement so they can enhance their options on many levels.

“Choice....when you distinguish, discern, from one movement to the other, ........then we are able to say, “now I know that I have two possibilities.” ~Moshe Feldenkrais at Alexander Yanai;

When I was practicing in San Francisco, a perplexed student came to me wondering how she ended up with debilitating back pain at the age of twenty-five.  Years earlier she was involved in sports and was still physically active when this happened.  I learned about her history and her story unfolded. She had a well paying job that she resented and in order to get through each work day she had to act in a counter-intuitive way.  She realized that she started clenching her teeth shortly after being hired and her jaw problems progressively got worse throughout the years.

“Habits are not choice, but rather habit.  By themselves, they are fixed.  You do not have a choice.” ......“And afterward, these habits demand their right to appear so we lose the free will of acting.  This means we lose our human image.”  ~Moshe Feldenkrais teaching at Alexander Yanai;

The day her back “went out” she had an argument with her boyfriend and because dinner guests were about to arrive she “held back her words”.  Her state of mind exasperated her stress and when she reached for plates to set the table, her muscles could not lengthen on demand, as they usually could.  She dropped some dishes and soon after discovered the Feldenkrais Method.  Today she is grateful for that moment and came to understand how she generated the perfect storm that resulted in painful muscles.

“And, in life, in the creativity of a person, with his intellect, with his heart, with the understanding in the heart and wisdom in the intellect, it is not what you do, but how you do it.” ~Moshe Feldenkrais teaching at Alexander Yanai;

While teaching this student, I asked her questions such as, “how do you hold back your words” so she could feel how it effected her physically, emotionally and behaviorally. As her awareness and movement improved I pointed out her differences so she could learn from them.  The last time she emailed me, she was proud to tell me that she found a job that suited her better and was learning how to speak her truth. She came to see that her back pain came from the contrary way she was living her life and it inspired her to slowly make internal & external changes.   

Stories of growth like this one make me grateful to be able to share this method with you through Awareness Through Movement classes, workshops and Functional Integration sessions.  May I see you soon exploring through movement!
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To get a smart meter removed from your home, to stop the 5G Deployment or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Dear Students:
Whenever students inquire about the mind/body connection and how it relates to Feldenkrais, I try to explain it in the simplest way.  Every emotional response and behavior is expressed as a movement pattern within each of us. Each individual uniquely organizes themselves in a different way of being.

What I went through recently, is a good example of what I wish to convey.  I have been getting ready for three years, to stand up for my rights before an authority figure.  All of my life, I have cowered to people in such positions. This time, I decided to face each challenge thrown at me from a man or woman in power, and as a result, I have gone through a major self-image change.  First I had to be able to imagine embarking on this endeavor before I could actually carry it out.

I did not want to have to stand before a “man in a black robe”, so I went through every course of action I could think of, to prevent such an occasion from occurring.  Each time, I came to a dead end.  Through all the avenues I took, I gained confidence in myself until the actual time came to stand my ground.

This transformation from being a victim to being one in power, blossomed due to the Feldenkrais method and to a strong and steady support system of comrades and teachers.  Without these factors I would not have been able to change so quickly.

Right before I was to present my case before a mediator, I began to doubt my abilities.  I created havoc within myself as fear of the approaching moment overwhelmed me.  I woke up, less than a week before I was going to make my stance, with shooting pain running down my right leg so badly that I could not put weight upon it or straighten up.  The pain was so great that it literally took by breath away.

Immediately, I started doing Feldenkrais lessons multiple times a day to ease the tension in my muscles thus created from my emotional state of mind.  And because I understood that wavering got me into this condition, I began surrounding myself with people that believed in me.  My family & friends enveloped me with love and built my confidence up so as the day approached my pain lessened.

On the day of presenting, I stood on both legs without pain, for 25 minutes and fought for what was righteous and just.  In the end, the man before me did not uphold my rights and I believe it was because he could not change his self-image in such a short period of time without a needed support system.

I picture that during his career, he got into the habit of ruling, and got used to people bowing before him.  And then I came along and convened the lawful side of the court and asked him to change his hat to that of a public servant. Through my words and actions I required him to honor me as a lawful woman, and asked to let “we the people” make a decision instead of him.

