A common idea for us as musicians, organising different parts to move together. We’re excellent at dividing attention between our instruments, sound and musical colleagues. Yet we’re often less practised at applying that to ourselves. The Symphony of your Leg The complexity of the movements of the legs need all four areas to work together. … More Connecting the Dots
This week saw Moshe Feldenkrais’ birthday. He had an extraordinary life. He was born in Slavuta, Russia (now Ukraine) in 1904, and grew up in part of White Russia, now Belarus. At 14, after members of his family narrowly survived a Russian pogrom, they sent Feldenkrais alone to make his way to Israel, then under … More Happy Birthday Moshe!
So how supple are your ankles? Can you draw the alphabet with your feet? Try a few letters, use your big toe on the floor. How clear are they? When I was a child, I spent a lot of time in plaster casts post leg operations. One physio exercise I was often given was to … More Connecting the ankle
How often do you think about your toes? Are you someone who takes care of their feet, or are they too far away to think about? Feet are the some of the most underrated parts of our body. Your feet working well is crucial for our movement health. How movable your feet are affects whether you’ll … More How supple are your feet?
How good is your self image of your feet? How much of your feet can you feel? Close your eyes, choose a foot, and sense each toe in turn. What happens in the middle? You can probably easily feel your big toe, and the 2nd. Often then it gets a little hazy. Right?That 3rd toe doesn’t necessarily have … More Strong Legs
A system of Springs Your joints from the feet up work synergistically together, like a system of springs. They give you stability and mobility at the same time. Your legs play a central role in our mobility and freedom of movement. You only have to break or sprain an ankle to recognise that.Learning to move more efficiently … More How intelligent are your legs?
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
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
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
The end of the year is often a time to recalibrate, and make plans for the next. It can be useful to have some questions to focus thinking. I’ve put together a couple for you. What went well (2025) 1. Which moments of 2025 are you most proud of? 2. When things went better than … More Happy New Year
