The Feldenkrais Method® does so much more than simply help you move better. It also helps you learn better and deeper, shows you how to develop richer attending skills and improves your self-awareness.
Perfect Imperfection
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Seems there's already a theme running through my day today Reader. In fact, the theme was already emerging in the wee hours of the morning as I awoke and found myself ruminating on the nature of awareness. No doubt this emerged from reflections on my work with clients yesterday as well as my upcoming series' on transitions, and recalling Rumi's poem, Don't Go Back to Sleep. A little later... During a guided meditation, the few words spoken reminding that "trying", "leaning in", "seeking to improve our experience" all reveal that we are not aware. Reminded me of Feldenkrais saying that 'trying' and using 'willpower' to do something reveals that we don't believe we can do the thing we intend to do. Also, how he emphasizes how we need to be aware so that we can come to know what we are doing (not what we think we are doing or would like to believe we're doing). Then... I came across an exquisite poem by Izumi Shikibu, a 1000 CE by the Japanese poet called Permeability. And this in turn brought Leonard Cohen's lyrics to mind: There is a crack, a crack in everything That's how the light gets in Chasing improvement, change, betterment can cause us to 'fall back asleep' and live a shadow of what we could. Awareness is bright, alive and ever-present. We all live awake and aware...at times. At others, most of us live in the shadows of unconscious habit. Habits are not the problem. Habit's help us live life efficiently. It's the dream-like way in which live our habits that can cause us suffering (on whatever level). One place this shows up a lot for most of us is in those times we can call transitions. Transitioning from:
To be truly awake-- that is aware... in the transitions... ...is a rich and vibrant way to live. These times have provided me some of the richest learning in my life. Learnings about myself, in my work to better help my clients, in my relationships, in my hobbies... It's a source of infinite discovery. No need to change or improve anything. Ease expands all by itself. Perfection? No. When aware, it's no longer an idea I care about (which is great as it's just an idea). Besides, the cracks are where the light gets in! Life. Simply. Feels. Better. Nothing has taught me more about how to live aware than Feldenkrais®. Infinitely more to learn, sure! I'm still a pretty 'sleepy' person ;). But damn it feels good to have the resources to drop into awareness more and more readily throughout more and more of life, more and more seamlessly. And with that, I'm off to study another ATM™ lesson I'll be bringing your way in the upcoming series and challenge later in January. Cheers, Gisele P.S. A couple valuable new links for you:
P.P.S. Here's where you can read the poetry I've mentioned above
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Sunyata Movement Studio - Feldenkrais Method®
The Feldenkrais Method® does so much more than simply help you move better. It also helps you learn better and deeper, shows you how to develop richer attending skills and improves your self-awareness.
A wonderful gift of Awareness Through Movement® lessons is the development of self-trust. Through ATM™ lessons, we learn and discover not so much by instruction, but through sensation — your own personal sensations. I know, I know... You can't have anything other than "your own personal sensations". And still, Reader, what I see over and over again is the tendency for Feldnekrais® students from all walks of life to look for external validation and/or demonstrate a lack of trust in their own...
The central question of a person's growth in wisdom is not how we avoid pain, injury, failure, or struggle but how we relate to discomfort. What do you do, Reader, when you feel pain or experience difficulty? Rather than seeing pain or difficulties as problems, we can recognize them as beacons alerting us that something important is happening that is worthy of our attention. Ordinarily, our habits wash over us, and we don't interrupt our patterns even a tiny bit. If we pay attention to what...
We had an interesting discussion after class on Tuesday. In fact, the topic has come up big and bold a couple of times in the last couple of weeks The long and the short of it was that it seemed to be a surprise for some to hear that the Feldenkrais Method® can be helpful with our emotional wellbeing too. Paradox? Yes, the Feldenkrais Method is all about movement. No! The Feldenkrais Method is not just about movement! I can feel pretty comfortable making both these statements. It all depends...