A Feldenkrais Blog

Dear Students:
I appreciate Marshall Rosenberg the creator of Nonviolent Communication, A Language of Life, much like I appreciate Moshe Feldenkrais. Both men gave us life changing methods that when practiced can lead to inner & outer peace.

Dr. Rosenberg taught people how to empathically listen because he knew that without heartfelt connections, conflicts could not be resolved. He said, “You see if we are using nonviolent communication and we learn how to empathically connect with what is going on in other people at any given moment, the other person cannot not communicate with us.  Because even silence is a very loud powerful message.”

Marshall explains more in the video above, about how he empathically connected with a young woman who was too afraid to speak to him.  He kept feeling “what was alive in her” during her silence and in a fifth session she was able to awkwardly give him a written message.  Because his patience & loving manner reached her heart a healing relationship began. 

Dr. Rosenberg’s Definition of Violent Communication: judging others, bullying, having racial bias, blaming, finger pointing, discriminating, speaking without listening, criticizing others or ourselves, name-calling, reacting when angry, using political rhetoric, being defensive or judging who’s “good/bad” or what’s “right/wrong” with people; ~Nonviolent Communication, a Language of Life, back cover.

In the other video (below), Rosenberg is interviewed and shares on topics ranging from how he created A Language of Life, to his vision for creating peaceful societies.  Enjoy reading some intriguing quotes that came directly from the interview.

Dr. Rosenberg’s Inspiration: “I wanted to look for people who were educated in a way that helped them to enjoy giving to other people no matter what the people around them were doing. And it was from studying such people that I saw that they used a different language than the one I had been educated to use.   They used a language of life, a language that helped them connect the life that was going on in themselves & other people.” . .

Marshall Rosenberg’s View on Domination Structures: “So for example if you want to have domination you need to teach people to think in moralistic concepts such as: right/wrong, good/bad, normal/abnormal and teach them that the authorities know which of those words is which – so who’s good, who’s evil, who’s right, who’s wrong.  So you shape peoples’ mentality that way and then they make good little boys & girls and good little citizens in domination structures.” 

Dr. Rosenberg’s Vision: “So what we really need are to create structures that support life rather than create this division to begin with.  So yes, until we get those structures in place we do need to do a lot of reconciliation work.  But we’re interested in primary prevention which means radically transforming the domination structures on our planet.  A domination structure being defined as a government where a few people dominate many for their own advantages.” 

Marshall Rosenberg on Restorative Justice: “Restorative Justice is a very radical concept because it means instead of punishing people we need to look at crime in a total context, a total community context, and we need to get the victim & the perpetrator & the community all involved in a healing and restoration of things to a place that is good for everybody.  And to be conscious that punishing a person is just going to make a society worse.”  

May this post & last month’s post help you learn better ways to relate to yourself & others throughout the holiday season.  Peace to all on Earth!
~Donna

{*I am sharing this post from March 2018 again because I have been referring it to so many people.  With the smoke & other pollutants in the air the Sinus Rinse featured in the video, is very helpful in cleaning out the sinus passages!}

Hi Students:
Recently I was experiencing sinus problems so I delved into my archive of Awareness Through Movement lessons and found ones that helped me to open up my clogged nose.

I feel so fortunate to have a plethora of Feldenkrais lessons available to me whenever I face a physical hurdle.
With gratitude, I will share two of the lessons that helped me during my next workshop called, Exploring the Sinuses on Saturday, April 28, 2018.  {*Click here for details about my workshop on Oct. 14, 2023.}

I did use other ways to drain my schnoz and the video included here will show you an invaluable tip that my sister taught me!  The ingredients that you will need are:  filtered water, iodine, xylitol (from Birch) & (fine) real salt.  I find this rinse to be much more effective than the nettie pot!  Watching the video can surely change your life when you need to clean out your sinuses.

