A Feldenkrais Blog

Dear Students:
This month, I wish to share more words of wisdom spoken by Moshe Feldenkrais from the public workshop he taught in Dallas, Texas in 1981.  Inspired by his students’ questions Moshe talked about how they could better their own development & enhance their children’s growth.

 

He explained,“By the age of three……..the majority of [children] have the feeling so inhibited that they alienate themselves to themselves. At the age of three they don’t rely on their feeling – they never do what they feel to do. They will first find what their mother likes [it] and father likes [it] and they will change their way of doing, just not to loose the affection of the mother. Because by the age of three if the mother and father did really hate you and didn’t want you, you are dead.”

Due to these survival reasons, babies become very in tune with the emotions of their care givers which ultimately forms their positive & negative behaviors.  Loving parenting is essential for beneficial development whereas the opposite creates physical, mental & emotional injuries that can be carried into adulthood.  When a person grows blind to his character flaws, he looses the power to change them.  This is why Moshe emphasized teaching his students how to become self-aware through sensing, feeling, thinking & moving. Through this process, deeply rooted wounds can be revealed to those that wish to see, so healing & growth can begin.

Moshe continued, “We find that, all the troubles we have are due to the parents insisting and then eliminating and killing in us our feelings.  You would think you would be better off without parents all together.”

Then he addressed the parents in the room to suggest how to parent in a way that creates healthy adults. He said, “And by the way, as many of you are parents now, your children will think the same way if you don’t understand their make up and you don’t help them to grow into individuals where they have very strong faith in themselves and appreciation of their own value and they don’t listen to anybody but when it is of very intense public social importance.  Other wise you should have a society of intelligent, strong, healthy people with healthy feelings and good thinking and good senses and ability to act properly.  That would make a humanity in which would be quite different from the one we have now around us.”

Dr. Feldenkrais delved into why he chose to use movement as the vehicle to awaken people to their true nature through teaching of  Awareness Through Movement (ATM) and Functional Integration lessons.  He expressed, “We are better than we think.  Take away the junk, the trouble that you have and see what you are. We are doing [ATM lessons] in order to understand how we function and how we work, how our brain works,……how we feel. Therefore we do movement, action and through that we learn really about ourself more than anything else.”

If you enjoyed reading the quotes from Moshe Feldenkrais in this post, you can learn more about him & his work in the video included.

May you take action each day to learn something new about yourself so you can embark on self transformation. Peace.
~Donna

Dear Students:
Awhile ago, a fellow practitioner who was retiring chose to pass onto me some audio tapes of Moshe Feldenkrais teaching workshops.  I was grateful to him for such a priceless gift even though I did not have a device to listen to them on.  Recently, friends of mine found an old cassette player and knew I could use it.  When they gave it to me, I felt like I had received a key to a treasure chest of information!

Since then, I have been having fun rolling on the floor and hearing the skillful ways Moshe conducted his classes. I decided to share with you today, some of his wisdom & quotes from when he taught the general public in Dallas, Texas in 1981.

During the workshop, he created an atmosphere which gave each person an opportunity to become inquisitive.  He emphasized that when “as a baby, learning is the major occupation of the nervous system” curiosity comes easily.  As an adult, many have to learn all over again how to think, learn and help themselves.  Moshe went out of his way to spark his students’ interest because he knew this was a key ingredient for their development. 

When students took themselves too seriously, Dr. Feldenkrais lightened the mood with a good joke.  To halt over thinking minds, he told intriguing stories.  And when someone needed to become aware of what they were doing, he would surprise them by the manner in which he spoke to them.

Moshe explained how we in society have become like obedient robots to authority figures, which stunts our ability to freely evolve the way Picasso, Mozart & Shakespeare did during their lives.  He clarified: “The great majority of children are alienated to their feelings – they don’t dare to do what they want to do, all their life – and they don’t dare not to do what they ought to do.  In other words we have been trained almost like machines to do what you should do and not do what you shouldn’t.  But it is not a question of whether you like it or you don’t, whether it is good for you or bad, you just have to do it.”

