Are you surprised at the title, wondering what chocolate has to do with the Feldenkrais Method?
Chocolate and regularly practicing the Feldenkrais Method have much in common. They both help us to take care of our body and sweeten our lives.
The dictionary defines chocolate as:
– A food that is made from cacao beans and that is eaten as candy or used as a flavoring ingredient in other sweet foods
– A candy made or covered with chocolate
– A dark brown color
The dictionary definition doesn’t explain why people love to eat chocolate and how it makes them feel.
The history and cultivation of cacao dates back centuries and only came to Europe in the 16th century. A lot has been written on the history, cultural significance and uses of chocolate. Today we know chocolate in its many forms and compositions. There are many reports touting the health benefits of dark chocolate that contains high cacao content (in contrast to milk chocolate or sweeter chocolates) including its antioxidant properties, nutritional value, heart protective properties and role in improving blood flow to the brain.
Most importantly of course is that chocolate tastes good. Despite the health benefits and great taste, we don’t get a free ride to eat unlimited amounts. Good chocolate, as with other good things, is best when eaten slowly, gently savoured and in small amounts.
Regular practice of the Feldenkrais Method, like eating chocolate, is also good for us, as many more people are discovering each day. The method’s focus is on learning and self-improvement. We learn how to explore what we are doing and then refine our movements to find ways to make our lives more comfortable, easier, more pleasurable, and sweeter! We learn to become more aware of what we are actually doing, rather than what we say or think we are doing, making the road to improvement wide open and more available.
In each class or session, we start by doing small movements and only a few at a time. In this way we sense, feel, taste and savour easy movements before we make them bigger or faster. We take frequent rests, to let our brain, and body rest and assimilate the new learning. Our unique focus is to discover new ways of doing what we thought we already knew such as rolling, reaching, getting up from a chair or the floor, and so much else.
I invite you to experience this new treat and see for yourself how to make your life easier, more comfortable and tastier. If you have already tried Feldenkrais, come back and sense it in a different way, slowly savouring each movement.
You might even get to taste different good chocolates. Many classes finish with a small taste of good, dark chocolate. What could be better?
