Today I went to a klezmer jam. A folk session of Jewish folk music. It’s by ear, so there’s no music. Which isn’t my usual way of doing things. But it had felt like a while since I’d enjoyed playing with others just for fun, so I put my violin on my back and pootled off. … More Strategies for Learning
This week I’m in Palermo, Sicily. I came to do part of my child development course. Whilst I was here wanted to see a little of the city. Yesterday we went to the Catacombs of the Capuchin Monks. In Sicily in the 18th-20th centuries mummification became a big thing. People mummified their family members after … More Ease with the Skeleton
This year I’m doing some additional training looking at the early years of child development. In order to inform my work with adults and children. It’s interesting how stages missed out in early childhood show up in our movement habits and even the way we look. One of my colleague’s children is at the moment … More Power of the Pelvis – Part 2
If you can’t feel where your hip joints are, you can’t organise them well. We need to be able to locate to control. It’s why body mapping is part of what we improve in every Feldenkrais lesson. What distinguishes Feldenkrais from other methods is the use of movement to help you sense yourself in movement. … More Finding the hip joints
This week is half term. I’m attending the International Feldenkrais Federation conference in Germany this week, as the UK representative. It’s a usually a really interesting conference, with representatives from all the countries who have official Feldenkrais Method Guilds. It’s an opportunity to share how different countries meet the same challenges and questions, as well … More Half Term – International Feldenkrais Federation Conference
Like many people, I was often told as a child that I was too emotional. Too volatile, my older brother used to say! But our emotions keep us alive and safe. Emotions move us towards action. Think about it. Anger and fear, in different ways push us towards action – running towards or away from … More A new year begins
Curiosity is innate Curiosity is something we’re born with. It’s one of the 7 emotional patterns we come wired with. It creates our desire to explore, know more, to understand the world around us. Curiosity pushes us to connect, find out more, or see what’s around the corner. It’s what propelled our ancestors to travel … More Curiosity and the Hands
Human’s opposable thumbs are thought to have developed c.2 million years ago during the Homo Habilis time of our evolution. They may have been used for food gathering, and most certainly contributed to the development and use of tools. Our Chimpanzee cousins have opposable toes as well as thumbs, which makes them much better at … More Musicians’ Fingers and Thumbs
You are your primary Instrument… Whether that’s a Strad or a factory violin is up to how you use what you have! All of our technique, whatever we play or sing, boils down on movement: we move ourselves to create music. The less effort and tension we use, the better, and more efficiently, we can bring across to … More Feldenkrais Method for Musicians – Why do it?
Your internal monologue is part of your interoception: the sensations, emotions, and sounds make up the internal processes of your mind&body. Many people have an internal monologue, but interestingly some don’t. Russell Hurlburt discovered that we have inner speech for an average of 20% of the time. For some that’s up to 75% of the … More What’s your self talk like?
the Feldenkrais Method with Emma Alter 