à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Sensitivity
When Even Good Habits Allow Us to Hide from Ourselves
“When you know what you are doing you can do what you want” – Moshe Feldenkrais Ideally, we form conscious habits and become aware of our behavior (“know what you are doing”) to help us thrive (“do what you want”). If our habits are no longer serving us, we can cultivate different ones. That is … Continue reading
Embracing Impermanence in Marrakech
Just over a week ago, I stepped off an airport shuttle into the thrum of the Medina, the old city within Marrakech, to join an Unsettled retreat. This company orchestrates programs that mix structure with freedom, connection with independence, and work with exploration for people who wish to adventure in community. One of my local hosts took … Continue reading
Feldenkrais Lessons in Reversibility and Lightness with Csilla Perényi
Before returning to Budapest for the first time in 22 years, I knew I wanted to attend an Awareness Through Movement lesson taught by Csilla Perényi, one of three Feldenkrais practitioners in Hungary. I’d “met” her through Facebook where she transmitted an infectious enthusiasm. I arrived on a Tuesday, the day she teaches group classes, but … Continue reading
Of Chanukah and Darkness within the Light
During the holidays, Budapest is aglow with dazzling lights. The glittering silhouettes of bridges, illuminated landmarks and twinkling decorations on streets and buildings create a magical if not mesmerizing cityscape. Despite the high wattage public splendor, dead bulbs seem to be haunting me like Scrooge’s ghosts. Earlier I described the rather laborious attempt of a … Continue reading
It’s Possible to Drown Out Marching Nazis. What About the Ones in Our Heads?
That 40,000 people marched peacefully in Boston on Saturday against hate groups, including Nazis, gave me hope that civilization would survive, at least for the weekend. While it’s important to starkly delineate what is, and what is not, acceptable in a modern democratic nation, it would be a foolish mistake to believe that everyone on … Continue reading
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