He then continued and ultimately complimented his audience, saying, “Now therefore you see, that at a certain age many people realize that they feel that they are much better – they could do much better for themselves than what they actually do. And therefore I consider the people who do come to such sort of work like we do – I believe they are the cream of our society. In spite of being neurotic and having trouble but they are the only ones who actually have the feeling that they deserve and can be better than they do and actually do something about getting it.”

Upon closing the day, Moshe pointed out what he observed happening with his students stating, “when you feel yourself growing, you feel your dignity growing”.  I believe this statement to be the foundation of the Feldenkrais Method and am elated when I witness this occurring in my students.

May you utilize the plethora of golden tools the Feldenkrais Method  has to offer so you can grow into your own human dignity.  I hope to see you soon to encourage you along your way! Peace!
~Donna

Dear Students:
I was very fortunate in the summer of 2021, when I got to hear Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speak at an event that was hosted by the Amish community.  I immediately sensed a loving, light energy around him that literally took my breath away & understood that I was in the presence of a special individual.  I felt truly honored when I got the chance to talk with him after he was done speaking that day.

Robert is a skillful trial lawyer who has been an environmental & public advocate for the past 40 years and I am extremely grateful for his heroic work. He has been fighting for the rights of “we the people” regarding issues such as harm caused to them by vaccines, 5G cell towers & smart meter radiation. He is not afraid to speak out about the truth no matter the consequences he may face. Corporate leaders & corrupt government officials have been trying to silence him for decades so it is no coincidence that he has a voice disorder.

When I spoke with Robert, I took the opportunity to tell him about Feldenkrais & how he could learn to project his voice more clearly & improve it’s quality. I pointed out that his vocals gained power & clarity as he flowed into his speeches.  He agreed with my observation & smiled when I told him that I could teach him to organize himself in that way more consistently.  As he listened to what I had to say with his full attention, I offered him a private lesson. In parting he graciously said, “that all makes sense, and if I was staying in Lancaster I would take you up on that offer”. 

I describe Kennedy’s character because I think it is valuable to understand the essence behind the source of what I wish to share. His latest book is called, T∙︎h∙e  R∙e∙a∙l  A∙n∙t∙h∙o∙n∙y  F∙a∙u∙c∙i, and it follows the disturbing career of a person in power.  The documentary with the same title, is being censored off the internet (click here to watch it by chance), so take note that I will host a gathering where you can view it for free. If you want to attend, email me and I can provide you with details.

The book & film reveal amoral & unethical acts committed by some of our public servants.  Everything that is disclosed, you can research more on your own, as it is backed up with end notes as well as insider & witness accounts. I believe, it is imperative for all of us, to be able to study subject matters that are deliberately being withheld by the mainstream media, and that is why I inform you about Kennedy’s investigative research.

If you are still reading, realize that the laws of attraction brought you to this post for some reason. Good hearted people may not believe the sinister exploits of those in the film. Others might be negatively triggered by it – perhaps due to relating their self-worth to how much they do or do not know or from suppressed emotional injuries. Recognize that you are a worthy human-being no matter the amount of worldly wisdom you have & that any past hurts you hold onto can nefariously persuade your feelings in a present situation. 

In order to make the world a better place, I think we need to see more of the puzzle pieces which create turmoil in our societies. May you consider exploring the information I have provided to help you understand better what has been happening over the last several decades. Peace!
~Donna 

Dear Students:
I am excited for you to view the featured video of Bruce Lee, in this post! I believe it is one of the greatest demonstrations of the human potential that I have ever witnessed. Sit back and be inspired & dazzled for 3 1/2 minutes.

 

The video begins with Bruce Lee saying his famous quote: “…empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water…….now, you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup – you put water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle – put it in a tea pot, it becomes the tea pot. Now, water can flow or it can crash, – be water my friend.”

For me, the most definitive thing about Bruce Lee’s words is the way in which he says them. I suggest as you watch the footage, ask yourself what does his rhythm, cadence of speech, facial expressions & body language bring to his message.

