Feldenkrais® for Women’s Health & Mobility: Health of the Spine for New Beginnings

The spine is the central pillar of our body, supporting both physical movement and the flow of energy throughout. In this Feldenkrais® workshop, we’ll explore how spinal health can be enhanced through gentle, mindful movements that promote flexibility, balance, and stability. The New Moon serves as a powerful time for new beginnings and setting intentions, making it the ideal moment to strengthen the foundation of your body and create lasting change.

Feldenkrais® is an approach that focuses on increasing awareness of movement and posture, allowing for deeper self-connection and improved functional alignment. By re-patterning inefficient movement habits, the Feldenkrais® Method helps to release tension and stress in the body, particularly in the spine, which is crucial for overall well-being. With a focus on awareness and ease, you will learn how to move with less effort, reduce discomfort, and support the natural curves of the spine, contributing to better posture, pain relief, and an overall sense of balance.

This workshop is particularly beneficial for women who may experience:

• Back pain or stiffness: Feldenkrais® helps release chronic tension and promotes a healthier spinal alignment.
• Poor posture: With awareness and gentle movement, you can improve posture, reducing strain on the spine and muscles.
• Stress and tension: The gentle movements of Feldenkrais® reduce tension in both body and mind, helping you feel more relaxed and centered.
• Rehabilitation after injury: Whether you’ve experienced an injury or are recovering from surgery, Feldenkrais® offers a safe and effective way to regain strength and mobility in the spine.
• General health and well-being: This workshop offers a time for inward reflection and self-awareness, ideal for those looking to set new health goals and create a foundation for long-term wellness.

Whether you're a seasoned mover or new to movement practices, this workshop is designed for women of all ages and fitness levels. You’ll leave with tools to maintain spinal health, improve mobility, and support your body with mindful movement practices that enhance overall wellness and personal alignment.

What is The Feldenkrais Method®?

Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, an Israeli physicist, engineer, judo master, soccer player, and gymnast, developed a groundbreaking approach after facing a knee injury. Instead of opting for surgery, he drew on his physics expertise and used his body as a research subject. This led to the creation of a method that helps individuals move beyond ingrained movement patterns.

Feldenkrais believed the central nervous system is crucial to a person's comfort. He emphasized the importance of becoming aware of the skeleton, muscles, and joints. This heightened awareness allows each body part to contribute effectively to every action, ensuring no single part is overburdened.

With the skeleton providing proper support, muscles naturally relax, reducing tension and enhancing range of motion and flexibility. This awareness enables individuals to recognize their habitual, negative postures and movements and develop more functional ones.

He formalized his findings into The Feldenkrais Method®. This program not only improved his movement efficiency, range, stress levels, posture, flexibility, and self-image but also enabled him to help countless others achieve similar relief.

How it Works

The Feldenkrais Method® lessons aim to rewire the brain by strengthening the body-mind connection. Students engage in gentle, attentive movements, exploring their bodies to develop skillful movement patterns. Within a supportive, non-judgmental environment, a Feldenkrais teacher verbally guides them through simple movement sequences. This approach encourages students to accept themselves and their bodies by moving only within their comfort ranges. The process emphasizes curiosity, discovery, and exploration, focusing on the quality of movement and observing one's internal experience while performing the movements.

Did You Know?

Your body holds sensations, thoughts, and emotions, shaped by the patterns you've developed throughout your life. While some patterns empower us, others can lead to stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and suppressed emotions. The Feldenkrais® Method through Awareness Through Movement® uses movement and mindfulness to help rewire the brain, releasing unhealthy patterns that may be keeping you from healing and fully experiencing pleasure in your body.