And last but not least, nettle tea (loose leaf) gives me relief from sinus pressure when I need it.  Nettle is one of mother nature’s miracles that I am very grateful for.
Bring some tissues in case you need them on April 28th and be ready to learn more about your sinuses!
~Donna

Dear Students,
Each moment in life requires a unique & different way to breathe based upon how you are moving, sensing, feeling & thinking. With this in mind, I created an  Awareness Through Movement exploration for you to experiment with this summer. The mini-lesson can help enrich the quality of how you engage in activities from quiet to vigorous ones, based on how flexible your breathing parts are.  It is designed to teach your diaphragm to move in many directions like a balloon. This can make your ribs become more malleable so you can move air in & out of your lungs more easily!  Discover how to change your rib-cage into a rib-basket by simply using your awareness & imagination to direct your breath.

Breathing Exploration:
During this lesson move gently into the position explained and stop where you feel most comfortable. Breathe as directed, in a natural manner using awareness and curiosity to guide you. After each movement sit back in your chair and rest before going to the next one. Have fun and enjoy! 
1) Sit at the edge of your chair and place your hands on top of your head with your elbows out to the sides. Move your head and elbows to the left and stay where you feel comfortable. In this position direct your breath sideways into the right side of your ribs, many times. Imagine your right lung expanding towards your ribs near your armpit, in the middle and near the lower ribs. Sense that when you inhale each rib on the right side moves further away from each other. Notice what happens to the ribs on the left side. Rest. Now try the same exploration on the other side.
2) This time, sit and hug yourself with your hands on opposite shoulders with your elbows crossed & resting against your chest. With your head and eyes, look down towards your belly, round your back and roll your pelvis backwards. Stop where you feel most comfortable. Direct your breath towards the floating ribs near your lower back area and downward towards your pelvic floor. Sense the ribs in the lower back area on both sides, widening on the inhale and narrowing on the exhale.
3) Sit and place your hands on your forehead with your elbows facing forwards. Look up with your head and elbows and allow your pelvis to roll forwards so your tailbone will face the back of your head. In this position, direct your breath towards your chest and upwards towards your clavicles. Sense when you inhale, your sternum from the inside of yourself moves away from your vertebrae between your shoulder blades.
4) If you want, I suggest to try other positions to explore breathing in.  Be creative & have fun making different shapes with your body.
5) Sit back in your chair and observe how your breathing has changed. Walk around and observe your breathing. Notice throughout your day how your breathing changes depending upon your activities, and your emotional and mental state of mind.

May breathing explorations give you more adaptability in your life & demeanor. Peace!
~Donna

Dear Students:
Nose drawing, is another Bates Method technique that I like & is easy to do any where.  It requires acting as if a writing utensil is glued to the tip of your nose, so you can draw or trace objects with it.  It is a simple way to improve eyesight as the process softens the extra-ocular muscles where they attach to the white part of each eyeball, called the sclera.  Those with supple eyeballs can instantly look at something close up and then far away with clarity.

 

While moving your nose in space, the key ingredient that can enhance your sight is using your imagination. When you strive to feel & imagine the shape your nose is creating it teaches you how to passively sketch with your eyes instead of voluntarily moving them. Sketching is a vision habit that people who see clearly do instinctively. You can develop this effortless way of tracking with the eyes, so you can internally form a picture that results in normal vision. Nose drawing is a great way to interrupt the bad habit of staring & fixing the eyes when you are trying too hard to see something. 

While you are drawing, the oscillating motions of your head can lessen muscular tension around the base of your skull where facial & visual nerves reside.  This can effectively relax the eyes.  Letting vision come to you in a relaxed manner can help you to see better.  Watch the video with Nathan Oxenfeld for more details. 

Nose Drawing Explorations: 
{Choose one or more of the suggested explorations each time you nose draw. Gently move your head with eyes opened & then closed while drawing. If you experience any discomfort, slow down & make smaller motions.  If you feel pain, stop immediately & rest.}
1. Imagine your nose is a long paint brush & is contacting a wall in front of you.  Begin by simply painting a horizontal line with your favorite color, on the wall back & forth.  Focus on how you are painting the line onto the surface.  Make it smoother & simpler and notice if the line changes.  Let your eyes passively sketch as you attend to the line you are painting. Notice if you move your head more gracefully when you paint with your eyelids opened versus closed.
2.Now pretend your nose has a feather at the end of it and create a line in space to the left & right.  Notice if the quality of your motion is different from painting with a brush.  Then draw a vertical line & diagonal lines & become aware when you loose the image of the feather moving in space.
3.Next choose a pencil to write with onto a piece of paper in front of your face. It can be a square, a triangle, a circle, or figure eight.  Strive to sense the pencil touching the paper throughout the entire shape.  How long can you track the pencil mark? 
4.This time, write some letters of the alphabet with a crayon.  Feel how writing with a crayon changes how much pressure you use as you pretend it is contacting paper.    
5. Pretend your nose has a light ray coming out of it and trace the outline of an object such as a building.  Imagine a gold beam touching along the edges of the building.  Now see a red beam scanning the curvy parts of the trunk of a tree.  When you become more skilled trace the branches of the tree &/or fill in all the details of the building.  As a result you may become a better artist the next time you actually create with your desired medium.

