Workshops and Retreats: 2006-2007
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Monthly wrokshops at the Arlington Center
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"Ribs & Shoulders" at Emerson Hospital (November)
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Sounder Sleep™ Sominars with Michael Krugman (October & beyond)
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Summer Intensive at World Fellowship Center, Conway, NH.
Monthly workshops at the Arlington Center
Each of these workshops addresses a fundamental theme in movement. Though the descriptions might sometimes suggest that they address only one area of the body, like an exercise that strengthens a certain muscle group, the reality is that these are just the entry point we will be using that day to engage your whole self.
Each workshop stands on its own, but they also flow into each other. Put together they present an opportunity for profound change in the way you move and feel in your skin.
"Not only did I get feet, but my
jaw feels like a different jaw.... Now I don't have to
do everything with determination, and I can calk from
my whole body!"
-a student after the "Happy Feet" workshop in
March '06
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Click on the links below or scroll down for a description of each workshops
September 17: The Beginning of Action & Habit |
February 18: The Answer is Always the Pelvis |
October 22: What is Good Posture? |
March 18: The Self Image |
November 19: Living with Less Effort |
April (TBD): Power and Grace form the Core |
December 10: Less is More |
May (TBD): Spiral Power |
January 14-15: BREATH |
June (TBD): Walking |
All workshops are on Sunday morning, 10:30-1:00 at the Arlington Center
$28 each morning workshop, $95 for 2-day intensives
Pre-registration recommended (through the Arlington Center): 781-316-0282
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September 17, 2006
INITIATION: the beginning of action, of habit, and of change.
“I can’t help it, it’s a habit!” Well, what are habits and how do we change them? The way we carry out any action – from walking to breathing to the way we think – is determined by a learned pattern we call “habit.” The Feldenkrais Method works by breaking down these patterns and giving you an opportunity to learn a new way of doing things. In this workshop we will explore how our habitual patterns are present as soon as we decide to carry out an action, and we will learn how to attend to this moment of initiation in order to give ourselves more choices in the way we act.
October 22, 2006
WHAT IS GOOD POSTURE? A Feldenkrais approach
Many experts, from physical therapists and personal trainers to yoga or tai-chi teachers, claim to know how to achieve ‘good posture’ or ‘proper alignment.’ Though they might all be correct, it is interesting that they don't always agree. Furthermore, many of us experience what we think to be good posture as tiring and uncomfortable, or else frustratingly elusive. This workshop will look at the questions of posture and alignment from a Feldenkrais perspective—focusing on action rather than position, and on the process of discovery rather than the goal of proper alignment.
November 19, 2006
LIVING WITH LESS EFFORT: the Feldenkrais approach to challenge
We all know that we carry around unnecessary tension. It might be less apparent that we almost always approach a challenging task with more effort than necessary. Have you ever noticed that we often meet any challenge – including mental and emotional challenges – with holding our breath? In this workshop you will learn to let go of unnecessary tension, soften your breath, and then engage your muscles powerfully with less effort and without disturbing your breath.
Highly recommended for anyone with chronic tension syndromes such as RSI, TMJ, tension headaches, anxiety, insomnia, chronic fatigue or Fibromyalgia.
December 10, 2006
LESS IS MORE: The Feldenkrais approach to success
In today's world of "24/7" and "giving 200 percent" we need, more than ever, to learn Moshe Feldenkrais' lessons about the difference between trying our hardest and doing our best. In this workshop we will learn to engage with the pervasive habit of meeting challenge with effort. Through the process of Awareness Through Movement® you will discover both deep relaxation and the ability to meet difficulty with productive curiosity instead of counter-productive strain. Learn to stop trying and finally start doing!
Highly recommended for anyone struggling with anxiety, insomnia, chronic fatigue, RSI, workaholism, etc.
January 14-15
THE FULLNESS OF BREATH
Introduction: Sunday morning 10:30 - 1:00
Intensive workshop: MLK weekend, Sunday - Monday, 10:30 - 4:30
What is the best way to breathe? More in the belly, or more in the chest? Some techniques teach the expansion of the abdomen as you breathe in, others as you breathe out. Which is better? As with everything in the wonderful world of Feldenkrais, if the answer isn't "the pelvis", it must be "it depends on what you're doing."
In this workshop we will explore the options available to us, learn to breath more fully, and discover the effect of these changes on our posture, comfort and actions.
Sunday morning is a self-contained workshop introducing the possibilities; the full two days will provide a basis for profound change.
Why two full days?
