Expand Your Ability: Embodiment, Somatics, and Feldenkrais

On today's episode, we are examining the big picture, specifically focusing on awareness and choice, and how both are crucial for leadership. We inherit our physical bodies and patterns from our families and culture at large, as well as from our direct experiences. Until we become aware of our patterns, they simply appear familiar and normal to us. It is only when we develop awareness and begin to question them that we can initiate change. Until we question them, our lives remain a reflection of our past experiences.Becoming fully aware and understanding the impact we have on others, including ourselves, enables us to exercise choice. How do I want to be in this situation? What do I need to change about what I'm doing in this situation. With choice comes responsibility, and this is essential for effective leadership. Awareness practices can help us get closer to what is truly valuable to us—what we believe is good in this world. It's so easy to slip back into old habits, so we need to have an awareness practice. In this episode, I offer a simple awareness practice. They can help you understand how you are doing and give you a choice to shift your physical experience and thus, your mental and emotional experience. There is actually a skill to awareness. We can get better at catching our habits and changing our behavior to meet the situation in front of us and it's so important that we practice awareness and we practice bring it in to our daily lives.

Today's episode is for you if you think you can do it alone, if you think you don't support, or you think being supported is a weakness.As my mentor Jesse Koren says, big work requires big support.  By big work, we're talking starting a business, fixing your relationship, and healing from old wounds just to name a few examples. We can't do it alone.This is one of those universal truths but our habits and unhealthy beliefs can blind us to this truth. The Feldenkrais Method of Awareness Through Movement is about uncovering these habits and beliefs that operate beneath the surface, but only if we ask the question. In Feldenkrais movement lessons we're always curious about our internal support (the skeleton in relation to the Earth and gravity) but it's important to take the question further. How am I supported socially? Do I even consider that a possibility?This episode is a must listen if you think you're better off going it alone. I have walked that path and it's a tough one.*****Thank you for listening, dear listener!I am wonder if you would keep your eyes out for me?I worked in Filmmaking and Video production for 10 years and had to step back and do less because of debilitating back pain. This was a main reason that sent me on my Feldenkrais and embodiment journey, and now my back is more capable than ever before AND I am directing the biggest film of my life. That's why I am committed to helping filmmakers and videographers with back pain to help them restore their backs so they can work more jobs and move and feel better than ever.I wonder if you know anyone in film or video suffering from a bad back.Does anyone come to mind? Let me know jeffrey@expandyourability.com*****Join the newsletter to be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

On today's episode, we're exploring why movement is such a big deal according to Moshe Feldenkrais. We dive into his book, "Awareness Through Movement," and explore the ninth and final reason why movement is at the core of personal growth and self-awareness.(You can find the previous 8 reasons in previous episodes.)The Feldenkrais Method is about becoming aware of your habitual patterns in order to open up new possibilities.  Movement, according to Feldenkrais, lies at the heart of this process. He says that the habit patterns of thinking, feeling and sensing all hinge on movement. If you change the movement, the changes will cascade to how you think and feel. This is an essential idea, using movement to free your mind, if you find yourself asking how can I get make lasting change in my life?About the PodcastHi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 30 minute call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletter to be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

"We are all emotional beings."I'm going to be a vulnerable here...even though I am feeling better overall than I have ever felt before, I have had a difficult history with my emotions. My frame before was that emotions happen to me. They drove the bus. What I have learned since is two primary things, 1) that emotions are information (not truth) and 2) we can influence our emotions through movement. Thankfully, I have a lot more say over my emotions today thanks to working with Laura Bond and her approach. We can choose how we feel to a greater degree than we think.My guest today is Laura Bond, the creator of the Emotional Body Method. Her work has helped me to understand my emotions through a curious, compassionate and play approach that is a perfect complement to Feldenkrais and other embodiment work.The Emotional Body Method aims to help people understand their emotions, be more comfortable with themselves, and improve their expression and presentation skills. Insecurities and old habits can interfere with how we express ourselves. In fact, we often operate in a mix of emotions. When we don't have clear expressions of emotions, other people don't understand us as well, they get mixed messages or confused, and we can feel powerless.The method focuses on the 6 primary emotional patterns that we all are born with. The patterns are explored on all levels: posture, facial expression, breathing and vocalization. Through mixing within this simple palette of 6 comes the rich rainbow of all human expression. Another thing I really like about the Emotional Body Method is that it doesn't go into difficult stories or psychological concepts. Instead it's physical explorations. In this episode expect to hear:The scientific origins of the Emotional Body.What are the 6 emotional patterns.What is emotional regulation and the importance of calming the nervous system.On unlearning old habits through repetition and variation.Why is does the Emotional Body use a letter and number system? (1a,1b,2a,2b,3a,3b)The 7th pattern, zero, and it's use for finding emotional neutrality.How Feldenkrais Method inspired the Emotional Body.Entanglements with our emotions, where two or more emotions are unconsciously mixed.About Laura BondLaura Bond is an internationally recognized master instructor and teacher trainer in the emotional effector patterns, and the Emotional Body® courses. She is a master teacher of Alba Emoting™, having studied an intensive teacher-training path in Chile with its founder, Susana Bloch. Laura is a full professor at the University of North Carolina Asheville and a certified master teacher of the Estill Voice™ technique. She teaches physical emotion regulation methods in university classes, private lessons, and through national and international workshops. She is the author of two books: TEAM for Actors: A Holistic Approach to Embodied Acting, and The Emotional Body: A Method for Physical Self-Regulation.www.emotionalbodymethod.comAuthor Page on AmazonRoutledge Press Book Chapter Contribution: "The Emotional Body: A Somatic and Trauma-Informed Practice for Cultivating Expressive Capabilities for the Actor and the Individual," in a new book titled, Trauma and Embodied Healing in Dramatherapy, Theatre and Performance published by Routledge Press. Available for pre-order Feb 19th and shipping by March 11th!About the PodcastHi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 30 minute call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletter to be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

