By Carol McAmis Photo by Simon Maennling on Unsplash How are human beings able to create different sounds so that no two singers or speakers sound alike? How do we learn to coordinate our ear, tongue, jaw, and expressions to accomplish this? Why is the relationship of the tongue, jaw and mouth so special and amazing for human communication? Moshe …
Meeting Emotions with Empathy
By Margaret Rinaldi Photo by June Wong on Unsplash Two weeks after my Feldenkrais® training ended in August 2001, I taught my first public class on 9/11/2001. I was in Boulder, Colorado, with twelve earnest, freaked out people on my converted living room floor. I’d called around to cancel the class but people wanted to be there. What I saw …
Anger, Aggression, Love and Learning
By Molly Tipping Photo by JR Korpa on Unsplash A number of years ago a client, Daniel, who I had been seeing for pain and anxiety following a car accident, asked me “What is the Feldenkrais® perspective on anger?” When we first spoke about anger, my response was general and not altogether different from what I might say on anxiety. ‘It is …
From Stress-Out to Restored! Somatic Support for Actors
by Laura Bond Photo by Nadim Merrikh on Unsplash The belief that “great actors need to struggle and suffer for their art” is perpetuated throughout training programs and within the profession. I knew this all too well as an actor in pursuit of an MFA degree in acting/directing in my mid-twenties. Having a personality determined to get the most benefit …
Life in Harmony
By Erin Finkelstein Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash Have you ever asked a friend or family member how they’re doing based upon something you observed in their facial expression? If we see a frown, a firmly set jaw, or something else in their body language, we can tell something emotional is going on in another person, sometimes before they …
Making the Impossible, Possible
Photo Credit: Emma Matthews Barbara Leverone In late February this year, I remember watching the disturbing images from Italy about this new and dangerous virus. I was teaching a Child’Space® training segment in Buenos Aires – should I finish the segment early and fly home? Were there going to be travel restrictions? Was it even safe to fly? I did …
Witnessing the Joy of Choice, Online!
An interview with Kathy James IT: Kathy, how did you shift your practice when in-person classes were no longer an option? Can you describe what that process was like for you? Before the pandemic I had never taught online. My only experience with Zoom was Feldenkrais® committee meetings, so I had already set up a Zoom account but hadn’t used …
How Do We Find Presence?
Photo by Mostafa-Meraji on Unsplash By Lindy Ost Standing shoulder to shoulder in a crowded restaurant for an hour waiting for an open table takes its toll. There were five of us celebrating Matt, my middle son’s 21st birthday. As our wait time progressed, so did our edginess. Yes, it was hot and crowded, but we wanted to stay. It …
One Pelvis, Two Legs: Finding the Power in the Pelvis
Photo by Dave Goudreau on Unsplash By: Karen Donelson DPT, GCFP The idea for the phrase, ”One pelvis, two legs” began as an off-handed comment. A quip. A cue for a client. As a practicing orthopedic physical therapist for the last 36 years, I typically see clients who have a split body image, a belief that there is a “good …
Why Grow Young with your Dog?
By Mary Debono Photo by Jay Wennington on Unsplash The white poodle didn’t seem to have much going for her. At 15 years of age, her vision and hearing were dim. This sweet dog, whose name was Buttons, also had extensive arthritis in her neck and back. But those limitations took a back seat to the most troubling concern. Ten …