A Feldenkrais Blog

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.

Dear Students:
Recently I experienced an example of how mother nature can help keep my mind sharp and body flexible while on a walk around my favorite lake.  On this particular day, I couldn’t tell what time of year it was during the hike. I encountered an ever changing terrain underneath my feet that felt like I was going through all four seasons in a few minutes.   

My stroll began routinely as the moist dirt ahead of me allowed my mind to wander. Quickly, I released my carefree attitude when the soil turned into wet mud and I had to attend to myself.  A few feet later, the sunshine produced unavoidable, swamp like clay that I sunk into so deeply, I nearly left the soles of my sneakers behind.  At this point my brain was focused so when conditions changed again, I laughed with delight at the new habitat the shade created.  I received wildlife’s brilliant way of requiring me to re-organize my walking, like a pleasant gift.  I then let half frozen earth that turned into a sheet of ice refine my awareness.  In that moment, I felt more clearly how my habitual stride had to be left behind so I could bring about a new way of moving.

This is an example of how important it is to be able to re-coordinate movement in an instance.  Interacting with the unpredictable natural world helps to promote this while living in the linear material world does the opposite. 

The most efficient way to move for any situation in life, depends on factors such as environment, state of mind, intention, structure of the body and health.  This is why I remind students that there isn’t one perfect way for everyone to move all of the time. Each moment in life requires a different self-organization so adaptability is the key to feeling good and staying healthy. This walk around the lake on a day when winter was trying to change into spring offered me enriching lessons that I am grateful I was able to accept with jubilation.  May nature’s ways bring you lessons of joy as well.
~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:
Modern society’s mistaken ideas about what one needs to do to achieve “good” standing is usually the culprit, if abided by, that causes it to become faulty.  If you think about how a baby comes to standing without any instructions in the first year of life, it might inspire you to question some of the current notions floating around. 

No one in their right mind would ever tell a toddler to “pull the belly in and stand up straight with shoulders pinched together”.  Instead most people smile when they see a toddler’s round belly and encourage the child to be proud of it.  On an unconscious level one can see when something is beautiful and right!

When you witness a babe master standing and walking you are also witnessing his/her brilliant neurological system creating the posture we are all meant to have.  A vertebral column with all the natural curves allows for dynamic stability and mobility! I hope to see you at my next workshop so you can discover some of this for 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:
Years ago, I pulled a groin muscle in my right leg during a dance class.  I have had many athletic injuries and by far, this injury’s recovery time was the most drawn out for me.  Whenever my leg felt healed, I would move too quickly and pull it again.  Running to catch the bus was my biggest nemesis and this went on for longer than I liked. 

I mention this because recently, I went for a walk in the snow and my right groin muscle talked to me for the first time in ages.  This muscle does not speak to me under other weather conditions. The weight of my boots and snow became a constraint that helped me become aware. Since I had no sensations in my left groin, I figured that I must have been stepping differently with my right leg compared to my left. 

So I started to explore in a Feldenkrais way.  Surely enough, when I slowed down I was able to notice a difference.  Next, I began to experiment.  I made my steps longer, then shorter, then closer to each other and farther apart.  Afterwards, when I walked a normal pace my groin felt fine.  Later, I forgot about it and the snowy constraint helped me realize when I returned to moving in a way that caused me to overwork.  Once again, I leisurely began to investigate by taking a larger stride on one side only and then on the other side only.

In the end, I understood better why I originally pulled this muscle and I am grateful for the winter weather that offered me this lesson.  May you use the environment around you to help you tune into yourself outside of Feldenkrais lessons.
~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:
A New Year’s wish for me is to continue teaching Feldenkrais and watching all of you grow into your own power. For this to be granted it is imperative that I get this message out about a dire situation that is planned for 2019.  It is called 5G internet and in actuality it means you could end up with a radiating cell antennae in front of your bedroom window this year. The woman in the following video, explains clearly what we are up against.

The installation of “small” cell towers placed in residential areas as close as every 600 feet has begun in Lancaster county.  The “small” cell towers will emit the same amount of radiation as a regular cell tower plus the potential for higher amounts and could be placed as close as 20 feet from a home.  Living with cell antennas up close & personal could cause more sickness and disease than anything we have ever encountered before in history.

Local public officials have been given deadlines from the F.C.C., to create ordinances charting out where “small” cell towers should be installed in their towns. If this is not completed the cell phone companies will be given free reign to place them where ever they want.  This is unlawful and yet is happening all over our country. (For more details listen to an interview I gave after attending my Township’s meeting about their 5G plans.)  

I believe we can defeat the 5G Deployment and this is where another wish comes into play. I imagine our community coming together, to make lasting change happen. Join me on February 2nd for an educational Town Hall meeting so we can Rise Up and save ourselves from this potential health disaster.  The information is on the flyer above. 

 Let’s Rise Up and create a world we want to live and thrive in.  Please pass this on to others to give them the chance to stand up for their health and well being.
~Donna

Hi Students:
During this time of year may you make time to create a peaceful state within so those around you can benefit from your tranquil energy.  Taking a few minutes to explore parts of an Awareness Through Movement lesson that you remember can help you produce such a state.  If you need to spark your memory before exploring you can visit my video page for ideas.

A human being is a part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. [One] experiences [oneself] . . . as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of [one’s] consciousness. . . . Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. ~Albert Einstein

I am happy to announce that FeldenkraisBlog.net has been chosen as one of the top 25 Feldenkrais Blogs coming in at number 17! Check it out here.

