Feldenkrais Your Pilates

 
  I just completed teaching a three week series applying the principles of  Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement(R) lessons to Pilates. I began each class with two or three classic Pilates mat exercises, followed by a Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lesson (ATM). After the lesson, we repeated the Pilates mat exercises to notice any changes that may have taken place in the student's experience of the exercises.


    The first workshop began with the Pilates mat exercises The Hundred and Leg Circles. I taught my favorite  ATM "Movements in Opposition." The basic principle of this lesson is, quite simply, when something goes forward, something goes back. After the lesson, we repeated The Hundred and Leg Circles.


    The second week we began with The Hundred, The Swan, and The Single Leg Kick, followed by the ATM "The Spinal Chain."  The basic principle of this ATM is how to access individual segments of your spine through spinal flexion. It explores flexion from the bottom of the spinal chain verses the top of the spinal chain. After the lesson, we once again did The Hundred, The Swan, and The Single Leg Kick.


    The third week we began with Pilates mat exercises The Hundred, The Saw, and The Spine Twist, foolowed by the ATM "The Five Lines." This lesson facilitates the concept of sensing the length of your spine, arms and legs.  Once again, after completing the lesson, we repeated the Pilates mat exercises.


    None of the workshop participants had previous experience with the Feldenkrais Method. However, all of them had experience with Pilates, both with reformer work as well as mat classes. While the focus of Pilates is on stretching and strengthening your muscles, Feldenkrais focuses on moving from your skeleton and accessing your nervous system in a gentle but powerful way to allow for new movement patterns to develop.


    During our discussions at the end of each class, all of the participants stated that the Pilates exercises were easier, lighter, and more fluid. They reported less neck strain when doing The Hundred and a stronger, deeper contraction of their abdominal muscles. Interesting, isn't it? Especially since Feldenkrais focuses more on moving from our skeleton rather than moving from our muscles. Many of them were surprised to find less shoulder strain and improved range of motion when repeating The Swan and The Single Leg Kick. Especially since "The Spinal Chain" is a lesson in spine flexion, and The Swan and Single Leg Kick are exercises in spine extension. It was a beautiful example of how movements in flexion facilitate extension. I love this stuff!


    One of the ladies exclaimed "It's like magic!" It's not magic, it's really quite simple. It is the intelligence of our own nervous system that finds more efficient ways of moving when we create the environment for it to happen. We can then move through our Pilates exercises effortlessly and elegantly, while working smarter, not harder.
      

"Feldenkrais....making the impossible possible....the possible easy....and the easy elegant!"



Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement(R) in the Rocky Mountains

                                     I was honored to teach a workshop for the Gestalt Equine Institute of the Rockies during their recent intensive training segment. To teach Awareness Through Movement in an open mountain meadow with students sensing themselves in the sun or the shade, in the wildflowers or next to a lake was the ultimate somatosensory experience. Our support staff consisted of a gracious and dignified mountain dog, as you can see in some of the pictures. The mountains and the sound of the horses whinnying in the background completed this spectacular classroom with a view!

                                   To learn more about the Gestalt Institute of the Rockies and the wonderful work they do as well as their training programs, go to http://www.gestaltequineinstitute.com/ You won't be disappointed!

 

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Unlock your jaw....

    A lot of people experience neck pain, jaw pain, tooth pain, headaches and TMJ dysfunction. The pain can become debilitating and incapacitating, resulting in a diminished quality of life. However, the cause may be as simple as holding excess tension in your face and jaw, and can be easily corrected. How? Try this simple but highly effective movement exploration based on The Feldenkrais Method(R).

    1) Lie on the floor on your back with your knees bent or your legs straight, whichever is more comfortable. In the spirit of making yourself comfortable, you may need to support your head with a folded towel. Don't use a pillow, it is too soft to provide your nervous system with the appropriate feedback (proprioception). Bring your attention to your face, neck and jaw. Does your neck feel tight? Does your mouth and the muscles of your face feel tense? Are your teeth touching?  Don't try to change or "fix" anything, and don't place any judgement on what you are sensing. Just be aware.

    2) Slowly begin to open and close your mouth. Don't open all the way; just make the movement small, smooth, soft and easy. Do not bring your teeth together as you close. Get comfortable with the sensation of your mouth being closed without having your teeth together. Take a brief rest. Continue the gentle movement of opening and closing your mouth in a smooth, continuous, rhythmical way. Stop and rest.

   3) Slightly  open your mouth and gently take your lower jaw a little to the left. Again, slowly and rhythmically  open and close your mouth without allowing your teeth to come together. Pay attention to the joint of your jaw, which is located just in front of the opening of your ear. How can you make this simple little movement more smooth and easy? If you hear a clicking of your jaw, or you experience and pain or discomfort, make smaller and smaller movements until you find a range of movement that is comfortable for you.  Stop and rest.

   4)  Again, open your mouth slightly, take your lower jaw a little to the right and continue the gentle opening and closing of your mouth in a comfortable range of movement. You may want to take a moment to compare the 2 sides of your jaw and how they move. Do they move differently? Again, not to judge, but just to pay attention. Stop and rest.

    5) One last time, return to just opening and closing your jaw as you did at the beginning of this movement exploration. How does it feel now? How is it different than when you first began? Stop. Bring your attention to your face, neck and jaw. How does your neck feel now? What about your mouth and the tension in your face? Are your teeth touching?  Stop.

    Often times our aches and pains are a result of simply holding excess tension in our muscles and joints. After a period of time, these faulty movement patterns can result in excruciating pain, joint dysfunction and joint destruction. This simple movement exploration will help you unlock your jaw, relax your neck and shoulders, and can be done anytime you're feeling stressed. It can also help you fall asleep more easily if you have occasional insomnia. Discover The Feldenkrais Method(R) and learn how to decrease aches and pains, improve the quality of your movement and the quality of your life!

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Unlock your knees....effortless standing.

    Have you ever found yourself experiencing back pain, knee pain or foot pain in standing? Or that holding yourself upright even for short periods of time is exhausting? Here is a little experiment to help you find your way to effortless standing.

    Stand up, and notice how you are standing. Don't change anything, just pay attention to how you stand. Are your knees straight or bent? Is your weight on the front of your feet or the back? Do you stand more on one leg? Does your back feel tense and tight, or loose and flexible?

    Now slowly and gently bend your knees. Does that change the sensation of your low back? Are your feet more solid on the floor? Now straighten your knees and "lock" them. How does your back feel now? How do your feet feel on the floor? Slowly go back and forth from "soft knees" to straight knees.

    With your knees still "soft", gently shift your weight side to side. Notice a bouancy in your knees, and a willingness of your feet to accept the floor. How does your low back feel now? Stop. Walk around the room for a minute. Stop. Stand. Notice how you are standing now, and how this small experiment may have allowed big changes to take place in your ability to find your way to effortless standing.

    This is a snippet of a Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement(R) lesson. You may want to consult with a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner(R) or look for Awareness Through Movement(R) group classes in your area  to explore new ways of moving through life with ease and grace, decrease aches and pains, and improve your performance in all functional and recreational activities.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP