As we send out the old year, and welcome in the new, I wanted to write a little about my work this past year. I feel fortunate to teach (and learn) from my students. I’ve met so many lovely people, and I enjoy what all of you bring.
As a Feldenkrais Method teacher, people come to me for various reasons. Here’s a few from the people I got to work with this year.
- To improve their posture, (with or without an instrument)
- Help with the way they move, with restrictions, or musculo-skeletal pain
- To improve the way they do something. Whether rollerblading, running, swimming, singing, or playing the oboe, violin, cello, flute. (To name a few of the requests from this year)
- To feel more at home in their body. Whether from accidents, strokes, vestibular problems, operations, trauma, post-cancer treatments.
- To feel better, more grounded.
- To reduce their anxiety.
- Helping adults and children move and sense themselves better.
- Workshops for Musicians, helping them play and perform in a more holistic way.
I love the mix. Yes, I do have a specialist interest in music, musicians and performing. I’ve spent most of my life being a performing musician.
But half of my clients aren’t musicians. They’re people who simply want to improve the quality of their life by moving and feeling better. Whether that’s at their desk, drawing board, getting up from the floor, or up a ladder.
Life Long Learning
I enjoy when people learn to learn. There’s a shift that happens when a client’s pain recedes, and they recognise what they can do to help themselves. Of their own agency in their lives. When they tell me you feel better at the end of a session, more positive than when they walked in. When they feel more of what’s possible, not only seeing limitations. Or report back that something got a little easier.
And of course, I’m constantly learning, improving. Deepening my understanding of how to communicate this art of learning. Of knowing when to stand back, or when to explain. It’s different for everyone. And it’s a different way of teaching, to teach as a facilitator of change, rather than a know-it-all expert (I find that role quite easy!)
Feldenkrais is about giving experiences of what can be possible, A new way of feeling, sensing or moving yourselves. In order to live more easily, more fully, follow your dreams. Whatever they are. In a lesson, whether 1-to1- or in a group, I aim to give you a new experience of yourself, one that’s a little different from your habitual you. So you can feel what’s possible, how you could do something more easily, or simply have fewer aches and pains.
Many people report back that they can turn more easily, feel more relaxed, calmer after lessons, and that’s part of it too. After all the human experience encompasses many things at the same time. Over time, I notice changes in posture, breathing, clarity in most of my clients,
I started writing a book last year, and one of my few resolutions is that I am aiming to finish it this year! If you’d like to be part of the process, and give me feedback as I go, please let me know, I’d be delighted for the support/company!