Feldenkrais Practitioner, musician and storyteller David Kaetz says that many of us get disembodied from our voice from a young age. It's common and normal for kids to make sounds as they explore and play, until they get the message that they should be quiet. Is this a message you've internalized? How playful with your voice are youOne of my main motivators in exploring Feldenkrais and the bodymind connection comes from my own pain and tension surrounding my voice. I could tell it was related to self-use and anxiety and it was clearly manifesting as a physical issue. My voice troubles started in my teen years and followed me into my twenties. While I'm doing better than ever, I am still learning. I am learning how to be more expressive, more relaxed, and more full-bodied when I speak. On today's episode I reflect on my recent learnings around embodying the voice. I've had two profound mentors: One is a man named Nicholas that I met at the Minnesota Men's Conference. He helped me playful with singing. The other was David Kaetz and his Listening with the Whole Body workshop that I attended this past weekend.Learn more about the Minnesota Men's Conference here.Learn more about David Kaetz here.Hi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 20 minute consult call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletterto be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

On today's episode, I take a question from a long time listener and student. She asks, Is it possible to have as much respect and concern for my body as I do for my mind? This is a great question. Does it resonate with you? Are you intellectually gifted or cognitively centered? It's hard not to have an emphasis on the mind over the body in our culture. Is your body a second class citizen in your thinking? Here's the thing, your body is the basis for your mind. A truly strong and sensitive body is a strong and sensitive mind too.In order to get more connected to our embodied experience, we need to get in touch to shift our habits and build new practices. In this episode I offer a possible reframe for the body/mind, we talk about what it means and looks like to be more respectful of your body, and we explore a short, easy somatic exploration to embody respect for ourselves.Hi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Join the newsletterto be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

When do you rest?Do you save rest for the end of the day? What does quality rest look like?Many of us are conditioned to work for hours on end with little rest. Rests are often seen as unproductive or a waste of time. Time is money as the adage goes. We're on the clock. Even if we don't believe these statements to be true ourselves, it's certainly easy to feel where our culture pressures us to disregard our needs.In the Feldenkrais work as well as the other somatic movement modalities I teach, rest is super important. This isn't rest to give our muscles a break. No. Instead, it's an opportunity for our bodies and nervous system to integrate what we are learning through movement. The rest is a necessary element in the process and will help you improve faster.In this episode, I talk about many benefits of rest in Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lessons. I bridge that into how we can think about resting in our daily life. I offer some practical tips for practicing rest. 

We are deeply formed by our experiences and those experiences create the lens in which we view the world. How well do we really know ourselves? My guest Caroline Ritter talks with me today about how can gather useful and practical knowledge about ourselves. How we can be like scientists studying ourselves. She emphasizes that we need to be curious and to cultivate a relationship with our selves and our knowledge. What we tend to and maintain can continue to grow. Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement offers a unique opportunity for us to learn about ourselves in ways in a multi-sensory way.Caroline and I talk about positive reinforcement, the self-image, noun versus verb thinking, how to change behavior, the power our social and physical context to influence our behavior, and being in the gradient between labels (or how words limit our experience).It's a rich conversation. Please enjoy. Caroline Ritter studied behavioral economics, philosophy and cognitive science. She is now in her 3rd year of the Feldenkrais education program with educational director Donna Ray in Vienna.Caroline is an animal trainer and animal training also brought her in contact with the Feldenkrais method. You can see what Caroline does here:www.discocavallo.comCaroline lives in Vienna, Austria and started to teach Feldenkrais in person and online. You can find her at:www.feldenkrais.wieninstagram: @florafauna_feldenkraisAbout the ShowHi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 20 minute consult call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletterto be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

We breathe every every minute. Breath is essential to life.​How you breathe, whether through your nose or through your mouth, the volume of air that you take in, the shape of your breath in your body, where you breathe in your body the air goes, the temp and rhythm, reflects you.​Your breath reflects how you think, how you feel, what's going on beneath the hood.And how you choose to breathe can feed back into your system, changing your mood and your thoughts.Your breath is you.We'll explore some of Feldenkrais' thoughts on breathing today. We go back to his 1972 book, Awareness Through Movement.​​In this book, he gives some reasons as for why movement as a way to understand yourself, to learn about yourself, and to improve your abilities. This is reason number eight out of nine.(It's okay to start with this episode. You can listen out of order. :) )You can find the previous episodes in this series Why Movement: 5, 9, 13, 18, 24, 30, 36. They all have Why Movement? in the title.Hi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 20 minute consult call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletter to be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