If you've ever been to a Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® class, you've probably experienced the wonderful, at times profound, changes that can take place through this method in your body and your self. Now imagine what could happen over the course of two whole days, as you go deeper and deeper into your senses, and flesh out the map of your self-image. This weekend retreat is modeled on the process used in professional Feldenkrais Practitioner training. We will do at least three Awareness Through Movement lessons each day, allowing time for both rest and discussion between lessons to help you integrate what you have experienced.
February 18, 2007
THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS THE PELVIS: learning to use your center
We like to joke in the Feldenkrais community that there are no quizzes in our studies, because the answer is always 'the pelvis.' (Well, either that or 'it depends....'). In this workshop you will discover what we mean.
The Pelvis is the largest and heaviest bone in the body, it is centrally located, supports our most vulnerable organs and is traversed by our largest muscles; our nervous system identifies the pelvis as the center of our selves. Developing awareness of the pelvis leads to centered, graceful movement and is an essential element in the alleviation of any musculoskeletal discomfort.
As with so much Feldenkrais work, you are likely to find this centeredness extending beyond the quality of your movement to your mood and state of mind.
March 18, 2007
CONCRETE ABSTRACTION: the essential self-image
Moshe Feldenkrais once commented that one of his strengths was his ability, through his method, to make the abstract concrete and easy to learn. In this workshop we will explore our self image in a concrete way. You will see how changes in your sense of yourself as you exist in your body and as you move through space can lead to more pleasurable movement and an increased sense of presence and peace.
April 2007 — date TBD
POWER AND GRACE FROM THE CORE: mobilizing the trunk for healthy movement.
One of the principles of the Feldenkrais Method® (aside from the principle that there is no principle) is that optimal organization of movement involves even distribution of effort throughout the system. For this to happen, we want the larger muscles in the core of our body to take up more of the work of our larger movements, leaving the small muscles in our extremities free to carry out the refined subtlety of smaller movements. (For example: if the muscles in our arms are working to hold our arms up as well as moving our fingers as we type, those muscles will become chronically tight and tired. If, however, the work of holding the arms up originates in the torso, the muscles in the arm become free to do the smaller movements for which they are better suited.)
In this workshop we will focus on developing an awareness of the functioning of the pelvis, spine and shoulder-girdle in relation to the limbs, so that our movement can become more focused in the center.
May 2007 – date TBD
Spiral Power: the mechanical advantage
Long ago, humanity discovered the effectiveness of the inclined plane for making a difficult task easier. Some time after that, we developed the screw, which is essentially a spiraling inclined plane. As is so often the case, nature was there first—all around us and in our own bodies. Not a single bone in our body is straight; even those that seem straight (such as the bones of the arms and legs) are actually twisted in an elegant spiral (or, more accurately, a helix).
In this workshop you will learn to tap into the spiralic structure of your body, discovering how to rise effortlessly from the floor to standing, and to move in any direction with increased ease, power, and grace.
Note: This workshop is, in a way, just an introduction to my annual World Fellowship retreat in Conway, NH, where these themes will be developed more deeply and in a more leisurely manner!
June 2007 – date TBD
WALKING…
Upright, bipedal walking is a fundamentally human ability. Years of evolution have perfected in us a design capable of maintaining a dynamic upright posture capable of sustained and graceful locomotion. Yet many of us have forgotten how to stand with our heads high, our hips and shoulders free, and to stride with the grace and power that is our heritage. Because of its biologically fundamental nature, walking can also be a key to unlock scores of movement difficulties, from sore hips to stiff necks and shoulders to restricted breathing. Meet the summer with your head held high, and a spring in your step!
See the 2005-2006 Core Movements series, 2005-2006
Back by popular demand, this time at Emerson Hospital
Tuesday, November 21, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
UNCAGING THE RIBS / UNFREEZING THE SHOULDER
The term 'rib cage' can be very misleading. Though most of us hold this area of ourselves quite rigid, the ribs are, in fact, very flexible. Rigidity in the ribs can result not only in compromised breathing, but also in compromised posture, and inhibited neck and shoulder (and therefore arm and hand) function. Furthermore, the shape of our chest also expresses our emotional self image. Put all of these together and it is not surprising that change in the upper body can lead to profound change in the quality of our life.* Highly recommended for anyone with frozen shoulder, thoracic outlet syndrome, RSI or any back, neck, or arm pain.
* Get a better sense of the issues surrounding the ribs and shoulders in a recent SenseAbility newsletter from the Feldenkrais Guild! Click for Web-page or .pdf
Part of the Emerson Hospital Health & Wellness program
Classes and workshops to help you improve your wellbeing and lead a healthier life.
http://www.emersonhospital.org/community/health_wellness_classes/
To register, call 978-287-3777.
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