I’ve been away in Seattle for a few days, doing a few Feldenkrais sessions with my main Feldy mentor Jeff Haller.
This last weekend’s few lessons were good for a few reasons:
- I’ve been hurting (physically: shoulders-neck-jaw-hip-ouchies!) from a fall on ice earlier this year.
- They reminded me (as they always do) of the power of the work I do, and how this practice can insidiously (in a good way of course) permeate not only your physical self, but your mental self, your emotional self and most importantly,
that “self” that knows it can make intelligent decisions when faced with a potential stressful gridlock of cars on Highway 99 going North into Vancouver:
I’ll call it WHOLE-SELF NEUROPLASTICITY!
My old wiring remembers this,
The number of times I’ve done the return drive to Vancouver from Seattle such that I escape Seattle traffic in the mid-afternoon, BUT, end up perfectly in counter-flow hell in Canuck-land!
Thankfully , I didn’t do this again today,
I decided to re-route my journey and planted myself in the lovely area of Crescent Beach, Whiterock. I took myself for a lovely and leisurely walk on the rocky beach (and didn’t have pay for parking), sat on the beach and casually meditated on the incoming tide and played a game to see how long it would take for the ocean to touch my feet (maybe 15 minutes). Ah, to play again. While doing this, I came up with an idea to composed music pieces for my clients based on their stress levels so that can have individually tailored sounds and music for their ‘homework’ (hopefully Seth my composer friend digs this idea, Seth…?). Drove around a bit and found a fresh produce stand that was WAY cheaper than any place I would’ve visited in Vancouver (and again, didn’t have to pay for parking!). Then found this lovely coffee shop in which I’m typing this post (all to myself I might add) and yes, you guessed it, I didn’t have to pay for parking!
When I leave in about 20 minutes, I will have my counter-flow lane back, such that I can easily and effortlessly (not to mentioned have saved the pricey diesel I bought in Seattle) navigate through Vancouver to a few stops, and then onward to Whistler…..with plenty of beautiful British Columbia sunlight to spare.
What’s this got to do with Feldenkrais and Whole-Self Neuroplasticity?
Everything
Here’s why. Or at least my “why” at this moment….
I made an intelligent decision (re-route and change plans) which resulted in a domino effect or good things (beautiful rest stops, explorations, much saved money, not to mention diesel and stress).
A double-blind researcher might say, “correlation does not always equal causation”, but I say, “yah, whatever & HOGWASH!”
This above example is a perfect metaphor to go with……
…why learning how to move more efficiently and effectively in my spine, shoulders, head, heck, pelvis, hips, and other pieces, all together, and in an integrated-attentive-awareness-driven-fashion transfered into my daily life.
Intelligent Decision = Good Domino Effect
Get it?
Here’s more then…..
More efficient and integrated creations within your body movements take place because your brain is doing such masterminding (and bodyminding). Simple as that.
So, all the attention to detail and sensory-awareness of body parts (that occurs in a Feldenkrais session), along with how all these pieces can best work together, and how – now this is the BIG PIECE – how you bring this into a functional quality when you walk, sit and stand-up (sing, play golf, grocery shop, knit….)-and the like (and don’t forget with ease & efficiency) can transfer to more efficient and integrated decisions in OTHER PLACES IN YOUR LIFE.
Seriously. They really can. And do.
Such as, deciding to re-route your plans to avoid traffic and finding the best possible actions so that you can simply go on your way in a nice and easy flow.
Happy Re-Routing! Irene.
