Getting back on skis
Last year I fractured my wrist at the end of January, effectively ending my skiing season for 2016. So it was with some trepidation that I went back on skis and the slopes during the holiday season in December. My first run out was a disaster. When I stopped for the first time, I […]
The importance of rest
In our multicultural world many holidays are observed at this time of the year. Jews celebrated the festival of Chanukah from Dec 6-13 this year. Christmas is, as always, on Dec 25th. Kwanzaa, a week long celebration honouring African heritage, will be marked Dec 26-January 1. Epiphany (also known as Three Kings’ Day) a Christian feast day, is traditionally observed on January […]
Being active in the summer
As I began writing this newsletter, I heard the ice cream truck as it drove by, playing a few notes from Mozart’s “fleur de lis” on its speaker. The sound of the ice cream truck is a sure sign summer has started. I remember it well from my childhood in Montreal. Summer evenings kids on the street would be […]
Pelvis power and flexibility
Centre is a word that describes our pelvis. The pelvis is located in the centre of the body. Second to the head, is the largest structure and the source of power for all of our movements. The pelvis is the body’s centre of gravity. Centre of gravity, also referred to as centre of mass is […]
Improve your posture
As children, many of us were frequently told that we did not have good posture, that we were slumped over and that to have good posture we needed to “stand up straight” or bring our “shoulders back.” As if these are easy to do. How do you feel when you are not standing or sitting […]
Foot pain relief
Did you know that our feet have a far greater effect on the health of the rest of our body than we might think? Our feet are complex structures comprising 26 bones (1/4 of all the body’s bones), 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. We rely on our feet each day to help us […]
Sitting is the new tobacco
“Don’t sit still, you’ll get glued to the seat and stiffen up and won’t be able to move” to quote one of my clients who gave me permission to share her words of wisdom. There has been recent buzz about sitting “being the new tobacco.” What exactly does that mean? I think the analogy […]
Imagination
In this weekend’s Globe and Mail, poet Eva Joseph wrote a compelling essay about her experience and life after having a stroke, at the age of 60. It is an article well worth reading. One of the things she found hardest in her recovery was the block she faced in being unable to write poetry, which was […]
Maintaining flexibility – of mind and body
Last week I wrote of finding balance during the frenetic holiday season and provided a short movement exploration to sense yourself in sitting. The movements helped you to discover how to sit more comfortably and also to gave you the opportunity for a few minutes of quiet time alone. As we approach the end of the year, many […]
The relationship between movement and well being
While we talk about the ‘mind-body’ connection, when we are engaged in physical activities we don’t always think about their connection to our emotions, feelings or thoughts. After a Feldenkrais class or individual session, I ask my students to feel the physical changes and to relate them to functional activities and then to emotional sensations, thoughts and their self presentation to others. Moshe Feldenkrais talked […]