SPIFFER

The secret decoder ring

for observing, understanding

& improving how we move

In the 1980s, Larry Goldfarb was developing courses to introduce the Method to physical and occupational therapists. Observing that post-graduate seminars for these rehabilitation professionals included a major didactic component, he knew that he would need to do more than teach a few Awareness Through Movement® lessons and give a Functional Integration® demo or two.

Larry devised a model for making the Feldenkraisian approach explicit and evident to the medically minded participants in those courses. The model’s title is an acronym of the seven dimensions of action and awareness that reveal what Feldenkrais® teachers notice, explain how we understand coordination and skill, and disclose how lessons make learning happen.

Sequence     –         The chain of motion through the skeleton.

Path              –       The line of movement in space.

Initiation      –          That which happens at the beginning.

Foundation  –       The relationship of weight to support.

Flow             –       The role of timing and control.

Effort           –       The patterns of muscle action.

Respiration  –      The rhythms and reach of breathing.

SPIFFER proved to be so useful for unlocking the mysteries of the Method and making how it works both understandable and learnable, that it has become the foundation of Larry’s teacher trainings, post-graduate programs, and mentoring programs around the world.

Online learning

For the first time ever, I’ll be teaching SPIFFER 101, a comprehensive introduction and overview, entirely as an online course.

To make it possible for colleagues from around the world to participate, I’ll be teaching each section twice. To make sure you can receive the kind of personal support and individual coaching that makes learning easier, enrollment is strictly limited.

SPIFFER 101 consists of five live, online mini-workshops, scheduled every other week over the summer, starting at the end of this month. I will provide the meetings, make the recordings available for you to review, and offer concrete ideas about how to integrate what you’re learning. In particular, you will get to become familiar with SPIFFER by applying it, on your own and with your classmates, in four practical and pertinent ways: 

  • Observing how others move.
  • Understanding how you move. 
  • Decoding ATM lessons.
  • Teaching ATM lessons.

In other words, this course is designed to develop skills and competence as a movement detective and an ATM teacher.  If you have already learned about SPIFFER, from me or someone else, this is a chance to review the basics from an advanced perspective, deepen your understanding, and take your skills to the next level.

Are you ready to untangle the complexities of human motion and become a more engaging, effective teacher?

Program

The summer 2020 session of SPIFFER 101 meets every other Saturday and Sunday over the following weekends:

27 & 28 June
11 & 12 July
25 & 26 July
8 & 9 August
22 & 23 August

You do not have to attend both times (but you can). The idea is that you choose which session works best for you depending on whether you’re a night owl, early bird, or lucky duck.

  • The Pacific Rim group will meet on Saturdays from 4:00 to 8:45 PM US Pacific Time. The meetings are scheduled the following Saturdays 27 June, 11 and 25 July, and 8 and 22 August. Please note these times work out to be Sunday mornings to afternoons on the other side of the International Date Line.
  • The Americas and Atlantic group meets on Sundays from 8:30 AM to 1:15 PM US Pacific time. The meetings are scheduled the following Sundays: 28 June, 12 and 26 July, and 9 and 23 August. Please note these times work out to be Sunday late afternoons and evenings in Europe.
  • Each meeting will consist of three sections, from 45 to 75 minutes long, with one short 10 to 15-minute break and one longer half-hour-ish break.
  • To ensure everyone has a chance to participate and that you can receive personal attention and individual coaching, enrollment is limited to a maximum of 24 participants in the Pacific Rim group and 28 participants in the Atlantic Rim group.
  • All the meetings will be recorded so that you can receive access to the recording of at least one of the two meetings (depending on which is better), barring any breakdowns, within 48 hours. You can download the files for later use or stream them from the site for immediate access. You have lifetime access to these files.
  • Along with getting access to audio recordings of ATM lessons and both audio and video recordings of the presentations, labs, and debriefs, you will receive suggested tasks that support your learning between meetings and after the course is over. These assignments will include things to do on your own as well as with your study buddy or study group; they will address developing both your professional abilities and personal practice.
  • You will also receive summaries of each of the ATM lessons.

Tuition

$577 
—or—
3 monthly payments of $207 (for a total of $621)

Prerequisite: Participants must be Feldenkrais® teachers or trainees in their second year or beyond and have a Become a Better Account (BABT) on the Mind in Motion online website. (If you’re eligible for a BABT account but don’t have one  yet, please sign in to MIMO, go to your My Account page, and request one.)

Please Log in or Register for an account to sign up for this program:

Tuition and Participation Policy

  • There are no credits or refunds for any missed classes.
  • By registering for this class, you also acknowledge that 20% of your tuition is a non-refundable administrative fee.
  • If you cancel your registration between the day of enrollment and up to 31 (thirty-one) days before the first class, we will refund your tuition minus the down payment.
  • For cancellations between 30 – 7 calendar days prior to the first day of class, 50% (fifty percent) of the total tuition will be refunded.
  • No refunds will be given for any cancellations received 7 (seven) or fewer calendar days before the course begins.
  • No-Risk Guarantee: If, after attending and participating in the first session of the summer 2020 session of SPIFFER 101, you decide not to continue, and if you notify the Mind in Motion office on or before noon US Pacific time on 6 July 2020 at, we will refund 100% of your tuition, no questions asked within 7 (seven) business days.
  • To enroll in this course, please click the “Sign me up” button and then read and sign the participation agreement to be taken to the payment page.