I was fascinated by every nuance of his mannerisms, which included elusive & obvious details. I loved everything about his confident, passionate & emotional presentation. At the end when he raised his eye brows and knowingly grinned, I wanted to know all that he knew.

If I thought Bruce Lee couldn’t marvel me enough by the way he fearlessly bared his soul, the video goes on to show his phenomenal physical & mental skills. Observe him playing ping pong with a nunchuck (stick), against two professional opponents to see the fine line between his mind & body.

My awe of Bruce, left me wishing that I could ask him about his Jeet Kune Do explorations & discoveries. I was delightfully impressed by his extraordinary abilities to listen & move harmoniously within the environment. I will recall this impression often to motivate me towards finding untapped territories within & without myself from herein.

We are each born with extra ordinary capabilities. The key is to figure out what yours are. The good news is you don’t need to train in martial arts in order to cultivate your individual talents. Fortunately, the Feldenkrais Method can teach you how to uncover & enhance your unique characteristics & gifts in gently challenging ways without sparing with another.

I hope all my posts so far this year, have given you tangible tools to help you discover your genuine personality. May, Bruce Lee’s excellence spark an interest in you to reach towards developing new possibilities for yourself, everyday! Peace to all on Earth.
~Donna

Dear Students:
My Feldenkrais, Awareness Through Movement classes have been a joy to teach these past few months.  Students have been enthusiastically learning and attending on a regular basis so I am happy to announce that I will be teaching classes in 2022.

Click here to learn more about class details in the new year.

Your favorite blog posts for 2021 were mostly all about how to improve your movement organization through the eyes.  I wrote four posts based on this subject and I received many thanks for the information.
Visit the posts by clicking on each title:
1. Developing Childlike Eyes
2. Searching for the Midline
3. Overcoming Motion Sickness
4. Eye Patching
5. Prevailing Against the Odds:  This post about one of my students and the struggles she faced in a world where she could not attach anything to her face, was accepted by many with humble gratitude.  I am glad her story touched many hearts, as I feel it revealed the love & empathy that exists inside all of us even during these very bewildering times.

May you wholeheartedly listen for divine guidance and truth during each day of this new year! Peace to all on Earth.
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To learn how to fight for your innate rights against forced vaccines, testing, and other trespasses read Our Innate Rights and/or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here. 

Dear Students:
I began exploring eye patching when I realized the key to unlocking my leg pain was through my eyes. I lived many years with a bone chip in my ankle and was aware that my visual habits helped take weight off my injured leg.  Hence, I knew I could turn standing into a pleasant experience by studying & broadening the repertoire of my eye motions, post surgery.

My first learning strategy was to take walks wearing a patch over my dominant, right eye so I had to rely on my left eye for vision.  I found that this was very unfamiliar and when I got tired I would see the inside of the eye patch. My right eye would automatically take up the slack when I could no longer go on.  As the weaker eye become stronger, my eyesight became clearer and it helped distribute the weight through my skeleton more symmetrically.  My ankle discomfort went away for long stretches of time and when it returned I did not understand why.

Eventually, I connected a habitual behavior of not being able to say “no” when it was the righteous thing to do, and found that my left limb grew distressed after such a conflicted moment.  This directed my investigations around recognizing how I used my head & eyes differently when I set a boundary compared to when I did not.

I knew if I became able to observe my right sighted dominance during uncomfortable conversations, I would be able to lessen this habit. The problem was I was too distracted by internal turmoil to do that. Months would go by until an emotional trigger would lead me to the realization that my new habit was not quite strong enough to serve me during such times.  I sensed, a different way of being was almost fully developed within myself each passing day. When familiar pain would reappear it was with less intensity and I was able to unravel it’s grip more quickly.

It wasn’t until I started patching my lazy eye that my awareness progressed exponentially. By only observing my right eye in action, without the influence of it’s partner, I could finally sense how it initiated an asymmetrical organization of my movement. I found that both of my eyes tend to hang out on the right side of my nose even when focusing on an object.  This places my head in an unbalanced position which effects every part of my body down to my feet.   

