• Awareness,  Potential

    More To Say About Breathing

    More-about-breathing

    There can never be too much to say about breathing. Especially since it takes practice and attention to not leave it behind when we are doing the most mundane things. James Nestor, author of Breath, The New Science of a Lost Art, provided a 30 minute video for the Feldenkrais Summit this past May. I had talked to people about his book, listened to radio interviews and watched some of his YouTube videos. None of them moved me to buy his book, until I watched the summit video. I was intrigued by his explanation of the size and position of the mouth and throat and how over time,…

  • Awareness,  Potential

    Flexible Feet & Ankles

    Movement Matters Feldenkrais PT Maine Agile Feet and Ankles

    Early Learning Many people take notice of their bodies when in pain, taking them for granted unless something doesn’t work quite right. It’s unfortunate, but true. And it is understandable. We aren’t taught how to live in our bodies. With emphasis on thinking and doing and less on the embodiment of living, it makes sense that we are limited in staying ‘tuned in’. We do the best we can with what we have as we grow and learn in our families, communities and cultures. However, none of that is without trouble. Working as a physical therapist I did have opportunities to learn how to get out of pain…

  • Fun Things,  Performance

    Props…In Every Room…Without buying a thing.

    Movement Props-in-every-room-movement-matters

    Covid-19 I received the second Covid-19 vaccination in mid February. After a day of sporadic headaches and chills, tingling in my vaccinated arm and utter fatigue, I felt relieved and safer. Following a year of alternating between waves of upheaval and calm, I felt hope. In addition, more people were telling me they too were scheduled or had had their first or second dose. Built up tension began to soften. Warmer, longer, sunnier days added to the feeling that there was light at the end of the tunnel following a year of limits on our ability to move around freely. I began to feel energy–asking, begging, to get…

  • Fun Things

    2020 Season’s Greetings

    Season's Greetings from Movement Matters, Brunswick, Maine

    Peace Peace within Peace to each other Again & Again & Again Not taking health for granted Leaving a lighter footprint…. Going forward…..making a difference Appreciation and Thanks to All of You As we all find our footing into something better Peace into the New Year Happy Holiday Season from Movement Matters

  • Awareness,  Potential

    Breath

    breathing awareness

    Covid-19 2020 has seen the emergence of a global pandemic and the loss of human life of over 1.3 million people world wide, 2nd only to the Spanish Flu of 1918. Here in the United States the number of people infected has surpassed 12 million along with 255,000 deaths within eight months. Covid-19 is thought to be transmitted through droplets. When an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, the droplets land in the nose or mouth of someone nearby, drawing the infection into the lungs. We have learned from public health officials that social distancing and wearing face coverings is the best defense. However, some people find it…

  • Awareness

    A Crowded Restaurant

    Standing shoulder to shoulder in a crowded restaurant for an hour waiting for an open table takes its toll. (Four years previous to Covid when doing so was not such a threat.) There were five of us celebrating Matt, my middle son’s 21st birthday. As our wait time progressed, so did the edginess. Yes, it was hot and crowded, but we wanted to stay. It was my first time and everyone in our party raved about the food. So we waited. In his stewing irritation and with whatever else comes along with challenging situations, Matt began to complain to me about something. I honestly can’t remember what it…

  • Fun Things

    What Does It Take To Improve?

    Two minutes. James Clear, the author of “Atomic Habits“, has studied and created a method for dismantling old habits and starting new ones. It takes two minutes. Plus awareness. And an intention. Put the three together and we have a start. Moshe Feldenkrais wrote Awareness Through Movement in order for ordinary folk to have a method in which to improve. “Less is more”, “Go slowly”, and “Make it easy” are key features. To improve, there has to be a recognition that something isn’t as it could be or an idea that something is wanted that isn’t happening now. Where to begin? Ask questions. What’s wanted? For me there…

  • Awareness,  Fun Things,  Newsworthy,  Potential

    It Only Takes A Second…

    But we will give it two minutes. That is 120 times more! Wow that’s a lot. Imagine if our bank account made that big of a change? We probably wouldn’t be sitting at our computers! Maybe??? Change happens on a dime. As we are experiencing during this pandemic. There have been lots of roller coasters emotionally, financially, physically, mentally. And it is summer here in Maine. And it is lovely! Besides shark attacks and droughts and covid, we continue to move forward. And my moving forward is to start a “2 Minutes To Improve Club”. Inspired because I want to hike Mt. Katahdin, the tallest mountain in Maine …

  • Awareness,  Potential

    What Is Enough?

    May 25th. George Floyd died at the hands of police. Uprisings spread nationally and internationally over racial injustice. Raw anger and rage led to violence, arson and looting. Protests filled cities across the nation. Interviews, podcasts, videos, poetry, song, dance, and visual art supported all manners of expression. Grief and reflection ensued. This is a “moment”, a moment to look inward individually and collectively. No stone will go unturned. As I wrote the above, I was well aware of thoughts, much more than feelings. The feelings were the week before: grief, disgust, dismay, frustration–all easily tapped into; on the surface, some might say. Grieving for days, feeding my…