I watched him try to take on this role that was probably never requested of him during his entire time behind the bench. Unfortunately his anger over took him and won out as he dismissed my case.  I gain solace in knowing that on some level he is processing and integrating the lesson I offered him.  Maybe he will use that information for the better of our society.

I feel my victory was not only an internal belief in myself but an external belief that I opened the door to the lawful side of the court for many to walk through in the days to come.  And I shone a light on a man and his legal staff, and revealed that their true responsibilities are to hold up moral laws and not allow harm to be done to any member of mankind. 

I, will continue to walk this path until “We the People’s” voices are heard! May each of our steps land with more and more confidence along the way.
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To get a smart meter removed from your home, to stop the 5G Deployment or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Hi Students:
On one of hottest days this summer, I decided to trek along a creek so I could cool off in the water along the way.  To my surprise when I got to one of my favorite water holes, no one was there.  Since it is usually occupied, I quickly entered the water to enjoy it all to myself.  With glee, I swam back and forth while soaking up the energy from the water fall.  I doggy paddled and floated on my back for some time before an Amish family interrupted my solitude and I courteously let them have their turn.

This was when I realized, this was my first encounter with people on this steamy day.  Except for winter, this particular trail attracts lots of folks, but this time I believe air conditioning kept them away. Because I keep my windows open in the summer time like the Amish, we were the few that took advantage of the cool stream that afternoon.

Living without modern conveniences not only give me rare opportunities like this one but it allows me to enhance my well being in variety of different ways on a daily basis.  For instance in the sultry weather, I move slower, sweat more, eat less and crave more liquids and fruits that help me thrive in the heat.  I sleep less as I retire and rise with the sun. I can predict more accurately when a new day will bring rain or shine, warmer or cooler temperatures, and/or more or less humidity. 

I find that nature is talking all the time and the more time I spend with her the better I understand what she is saying. Earth’s natural cycles help me tune into my own rhythms more accurately so I can sense better what it is I need each moment in life.

What lessons do you think will appear in your life by simply opening your windows for a day or two? You may discover that living in artificial environments can rob you of the abilities to internally sense what it is you need to enrich your health, if you let it. 

With that said, I end with a thought for you to contemplate upon:  when is modern technology a convenience and when does it become an inconvenience?
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To get a smart meter removed from your home, to stop the 5G Deployment or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Dear Students:
Because of the excessive pollen in the air and the way I tend to habitually tilt my head, I have learned some valuable lessons this Spring. My right sinus has given me reason to learn to perceive more clearly, the relationship between my head and vertebral column.  When I am not aware of how I move my upper body, my volatile nostril can become clogged with the exorbitant particles in the atmosphere. As a result, I have been exploring Feldenkrais lessons that help my skull find it’s central axis.  When I can better sense where my head is in space my right sinus can drain naturally. 

Since it is such a wonderful feeling to relieve the sinuses when they are stopped up, I want to share a short Awareness Through Movement lesson with you. This may help you find a more true center so your sinuses can remain happy this summer.  Always remember to move with ease and not force yourself at any time while moving during this lesson:

1. 1) Lie down on a mat in prone position. Turn your head towards the more comfortable direction for the side of your face to rest on the floor.  Place the arm you can see, bent in front of you on the floor.  Place the other arm downwards towards your side. (Refer to the photo above)
   2) Gently slide your head a little bit forward so your face moves closer to your armpit, and then return.  Do this movement smoothly a few times.  Sense if you return to the same resting spot each time or to a slightly different place.
   3) Lightly slide the back of your head towards the shoulder behind you (the one you can’t see) and return.  Each time pause at rest, to discover where your head is in relation to your spine. 
   4) Rest on your back and roll your head to feel the quality of your head roll.  Do you roll with less effort in one direction than the other?
   5) Return to prone position and rest your head in the same manner as before.  Interlace your hands and place them on top of the side of your face that is closest to the ceiling. Let your elbows rest on the floor. 
   6) Bend your knees at a 90 degree angle so your feet are facing the ceiling.  Let your knees and feet be comfortably apart.
   7) Gently move your feet a little to the left and right of your midline.  Notice if you go further in one direction than the other.  See if you can move your feet the same distant to the left and right of the middle of your vertebrae. Notice how you roll your pelvis-does it remind you of a steering wheel?  Sense the turning of the pelvis going up through your vertebral column towards your skull.  How many vertebrae can you sense turning? 
   8) Rest on your back and roll your head.  What part of the back of your head do you roll on?  Has it changed?
   9) Simply explore the same movements on the other side. 
   10) After resting on your back, slowly come to standing and sense where your head and eyes are in relation to the horizon. Turn your head a small amount to the left and right as if to say “no”. Notice where your head is in relation to the central axis.

