Where do you teach the Feldenkrais Method®?

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I currently offer online classes. All are welcome!

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If you wish customized online classes or private online sessions, please contact me.

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I enjoy offering Awareness Through Movement® classes, workshops, private individual sessions, private group classes and individual one to one introductory consults and Functional Integration®  Lessons. Workshops will be announced. 

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What is your Feldenkrais® Professional Status?

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I am a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner® and a member, in good standing, of the Feldenkrais Guild® of North America. I currently serve as the Canadian Director of the Feldenkrais Guild® of North America (2019 to 2025).

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In 2017, I completed the 4 year professional training through the Institute for the Study of Somatic Education, San Francisco, CA/Chicago Il. This program is accredited by the Feldenkrais Guild® of North America. Both of my Education Directors, Paul Rubin and Julie Casson Rubin, trained directly with Dr. Feldenkrais at his first North American training in San Francisco in 1975.

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Studying at the advanced post-graduate level enhances finer details and dimensions to my skill set.

I also attend a number of international study groups, one of which is composed of Feldenkrais® Practitioners, Feldenkrais® Trainers and Education Directors. This large-scale global organization blends worldwide expertise, furthering understanding of the delivery of lessons in Awareness Through Movement® and private Functional Integration®.

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On an ongoing basis, I attend post-graduate courses throughout North America, offered by cutting edge, senior trainers. 

 

I specialize in healthy ageing, easing pain and moving without pain especially with Arthritis, bone health exercises while protecting Arthritic joints, improving neurological symptoms and using the eyes to improve movement.

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I continually attend postgraduate training:

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In addition, I completed several advanced post-graduate trainings with Paul Rubin and Julie Casson Rubin (California), David Zimack-Bersin (New York City), Elizabeth Beringer (California), Larry Goldfarb (California), Jeffery Haller (Seattle), Donna Simmons (California), Ellen Soloway (New Orleans) and Kathy James (California) only to name a few of the top trainers and Education Directors.

 

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How did you learn of the Feldenkrais Method®?

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My niece introduced the Feldenkrais Method® to our family. She was in a rear end auto collision, which resulted in upper back and neck injuries.  After she struggled for many years, while trying many different modalities that provided limited relief, she was advised by a friend to try Feldenkrais® private Functional Integration® lessons. After only 4 lessons, she began to experience amazing improvements that changed her life. She finished school and was able to establish a successful career. 

Her mother, my sister, then became interested in this Method. She is interested in assisting healthy aging and neurological concerns. She became a Feldenkrais Practitioner®  and has a thriving practice in California.  Both my sister and my niece live in California where Dr. Feldenkrais first taught his method in the USA.  

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After personally experiencing the transformational benefits of this Method, my wonderful daughter started and completed her 4 year professional training and became a Feldenkrais Practitioner®.  She lives in Toronto, where she continues Feldenkrais® practice and her studies in wholistic nutrition.  

 

Why did you choose the Feldenkrais Method®?

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I benefited directly from The Feldenkrais Method® by attending regular Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® classes. I also took advantage of private Functional Integration® sessions targeting specific functions.  

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A car accident left me feeling off kilter, physically unbalanced, and struggling with pain issues and limited movement.  This affected my gait, vitality, sense of self and ability to participate in everyday activities. This disorganization of my movement patterns invited a series of subsequent falling accidents, which created additional physical challenges. Many years were spent going to other better known modalities, until frustration and discouragement encouraged me to investigate Feldenkrais®.

 

I finally took my sister’s advice and attended Feldenkrais® sessions and classes.  The Feldenkrais Method® was pivotal to my recovery and to my ability to discontinue most of the other modalities. Upon observing my improvements, my close family members continued to encourage me to attend Feldenkrais® lessons, both private and group. The professional training was my next logical step toward continued recovery and helping others. 

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I have established a regular personal movement practice, which is primarily composed of the Feldenkrais Method®  

It is now essential to my permanent, incremental improvements.

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Improved movement patterns, balance and sense of grounding contributed to my ability to prevent further falling accidents and mishaps. Fall prevention has eased my mind about having Osteoporosis. I feel steadier, grounded and more sure-footed and less likely to fall. This enables me to return to fun activities with family, work, travel and enjoyable post-graduate professional workshops.

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In my experience, the Feldenkrais Method® is key to my ability to manage symptoms of Arthritis and to maintain mobility – walking, stairs, sitting comfortably and getting up and down from the floor etc.

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In Feldenkrais® classes, the teacher provided guidance and direction on improving my movement. Through these classes, I learned how to delay a total knee replacement for many years. The improved movement I gained through Feldenkrais® before my joint replacement, became invaluable to my recovery from this challenging surgery. Feldenkrais® also helps me maintain functional movement and more specifically walking, sitting to stand, standing from lying and climbing stairs with my new knee.

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Years of working closely with talented Physiotherapists provided ongoing opportunities to blend Physiotherapy exercises/expectations with the Feldenkrais Method® of neural re-education. Blending these 2 key modalities throughout my personal recovery was astonishing for myself and now for my clients.

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In my experience, the Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education is complimentary to most modalities and practices, as it is based in learning and education.

 

What are your previous education and career experiences, prior to the Feldenkrais Method®?

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I assisted others in enhancing their lives through one-to-one, group and classroom programs, by teaching, through social work and in administrative capacities. I worked in residential, community and hospital settings. This was challenging, rewarding, gratifying and usually lots of fun. I worked with and met many fabulous, dedicated people, both colleagues and clients.

