à la carte spirit by ilona fried
ilona fried
An Impromptu Feldenkrais Guide for the Holidays
The holidays can be complicated. Perhaps there is too much to do, purchase, cook, bake, eat, drink, decorate, wrap or prepare. Perhaps you’d rather do very few or even none of those things, yet opting out of the cultural whirl feels awkward and isolating when there are no satisfying substitutes. Perhaps you would like to … Continue reading
On the Transformative Power of Blue Boots
Almost a year ago, an image of sleek, cobalt blue leather boots gleamed like a jewel at the top of my Facebook feed. The bright, monochrome booties, made by the Spanish company Camper, cheered me instantly, no small feat considering I had been experiencing throbbing shoulder pain and mounting despair for the preceding two months. … Continue reading
Why We Need True Diplomacy, and Feldenkrais, More than Ever
When I learned that George Kent, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, would be testifying in front of Congress as part of the impeachment inquiry, I thought: Thank God. I met him during the 1991-1992 academic year when were both students at The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in … Continue reading
When Ladybugs Bring Luck. And Death.
Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. – Mary Oliver As I stood at the kitchen sink on a sunny Sunday afternoon in mid-October, a ladybug* crawling along a window screen punctured my reverie. I went outside to take a closer look. Ladybugs are considered messengers of good luck, and I … Continue reading
Cleaning a Pond, or Maybe It Cleaned Me. A Feld-Zen-Krais Tale.
“We are still alive,” intoned one of the priests at Two Streams Zen, a tiny farm tucked into the woods in Westhampton, MA, where I attended a half-day retreat that included sitting, walking and working meditation. Her stark words landed smack between my eyes. They were a reminder, at the beginning of the work period, … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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