The legs play a central role in our mobility and freedom of movement. We only have to break or sprain an ankle to recognise the truth in that. Your joints from the feet up to the spine work synergistically together, like a system of springs. They give you groundedness, stability and mobility at the same … More Intelligent Legs
Standing on our own two feet is something more than just physical. It’s our first major step towards maturity, and independence. Revisiting this movement can help you reset your spinal alignment, your grounding and connection with the floor. Being able to work out the jigsaw pieces of the movement-puzzle is important in our spacial awareness, orientation and … More Coming up to stand on your own two feet
This week I had my performing hat on, playing some wonderful Baroque concerti in Devon. We played in the Great Hall in Dartington, a medieval hall I first played in whilst still in Youth Orchestra. It was great to be back, and I got talking about Feldenkrais with one of my colleagues, who was asking about … More Feldenkrais Concepts: Isolation and Integration
Coming from sitting into all fours is an important mini-milestone (mini-stone) in the development of walking of a human. When we start to walk correlates with brain size or mass. The results of recent studies suggest that “the neuronal mechanisms that underlie the onset of walking are very similar in different mammals, and that they are activated at … More Developmental Milestones
This week marks the end of the practical part and extra time for my research study: Feldenkrais in Practice. 188 people filled in the first questionnaire, and I’m just waiting on the last few to fill in the final questionnaire, to analyse the results. Meeting you where you are In Feldenkrais we try to meet people where … More Coming up to stand
Developmental movements are holistic. From rolling, to creeping to crawling, with transitions into different positions too, they all use all of you. And once we get up on our feet, and start focussing in on hands and tasks, that holistic nature of ourselves gets forgotten about. But it’s one of our greatest resources. It’s not … More Developmental Movements
How do you unpick your habits? You have to feel them, become aware of them, and then you can do something about those that no longer serve you. Just as we change out clothes when they don’t fit, or they’re unreparable. Try it yourself. Make a thumbs up. Line up one side of the thumb with … More Coming up to Stand
Yesterday I was invited to offer my first Mums and Baby group session, helping Mums with Tummy time. And I got to see many of the movements I’ve been talking about in action! It was so much fun! Babies rolling from their backs to the belly and returning, Babies who liked to roll to one … More Back to Basics
Babies usually learn to walk around 12 months. Some earlier, and some later of course, there’s a variation in what we find easy as babies as much as later on. Walking isn’t something that has to be taught: we have an instinct towards it. But we do have to have the right ingredients in place … More Coming up to stand
When we first learn to come up to sit as babies, there’s an enormous amount of calibration that goes on. We don’t think about it once we’ve been upright for a while. Each developmental stage is fascinating in the way it prepares the way for the next. The very first movements of pressing and pushing … More Developmental Movements – part 2
Transform how you move, feel and live 