What to Expect:

• Duration: In this two-hour workshop, you can look forward to experiencing gentle movement for spine health and a discussion on the Feldenkrais Method.
• Setting: Comfortably outdoors (weather permitting) or indoors, with options to sit in chairs or lie on the floor, soft lighting, and meditation music.
• We will close our time in Circle, enjoying an herbal tea.
• Deborah will lead you through a series of gentle movements focused on the spine, guiding you to explore its natural range of motion and fostering a deeper awareness of its alignment and flexibility.
• This workshop is open to eight women.
• $60.00 - non-refundable

Benefits:

Benefits of the "Feldenkrais® for Women’s Health & Mobility: Health of the Spine for New Beginnings" Workshop

1. Improved Spinal Health & Flexibility
   • Learn how to move with greater ease and less effort by addressing tension and misalignments in the spine. Gentle Feldenkrais® movements help improve spinal mobility, making everyday activities feel more comfortable and less stressful on your body.
2. Pain Relief & Reduced Discomfort
   • Whether you experience chronic back pain, stiffness, or discomfort, Feldenkrais® offers a powerful method for releasing tension in the spine and surrounding muscles. By re-patterning inefficient movement habits, you can reduce the strain on your back and neck, leading to lasting relief.
3. Better Posture & Alignment
   • Feldenkrais® enhances body awareness, allowing you to become more mindful of your posture. This leads to improved alignment, which not only relieves strain but also helps prevent future discomfort or injury.
4. Increased Mobility & Flexibility
   • As you improve the movement patterns in your spine, you'll experience greater overall mobility, allowing you to move with more fluidity and less restriction. This is especially helpful for women looking to maintain mobility as they age.
5. Stress Reduction & Relaxation
   • The workshop's gentle, mindful movements not only improve physical alignment but also help to calm the nervous system, reducing stress and tension in both the body and mind. You’ll leave feeling more centered, grounded, and relaxed.
6. Enhanced Energy Flow
   • A healthy, aligned spine is vital for the free flow of energy throughout the body. Feldenkrais® can help restore balance, improve your overall vitality, and support your body’s natural rhythms, making you feel more energized and present.
7. Support for Rehabilitation & Injury Prevention
   • If you're recovering from an injury or surgery, Feldenkrais® provides a safe and effective way to regain strength, stability, and mobility. The gentle movements are adaptable for women at any stage of recovery, promoting healing and preventing further strain.
8. Increased Self-Awareness & Mind-Body Connection
   • This workshop fosters a deeper connection between your mind and body. As you become more aware of how you move, you’ll gain insights into how your body communicates with you, helping you make more conscious choices for long-term health and well-being.
9. Personal Empowerment & New Beginnings
   • The workshop’s timing during the New Moon allows you to reflect on your personal goals and set intentions for your health journey. By strengthening the foundation of your spine, you're not only enhancing physical well-being but also cultivating inner strength and alignment for the future.
10. Accessible for All Women

• Feldenkrais® is suitable for women of all ages, fitness levels, and abilities. Whether you're a beginner or have experience with movement practices, the workshop’s focus on mindful movement ensures that everyone can benefit and participate at their own pace.

What to Wear

• Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that allows you to move easily. You should feel comfortable enough to sit, stand, and lie down in what you're wearing. 
• Wear /bring socks
• Please avoid wearing perfume, essential oils, or other fragrances that people might be allergic to or sensitive to. 
• Please bring a yoga mat or blanket and a large bath towel that can be folded for comfortable head support. 

Meet Your Instructor:

Deborah Murphy
Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner,
Centered Riding Instructor - Level ll, USDF Associate Instructor,
Reiki Practitioner - Master Level

Deborah brings a wealth of experience to this workshop. Growing up with horses, she has been riding since childhood and became passionate about the discipline of Dressage while serving as an Air Traffic Controller in Maine during the 1980s. Competing successfully through Second Level and earning her United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Associate Instructors status in 2009, Deborah has shifted her focus from competition to fostering trust and relationships between horse and rider.

Her journey into movement awareness began in 2009 with Centered Riding®, a method that emphasizes body awareness and centering for better communication with horses. Deborah became a certified Centered Riding Instructor in 2010, further enhancing her skills with a Level II certification in 2014.

In 2016, Deborah discovered the Feldenkrais Method through an Awareness Through Movement® class tailored for riders. She quickly noticed improvements not only in her riding but also in her daily life—moving with more ease, balance, and grace. Inspired by these transformative experiences, Deborah pursued training to share the Feldenkrais Method with others.