Ease your aching neck
Do you wake up some mornings with a stiff neck? After working for awhile at the computer is the area around your neck and shoulders sore and tired? When your neck gets sore it is hard to think about moving it and as a result it becomes stiffer and more uncomfortable from being held and […]
Summer Adventures
I love the heat and am sad that August is waning and summer is ending. As I reflect on the summer I realize how happy I am when I can be outdoors doing what I love: gardening, walking, biking and hiking. Above is a photo, taken from Whistler/Blackcomb’s website, of the glorious High Note Trail […]
Walk for brain health
I was (and still am to a lesser extent) a geriatric nurse and have worked with many people living with Alzheimer’s and other conditions causing dementia. Dementia affects our ability to think and express oneself clearly. When I work with the elderly, either as a nurse or Feldenkrais practitioner, I am always interested in also […]
Stand up for better health
Many people come to see me initially because of recurring back pain. In fact, that is how my husband and I first discovered the Feldenkrais Method® of Movement Education. In 1988 he had a flare up of his chronic back pain, eventually requiring surgery for a herniated lumbar disc. Before surgery he learned about a […]
Cycle in comfort and enjoy the ride
With the advent of summer this week in the Lower Mainland of BC, many of us, me included, spent a good part of this past weekend cycling. As always as I was cycling I was paying attention to how I was sitting, holding the handlebars and pedaling and kept readjusting my position to ensure I […]
Strengthening vs stretching
Alex Hutchinson reports in today’s Globe and Mail on a study completed at the University of Calgary’s Running Injury clinic which showed that a program to help runners with iliotibial (IT) band syndrome to strengthen their hip muscles was more effective than stretching only. The IT band runs along the outside of the leg from […]
A perspective on healing a bum shoulder
A large number of the people I see in my practice have had recurrent episodes of back, neck and shoulder pain. When I work with them in an individual session we explore patterns of movement of the affected area as they relate to the whole body. We are looking for ways to make movement in […]
Hopping for health
In early May we talked about the importance of good balance for safe hiking, as well as its role in many other activities. Now more evidence of the importance of maintaining balance as we age. According to Dr. Larry Dian, a well-known Vancouver Geriatrician, an important part of healthy aging for individuals 75 and older […]
Gardening with pleasure
As this weekend’s Vancouver Sun pointed out gardening season is upon us. In order to prevent injury or lower back strain from bending down for a long time and repeating the same movements we need to learn how to take care of ourselves. The article has some great tips on managing how to use your […]
Playing with Balance
On the weekend while hiking the very beginning of the famous Stawamus Chief trail near Squamish, I was once again reminded of the role balance plays in not only helping us stay upright while climbing or descending a steep hill but its importance for everyday activities such as walking and sitting. Try the following short […]