à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Zen
Cleaning a Pond, or Maybe It Cleaned Me. A Feld-Zen-Krais Tale.
“We are still alive,” intoned one of the priests at Two Streams Zen, a tiny farm tucked into the woods in Westhampton, MA, where I attended a half-day retreat that included sitting, walking and working meditation. Her stark words landed smack between my eyes. They were a reminder, at the beginning of the work period, … Continue reading
Musings on My Zen Haircut
I am sporting a lousy haircut. The roots of this sad salon saga begin at a swimming pool, or perhaps in a previous life. Who knows? In late August my local YMCA closed its pool for major repairs for three weeks. Because I swim almost daily to continue to thaw my frozen shoulder, I couldn’t … Continue reading
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
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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