To see a sneak preview of my workshop schedule for 2019 click here.
Have a peaceful and revitalizing holiday season!
~Donna

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

Dear Students:
November is the month that reminds me to reflect and honor all that I am grateful for.  Every day I feel very fortunate being able to teach the Feldenkrais Method and help people transform, heal and empower themselves.  I am thankful to all my students that support me in more ways than one.  I learn more from all of you than I could ever express in words.  Your smiling faces brighten my days always.

It has been a rocky yet enriching year handling the many challenges that accompany my sensitivity to electromagnetic, wireless energy.  Dealing with the installation of smart meters on homes and public buildings is a lesson of many constraints and has helped me change some unnecessary habits.  I thank all of you who help, strengthen and stand with me along this path.  Without all of you plus the Feldenkrais Method, I don’t know where I would be at this moment.

On another appreciative note, I am offering one more 6-week series, evening class this year (in addition to my morning class).   The first class begins on Tuesday, November 6 @ 5:15 pm.  Click here for more details.
Peace,
~Donna

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

Dear Students:
When I realized that my ability to concentrate was increasing with each Awareness Through Movement lesson, I decided to take it a step further and explore in a similar way while doing daily activities.  I hoped this would soften my attitude towards monotonous duties. I am happy to say I found this to be true and that I received other benefits as well.

When I pay close attention to what I am doing and how I am doing it, I can turn a perceived burden into a thoughtful experience. But I have to remember to tune in, first. I found it hard to do this when engaged in something I dislike doing.  So I decided to use the dreadful feelings that come up when carrying out a chore, as signals to remind me to stop “sleeping”.

For instance, when I sense that I don’t feel like brushing my teeth, I am able to notice myself rushing through it. Becoming conscious of this instantly allows me to slow down and lighten my grip on the toothbrush.  Then I can attend to each tooth with more curiosity and comfort.  The two minutes of brushing seems to go much faster when I do this and it is much more enjoyable.

I also use these skills when I become aware of my mind racing.  If I discover that I am not able to comprehend a sentence while reading, I tell myself that the repetitive thought can wait. Then I can concentrate fully on the written words. Due to continued practice, I love to read today!  This is an accomplishment that took lots of practice.

My growing attention span continues to give color to once bland tasks and helps me let go of dark thoughts & feelings quicker. As a result, patience comes easier making my work and relationships more harmonious.  This greatly encourages me to keep “waking up” to every day life and I hope it inspires you as well! 
~Donna

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

 

Dear Students:
The following quote by Moshe Feldenkrais is one that I enjoy contemplating.  I encourage you to read it and allow it to sink in.

“This cosmic Reality is so immense and overwhelming that it is only when we are at our best that we can catch glimpses of it.” ~Moshe Feldenkrais, The Elusive Obvious

By learning to concentrate and listen through Feldenkrais lessons we can begin a journey towards finding our human potential.  Striving to know ourselves on a deeper level can be the beginning of reflecting the cosmic reality, inside and outside of us, that Dr. Feldenkrais refers to above.

In this fast paced society of overloaded schedules and distracting technology from “television to twitter” we barely give ourselves even a second to consider our potential and/or self purpose.

Through the Feldenkrais Method we learn how to lessen the intensity of physical, emotional & behavioral habits.  As a result, silent pauses begin to arise inside our minds.  By creating and embracing quiet moments we are given the chance to consider such things as self understanding and the mysteries of the universe.

Dr. Feldenkrais believed that world peace was possible and that the Feldenkrais Method could help create it.  I agree with him and to help support your efforts towards inner peace, I am offering an additional Feldenkrais class and another workshop this year.

"For the fact is, unless you offer the best of yourselves, the world will never be different." ~Pope Francis, July 30, 2016

Creating self-serenity one Feldenkrais lesson at a time can be an enriching and challenging road to unknown possibilities!  Let’s reflect & create peace together!
~Donna

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

Dear Students:
Long before the Feldenkrais Method was born, Moshe Feldenkrais was influenced by the teaching of Jigoro Kano, the creator of Judo. While Dr. Feldenkrais was learning Judo, he was also developing his own method in many ways.  One thing that he adopted from Jigoro Kano’s teachings is the importance of learning without self pressure or competition. 

“It is not important to be better than someone else, but to be better than yesterday.” ~ Jigoro Kano

Moshe Feldenkrais not only taught Judo and his own method, but also many other subjects, such as physics & math; he was able to help his students excel because of his unconventional methods of teaching.  Moshe was such a successful teacher because he knew how to teach his students how to learn.  Below is a section of a manual he wrote explaining his theory behind learning.

 Moshé Feldenkrais, Learn to Learn: A manual to help you get the best results from the Awareness Through Movement® lessons:
 
"The Awareness Through Movement® lessons will help you to reach your inborn potentiality in the best way and avoid giving you just another opportunity for using yourself in the accustomed way which led you, initially, to seek a better one.

By reducing the urge to achieve, and attending also to the means for achieving, we learn easier. Achieving-we lose the incentive for learning and, therefore, accept a lower level than the potential we are endowed with. When we delay the final achievement by attending efficiently to our means, we set ourselves a higher level of achievement if we are not aware that that is what we are doing. On knowing what to achieve before we have learned to learn, we can reach only the limit of our ignorance, which is often general. Such limits are intrinsically lower than those we can foresee after knowing better."~Moshe Feldenkrais
 Click here to read the full manual.

The video that I have included is a great example of what “learning to learn” looks like.  During the rest of your summer adventures may you learn to become a better version of yourself in a gentle and pleasing way.
~Donna

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