Our past experience creates the thoughts that we have. It is hard to get rid of limitations of thinking and moving created by our experience. But, whilst our bodies and minds may have limitations, our imagination doesn’t. If we can create freer experiences in our imagination, we can create concrete experiences to follow. To the degree we … More Musicians and Imagination
This week is Mental Health Week, something important to me. As someone who has worked hard to become mentally healthy, and now teaches ways to be healthier to others, I wanted to write a little about anxiety. Last week, I played the violin for an event at my synagogue. Those of you who know me, … More Looking at Anxiety
Last week I was back at school teaching children the violin after the holidays. There’s such a range of personalities, and quirkiness in the children. Some who barely say anything, and those who love to talk. Some who complain, and those who say yes to most things I ask them for. And nearly all of … More Beginners’ mind.
Life is sometimes stressful. Nobody, no matter how successful, lives in a vacuum of pure happiness, where nothing bad happens. That idea just doesn’t exist in reality. It’s a myth, of happiness, that we should sail through life without downs as well as ups. … More The happiness myth
On Friday I had a shocking email. My Paypal account was being closed. No reason given. I couldn’t pay out, or receive income. And the sum of money that built up over the last few months had been frozen up for up to 180 days. Four whole months.The email came in the early evening, just … More Staying calm under pressure
Habits are created to automate our lives, to make it easier to do more. Whether that’s tying our shoelaces, or running up and down a scale. We need automation for when we need to play or move fast. Which in itself isn’t a problem. However, it becomes problematic when we create difficulties through layers of … More Learn or be instructed?
Over the last years, you’ve all heard about core stability. But what if for some of you, that’s an idea that creates problems, rather than solves them?The design of our muscles means they work in pairs: as one contracts, the other side of it lengthens. (Other than the round sphincter muscles, which work a different … More Core mobility
What do you write when as war has started in Europe, Putin’s tanks roll into a neighbouring democracy, and missiles rain down on civillians?My heart goes out to the Ukrainians, under attack from Russia, now for 10 days. It’s wrong. There are no winners in war. Just human and material cost. I can’t see how … More Self care in times of turmoil
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it” Rumi Valentine’s Day is a day where we traditionally think of romantic love. But I wanted to think about love from a Feldenkrais perspective. When I read this Rumi quote … More Habits of Love
Some excellent questions came up in one of my last classes, one of which hinged around fear: How do we work with or move past fear, when moving, if we’re concerned about restrictions of movement, or pain? To start with, I would ask where is the realm of comfort for you? Where you can move … More Working with, or moving past fear of pain
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