Much of our back pain and a great deal of hip, leg, knee or ankle/foot pain develops because we don't use/move the upper and lower parts of ourselves in a coordinated, connected, and organic way. This means your shoulders have forgotten that they are connected to your pelvis and legs, via your back! This can also account for misalignment that occurs down through the knees all the way to the feet. Of course knee pain can also be caused from misalignment of ankles, i.e., pronation or supination (rolling in or out; you can feel both or either, when you notice how the bones in your feet take the weight of gravity into the floor).
Class this week addresses this problem and will teach you to use your back to support movement through the hips, legs, knees, ankles and feet, AND to use your lower extremities to initiate, support and organize movement through your back, shoulders, spine and head. Learning to move like this is a basic principle of the Feldenkrais Method - distributing work (movement) throughout the skeleton, through the whole body. Initially this can only occur when you are paying attention to how you move, meaning paying attention to your existing movement habits and patterns. Then you will see where the disconnect actually lies, or rather, you will FEEL it.
Even if you've never been to a Feldenkrais class before, you can do yourself some good now by noticing how you move, what you feel, where your body parts are, as you go through your day. Try it and you'll begin to see changes that your body will instinctively make to organize your movement more intelligently. Our bodies are fabulous that way; once you understand how much difference using your attention makes on your movement and your brain, you'll begin to see the possibilities for real, lasting change in yourself.If you wish to attend a class, please contact me using the form on this webpage and I'll send you the class handout. I'll also be glad to answer any questions you may have about the Feldenkrais Method.
Feldenkrais classes can make a huge difference in your life when you are out of touch with your body, or if you have aches and pains, or want to restore vitality, creativity and effective movement again. It will improve your performance in nearly every activity you do. All you need to do is participate with commitment -- i.e., be interested in: developing attention and self-awareness of your brain and body; learning about yourself and your movement in a new way; and being prepared to feel better and more effective in your life again. Does this interest you?
