Adaptive Movement Program Gains National Attention
Littleton Courier, April 28, 2021, Angel Larcom
During the early days of the pandemic, The Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country shifted to online yoga and movement classes as a way to keep members engaged. One year later, the non-profit has been recognized as the first adaptive sports organization to incorporate Feldenkrais movement techniques into its programming.
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Adaptive Sports Partners To Be Featured In National Online Conference
Caledonian Record, May 3, 2021
Sunrise Ascent - Team Martin - Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country (Courtesy Photo)
A skills training program created by Adaptive Sports Partners of the North County (ASPNC) will be featured in a free, national online conference on movement and the Feldenkrais Method.
When the coronavirus shut down in-person programming last spring, ASPNC launched an online Awareness Through Movement® program for people with disabilities. “Hundreds of people tuned in to the ASPNC Facebook channel, prompting national syndication of the program by Move United, the national network of more than 180 local adaptive athlete member organizations,” said ASPNC program manager Jacki Katzman, a Bethlehem-based Awareness Through Movement teacher.
Katzman and ASPNC Program Manager Nate Hanson partnered to launch the program of free online classes for adaptive athletes. Together they have been invited to present their work at the international “Move Better, Feel Better Feldenkrais Awareness Summit,” a 10-day online conference scheduled May 1-10. Open to the public, it showcases the diverse applications of Awareness Through Movement. “Last year over 30,000 people attended,” Katzman noted.
Katzman’s and Hanson’s talk, “Awareness Through Movement: Adaptive Athlete Edition” is scheduled for May 7, and covers how to create an inclusive and fun program for athletes with disabilities to excel at sports. The talk will air all day Friday and Saturday.
“Awareness Through Movement is a body-based education form for anyone looking to improve how they move,” Katzman said. “It is particularly suited to the needs of people with a range of abilities. It answers the question of how to move more easily, more efficiently and with less pain.”
Katzman and Hanson also created a 20-page eBook, “Awareness Through Movement: Adaptive Athlete Edition, A Guide to Adaptive Athlete Excellence Through The Feldenkrais Method”. The guidebook is free to people who view the presentation.
ASPNC Awareness Through Movement online programming will continue into summer. Summer lessons will guide athletes and volunteers to excel at bocce, biking, climbing, disc golf, hiking, gardening, golf, general fitness and recovery from injury.
Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais combined his lifetime of research in physics, body mechanics, psychology, human development and Judo to create The Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education® and Awareness Through Movement lessons.
Unlike “exercise,” where repetitive movement adds to muscle memory and strength, this approach helps students discover new, and often more efficient ways to enjoy their sports. ATM invites each student to discover the best way to move as uniquely, efficiently and gracefully as possible. Lesson series often develop around a theme - opening the chest, grounding the feet, weight shift for skiing, shoulders for kayaking, focus and aim for golfing - through a progression of interrelated lessons that approach core movements from different orientations, points of focus, and practical, real-life situations.
Adaptive Athlete lessons are optimized for people who use wheel chairs, but can benefit people of all abilities.
Photo Credits: MoveUnited and Oregon Adaptive Sports