Click here to read a previous post and find out about other valuable ways to keep your sinuses flowing. Enjoy the summer and don’t let the pollen stop you from smelling the flowers!
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To get a smart meter removed from your home, to stop the 5G Deployment or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Dear Students:
Through a desire to learn and a willingness to keep trying, I have found that it is mostly inevitable for dedicated Feldenkrais students to experience beneficial changes to their well being. This is because when students learn how to become aware of unattended parts of themselves, a more accurate self picture can emerge.

“We act, not as our body is, but what we feel of it.  If I feel I can do it, I say, “Yes, I can.” You judge, not what the body can do, - you can learn to do it, probably - you, in fact, judge yourself by what you feel you can do.  That means, by the image you make to yourself of your own body.  We react after the image of our own body.” ~Moshe Feldenkrais, 1974 London, England workshop

Because the process of becoming awake, can be uniquely subtle at times, it is common for improvements to go unrecognized.  Since a sign of health is to forget past struggles, I would like to help you see your growth.  A suggestion is to reflex upon where and what you were like at this time last year.  Questions such as the following can help you notice your progress physically, emotionally and/or mentally along your Feldenkrais journey:

• How did you feel about yourself and your life situation a year ago?
  Are you planning on doing anything that you would not have imagined doing last summer? 
  Do people around you react differently to you than in the past?  Are their comments different in some way?
  Did you forget about an ache or a pain?  Did it prevent you from doing what you wanted to do last year?

  For me, I see my growth in the form of a garden.  I always dreamed of creating a garden when I lived in San Francisco but never had the opportunity to do so.  It has taken years to bring this dream to fruition because I was not sure I could make it happen without being a home owner. 

  It all started with a thought and active small steps. My first concrete action was cultivating herbs in pots when I moved back to Lancaster.  This led to growing sun flowers in front of my previous apartment that turned into planting wild flowers around my brothers’ cedar tree.  And this weekend, I turned over this small and loved garden that you can see in the photos, due to my persistent desire to make it all happen!  May you get one step closer to turning your thoughts & dreams into reality this summer!
  ~Donna

F.Y.I.: To get a smart meter removed from your home, to stop the 5G Deployment or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Dear Students:
Clear evidence of the intelligence of mankind’s neurological system can be observed in the many faceted ways we use our hands.  I marvel at the fact that if the hands can function in their many capable ways, a person can create more easily, a healthy state of mind and body. This is due to the fact that a large part of the brain is dedicated to controlling the many intricate tasks we so often do with our fingers and thumbs.  If the brain is constantly growing and changing our being will reflect that.    

Think about the gymnast that can walk on her hands and then grasp a bar just enough, to swing and release from it at her command.  And of an artist painting with a brush or shaping a piece of clay into a masterpiece.  And finally visualize, a lady that can scrub a bathtub and moments later, thread a needle, and then pull weeds from her garden.

Now, ponder about how important it is for a man to be able to hammer a nail into a board and afterwards, gently hold a new born baby.  By quickly softening the tension in his palms while holding his little one, he can create a bonding moment.  If not, the baby’s reaction to a harsh touch may rob them both of a paramount experience.

Imagine fully opening and closing your hand and all of the in between shapes and intensities it can become.  I offer you to reflect upon the following questions to help you become aware of how you use your hands through out your day:

1. How lightly can you hold a fork and still have control of it? 
2. Do you hold your toothbrush with the same pressure as you hold a pencil? 
3. Is it possible to apply lotion to yourself as gently as you would to a child? 
4. Is it necessary to hold the steering wheel with the tension you habitually choose? 
5. What is the quality of your hands like at rest?  Are your fingers straight in the joints, or more bent towards a fist, or something in between?  Are you doing any unnecessary work in either direction? 

To explore Feldenkrais lessons with your hands sign up soon for my next workshop, Healthy Wrists & Arms on Saturday, May 18 @ 1:30 p.m.  May you discover your intelligence through your functional hands.
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To get a smart meter removed from your home, to stop the 5G Deployment or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.