Walking Wisely for Better Health
Almost everyday I read another article or news report promoting the health benefits of walking. Not just leisurely around the house or office but more intense and purposeful walking for exercise, usually outdoors. Cited benefits include better cardiovascular health, joint and bone flexibility and density, enhanced tissue repair and healing and reduced obesity. Most of us feel […]
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 […]
Learning from scarce resources
If ever there was doubt about climate change, this year, especially on the west coast, quelled those doubts. There was very little snow this year, a disappointment for skiers and boarders, but more importantly it mean there was significantly less water in the reservoirs. Then we experienced one of the warmest and driest summers on record. The brown grass on […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Sitting is the new tobacco: Learn how to kick the habit and sit more comfortably
Workshop: Better Sitting There has been a lot of media attention recently on the health hazards of prolonged sitting. Health hazards mentioned in various articles include risks for cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity with its harmful effects, diabetes as well as depressed moods. We know that sitting puts more weight into the lumbar vertebrae than does […]
Honouring Moshe Feldenkrais
Happy Birthday Moshe! Moshe Feldenkrais would be 110 this week if he were still with us! His birth date is May 6, 1904. International Feldenkrais® week, May 2-11 honours Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais. Moshe Feldenkrais was sent away by his family at the age of 13 to escape pogroms against Jews in the Ukraine. He made […]
What do you do when you have pain?
What do you do when you have pain? Many activities we do during the day have the potential to create discomfort or pain in our neck and shoulders. Many people run off to a practitioner as soon as they experience pain, wanting someone to help them eliminate the pain. However pain can be a signal […]