After some time, through this process I created a novel habit that allows me to stand, walk, run and flip with great pleasure.  I continue to explore and presently am benefiting from focusing on my peripheral vision as it helps each eye live on it’s respective side of the midline more often.  I remind myself also that my visual field is 360 degrees around and this helps me to continue to discover many helpful ways to improve my eyesight and uneven ways.

May this post inspire you to learn more about the direct connection between your eyes, emotions, behaviors and movement patterns.  Thank you for your support throughout the years!  Peace to all on earth!
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To learn how to fight for your innate rights against forced vaccines, testing, and other trespasses read Our Innate Rights and/or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Dear Students:
Throughout my childhood I used to get severe motion sickness while traveling in cars.  As an adult, when I began to study how the organization of the eyes influence the vestibular system, I found a way to lessen my carsickness.  I discovered that when one is advancing forward in a vehicle, the movement of the landscape appears to move in the opposite direction. As a kid, I was too queasy to become aware of this or let it happen.  Later when I could observe the opposing blurry vision, my nauseousness disappeared. 

I taught myself to stop trying to see the scenery moving in my peripheral vision when riding in an automobile.  Instead I view it as it is – a blur.  By letting things in the distance swirl past me, my eyes relax, my vision benefits and it keeps ill sensations at bay.

In the past, by trying to latch my eyes onto a moving object, it strained them and disturbed me. Understanding this, now I can pleasantly read a book on a train by letting the letters bounce around during bumpy parts of the trip.  This healthy eye habit has changed my life for the better.

I have included a lesson for you to explore that will help you learn how to let the world pass you by in a beneficial way. I think you will find this lesson very helpful as the technological way of living promotes staring at digital screens thus encouraging us to quickly forget to perceive oppositional movement.

Notice For the Lesson:  Take lots of rests when using your eyes in a non-habitual way.  Signs that your eyes need a rest are feeling: dizzy, nauseous, tired, sleepy, uninterested, mentally unfocused. When this happens stop the exploration, sit or lie down and take a break.  Come back to it when you feel refreshed or leave it for another day.

Observing Oppositional Motion lesson: 
{For those that tend to get dizzy easily, or are in the habit of staring with their eyes, I suggest to do this lesson with your eyes closed first until you get used to the motion.}
1.Stand and place both arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height.  Make loose fists with your hands and point both index fingers forward.  Swing your arms to the right, keeping your right arm straight while your left arm bends at the elbow towards the right.  Focus your eyes on your right index finger as it swings to the right and returns to the middle.  Do this movement until you can sense the blurry objects in the distance moving to the left when turning to the right and vice versa.  Rest while walking, in sitting or lying on your back.
2.Do the same movement while swinging to the left and return to the middle. Keep your eyes focused on the left index finger until you can see the world swirling around you in the opposite direction you are turning towards. Rest.
3.Do the same movement swinging back and forth, left & right, passing through the middle.  When going to the right focus on the right index finger & when going to the left on the left index finger. Even though you know the objects in the background are not moving in reverse of you imagine they are, until they appear to be doing so. Rest. 
4.Repeat swinging your arms left & right making the swing smaller, faster and more playful. Sense the oppositional movement and how it’s appearance changes with speed.  Rest.

As your vision improves, you may notice that while moving, the blurry background will seem to flow more subtly. May you eventually see this phenomenon improving while you are engaged in daily activities such as walking, sweeping or cleaning a mirror.
Peace to all of you.
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To learn how to fight for your innate rights against forced vaccines, testing, and other trespasses read Our Innate Rights and/or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Dear Students:
I am happy to announce that beginning September 14 through December 14, 2021, I will teach my Feldenkrais Class each Tuesday @ 11 am, (click here for more details).  I promise that during one of those 14 classes I will teach in full, the Awareness Through Movement® lesson that I am featuring in this post.

