For many decades, as I studied the Feldenkrais Method—through Awareness Through Movement lessons and individual Functional Integration lessons—I have marveled at how it provides people with ways to improve their direct experience of life. 

During this time, I have also participated in Yoga classes and, at times, found hints of pathways between the two approaches. Try as I might, I have yet to see a clear way to integrate them. But perhaps I’ve been trying too hard! After all, both approaches caution us about the pitfalls of trying too hard.

The image I have of this series is like embarking on a holiday visit to a beautiful valley. At first, the shapes, colours, and scents will be unfamiliar. You won’t yet know the dips and curves that lead to a shaded babbling brook or the wildflower-covered meadows bursting with life. Even the texture of the path beneath your feet will remain a mystery until you take your first steps.

You may carry apprehensions—Will it be too cold? Too challenging?—and hopes—Oh, for a cozy spot to enjoy coffee with a breathtaking view. But together, we will approach this valley with openness and curiosity, ready to discover its beauty.

Each class will be a pause in the journey, a chance to deeply experience and explore a yoga pose. Just as we would pause on a journey to fully take in the view or examine a hidden gem of the landscape, we will take the time to expand our experience of each pose in many ways—embracing it more fully and making it our own, creating a deeply articulated memory.

To fully appreciate the richness of this experience, we will draw on the Feldenkrais Method to awaken and refine our senses. Like any journey through new terrain, the most rewarding moments often come when we allow ourselves to truly take in the world around us: the scent of fresh air, the textures of leaves and petals, the subtle hues of flowers, and the solid grounding presence of trees.

As we journey, we will also awaken the kinesthetic sense—the deep inner awareness of movement and space—so that you feel free to turn and perceive the world in all directions. This is the essence of discovery: being fully present, fully alive, and open to the richness of the new.

This is not a conventional Yoga class, but it dives into ideas that you can use in your own yoga practice and even your yoga teaching. 

 We will explore several Yoga poses from the perspective of

•  How can I easily and gracefully approach the pose? 
• How can I learn to have more ease with the pose? 
• How can I use these ideas in enhancing my yoga... and my daily life?

This is a special class with an emphasis on Yoga positions and postures. The intention is to learn HOW TO engage these more challenging positions with EASE, LIGHTNESS, and holding intention lightly.