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Spring and Summer workshops and classes

As we move reversibly in and out of Spring in Nova Scotia (that’s a lame Feldenkrais joke), here’s an update on what’s coming up in the near future at the Yoga Loft ), and what’s been posted online at kinesophics.ca recently.

Upcoming Themes of the Month at the Yoga Loft

Finding length – April 2010 theme

Effort shortens the body, restricts breathing, and creates wear and tear on joints. Efficient and accurate action feels effortless and creates length. In this month’s series of Feldenkrais lessons, you’ll find the ways to distribute work more evenly around your core, feel the support of your skeleton, and thereby let yourself lengthen rather than waste energy in tightening and shortening yourself when you act. Find the taller, lighter version of yourself that’s hidden underneath your habitual aches and pains.

Workshop: Breath, posture, and voice

Sunday, May 9, 2010, 1:30 – 3:30 pm

In this pair of Feldenkrais lessons, we will examine the subtle relationship of how we use the vocal tract and diaphragm, to find freedom and support through the neck, spine, and hips. In turn, finding the support of your skeleton—the essence of “good posture”—will transform your breathing and voice.

Smart feet—happy hips – June 2010 theme

Subtle differentiation of the toes and arches of the feet send new messages of freedom to the hips—and finer control of the hips and pelvis wake up the natural capacity of your feet to respond intelligently to the ground. Through this month’s series of Feldenkrais lessons addressing the hips and feet, you’ll find yourself feeling more grounded and supported by your legs—and your hips (and everything above) will thank you for it.

Workshop: Sitting cross-legged

Sunday, July 11, 2010, 1:30 – 3:30 pm

In this pair of Feldenkrais lessons, you will find some surprising connections through your spine and shoulders that enable your pelvis and legs to rest more comfortably in cross-legged sitting.

Vocal overtoning – August 2010 theme

Your voice — its strength and timbre — is acutely sensitive to your postural habits. This series of Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lessons explores how you resonate your whole self with your voice, and how you support the process with your breath. As you discover your own rich timbre and the internal shapes and spaces you can create, the experience may lead to unexpected results!

New recordings on kinesophics.ca

The Integrating Life and Action workshop (breathing and sphincter lessons) are online at http://kinesophics.ca/feldenkrais_halifax/integrating_life_and_action

December’s lessons (Distributing the work and finding your healthy spine) are online at
http://kinesophics.ca/feldenkrais_halifax/distributing_work_finding_your_healthy_spine_december_2009, along with some lesson commentaries.

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Finding length – April 2010

Effort shortens the body, restricts breathing, and creates wear and tear on joints. Efficient and accurate action feels effortless and creates length. In this month’s series of Feldenkrais lessons, you’ll find the ways to distribute work more evenly around your core, feel the support of your skeleton, and thereby let yourself lengthen rather than waste energy in tightening and shortening yourself when you act. Find the taller, lighter version of yourself that’s hidden underneath your habitual aches and pains.

  1. Lengthening Heels and Arms
  2. On the right side, head and knee under the frame of the left arm

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Sphincters

Beyond the breath, many processes of digestion and excretion take place constantly as we go about our lives. This lesson plays with the actions of the voluntary sphincter muscles–these curious muscles around the eyes, the mouth, in the pelvic floor that don’t open/close joints or pull on bones, but that open and close orifices. It’s not as weird as it sounds.

This is the second lesson of a two-lesson workshop. The first is Integrating breathing and action.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Integrating Breathing and Action

This is the first of two lessons in the Integrating Life and Action workshop, March 2010. I keep talking in this lesson about how your breath “accommodates itself” to your actions and positions in the world. This strikes me as a little strange as I listen to it and do the lesson. Part of every moment of life is breathing and acting together–and you breathe differently at every moment, depending on your action and position. All that language that “your breathing” does something while “you act” reflects our sense that the latter is something we do while the former takes care of itself. But it’s all stuff we do, all together.

This is the first of a two-lesson workshop. The second lesson is Sphincters.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Feldenkrais Workshop this weekend!

A Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement workshop, Sunday March 7 2010, 1 – 3 pm.

At any moment, we act intentionally, and at the same time are supported by the “vegetative” processes, such as breathing, digesting, circulating blood. The autonomic and the intentional are integrated in action—the more sensitively these processes co-exist and support one another, the more vital, calm, and energetic we can be. In this pair of Feldenkrais lessons, we’ll explore the integration of breath and action, and the integration of rhythmic action of the sphincter muscles with intentional movement of the whole body.

At the Yoga Loft, Suite 301, 5663 Cornwallis St. (off the Commons–see Google maps). Advance registration required. Call 429-3330 for more information about costs and to register.