Moshe Feldenkrais emphasized the importance of knowing where the actual midline is, so a student could converge his eyes at that point.  When a person’s eyes meet at the middle, vision can be clear.  The farther one’s eyes move to the left or right of the midpoint the less clear vision becomes.  Moshe also highlighted this central line because when one finds it, the head can center itself along it’s axis.  Someone that becomes conscious of balancing their head, can more evenly distribute weight through their legs.

Personally, I search for my the central axis all the time, because it allows me to function without any pain or restraints after having ankle surgery years ago.  My joints can stay healthy and my eyesight in good shape when I explore lessons like the one I include here.

Finding the Midline through your Hands, Lesson:
1.Sit in a comfortable position at the edge of a chair or on the floor.  You can even pleasantly kneel if you like.
2. Place your hands together in front of your chest as if in prayer. Close your eyes and sense the back of your right hand.  Then sense the back of your left hand.  Which hand do you feel more sensations in?  Rest while sitting at the back of your chair or you can lie down on the floor.
3. In your starting position, with your eyes closed, slowly move your hands up towards the sky & return while your right eye pays attention to the back of your right hand in space. Where do you feel the hand the most clearly?  Do you know when and where you loose connection between the hand & eye?  Rest when you are no longer interested in the exploration.  Repeat the movements, going more slowly at the places where you loose awareness of your right hand & eye during the journey to & fro.  Rest.
4. Begin again, while keeping your eyes closed, move the hands from your chest, downwards & return.  Track the back of your right hand with your right eye, traveling down & on it’s way back to the starting point.  Is it easier or harder to sense your limb while moving downwards compared to upwards?  Rest.
5. Explore all the movements with closed eyes, while feeling the back of your left hand with your left eye, in motion.  Can you tell which hand is your dominant hand?  How do you know which is your non-dominant hand?  Which eye are you more familiar with?  Can you tell which eye you rely on more during your life for vision?
6.Study these movements with your eyelids closed while sensing the back of both hands & eyes moving in the direction above your head & downwards towards your belly.  Which hand do you loose awareness of first?  Become curious & slow down at the places where you are not tuned in to both hands & eyes at the same time.  Sense how your pelvis and vertebral column move in relation to your head and arms.

Sometimes when I exercise I experiment with myself similarly to the lesson above.  For instance if I do pushups, I focus on the back of my non-dominant hand & eye during the first set.  On the second set, I attend to the other side and throughout the third set, I focus on both eyes & hands.  This helps to better center my head to foster more symmetrical use & strengthening of my muscles.

Other times when I am walking I combine my eye/hand awareness practice, with looking back and forth at objects at different distances as described in my post, Developing Childlike Eyes.   I find it to be challenging & compelling to be mindful of many things at once. Have fun creating your own experiments & opening your eyes to new ways of being.

May finding the midline help you learn to develop your attention & understand in a novel way what the saying, “keep your head on straight” means.  I hope to see you in class very soon!
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To learn how to fight for your innate rights against forced vaccines, testing, and other trespasses read Our Innate Rights and/or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Dear Students:
I was walking around the neighborhood when I approached grandparents playing with a little boy on their driveway.  The boy sensed me moving towards him and immediately looked up and smiled, and then went back to playing.  The older couple did not respond or blink an eye in my direction.  The beneficial habits of the little one, stood out to me that morning and inspired me to write this post.

There are many reasons why an adult would not reflexively turn towards an advancing neighbor, and I will not focus on them.  Instead, let’s look at the importance of becoming aware of what some toddlers do naturally, to promote healthy eyes and movement. The child’s swift reactions, displayed why he can see clearly and move quickly.  His eyes caught my movement and the rest of his body helped him to view more.   

Becoming aware of some simple things that “people with clear vision” do, can help you to maintain and/or improve your eyesight and the way you organize movement.  Motions and sight can improve greatly when the body can spontaneously follow the eyes’ invitation to move.