When practiced on a regular basis, nose drawing can change your way of looking at the world.  May you playfully imagine your way to better eyesight! Peace!
~Donna

Dear Students:
I wish to introduce another Bates Method technique called Sunning, which is an easy way to enhance the vitality of your eyes.  It requires letting sunlight bath through your closed eyelids while moving your head back & forth for a few seconds or minutes at a time. View the video with Nathan Oxenfeld for more details & information.

 

The eyeballs are unique as they are organs that absorb light into the body.  Sunlight regulates many human functions including vision, the internal clock, sleeping & eating patterns. On the other hand, because the optic nerve is stimulated by light, too much artificial lighting from digital devices & L.E.D. lightbulbs can lead to vision problems, anxiety & sleep disorders. Studies show that when people are not exposed to enough sunlight during the winter, they can become depressed, moody & fatigued as a result. 

If you are light sensitive, know that you can gradually learn how to tolerate the sun through simple means and receive it’s many benefits.  To begin, I suggest to spend time outdoors each day & slowly wean yourself from wearing sun glasses. When you decide to remove your sun glasses, a good way to adjust to the natural light is to softly blink your eyelids, shade your face with a hat and/or sit under a tree. 

When you choose to Sun your Eyes, be sure to start slowly. Sun for only a few seconds at a time in the beginning and build up to a few minutes until your neurological system adapts.  Always listen to yourself & remember to only move in a manner that feels pleasant.  If you become light-headed, or feel dazed it is a sign that your vestibular system is overwhelmed so stop immediately.  An effective way to rest is to Palm your Eyes as I described in last month’s post.

Sunning the Eyes Exploration: 
1.Stand or sit while facing the sun with your head & eyes at the horizon & eyelids closed.  Turn your head left & right only as far as you can comfortably. Focus on letting your arms loosely dangle like pendulums as you slowly rotate. If the sun is high in the sky, move your head 10° higher & continue the gentle motion. If your neck muscles get tired return your head & eyes to the horizon and proceed. Do this for as long as it feels calming to your eyes and your being.  Do not exceed more than 5-10 minutes at a time. Pause & keep your eyelids closed & stay with your head & eyes at the horizon & your nose at the mid-line. 
2. Next imagine that your nose is a paint brush and draw a horizontal figure eight (the infinity sign), in space, slowly & ease-fully.  Notice if the circle on each side of your nose is the same size & shape.  Which side do you draw a clockwise circle?  Become aware of what part of each eye receives more sunlight when you are at the top of a circle compared to the bottom or to the left or right side. [If you get any discomfort, dizziness or nausea while doing this, stop & rest.  Skip ahead to step 5].
3. Reverse the direction of your figure eight.  Do you prefer going this way? Is it more symmetrical in form or less than the previous way you were moving? Notice which circle is drawn counter clockwise. Which side is more round? Pause with your eyes closed. 
4. Again turn your head left & right and feel if the quality of turning has changed.  Do you go farther with less effort?  
5. Slowly bring the exploration to a close & palm your eyes for a little while.  When you open your eyelids, blink often as the eyes get used to more light.  Notice the clarity of your vision & the vibrancy of the colors you see.  Has it changed? Do you carry your head & eyes in a different relationship to the horizon?

May you allow the sun’s rays to soothe your body & soul everyday! Peace.
~Donna

Dear Students:
Years ago I met Rosemary Gaddum Gordon a Natural Vision Educator who introduced me to the Bates Method. Soon afterwards, I easily began implementing Bates ideas, into my Feldenkrais practice because it is so complementary.  I continue to mix some concepts together & wish to share a few of them with you today & in months to come.

