FEAST FOR THE SENSES: The 2009 Feldenkrais® Conference

Boarding my plane to return home from the National Feldenkrais Conference in Forest Grove Oregon, I caught a title from the airline magazine that captured my experience for the week: A Feast for the Senses. The conference was spectacular. The event followed their mission, Learning to Learn. You could not have been more clear how defining this is of the Feldenkrais Method.

The workshops were well laid out with very dynamic and organized speakers. One of the surprises I experienced was when I attended the “Tipping Point” workshop. We were guided through an activity of gathering information from each other through an interview process. We were then led to collect the information through a dynamic systems approach to incorporate all of our view points on what we felt defined the Feldenkrais Method and where would we like to see this method in the future. These ideas were than developed into headlines to move closer to Moshe Feldenkrais’s dream to return each individual to their true humanity. Our sign in the photo above reads: OBAMA ENDORSES THE FELDENKRAIS METHOD STATING YES YOU CAN!

We had the opportunity to hear from some of the greatest master teachers of the Feldenkrais Method: Russell Dellman~creator of the Embodied Life: http://www.russelldelman.com; Mia Segal and Leora Gastor:~(http://www.mbsacademy.org/) and Linda Tellington-Jones~creator of TTOUCH®: (http://ttouch.com/). The truly extraordinary part to this was when we watched these progressive thinkers talk about how they have followed their true passion and credit the ability to do this from their mentor, Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais. Russell summarized it nicely when he stated that we owe it to those we work with to help "them stand on their own feet and love themselves".

Through these inspiring teachers who have created their own individual hand writings as well as Michael Krugman’s inspiration(http://www.soundersleep.com/start.php), I found more enthusiasm to introduce the Smartroller™. I intend to use this dynamic tool to assist others to connect to their own inner wisdom by way of learning more about the Feldenkrais Method. Feldenkrais was the first to use the original foam roller.

On the last day, I decided to go for a run and as I noticed my run, I recalled Mia’s look for what you are not including, Russell’s sense of space and how we move in and around it, Judy’s use of the resonance of sound to heighten our sensory perception, and Linda’s ideas of creating a way to access our learning. I found that I became more whole with my run. Through this feast for my senses I felt I made the easy elegant. Thank you Feldenkrais Guild.

"The Feldenkrais Method is an educational system centered on movement, aiming to expand and refine the use of the self through awareness. It is intended for those who wish to improve their movement repertoire (dancers, musicians, artists), as well as those wishing to reduce pain or limitations in movement, and many who want to improve their general well-being and personal development." Wikipedia