à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Writing
Feldenkrais and the Tyranny of “Touch Your Toes”
“…some have the knees straight as if it were a rule that you have to touch the floor having the knees straight.” – Moshe Feldenkrais, The Master Moves One afternoon in my Feldenkrais program, trainer Katrin Smithback invited us to take a break from a seated activity by having us stand. “Now,” she said, “touch your toes.” … Continue reading
Feld-Zen-Krais: Doing and Not Doing
“Do it, and don’t do it.” Feldenkrais Trainer Aliza Stewart repeated this phrase, mantra like, as she directed us in a movement last week. Presiding at the front of the room, she reminded me of my compassionate and patient Zen teacher but with a compelling Israeli accent, a regal bearing and stylish red sandals. Perhaps I needed to hear “Do it, … Continue reading
Flipping the Bird at Perfectionism
Sometimes a message only gets across when delivered at the right time. Last Tuesday was one of the more hectic days of my life. I had a red eye flight to catch that evening. Before then, I had to finish packing, clean my living space since I was moving out, drive straggling items to my storage … Continue reading
Four Questions, One Answer (more or less)
I nearly hopped off my lily pad when Brenda Knowles, creator of space2live, invited me to participate in a “blog hop writing tour”. Brenda writes with candor, a fierce vulnerability and a huge heart about introversion. When I read her posts, especially those focused on her experience of being an introvert in relationships, I often … Continue reading
Amtrak Case Study: How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything
A frequent business traveler on Amtrak’s Boston-New York route told me the following story. Early in the trip he’d go to the cafe car to buy a coffee, and the woman behind the counter asked if he had small bills. Since it was the beginning of the route, the train not yet full, he wondered … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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