"Move Better, Feel Better" Summit: From Play to Deep Science
Over 900 viewers for "Awareness Through Movement®: Adapative Athlete Edition" at the Move Better, Feel Better Feldenkrais Awareness Summit.
We shouldn’t have been surprised by the enthusiastic reception we received for “Awareness Through Movement®: Adaptive Athlete Edition.” Really, athletes with disabilities are ideal students or, put another way, athletes with constraints. And Feldenkrais lessons are all about working with constraints. And athletes are all about improvement. Or as Mia Segal says: Improve on the improvement.
I heard from a Nordic ski instructor in the Alps who had thought of working with skier who use wheelchairs, but was shy. She reports that our presentation has boosted her confidence to try teaching adaptive classes.
In all, over 250 people asked for more information.
Expanding the reach of the Feldenkrais community to new audiences of people is part of the Summit mission. We are grateful to Lavinia and Cynthia for the vision of adding this track to the program, and bringing attention to our work.
Still, we are giggling with delight at the fantastic reception. Big up to the ASPNC social media crew! Thanks to their amazing efforts, the Adaptive Athlete team were acknowledged for introducing the Summit to a wider audience.
Deepest gratitude to Lavinia Plonka and Cynthia Allen, Arlene Klein and a host of others for an informative, fun, and smoothly run Summit.
While the presentations are no longer available, you can still purchase the Upgrade and dive deep into these offerings:
Day 1: Olena is the teacher’s teacher. She knows her anatomy, thinks like a dancer, and can describe it all with perfect clarity.
Day 2: Breathe through your nose. That’s the theme of the day. I was intrigued by dentist William Hang, who helped people eliminate pain by undoing the damage of braces.
Day 3: Alan Questel is all about liking yourself better, and humor is part of his thing. He and Lavinia have a blast during the panel discussion.
Day 4: the anatomy/science nerd stuff with a graduate level anatomy lesson with John Sharkey on fascinating fascia. Roger Russel, one of the original students, deep dive into timing of muscular activation in his talk on the Weber-Fechner-Hanneman. Carol Montgomery’s discussion of foot health was really a lesson in full body connection.
Day 5: I was so caught up with the science, I missed this day. I intend to catch up when the recording package is available.
Day 6: (THE) Natalie Goldberg on Feldenkrais and Haiku. There’s a haiku board where you can drop your submission. My submission:
Natalie Goldberg on
Prisca’s table
An exchange of deep knowing
I didn’t win the competition, but I like it.
Also, my classmate Daniel Banks demonstrates inclusive, supportive language. Bernadette Pleasant defines juicy; more than that she brings the body into the discussion of facing racism.Day 7: All the talks, including ours, were terrific. Paul Linden demonstrates how lifelong learning can ‘neutralize’ Parkinson’s. Anne Elizabeth Straub is alive!
Day 8: Dr. Albert Wong on the physiological foundations of experiencing and relieving trauma. Therapy professionals will get more out of these presentations than I did.
Day 9: Linda Flanders on running a political campaign using Feldenkrais principles. Extraordinary.
Day 10: The research papers are intensely science nerdish. Any and all will be of interest to people comparing ATM to PT in reducing pain and regaining function.
BONUS: Three delightful interviews with Mia Segal, Moshe’s first formal student. She shares anecdotes of Moshe’s antics, chain smoking, visit to Japan, and how he grabbed constant teaching moments out of the air. She advocated for fewer lessons with deeper questions.
Remember: You can still buy Summit merchandise and benefit ASPNC.