Curious, childlike habits such as looking at the details of a tiny bug and within a split second, marveling at a hopping bunny, and then studying a blade of grass, keep the eyeballs malleable.  When examining an object up close, the eyeballs form a slightly different shape compared to when looking at scenery in the distance.  Investigate this phenomenon on your own.  Sit and feel if you can sense your eyeballs changing shape while focusing compared to gazing?  The more the eyes transfigure themselves throughout the day, the healthier the eyes can become. 

Keeping the Eyes Malleable Lesson:
1. Sit in a comfortable position and look at something up close and then far away - quickly go back and forth like this. 
2. Don’t “try to see”, instead just allow your eyes to change shape rapidly without expectations.  Rest afterwards.
3. Repeat this at three different distances, experiencing the malleable eyeballs at work.
4. If you wear glasses and feel prepared to do something differently with your eyes then try this without them. Teach yourself to become comfortable and interested in your vision no matter it’s quality.  Notice what distances you see better at.
5. You can also do this exploration while walking.  If you can walk and not bump into objects without spectacles on, then do so.  If not, keep wearing them until you are sure you can stroll around safely.

(Take lots of rests when using your eyes in a non-habitual way.  Signs that your eyes need a rest are feeling: dizzy, nauseous, tired, sleepy, uninterested, mentally unfocused. When this happens stop the exploration, sit down and take a break.  Come back to it when you feel refreshed or leave it for another day.)

I suggest when challenging your eyes in an unfamiliar manner, to get comfortable with any blurry vision you may have.  Let vision come to you instead of straining your eyes to see something. Relaxed eyes see clearly and if you wait for yourself to make sense of what you’re looking at, eventually it can become lucid. It may take lots of practice to experience one second of crystal clear vision.  When this happens it is a sign that you can turn a second into a minute, a minute into an hour, etc.  All you need to do is form the kind of habits that will get you there!

May you gradually and consistently develop the customs of “one that can see clearly”. If you experiment with your eyes on a regular basis, you may find that you can explore longer each time before getting tired.
Stay tuned for the next several blog posts as I will give more tips on how to keep your eyes thriving.  Starting on Sept. 14, 2021, I will begin teaching Feldenkrais classes on Tuesdays @ 11am.  Peace!
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To learn how to fight for your innate rights against forced vaccines, testing, and other trespasses read Our Innate Rights and/or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.

Dear Students:
Moshe Feldenkrais explained that “learning how to learn” through his method, would help his students carry learning into all areas of life.  I am grateful to have found this to be true in myself and my students. A most recent occurrence of this happened for my pupil, Joyce.

“[You will] acquire ease and accuracy in every task...  In everything and every interest, mental, abstract, and intellectual, or materialistic - in all of them you will be helped.  It will make anything you have to do more pleasurable, because there is no effort it in.”   ~ Moshe Feldenkrais, A Life in Movement, by Mark Reese, page 298;

Joyce shared with me that she had never enjoyed writing. Because of current events she found herself compiling extensive information that led to writing it down. As a result, Joyce wrote, “My Thoughts, Reflections & Questions about Covid 19”. After many months of editing she began to appreciate the process. 

I shared Dr. Feldenkrais’s theory on learning with Joyce as I thought it related to her experience.  I include her eloquent chronicle here:

My Thoughts, Reflections and Questions about Covid19 
~Joyce H., June 2021
The past 15 months have certainly been challenging, as we all have had to find our way navigating the turbulence this global crisis so abruptly brought into our lives. I don’t think anyone could’ve imagined how life could change so drastically in this span of time! It feels like our world is still in a fearful and chaotic state. My prayer is that we can each find inspiration, peace and hope for our future - individually, as families and collectively as a global family. 

To read Joyce’s “Research On Covid19” in full click here. 

May you find value in the thoughtful research Joyce organized and freely shares with us.  Peace to all on this beautiful earth!
~Donna

F.Y.I.: To learn how to fight for your innate rights against forced vaccines, testing, and other trespasses read Our Innate Rights and/or to find out about products that can help electromagnetic sensitivity click here.