Sensuality is our birthright, says my guest Candia Raquel. Sensuality is pleasure derived from our sensation, free from inhibition and full of self-expression. To be with the sensuous is to be connected to the present. Our modern culture numbs us from our bodies. Pleasure is sold as a product (go get something nice at Starbucks). We're encouraged to hustle, work hard, and sacrifice. and defer the pleasures of life till retiring on the beach.Being numb is a big problem, because it disconnects us from what makes us really us. Instead of choosing what's good for us, we comply with society or fall back into autopilot. If we have been numb, pursuing pleasure becomes dramatic. We need over-the-top experiences like big vacations, transformative ceremonies, or go bungee jumping to feel pleasure. Through connecting with our felt-sense, and what's pleasurable helps us become more authentic, to mature, make better decisions and to better assert our boundaries. Expect to hear about:the relationship between pain and pleasure.how our culture numbs us and commodifies pleasure. people pleasing and internal authority.know thyself is more than having a story about ourselves.how compulsion is not sexy.how our vital animal state is alive and ready to act while also at rest.Candia Raquel is a Mexican sensualist, scientist, artist and woman that hosts The Sensual Sessions podcast and Founded Centro De Poder®, who enjoys contemplating trees and drinking tea. Dedicated to helping workaholics overcome numbness and embody sensuality through somatic movement.https://www.instagram.com/candiaraquel/https://www.centrodepoder.com/Hi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 20 minute consult call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletter to be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

Welcome to the Expand Your Ability podcast!This show is about how we can empower ourselves through movement, curiosity, play and awareness. I've done a lot of continued study in the past year and so I thought I would (re)introduce myself. If you're new here, welcome! We will get you caught up to speed on what this show is about. If you've been a long time listener, this episode will tie some threads together and introduce some new ones. On this episode, you can expect to hear:- a brief version of my story.- the 3 somatic movements modalities that I am based in (Feldenkrais, Kinesa, Emotional Body).- the topic of attachment theory.- the upcoming Feldenkrais Documentary.- ways to work with me.Hi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 30 minute consult call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletter to be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

Welcome to 2024!

This is the last episode of 2023 so let's reflect! We will look back on the events of this past year, including our relationships, our challenges and what we've learned. We will do this in embodied way, with movement to help us ease into the process and open the doors to insight.That means this episode includes audience participation! Thats right, you!  So please take a listen to this episode when you have some quiet undistracted time.Get a journal and pen, find some floor space, and let's get started.

Marlene came to class with a big celebration.She reported that after our previous Feldenkrais class, she found a sense of embodied empowerment she hadn't felt since she was a vibrant cheerleader at the age of 19 - six decades ago! She described rediscovering this power as akin to finding the life restoration of Lazerous. At 19, she had surgery for appendicitis that wasn't incorrectly completed. The surgeon incorrectly sowed parts of her abdomen to her diaphragm. Bad news. Even after a corrective surgery in her 30's to fix the problems from the first surgery, she still felts the effects of the compensations her body had made. She finds our Feldenkrais classes help her bring her mind and body back into sync. Marlene's story is a great example that when we have the right process that guides us with curiosity into our own experience, we can become skilled at healing our compensations. When the compensations diminish and we feel more at home in our body, the vitality and power flow back in.____ Hi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 20 minute consult call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletter to be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

We go back to the book, Awareness Through Movement, to continue this series on Why Movement? Why did Feldenkrais choose movement to focus his method around?Awareness Through Movement was written in 1972 by Moshe Feldenkrais. The first half of the book is a great introduction his thinking on society, the human being, the nature of habits and compulsion and what we can do about it. We first explore the importance of awareness. Why are we so interested in awareness? Feldenkrais did name the group classes and his book Awareness Through Movement. Becoming aware of ourselves is necessary and good for us to grow, evolve and mature.Then we explore how movement is the basis of awareness. We humans are funny. We can act and behave and not have a clear understanding of what we do. We are mystery to ourselves. Understanding what we do is essential if we want to make lasting change. The primary way we get information about ourselves is through movement, through change in our muscles and skin, through change in posture, attitude and expression. With greater refinement, we can catch our behavior as it is elicited by our environment (people, nature, situations). We have more choice available to us if we know how to find it.You can find the previous episodes in this series Why Movement: 5, 9, 13, 18, 24, 30. They all have Why Movement? in the title. Hi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 20 minute consult call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletterto be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

If you have lived with insecurity, it can be challenge to imagine what a good relationship could be like. A good relationship can be so foreign, you might even reject it.It's so important to understand what secure bonds look and feel because that can give us the perspective to turn around what's not working and to strengthen what is working.That's the topic of my conversation with relationship expert Adam Lane Smith:What does secure behavior look like?What behavior leads to mutually fulfilling relationships that are sustainable, and enjoyable?Adam Lane Smith is The Attachment Specialist with over 450,000 followers across his social media platforms. He consults internationally with CEOs, investors, entrepreneurs, executives, military veterans, and engineers to solve their attachment issues and improve their relationships. He also has appeared on numerous podcasts discussing generational attachment issues, recovering from trauma, and raising global awareness of attachment. Expect to hear in this episode:The importance of bodywork to do mental health work.We attract what we expect.How insecurity pushes away healthy peopleOur perception doesn't make things realThe straightforward clarity of secure communication: "How would a 5year phrase this?"The Exchanging of Needs to fulfill each needs.Why secure people work toward  mutually fulfilling relationships.Clarify and Collaborate. You need to clarify in order to work with others.Hi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 20 minute consult call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletter to be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais.Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

Do you use read blogs, stay up with the news , youtube podcasts ? (I know you listen to at least one podcast and thank you for being here

