à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Feldenkrais
When the Swimmer is Ready, the Wetsuit Appears
As recently as this summer, I told my younger brother how I hated wearing a wetsuit. I hated getting into, and getting out of, a wetsuit. Getting into a wetsuit is like putting very thick, and extraordinarily expensive, panty hose on your entire body. You have to maneuver the fabric so there are no wrinkles or saggy bits … Continue reading
Off the Mat: A Feldenkrais Picnic
Perfection is, in itself, an idiotic way of living – Moshe Feldenkrais, Amherst 1980 On Saturday I packed a picnic lunch to take to the Hapgood Wright Town Forest near Walden Pond. My gluten-free goodies included a ripe avocado, a few small tomatoes, a chunk of goat milk cheddar cheese, a plastic container of leftover quinoa salad, an energy … Continue reading
Feldenkrais as Embodied Teshuvah
Like water, teshuvah is both destructive and creative. It dissolves the person you were but simultaneously provides the moisture you need to grow anew. It erodes the hard edges of your willfulness but also refreshens your spirit. – Dr. Louis E. Newman Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are. … Continue reading
Feldenkraising Walden Pond
Temporarily, I’m living within driving distance of Walden Pond (Concord, MA), one of my favorite spots anywhere. I began visiting there around 14 years ago when I lived in the Boston area. It’s the place I learned to relish swimming in open water, an activity that once filled me with immeasurable dread. Unlike other local swimming holes, Walden Pond is … Continue reading
Feldenkrais and Prufrock: On Reversing and Disturbing
“We do not say at the start what the final stage will be” – Moshe Feldenkrais “Do I dare disturb the universe? In a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.” – T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock An important component of the Feldenkrais Method and martial … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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