 

I dedicate this post to a classic Bates technique called palming, which entails blocking out light with your hands so your eyes can bask in darkness for as long as possible. Because the job of seeing is taken away during this process, the optic nerve can rest and the visual & nervous systems can be revitalized.

To help you understand how to properly palm your eyes, the featured video with Nathan Oxenfeld, gives many helpful tips. I include an Awareness Through Movement mini-lesson for you to explore to enhance your palming experience. For those who have over-active eyes & minds and struggle with sitting still, this calming lesson can make palming a possibility for you today or in the future.

For an incentive, know that the more I palm my eyes the more I crave it’s soothing effects. And as I use my eyes better during my daily life, my eyesight & over all well being benefit greatly.

Palming Exploration Combining the Feldenkrais & Bates Methods:
1. Rub your hands together to create heat & then place your cupped palms over your eyes.  Make sure not to touch your eyeballs while you prevent light from seeping through. (Refer to the photo &/or to Nathan demonstrating where to place your hands. Nathan also shows other suitable positions to palm in.)
2. When you are comfortably situated you can start with this short Feldenkrais eye lesson. First, witness the darkest black area in your visual field & any colors that are present. 
3. Imagine that numbers of a clock are to the right of your right eye.  Straight above the eye is 12:00, directly at the right corner is 3:00 & below in the midline is 6:00.  Fill in 1:00, 2:00, 4:00 & 5:00 in their appropriate spots.
4. From the mid-point where your eyes are settled, gently concentrate on moving your right eye to 12:00 and return to the middle. Pause. If you can’t do this pleasantly, just imagine moving your eyes instead. Become aware of the quality of your eyes in motion. [Do not forcefully move or strain your eyes throughout this min-lesson. If you become dizzy or nauseous, stop immediately as this is a sign of stress & skip ahead to step 10.]
5. Next, simply move your right eye from your middle, towards each of the numbers on the right side of the clock & return to mid-point. Pause after each motion. For example: go from the middle to 1, then from middle to 2, etc. Notice which number is the easiest & which is most difficult to travel towards & away from. 
6. Rest & gaze into the distance noticing any changes in the colors & blackness. 
7. Explore the left side of the clock by simply initiating the movements with your left eye.  Situated at corner of your left eye is 9:00. Imagine where 11, 10, 8, & 7 are placed. 
8. Rest. Take note of which numbers take less effort to get to on each side of the clock.  Which numbers require more effort? What does this tell you about how you use your eyes & how you carry your head?
9. If you want, explore more eye movements from the left to the right side of the clock.  This can give you clarity on how vision habits effect the ways you express yourself. For example: move from the center, diagonally from 1:00 to 7:00 and/or horizontally from 9:00 to 3:00, etc.  How does your head respond? Rest.
10. Do nothing while continuing to palm your eyes & pretend you are looking into outer space. Discover how you are releasing unnecessary eye strain.  Find out what it is like to get lost in the vastness as the dilation of your pupils grow.
11. When you are no longer curious or interested in your process, take your hands away and let light enter your eyelids & then slowly open them. Blink often as you let light enter.  After a moment, lazily look around & observe if the quality of your vision is different.  How vibrant are colors?  How do you see the edges of objects?  Do you see more clearly near or far away?  Experiment and let vision come to you. 

I highly suggest when you are ready to palm, not to set a goal for how long to do it.   When you set a time limit, most likely your focus will be drawn to the ticking of the clock. This can rob you from learning how to lessen excessive tension during your session.

If the chatter inside your head makes you uncomfortable, use this opportunity to listen to it without judging it.  Rather than trying to quiet your mind, become aware of any disturbing thoughts, feelings & sensations. Sit with your anxiety & allow your emotions to flow & sense any physical pains, or negative thinking.  Once you fully feel that which you distract yourself from, it can be released from your body so you can heal & grow.

To watch a short video by Rosemary entitled, Vision, Eyes & Emotions, click here. May you discover what rejuvenated eyes feel like & it’s many benefits! Peace.
~Donna

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