You are that one breath.
that puts all the remaining breaths.
back into my body.
― Sanober Khan
Over the decades of developing his method, Moshe Feldenkrais kept returning to the breath. It was a central aspect in many of his classes, sometimes as a measure of ease and efficient coordination, sometimes as one of the essential elements, and other times as the lesson’s theme.
Moshe’s methodology considers how you breathe when you’re breathing as well as you can. Optimal breathing is dynamic, adapting to whatever you’re doing. You change your breathing when singing a lullaby, moving heavy furniture, or threading a needle. It also means you continue whatever activity you’re engaged in without interfering with your breathing.
Instead of perfecting a specific form and rhythm of respiration, the Feldenkrais approach is about moving past the habitual postures, recurrent holding patterns, and deep-seated dispositions that interfere with breathing well. You do this by exploring the many ways of breathing built into your body’s design, becoming aware of your compulsions and options, and expanding your respiratory repertoire.
Starting at the end of this month, I’ll be teaching a five-week online A Matter of Life and Breath program via Castle Hill Fitness out of Austin, Texas. Classes meet from 1:00 to 2:30 PM Central Time on Tuesday. If you’d like to learn more, I invite you to join the first class, which we are offering free of charge. For more information and to sign up, please click here.
This course distills years of intensive research and teaching, online and in person, with individuals and groups, in public classes and professional training programs. If you can’t attend the live classes or want greater detail, the recordings of a more extended program with the same name are available here.
Speaking of Austin, I’ll be offering individual Feldenkrais Functional Integration sessions at Castle Hill Fitness from 11 to 17 January. There are still some sessions available. For the details and to make an appointment, please call CHF at (512) 478-4567.
Both of the photos in today’s blog are from www.pexels.com. The top image is by Skitterphoto, and the other one is from Ekaterina Belinskaya.
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