Not a happy camper

In a classic Awareness Through Movement titles, BREATHING, Moshe Feldenkrais says:

“Place your hands down deep in that area where every decent Jew has a hernia.”

Well, I guess that means it’s official that I am a decent Jew.

I have been having intermittent discomfort in my abdomen, which more recently has turned into brief but excruciating bouts of pain. After my recent medical adventures, I couldn’t help but worry about what else could go wrong.

Needless to say, I haven’t been a happy camper lately.

You can understand why I was relieved to receive the news from my doc. If it didn’t hurt, I probably would have been laughing.

Thankfully, we could schedule the surgery almost immediately. I’ve had enough time to make the necessary arrangements at home. So that I won’t have to cook for myself, one of my best buddies organized friends and neighbors to deliver meals. I’ve got a few good books set aside and a long list of movies I’m looking forward to watching.

Most of all. I’m looking forward to being less grumpy soon . . . and getting back to writing regular blog posts, too.

An interesting side note that I hope will never be of use to you personally:

The week before last, I taught CONTRACTING THE ABDOMEN WHILE EXHALING to the folks participating in The Bodywise Project, my online ATM program. As part of preparing to teach, I did the lesson again.

Lo and behold, I felt better.

Not just a little better.

No, I felt like a new person.

The pain was gone. It started to return a few days later, though in a much milder manner. I’ve managed to hold it at bay since by simply revisiting the movements from this lesson.

As if I didn’t appreciate Moshe’s method enough!

This diagnosis has meant that I’ve had to postpone the beginning of the next cycle of MASTERING THE METHOD. Instead of starting this month, the first module, BREATHING BETTER, will begin online in July.

I’m finishing this series of advanced training programs for the folks who started this advanced training program in Boston, back in the days when we could meet in person. If you’re a Feldenkrais teacher or trainee — and you’re interested in learning more about work with the breath in a Feldenkraisian fashion — you might like to know about THE WINDS OF CHANGE next month. For more information and to sign up, click here.