You may know that I was a Feldenkrais practitioner years ago and I credit that with my good movement practices throughout my life. I haven’t done any real exercise since I gave up dance 3 years ago but my daily walks with the dog and deep breathing keep me fit.
Now I came across Ruthy Alon’s work with Feldenkrais again. She was one of Moshe Feldenkrais’ earliest students and now is close to 90. She has a program called Bones for Life that is on dvds that you can download. I love Ruthy so I signed up right away.
I downloaded 24 90 minute segments and I am doing half a segment every day if possible. It has totally revived my movement! I straightened up more and I walk better already. I realized I had been giving into the aging BS message from the culture and I’ve kicked that to the curb again 😉
She has a long cloth wrap that you can use to do a lot of the movements and eventually I will be putting it on my head like a crown so I can emulate the wonderful women in Africa carrying big loads and having strong, flexible bones all their lives. You can make your own out of 7 yds of 36 inch wide non-stretch cotton.
So here are some sample videos that you can watch to see if you would be interested http://www.movementintelligence.org/video.html and here
And here is where you can read more about it and order the program. She has other programs as well that I will get when I have finished this one. There is also a short version with 6 lessons http://bonesforlife.com/
There are also video clips made by various practitioners on youtube.
Here is my honest assessment after looking at the program with new eyes 😉 It’s been 30 years since I was a practitioner!
Ruthy’s Feldenkrais teaches how to be present in your body, how to move in small increments and short lessons that add up over a six day workshop to real change.
It feels strange at first. We are not accustomed to paying attention to small movements of the body. I am so grateful they put it on video because it is too much to learn all at once IMHO.
But, walking around after each segment, you get to feel the difference in your body; your breathing becomes more open, your stiffness melts away, your restrictions in movement from old injuries are gently released. I know that from watching the people in the videos. They are totally different at the end of the 6 days.
It’s not for people who go to the gym and work their muscles out hard enough to create endorphins. It’s about learning more about this beautiful body we live in and how it was supposed to move. A push on the foot is supposed to go up through your entire body and raise the head; not get trapped and diverted by a twerky shoulder or a crooked neck.
I am so grateful to have found this work again and to have the time and space to do it daily.
You can also find teachers who have been through this program and who teach it in segments. Most cities have Feldenkrais practitioners now.
This program beats any ‘exercise’ based program for bones out there. It teaches your brain the better ways to move your body and your brain never forgets completely. With it you can recover slowly and carefully from injury. It requires patience, persistence and a willingness to follow instructions even when your mind doesn’t get it 😉 Remember, the mind is the last to KNOW anything 😉 Knowing is a brain, heart and gut combo.
So, I don’t get any commission from this. I just want all of you wonderful, intelligent women who I talk to about my vest to have a new tool.
Blessings,
Pam