If you’re not familiar with Feldenkrais, the following free offering from David Zemach-Bersin could be a good way to experience it in the comfort of your own home. It’s a great adjunct to massage!
From the Feldenkrais Method website:
“The Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education uses gentle movement and directed attention to help people learn new and more effective ways of living the life they want. You can increase your ease and range of motion, improve your flexibility and coordination, and rediscover your innate capacity for graceful, efficient movement..”
You can listen to and follow along with these lessons on Dec 16th at your listed time zone on youtube.
This Sunday, April 3rd, is the last in our mini-retreat series. It’s been a sweet 6 sessions, and I’m looking forward to this session, exploring ways to be in our bodies, and lives, with clarity. Special guest Trevor Jewett will lead us in drumming, and we invite everyone to Worthy Burger for a social meal afterwards. Register for your spot here: https://checkout.square.site/buy/HWLCQD3DQPHH76ZT273YYR2F
Compassion is the focus of this month’s In Touch mini-retreat from 12-3pm at Mountain Rose in Waitsfield, VT. Using time-tested tools and techniques to release tension and raise awareness of our inner purpose, we will support each other in our journey during this time.
You are welcome to come to this one Sunday or all 6 remaining. We are working in this series with the concept of Sankalpa, which is a short phrase or sentence to bring about a positive change in one’s life. Your sankalpa is personal to you and doesn’t need to be shared.
This week I had the chance to witness the angst, irritation and frustration we can feel when we don’t know our sankalpa. My 12 year old was out of sorts one day and finally blurted out, “Why am I here? What’s my purpose? Why are any of us here?!” I saw the parallel between his snippiness in not knowing and my unsettledness in days when I have disconnected from my purpose. I deeply appreciated his ability to voice his deepest struggle and have deep compassion for all of us as we work to know and live out our why.
Please bring your own mat and water bottle if that feels comfortable. There will also be mats in the studio if you don’t have one. We will have dedicated journals for you.
I hope you will join us if you are moved to do so.
Click “In Touch- A Half Day Retreat Series” in the box above to get full details on this retreat for getting In Touch with our bodies and inner purpose.
As I reflect on the year, on this longest night of the year, I am feeling very grateful for each of you- all uniquely beautiful as snowflakes. Thank you to everyone who has taken precautions against covid in their lives, and had faith in the precautions I have taken as well. Thank you to those who’ve not come in due to extenuating health concerns. I know these can be tough calls. I miss you but understand and support you completely. This longest year of our collective lifetime is passing. I look forward to seeing your sunny face in due time. Til then!
Photo credit to Jill Wellington via Pixabay- isn’t it nice? It reminds me of the pictures taken by Vermont’s own Snowflake Bentley.
Join Mary Hill, artist and community advocate, and I in leading you and your partner through a fun and lighthearted “date night”. (For those of you who haven’t had the delight of knowing Mary and her art yet, Mary works in a variety of mediums including sculpture and fabric design in Underhill, Vermont. Check out her fantastic website at maryhill.studio)
Mary & I both believe strongly that art and massage can strengthen and brighten a marriage! During a sparkly spring chat in my driveway we came up with the idea of collaborating and want to share our offering with YOU.
The class is designed for partner massage, so bring your spouse or best friend to the class. I will begin with a demonstration of neck and head massage done in a chair followed by shoulders, arms and hands. Follow along, practicing on your partner, asking questions as they arise.
After 45 minutes of massage, Mary will lead you through your partner painting.
A banner “kit” will be sent to you before the class so you can sketch out a design prior to actual class time. The “kit” includes a design sheet of ideas which you can follow or not. Painting the banner together can worki in a variety of ways. Each of you suggests a color., or, one of you can paint. However you’d like to play. No pressure! This will be a little visual reminder to each other to display in your bedroom, or kitchen. Creating a memory, a reminder of your massage time together nurturing each other and your relationship.
I deeply appreciate your continued regard for massage and trust in my practice. As with the transmission of any communicable disease, you may be exposed to COVID-19, also known as “Coronavirus,” at any time or in any place. In response to this novel virus, there are a few, not insignificant, changes I will be making to my massage practice. I know there is a wide range of thought in our society regarding how we should handle our present situation, so please reach out with questions. I appreciate hearing your thoughts and perspectives. Given what we know right now about this coronavirus, these are the protocols I will be adopting when I re-open:
What’s new:
In order for the office space to be as virus-free as possible, I will be disinfecting surfaces and running a HEPA-13 air filtering system between sessions. (HEPA-13 filters are designed to remove viruses, not just dust, pollen etc. Read from MIT News aboutHow to Stop the Flu for more information). The air filtering system will also be running during your session.
Per VT Dept of Health, if you have symptoms of respiratory illness, I cannot serve you.
The following form will be part of our intake process, to confirm you are feeling well and understand the risks in this COVID-19 time:
During the session, we will be wearing face masks and only talking to check in regarding your experience of the bodywork. I look forward to chatting and catching up with you outside if you have time before or after your session.
What’s not new:
If you are sick, massage is not in anyone’s best interest. There is never a cancellation fee for having to cancel because you are sick.
My intention is still to give you the best bodywork I can, to help you tune into your body so it can make changes so you can feel more at ease in it.
Some things may feel weird at first in this new era. Thank you in advance for your adaptability. I look forward to continuing our journey together. A votre sante!
While close contact businesses are still closed and I can’t give you a massage right now, I hope you have space and support to explore whatever you fancy today.
Given that so many of us put our own physical issues last in a long list of things to do, perhaps you’ll take time for yourself. If you’ve had a nagging issue that you’ve put off dealing with for whatever reason, check out this doctor’s youtube channel, presenting a multitude of therapeutic movements you can do to address a variety of painful issues.
I hope that whatever you do today brings you joy. May you feel the love that you give out into the world coming full circle back to you. Here’s a huge hug across the ether!
Thanks to FuuJ for sharing this photo on Unsplash! Isn’t it marvelous?!
First, thank you for the encouragement I have received from so many of you signing up to receive these posts. May they help you stay healthy, grounded and resilient! Feel free to email me with any questions, musings, feedback, experiences. Even from a physical distance, we can be there for each other. Cords of love traverse all distance.
This next video shows variations on the restorative pose shown in the last video. Deep breathing calms my mind. Sometimes I feel calm enough to listen to something I’ve been meaning to get to but just haven’t found time for. This episode of But Why?is a kid-friendly, thus non-alarmist look at the coronavirus and why soap is so effective in getting rid of it.
If you’d rather listen to something non-cerebral, you could try a session of biofield tuning while you are in a restorative pose. VT’s own Eileen McKusick, a leader in the field of sound therapy, is offering a 3 part session free here.
(If you are so moved and have the ability to contribute to Eileen’s research applying the scientific method to questions concerning the human biofield, there is an option to donate in the link above).
Listening to these recordings could help you focus on and guide your energy in a positive way.
If you’re like me, you’ve had a time where you feel the weight, the confusion, and the unknown of the moment starting to overcome your ability to deal with it. The tunnel vision of stress can limit my ability to even think. Remembering to breathe returns me to the moment with expanded awareness. This stretch helps me do that.
Coming back into your body is a great way to destress after dealing with the outer world all day. It’s also a great way to start your day- from an internal awareness of your body and the joy of being you.
Do let me know if you have trouble understanding the video and I will articulate more clearly. I’m open to any feedback that would help these videos be more helpful to you.
Before you start, take into account your particular situation. If you have a health condition that would be worsened by this stretch, don’t do it. (For example, if you’ve recently torn your sartorius- best wishes for speedy healing, C!- simply take some deep breaths in whatever position you find yourself now).
