à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Spiritual Practice
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
Online Shopping: A First World Zen Parable
One version of a famous Zen tale goes like this: An old farmer had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically. “Maybe,” the farmer replied. The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild … Continue reading
When a Bargain Comes at a Price
“Your clothes should be as important as your skin.” ― Amit Kalantri A day before my Feldenkrais training resumed in Santa Fe, I drove to a shopping center to buy a notebook and get my hair trimmed. On the way out, I passed a Ross (Dress for Less) Store. It’s not a place I usually visit, but since … Continue reading
Feldenkrais and At-One-Ment
Health is the ability to realize our avowed and unavowed dreams. – Moshe Feldenkrais. In the Jewish calendar, we’re in the midst of the Days of Awe, a period of introspection that began with Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, and culminates with Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, also known as the Day … Continue reading
Feldenkrais: Learning as Prayer
Learning is turning darkness, which is the absence of light, into light. – Moshe Feldenkrais While decluttering last spring, more painstakingly and ruthlessly than ever before, I found handouts from a class on prayer, circa 2008. I had enrolled in the class at Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, MA, to see if I could I transform my relationship … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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