If you've been listening to this show for a while you will notice that at the end of each episode I encourage you to share the ideas you hear here with a friend. I say that doing so helps us deepen our learning. In this episode I will give more of an explanation of why.I draw on Moshe Feldenkrais' teachings from his training program in Amherst Massachusetts. He encouraged his students to not focus on writing down movement directions about to be curious and invested in their own experience. Taking notes would distract them from the richness of their experience. Then, after class, go and share your experience with another person. Doing so helps you make new connections. Conversations are a creative act.Don't be a passive learner. Share your learning so you can learn more.Hi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 30 minute consult call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletter to be the first to hear about future opportunities to work with me.Download my free lesson: Effortless Freedom in MovingDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

You can hear the gym teacher yelling:Feel the stretch! Feel the burn! Work it! work it! Strain, working hard, efforting, stretching... that's all necessary to make gains, right? Right?Ok, really, how much strain is necessary for improvement?Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to tell you to not use your muscles and your power and develop strength (you're free to do as you choose, of course!) What I would like to do is guide you to freer movement without using these old ways of exercising.We will make gains not by working harder, but by working smarter.It's possible for you in your body, right here, right now. This episode features a simple Feldenkrais® Awareness Through Movement lessons that you can experience a new world of less effort and more freedom.You can access the longer lesson here.Hi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 20 minute consult call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletter to be the first to hear about future opportunities.Download my free lesson: Freedom in Turning Without EffortDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

Your Insecurity is predictable. Insecure thinking isn't unique to you and so I think you should question it.On this episode, we explore how insecurity plays out in our thinking. Have you had these thoughts?They are so amazing. Why would they want to be with me anyway?I'll be better off on my own.Ugh, they are so needy! It's pathetic.I've ruined everything.If you said yes to any of the above,  listen to this episode it's got some important ideas here for you.On this episode I introduce ideas from Attachment Theory. Attachment theory refers to how people give and receive love and support, how they act when they are emotionally close, or not, with others. I describe the 3 primary styles or strategies in attachment and give examples of how insecure people think based on the book Attached. by Amir Levine.When I read the common thoughts offered by the book, I knew I could question every single one of them. I didn't need to believe them anymore.These insecure thoughts are not true to who you really are. I believe it's your responsibility to become aware of insecure thinking and behavior, and to question them.The Feldenkrais Method®'s Awareness through Movement lessons help you become a highly tuned insecurity detector by reducing tension and cultivating efficient movement. Attachment Theory ResourcesAttached. by Amir LevineWired for Love by Stan TatkinAdam Lane Smith's extensive YouTube library+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Feldenkrais and somatic movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?You can book a free 20 minute consult call to find out if we're a good fit for 1:1 coaching. Learn more here.Join the newsletter to be the first to hear about future opportunities.Download my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. Follow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast. 

We are going back to the Awareness Through Movement book for another look at Why Movement? Why movement as a way toward personal development and transformation?  Moshe Feldenkrais offers 9 reasons why movement. We explore reason number 6: Through movement, you can understand what's going on in the nervous system.Awareness Through Movement is brain work. It's nervous system work. We're not interested in building muscles, we're interested in creating new connections in the brain that lead to better quality movement, and more choice in what we do.Working with the brain changes the body. You could say we're working with the mind to move the body to change the brain to change the body...

In the previous episode I talked about how our time in school has a lasting impact on our experience. For many It shapes us to do well, that we must get good grades and to avoid punishment due to mistakes and errors. Many learn that they must put in excess effort and to make it perfect, and to focus what we make on other people's standards,On this episode I'll share some advice I received about recalibrating what is my Good Enough and aim for B+ work. Special thanks to my coaches Autumn Kessler and Sandy Connery for the idea and encouragement. You can find their work at andshe.co.Expect to hear my strategy for beating perfection by mapping out exactly is a B+ for what you're doing. It's so important to finish and move on to the next project so your skills improve.I tie this in to how Awareness Through Movement can help us develop our own kind standard for ourself.Hi, I'm Jeffrey. As a Somatic Movement practitioner I help you get in touch with your body so you can unravel old sticky patterns and make way for greater creativity, power and joyful play.Want to put the ideas in this podcast to work?Join the newsletter to learn about my online offerings including 1:1 sessions and courses.Download my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodGet Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I'm directing a documentary film about Feldenkrais. Check out the Teaser Trailer. New Course Coming! (Would you do me a favor?)Do you feel stuck lately? Is there something that you want to do, but you just can't do it yet?I am doing research conversations with people like you in order to build an online course using the Feldenkrais Method. Would you be open to a 15-20min interview? I'd love to hear your story! Send me an email:  jeffrey@expandyourability.comFollow me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.comStay connected and subscribe to the podcast.

A common challenge for students in Awareness Through Movement classes is that they try much harder than they need to. For a good reason too, they want to do a good job in class. They want to do it right.I don't blame them. It's not their fault. I think we can point to our school system for why many of us have had the habits of working hard with excess effort, the need to get good grades and avoid mistakes. Our education and our response to our educators shapes our experience.How has education shaped you?On this episode you will hear...- How humans are distinct from other creatures,- My experience in education- How Awareness Through Movement challenges our old habits in profound ways. What works in school won't work here.- How Feldenkrais helps you steward your own self-education.- an encouragement to try flunking...

