by: Erin Ferguson, GCFP Prevailing cultural ideas refer to the abdomen as the core, and we talk about "core strength" as being beneficial. Consider a few Feldenkrais®-based ideas about strengthening the abdomen: Muscles must work in tandem Let's talk about appropriate distribution of effort. If you can contract the abdominal [...]
by Melinda Glenister We are bombarded with messages that we need to protect our backs and strengthen our ‘cores’. There are so many misconceptions and assumptions made about ‘core stability’ which have seeped into our culture. However, more and more people are waking up to the limitations of the approach and [...]
by Dr. Tim Sobie, PT, Ph.D., GCFP The statistics are daunting, if not downright depressing: 80% of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lives. The most common treatments include prescription medicines, chiropractic treatments, or physical therapy rehabilitation, typically with a focus on core stabilization. The theory [...]
by Marsha Novak, GCFP "Mr. Duffy lived a short distance from his body.” – James Joyce (From the short story “A Painful Case”) I just love this line. But what does early 20th-century Irish literature have to do with my work as a Feldenkrais® practitioner? WHAT I typically do, especially in [...]
Tactile defensiveness is considered a sensory processing issue, where the individual’s neurological system is “hypersensitive” to touch sensations. As a result, the sensory system is overwhelmed by touch sensations that the average individual perceives as neutral. Touch is experienced as irritating, bothersome, and in some instances painful. The following conversation [...]
by Victoria Worsley I am often asked, "Can the Feldenkrais Method® help with sciatica?" or ‘do you have experience with sciatica?’ I am likely to answer those questions by saying, "I have experience working with people who have sciatic pain" or "I have clients who experience/used to experience back pain [...]
by Jae Gruenke Photo by Curtis MacNewton on Unspash Running has a reputation for giving the body a pounding, and for some runners with lower back pain that can be a very literal experience. For others, running itself is fine but the pain appears afterward. The solution is [...]
By Pamela Khim, GCFP Many, many times during the 27 years of my Feldenkrais® practice, I’ve seen how people shed years while gaining comfort—when they learn it’s in their best interest to not constantly contract their abdominal muscles. Shortly after starting my Feldenkrais practice in 1991, a retired eighty-year-old oncologist became [...]
by Ingrid Willenz-Isaac I touch my student’s foot as she is lying on the table, and suddenly her big toe pops up. Momentarily startled, I take my hands away and ask her if it hurts. It doesn't. I already know that the toe twitching is called the Babinski sign, that it [...]
by Beth Sidlow Mann, GCFP As a public school music teacher since 1986, I have always been interested in new ideas to help students learn. To stay on the cutting-edge of educational theory and techniques I attended educator conferences, staff development offerings, and summer courses. These courses, while helpful, were [...]