à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Slowing Down
Feldenkrais Off the Mat: Even Distribution
When I practiced yoga, my teachers emphasized that if our lives weren’t changing off the mat, then we were just exercising, not doing yoga at all. It didn’t matter if we could get into complicated poses if we still cursed in traffic, blamed others, were highly reactive or otherwise kept repeating unproductive habits. Ideally, the calm, peace and connectedness … Continue reading
Common Denominator: Moshe Feldenkrais and Gertrude Stein
“Let me listen to me and not to them” – Gertrude Stein “The object of this learning is to remove outside authority from your inner life” – Moshe Feldenkrais Friends invited me to a “Night of Gertrude Stein” at a bookstore the other evening. I knew little about her poetry, save for the oft-quoted … Continue reading
Alas, the Humerus is not the Funny Bone. Tales from Learning Anatomy.
So far in life, I have learned Hungarian, Spanish, a bit of French and, as a child, Hebrew. I have also picked up a bit of “Swimese” while participating in a Master’s swim program. For some reason my facility with other tongues is not translating easily into learning anatomy, which feels like a truly foreign language. At the outset of my Feldenkrais training … Continue reading
Feldenkrais: Detangler of the Spirit
Some people have epiphanies in the shower. The other day, I had one afterwards. I wanted to comb my hair, but since my comb was in another room, I reached for my hairbrush. As I raised my arm to use it, I noticed I was holding my breath. Before beginning my Feldenkrais training, I wouldn’t have sensed … Continue reading
Feldenkrais: The Wine Tasting of Movement
Imagine attending a wine tasting where the pourer fills a large goblet and, instead of handing it you, splashes the contents in your face. Some of the liquid might reach your lips and tongue, but likely you are so shocked by the dousing that you’re gasping for breath rather than inhaling the bouquet. In lieu of finding the precise phrase to describe the wine’s complex notes, you let fly a few … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
Recent comments