In this episode we discuss  a topic I love: how the Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lessons can influence your dream life. It's one of my favorite aspects of the Feldenkrais Method but barely anyone talks about it. It's really cool.  I don't remember my dreams often but some nights they come through more vividly and I can recall them when I wake up. I can tell that what I am learning and exploring through my movement practice helps me open up new possibilities in the stories of my dreams. Dreams can offer us a lot of information and clarity so let's pay attention them.In this episode you will hear me talk aboutmy experience of dreams.what I think dreams are and how the Feldenkrais Method has an effect on them.my recommendations for what to do in the morning after a night of vivid dreams.Do you have dreams like this because of Feldenkrais? What's your relationship to dreams? I'd love to hear from you. Reach out to my at Jeffrey@ExpandYourAbility.com+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.

In this episode I answer your questions. The three questions are:Are there Feldenkrais lessons that isolate the mind and body from each other?After cowering as a child, how can I stand up straight and be a warrior?During Feldenkrais lessons, I feel like I could cry. Why does this happen?There is something useful for everyone in this Q+A. Get Your Questions Answered!Submit your questions! I will answer them on a future episode of the podcast.+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.

Do you feel lost, directionless, overwhelmed by choice, or feeling powerless to make lasting change in your life?If so, this episode has something for you.In this episode I will talk about creating a life plan -- a document that represents the vision of your live going forward that can continue to guide your future decisions.I will talk about why I needed it, the process I followed and my experience enacting it.You will hear...about the book that Living Forward by Hyatt and and harkavy that gave me a process to make the life plan. life plan process and how helpful it is to read it out loud.I described my planning problems that had me stuck and how they began to change with doing the life plan reading.I share some journal entries from my 90 days of reading.I recommend having accountability partner to share your progress with.I encourage you to consider making a plan like the one suggested in this episode. If you want to learn more about the book, check out their website: Living Forward (by Hyatt and Harkavy)+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.

A old woman is walking down a busy sidewalk in the city when she is firmly bumped aside as a man runs past her. Wait a second... that man stole her purse! Fortunately a police officer heard the cries and chases the man through alleyway, over fences, and past cooks in the hot frantic kitchen of a restaurant. The he turns the corner and it's a dead end. The thief is trapped. The police man aims his gun, and commands: Don't move. Here is the question. Can the criminal really stop moving?Can anyone stop moving if they are alive?We explore this question and Feldenkrais' 5th of 9 reasons for Why Movement as a means for self-improvement.You will hear the except get broken down sentence by sentence. We talk about how movement reflects our state of mind, how movement is inherent in every moment of living, all muscular activity is movement. I describe how I observe movement when I teach Feldenkrais® lessons. I offer a few descriptions of people's movement and how that evokes something about their state of mind.It's a long excerpt this time so here it is for you to read.All muscular activity is movement.Every action originates in muscular activity. Seeing, talking, and even hearing require muscular action. (In hearing, the muscle regulates the tension of the eardrum in accordance with the loudness of the sound perceived)Not only are mechanical coordination and temporal and spatial accuracy important in every movement, its intensity is also important. Permanent relaxation of muscles causes action to be slow and feeble, and permanent excessive tension causes jerky and angular movements; both makes states of mind apparent and linked with the motive of the actions. Thus, in mental patients, nervous persons, and those with an unstable self-image, it is possible to discern disturbances in the muscular tonus in accordance with the deficiency. At the same time, other attributes of action, such as rhythm, and adjustment in time and space, may be more satisfactory. It is possible to discern trouble in the regulation of intensity in movements and in the facial expression of a person on the street, even for an unskilled observer who does not know exactly what is wrong.+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.

Lavinia Plonka, veteran teacher of the Feldenkrais Method is my guest this week. Her background stretches from playing the according, to theatre and mime, to yoga and the martial arts. She brings her rich history of learning and exploration in so many fields to this conversation.  We talk about how she got into the Feldenkrais Method, pursuing mastery and her thoughts on daily practice.In this episode you will hear...The surprising story of how Lavinia became a mime.Lavinia's approach to relinquishing control and being open to life. "Let the universe take care of you".How Lavinia first came to the Feldenkrais Method and how she ran out the door when she saw that you worked with people using touch.The Feldenkrais work invites us to attend the places in ourselves that physically locked or inhibited from their full possibility.Her father's wisdom "There is no such thing as perfection. Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes a master."How Lavinia practices daily and her recommendations to people just starting. "You have to make an appointment with yourself everyday."Feldenkrais Trainer Mark Reese's answer to Lavinia's question, "how can I pursue my dream of being a writer."About Lavinia PlonkaBody language expert Lavinia Plonka has helped people improve their movement, behavior, relationships and careers for over 3 decades. Her unique expertise connects the dots among posture/movement, emotions and the mind. Lavinia's training and professional career have included theater, dance, yoga and the martial arts. She has taught The Feldenkrais Method® for 35+ years and is also an Assistant Trainer.Lavinia is a level CL4 teacher of the Alba Method and an Emotional Body Instructor. She was an artist in residence for the Guggenheim Museum and movement consultant for theater and television companies around the world, from the Irish National Folk Theater to Nickelodeon. A faculty member of the Shift Network, Lavinia's popular workshops explore the intersection between movement, emotions and the mind. She is currently the director of Asheville Movement Center in Asheville, NC. Lavinia's writing includes several books and audio programs.Lavinia's Website: https://laviniaplonka.com/Lavinia's lessons and books: https://laviniaplonka.com/new-products-page/++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.

