à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Zen
Greatest Hits for Moshe Feldenkrais’ Birthday
Moshe Feldenkrais was born on May 6, 1904. To celebrate his extraordinary life, I’ve collected the “greatest hits” from the essays and articles I’ve written about him or the Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education. My selection criteria? A combination of personal fondness, the popularity of the piece, and the emphasis of the article. Dig in, … Continue reading
Want to #DeleteFacebook? The Feldenkrais Method Can Help
“Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.” – Susan Sontag The massive breach of Facebook data has prompted people to delete their accounts or consider it. For some, going cold turkey works. For others, a gradual approach to changing online habits might make more sense. My own relationship … Continue reading
How Many People, and Bulbs, Does It Take to Change a Light in Budapest?
Jet-lagged and dazed, I arrived to my Budapest rental on a rare sunny afternoon in early November. I’m revisiting a place I once called home and which evokes complicated emotions. On relatively short notice, I’d found a one-bedroom apartment through Homeaway.com. Paolo, the Italian property manager, greeted me when I stepped out of the taxi. I followed … Continue reading
Note to Self: Everyone is Always Learning
After a recent Aikido class I indulged my sushi addiction at a restaurant that offers 50% off on weekends. With a pencil, I marked a few boxes on the nigiri menu and handed it to the server, a young, cacao skinned woman who looked like she had stepped out of a fashion magazine. While confirming … Continue reading
Am I “Turning Japanese”?
A thought recently hit me over the head: many of the things I do, practice and love are Japanese. These include the Konmari method of decluttering with its emphasis on simplicity and joy, my practice of Zen meditation, my ongoing lust for sushi, my habit of drinking green tea and, most importantly, my recent foray into Aikido. The thought … Continue reading
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