Connie Rotunda is a professional actor and theatre professor, as well as a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitionercm. In her ongoing research and exploration she discovered the acting technique formulated by Michael Chekhov, and bells of recognition began to go off in her brain. Michael Chekhov (1891 – 1955) was considered to be one of the most original actors of his …
The Musician’s “Magic Zone” with Erin Finkelstein
If you’re a musician, chances are you are aware of your fingers, lips, and breathing as you play. However, Erin Finkelstein helps musicians to be aware of another element that can put a performer in the “Magic Zone” of spontaneous and responsive artistry. According to Erin, it’s awareness of your skeleton that will get you there. She will share her …
How I Made Running Possible, Easy, and Elegant
by Jae Gruenke, GCFP 2019 FGNA Conference Presenter I wasn’t always a runner. In fact, when I first started running as an adult, it felt astonishingly awful. At the time, I was a professional modern dancer. One particular gig I got involved performing in parks, basketball courts, and other large, outdoor spaces. It required a lot of running, and I …
Start the Day with Awareness Through Movement®
by Paulette Dolin 2019 FGNA Conference Committee, Presenter Ask anyone who has attended a Feldenkrais® conference: starting each day with an Awareness Through Movement lesson is a highlight of the week. Each morning of the conference, there are three lessons to choose from; truly something for everyone. These lessons are free and open to the public. When we improve our …
Learning to Minimize Chronic Pain
by James McAndrew, GCFP The mere thought of pain can fill us with dread. Actual pain can dominate every part of our lives and prevent us from getting adequate rest. So, if we’re unfortunate enough to suffer from acute or chronic pain, how do we get on with our active lives and find satisfaction? That was my challenge for four …
Flexion, Foundation, and Feet
This recorded Awareness Through Movement® lesson begins with a three-minute talk about what the Feldenkrais Method® is (and isn’t) and how with the Method, our movements are always in service of awareness–even when they resemble traditional exercise. Why build awareness? Because our awareness is what regulates how we behave. Try this lesson now. Nick Strauss-Klein (a 2006 New York FPTP graduate) is the Director of Twin Cities Feldenkrais® …
Becci Parsons Talks about Reclaiming Her Life from Neuropathy
Ira Feinstein: How did you become interested in exploring how the Feldenkrais Method® can help those living with neuropathy? Becci Parsons: I’m a Feldenkrais® practitioner living with neuropathy. Over the course of my active life, I’ve had a number of disc injuries. My original disc herniation was in 1992, a year after I became a Feldenkrais practitioner. I managed pretty well for a …
Concussion From Inside Out
by Julie Francis, GCFP It seems you can’t pick up a health-related magazine these days without someone talking about concussions. They’re everywhere – on the playing field, in nursing homes, at amusement parks. You might get the impression that every thing you do is putting your noggin at undo risk. That’s hardly the case as your brain has a very …
On Being Human
by Margot Schaal, GCFP Lately, I have taken to reading young adult novels while commuting– books about being human, and about be-coming. These books ask questions, as practitioners often do during a Feldenkrais® lesson. They speak to problems; some are proverbs, or humorous. They describe characters with myriad behaviors, many with complex personalities, neither entirely kind nor all cruel. How youth are …
Mindfulness in Movement: Move Yourself to Know Yourself
by Marsha Novak, GCFP The word “mindfulness” is everywhere these days and often associated with a sitting meditation practice. As we sit and follow our breath, we become more “mindful,” a term Jon Kabat-Zinn defines as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” Although sitting meditation is perhaps one of the well-known avenues …