Do you have a memory of a time when you were a kid and you ran away and hid? There was something so bad and you felt so terrible that  you had to get away.Does that memory linger with you? Does it arises from time to time and you think, "that was a really rough moment." You can still taste the feeling and sensation. You may even sense how the memory contorts your body. Our responses to difficult moments in our childhood can continue to stay with us, shaping our bodies and our decisions. That's what we're talking about today.In this episode, I will share two true stories. A story about living with giants and a story about a small boy. Then we will talk about how this is relevant for us.In this episode you will hearJeff Haller's definition of trauma:  "An experience where one doesn't have the resources to meet the moment. If you have the resources, then there's no trauma. But it's not only that you don't have the resources to meet it, it also changes your brain."The trauma of growing up in a culture, education system, a familyHow intense emotion and movement associate together.How the world looks to children.How we are shaped by the world.How the Feldenkrais Method helps us shape our future.+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.

We deal here with health and not with disease. This is what Moshe Feldenkrais told the students of his training program back in 1980. Feldenkrais offers a two part definition of health and I think it's a big reason the Feldenkrais Method is so compelling for practitioners and long time students of the work.So what is health? Is it simply the freedom from disease or illness, or is it something more...In this episode you will hear:- some inadequate definitions of health- health is your ability to recover from shocks- how shocks and traumas relate- health is the ability to pursue the dream that's within you- reflection questions+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.

On this episode I want to talk about this framework: the 3 goals of the Feldenkrais Method. These are interrelated goals. Each one makes the others possible. I hope by breaking this down into these three categories, we can illuminate some new and less obvious spaces between ideas.  Spoiler Alert, its more than about moving better.  The three goals of the Feldenkrais Method I will explore are Outer Work, Inner Work and Life WorkExpect to hear in this episode:Our muscular activity interferes with our expression.Practicing non-reactivity, compassion and curiosity.Recognizing our compulsive patterns around learning (do we whip ourselves like a mule)Dad's wisdom: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same result. Inhibiting your past to make new choices.By the way! A five star review would be so helpful. If you have a moment, please consider submitting one in your podcast app. +++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.

This episode presents my interview with Kelly Cordes of Central Minnesota's WJON radio station. I talk to with her about what is the Feldenkrais Method, it's benefits and what does taking a class look like.I was connected with Kelly because I have been teaching at the Whitney Senior Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Seniors are in a particularly open to the Feldenkrais Method because it is so accessible for people -- it doesn't require beginners to be strong, agile, or flexible. The Feldenkrais process helps everyone improve regardless of their starting point. As we age, the poor habits of moving and thinking catch up with us and lead to wear and tear and aches and pains. Life doesn't have to be a downward slope. We can learn at any age to have more effective and efficient movement which means we can become more graceful, creative and strong. You will be surprised by what you can do! In this episode you will hear:The Feldenkrais's emphasis on questions over force (we don't try to fix ourselves).The phrase you can't teach an old dog new tricks is incorrect!Listen to your body while it's quiet, before it yells at you with aches and pains.How we wall off our potential growth through our negative beliefs.What is an Awareness through Method® group class like?Jeffrey's recommendation to give this work a fair trial (try 6-10 lessons to see if it works for you).Jeffrey's personal story and questions that led him to the Feldenkrais Method.About the interviewer Kelly CordesWJON WebsiteHi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.

The Feldenkrais Method is a way to improve your own sense of self-value in your. The way in which you value yourself by your own standards, and less and less by the standards of others.How good is that? Would that be worthwhile for you?On this episode we explore the 4th of nine reasons for Moshe Feldenkrais advises for movement as a tool for self-improvement and growth. The ability to move is important to self-value. On this episode you will hear:- the passage Feldenkrais write on this- how our perceived imperfections affect out behavior- my story of how my voice- the downsides of constant conscious efforts- how our desire to protect ourself limits our natural expression- how the Feldenkrais® Method helps a person increase their self-value by their own standards+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.

When Jenny Frank-Doggett incorporates Feldenkrais® into her therapy sessions, she finds it helps her clients to feel better. She means 'feel better' in two meanings. They feel better in their body and mind and they can feel more. They can become more attuned with their experience.Language is tough. I agree that it's important that we connect Mind and Body. Our culture in the West has had such an emphasis on the intellect and a general disregard for the body (thankfully that's changing), so it makes sense to encourage people to reconnect Mind and Body. But, as my guest points out, Mind and Body were never truly separated - they are one. We can use somatic (body-based) tools to help a person with their mental health because the mind is body and the body is mind.What you will hear in this episode:Jenny's background into Jungian therapy and hypnotherapy."We can have physical symptoms and not realize it's related to a traumatic event".Our brain and nervous system are designed to keep us alive.Examples of sympathetic and parasympathetic activation."Through touch we can co-regulate", Co-regulation is where two people's nervous systems become alike.Jenny's preference to work with client's feet to help them 'ground'.'Kindling in the brain', a metaphor for how negative thought patterns strengthen through repetition .What life looks like if you're not stuck in parasympathetic or sympathetic activation.About the GuestJenny Frank-Doggett is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist, and a Guild Certified Practitioner in the Feldenkrais Method®. She is based in Redmond, Washington. She has been a student and teacher of psychology, yoga, and other esoteric and transpersonal practices for over 25 years. Jenny's current work, consists of individual and relationship therapy as well as facilitating classes, groups, and intensive transformational retreats. Somatic body work and education using the Feldenkrais Method ® is integrated into Jenny's counseling practice as physical wellbeing and attention practices directly impact mental and emotional health. Jenny facilitates transformational therapeutic groups with Tom - her life partner of 26 years and they have two adult daughters and many dogs.Email her: jenny@tigermountaincounseling.comJenny's website: https://www.tigermountaincounseling.com+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.