 

I hold an Honours Bachelor Degree in Psychology, a Bachelor Degree in Education and a Masters Degree in Social Sciences. I bring to my Feldenkrais® practice skills and experiences gained through teaching Psychology, social sciences and social service work practices at the college level, as well as skills gained through the delivery of social and rehabilitative programs.

 

Do you have other experiences that help you in teaching the Feldenkrais Method®?

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Choice # 1, the short version

Competitive intercollegiate and varsity athletic teams include fencing, basketball, volleyball, track and field. Regarding music, I played oboe and clarinet in several concert bands. I did volunteer work as a Board of Director on non-profit Boards and I volunteered in healthcare.

I taught a Queen’s University fencing credit and I coached in the city women’s baseball league.

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Choice #2, the long version, if you want to read more.

During my earlier years, I played on several competitive athletic teams; played musical instruments in concert bands; did volunteer work; worked in social work capacities; taught at the college level and coached. 

The intercollegiate athletic teams were track and field, basketball and volleyball. We occasionally won City, Regional and Ontario championships.

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I competed on the Queen’s University Varsity Fencing Team (foil) for 4 years winning the Gold Medal at the Canadian-American University Games and the Silver Medal the following year.

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I also taught the University 4th year credit course in Fencing to the graduating year of the Physical Education and Kinesiology Bachelor Programs, at Queen’s University, Ontario.  

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City athletic league teams included baseball and bowling. In the city league, I coached a women's baseball team. 

I have always been an avid swimmer. I still go to the pool several mornings each week.

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I studied and volunteered with the St. John's Ambulance Corp., working with the ambulance detachment at Junior B hockey games and other special events.

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For many years, while working full time, I volunteered as a Director on several non-profit Boards providing community residential services for children and adults. 

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Many hours, days, months and years were spent playing Oboe and Clarinet and I was a member of three concert bands for several years.

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How did I find the time? In looking back, I am not sure.

Oh yes, amateur 'photographer' at large.  Do you like the swan? 

 

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What do you do now after becoming a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner®?   and …

Why do you do regular Feldenkrais® lessons?

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I enjoy swimming and aqua-fit at our local pool, taking walks with my husband, and spending time with our fabulous daughter Sarah Denny who is also a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner in Toronto.  

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I also do a Feldenkrais® lesson daily for myself. This daily practice has improved my enjoyment of swimming, walking and enjoyment of life. I have been able to regain mobility without the fear of falling and without further issues. Regular Feldenkrais® lessons help me keep and improve my abilities in these areas of life. I notice a difference if I miss my daily Feldenkrais® lesson. The stiffness and pain return and it becomes a little more difficult to move.

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Feldenkrais® focuses on increasing awareness of movements. This Improved focused attention enables me to become more aware of my movement patterns. Once I am aware, I can then improve them.

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This method enables me to get the most from exercises prescribed by my Physiotherapist. The usual physiotherapy exercises also include exercises from Osteoporosis Canada (Too Fit To Fracture program) and GLA:D (Good Life with osteoArthritis: Denmark) Canada exercise program for arthritis and the Arthritis Society of Canada workshops. 

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The opposing demands of the Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis dual diagnosis may lead to feelings of helplessness, as ‘what is good for one tends to be bad for the other’.  Anyone with this dual diagnosis would understand this difficult situation. I have spent many years learning to apply the Feldenkrais Method® to activities associated with building bone health and without further damaging my arthritic joints. So far, I am very pleased with the outcome, while I continue to move toward improvement.  

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I chose the Feldenkrais Method® from unlimited modalities because, in my experience, nothing else has worked as effectively or provided the same results in terms of assisting me in getting back to enjoyable activities. Also, it is complimentary to other modalities. 

 

What do you think of the Feldenkrais Method® now?

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After having said all of this about my previous activities in competitive athletics and in adversarial environments, I must express that the Feldenkrais Method® is non-competitive and non-judgmental.  

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It does not include self-evaluation, value judgement or expectation of perfection.

Generally, the only rule is that there are no set rules or goals. The focus is on learning how to become aware of our movements and how to explore improvements while moving.

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This method provides opportunities to explore the endless possibilities for incremental improvements through movement and awareness.

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The Feldenkrais Method® is supportive of individuality and self-improvement, while recognizing personal uniqueness. 

It invites discovery of your inner authority, spontaneity, curiosity and creativity with a sprinkle of adventure and playfulness, while providing novelty with a sense of inner personal strength.  

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Learning about yourself, how you move and how you function in the world, presents opportunities for you to explore and develop multiple choices.

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• Having choices provides freedom.

• Becoming an expert on you is freeing.

• This process remains continuous and dynamic.

• Awareness is essential for change.

• You can’t change things if you are not aware of them.

 

Therefore, learning how to become aware of your current patterns provides opportunities for you to discover and create new patterns and choices. You become aware of new choices for effortless, efficient and effective patterns of movement, behaviour and thought.

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The neural re-education approach of the Feldenkrais Method® is comprised of somatic learning experiences designed to optimize choices for improving your abilities and potential.

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Become the person you are meant to be.

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If you are ready to create self-change, give me a call or find a Feldenkrais Practitioner® near you. 

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“Yours for a brilliant future.”

Moshe Feldenkrais

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