I've used the term story many times on this podcast. Stories are what we've learned about ourselves, beliefs about how we should act. Stories are the way our past continues to shape our actions.Some common stories that live out in people's experiences are I'm not good enough, I'm not lovable, its better for me to not feel, I need to push hard to get results.  (Do these resonate with you?)On this episode I share a student's experience of discovering a story he had that he wasn't aware of before. He had internalized the story that he shouldn't touch his face. We take a closer look and break down the elements of the story so we can learn how other stories work.In this episode you will hear:Stories emerge out of sense of finding security (to fit in, to be accepted)How a feeling of aversion is an indication of storyStories can be tangled togetherHow this student's story lead to a clever work aroundAwareness is the first step to changing a storyWhat to do we aim at if we're not aiming at the right answer??How the Awareness Through Movement process helps us discover our hidden stories (and habits)Examples of other stories+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast. (If you would leave a review, I'd appreciate it too

As a curious child, Sarah Baumert, experimented with the yoga postures she found in a book. She found joy in how the postures stimulated intense energy or offered calm. She was far more comfortable with expressing with her body than her words and became a professional dancer. When she became a yoga teacher she learned to put her profound experience into words so she could guide students to find that for themselves.  She later realized how her dance training had an oppressive quality that was instilled in her.  This deeply affected her movement and how she related to herself. It wasn't until her Feldenkrais training, Sarah learned how to move to the music of her internal senses as a way to work through chronic dance injuries and to find freedom in her body. In this episode you'll hearThe power of postures to change our experiencesSarah's childhood experimentation with movement"There is a deep intelligence that can come from knowing the body from a movement practice" Differences and similarities between Yoga and FeldenkraisFinding a sense of expansiveness while using effortHow Sarah incorporated Feldenkrais lessons into her teaching practicesFeldenkrais is not lazy yoga (

For over a decade I have done video editing. So often by the end of a work session I would walk away feeling cranky or prickly. While creating the videos I was also creating unnecessary discomfort (which sent my on a journey into the Feldenkrais Method).  That was the basis for burnout and resentment. Not good.I believe everybody is fundamentally creative. We create the relationships we have with the choices we make (whether or not we know what choices we are making). The Feldenkrais Method is a method of becoming aware of the choices we make so we open up new choices.I offer a brief Awareness Through Movement exploration to give you a direct experience of how your choices create new (and better) experiences for yourself.In this episode you will hear:How all people are inherently creativeAnother look at the Self-ImageHow our invisible choices interfere with creativityExamples of how Feldenkrais lessons are co-created between teacher and studentHow creativity is taking new unexpected pathsA guided movement exploration that shows how the choices you make affect your stability and balanceHi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.New Course Coming! I Need Your Help.Do you feel stuck lately? Are old ways of thinking, feeling, or moving holding you back? What do you need more support with?I am doing research interviews with people like you in order to build an online course. Would you be open to a 15-20min interview? Send me an email:  jeffrey@expandyourability.comDownload my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodWatch the DocumentaryTeaser Trailer: teaser.feldenkraismovie.comFollow Me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.com

"We all have more experience of movement, and more capacity for it, than of feeling and thought," says Moshe Feldenkrais in his 3rd argument for Why Movement as a basis for self-improvement.In the North American culture I call home, there is a strong emphasis on personal growth through acquiring information like facts and ideas with not much of a focus on learning through movement (I understand the irony that I am creating a podcast to share information

Have you ever been called "too sensitive"? I have and I don't like it. It's not helpful and I think it misses the point.In this episode, I reframe sensitivity. Sensitivity is a good and necessary quality. Sensitivity is about how you receive information from the world to inform your actions. Wouldn't you prefer a partner who is sensitive to your needs? A baker who is sensitive to the ingredients? A driver who is sensitive to the road?The issue is when we react too intensely to what we're paying attention too. This is over-excitability. Over-excitability is like the small dog that barks wildly, waking up the whole house because he heard something (just the wind) outside. I offer a technique to quiet down your internal excitable puppy. (hint: it will be boring

My guest this week is Jeff Haller, a 40 year veteran Feldenkrais practitioner and trainer of other practitioners.Jeff Haller chose the Feldenkrais Method over many other professions, including aikido, psychotherapy, and basketball coaching because he believed this method was singular in helping people transcend their history. He's a generous and compassionate teacher. In this episode you will hear:Jeff Haller's professional explorations into basketball coach, aikido, psychotherapy, yoga teacher, taichi, massage therapy, physical therapy.The Feldenkrais® Method as 'keystone' learning principles to bring to any other field.Feldenkrais' early students were concentration camp survivors."Our neurosis is hidden in our muscular habit".How are personalities become associated with our history of self-protection.finding the same sense of composure through 45min of Feldenkrais that people seek for years in meditation.The amazing lightness of a 'pure' state of being when our compulsive past is set aside.Choosing wholeness over our unconscious past.It's filled to the brim. You might want to listen to this one a few times... :DJeff Haller is a Feldenkrais Practitioner. Jeff Haller studied directly with Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, the founder of the Feldenkrais Method®. He graduated from his professional training program in 1983.  His primary focus is training others to become Feldenkrais practitioners. He's been actively engaged in this work for 40 years. Jeff Haller lives in the Seattle, Washington area.Jeff Haller: jeff@insidemoves.orgJeff Haller's Website: https://www.insidemoves.org/+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.Download my free guide (plus join my newsletter): 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodWatch the DocumentaryTeaser Trailer: teaser.feldenkraismovie.comFollow Me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Questions? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.com

When big emotions sweep through you, what do you do? How do you handle them?Big emotions like rage can lead us to destroying the relationships that are important to us. This episode explores the story of one of my students, Shahryar, who has a history of 'pent-up' aggression. This aggression led him to make choices he later regrets. He attempted to deal work out those feelings through forceful exercise. He 'smashed and mashed' the bad feelings out of himself. But that led to more problems. Through our Feldenkrais® Awareness Through Movement classes together, he has found a new resource for himself.What you will hear in this episode:Shahryar's new resource for being with difficult emotions.Once again, how we do one thing is how do everything.the limitations for forcefully fixing ourselves.a difficult history of rage that can change.what's behind the rage...the importance of offering learning through direct experience.the importance of the metaphors we use in describing our emotional experience.+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast. If you find this show helpful, please leave a 5 star review in your podcast player. Download my free guide and join my newsletter: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodWatch the Documentary Teaser Trailer: teaser.feldenkraismovie.comFollow Me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.com

Discerning quality is essential to living life with choice and satisfaction.You do this already when you turn off that Netflix show because it's just not good. Boring!Or maybe you're a mechanic and you're tuned into the sounds of the engine. That clunks not a good sound...You're attentive to quality when you type up that sensitive email to your client. You want to get the words just right. Am I sounding too aggressive?What about discerning the quality in our own experience? Moshe Feldenkrais argues that we can more easily develop discernment through movement. That is what I explore on this this episode.This series explores the 9 reasons for Why Movement?  from Moshe Feldenkrais' book Awareness Through Movement. This episode is the second of nine.Here is a sneak peek of what you will hear:Why quality is importantThe four aspects of our human experience: moving, sensing, feeling, thinkingSome of the qualities of movementThe importance of developing your discernment in all aspectsThe advantages of movement+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.Download my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodWatch the DocumentaryTeaser Trailer: teaser.feldenkraismovie.comFollow Me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.com

It's springtime! Yay! Get those windows open and bring in the light. Oh boy, there's a lot of work to do.  We really did let ourselves go during the wintery months.

Well, that was a waste of time.That was Alice's first experience of the Feldenkrais Method 25 years ago. Little did she know she would come to love it and produce a movie about the method years later. "I felt like I was taken apart and put back together in the way I should be put back together." That's how Alice Boyd's described her first experience in a 1:1 hands-on Feldenkrais lesson.Alice Boyd's BioA Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner since 2014, Alice Boyd teaches group and individual lessons online and in-person in Portland, Oregon. She completed Russell Delman's Embodied Life program, and with her husband, poet John Brehm, she leads transformational residential retreats incorporating Feldenkrais movement lessons, meditation, and mindful poetry discussion. Alice is excited to be producing a feature-length documentary film about the Feldenkrais.AliceBoyd.comIn this episode, you will hear...about Alice's lackluster first impression of Feldenkraisthe lesson that changed the direction of her lifeher background as a yoga teacherher journey away from force and willpower to openness and curiositythe inspirations for the documentary+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.Download my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodWatch the DocumentaryTeaser Trailer: teaser.feldenkraismovie.comFollow Me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.com

There is the common list of benefits about the Feldenkrais Method: people get from lessons saying they feel taller, more grounded, lighter, more graceful, easier movement, less pain etc. That's a good and with this episode I wanted to focus on the surprising benefits of this work. The benefits that emerge as new thoughts for yourself. Like the following:I didn't know I was doing that!I never expected I could do that!I improved my game without practicing!As one continues on their Feldenkrais journey, more and more benefits reveal themselves. To learn more about these, I've created a short ebook on the 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais Method.Download it here+++++Hi, I'm Jeffrey. I am a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and Filmmaker. I am the director of the upcoming documentary on the Feldenkrais Method.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast.Download my free guide: 9 Surprising Benefits of the Feldenkrais MethodWatch the DocumentaryTeaser Trailer: teaser.feldenkraismovie.comFollow Me on Instagram: @expandyourabilityHad an Aha? Let me know: jeffrey@expandyourability.com

Put aside your self-help books. Step away for a moment from the your therapy session. Consider movement as a key ingredient you've been missing.In a world that's so focused on thinking and feeling, why would movement be necessary for self-improvement? Let's find out.Moshe Feldenkrais in his book Awareness Through Movement gives 9 reasons for Why Movement? We tackle the first one: Your nervous system is preoccupied mainly with movement.Expect to learn:- why nervous system is primarily concerned with movement- you're the descendent of a great line of movers- put your feet up like FreudThis is episode one in a nine episode series.Stay connected and subscribe to the podcast!Support the podcast with a tip.

When your friend says they are going to go do an ATM, do you look at them perplexed?I guarantee you they are not grabbing money from a machine.