The West Seattle Community Feldenkrais Project

The West Seattle Community Feldenkrais Project is now moving to Alki!

To better suit schedules of the West Seattle population, the affordable alternative to West Seattle wellness will now hold the community Feldenkrais Project on Sundays at the AlkiMoves studio.

Sunday August 14th 11:00am - 3:00pm

This will be a sliding scale from $15 - $40 per half hour session with a Guild certified Feldenkrais Practitioner.

A significant discount over regular $100/session rates.

For more information contact:

Erik LaSeur

206-406-8154

erik@alkimoves.com

play...rest...renew...

Roll on the floor, learn something new

It amazes me sometimes the things I can learn just by lying on the floor, and playing with little movements.

After much time away from playing any kind of music, I've gotten bitten by the performance bug again. 

I recently saw the band I used to gig with playing at a local bar..."Erik where's your sax?" was the lead singer's cry out.

So I've pulled out my horn and am re-learning some old songs and learning some new ones.

Encountering some of the challenging spots I have in the past, my approach to change has changed much.

Lying on the floor and learning how I can do some challenging movements, by having a sense of lightness, keeping it simple, and not using force...this has helped me to learn how to play challenging passages on my saxophone.

Whether the challenge is one of keeping your balance, getting out of a chair easily, or learning to deal with frustration, Feldenkrais may offer an answer.

This Tuesday, February 1st we'll be having the next installment of the West Seattle community Feldenkrais clinic at the West Seattle Senior Center.

See you there!

Erik

Get up! Stand up!

This Tuesday January 4th, 2011 we'll have the first West Seattle community Feldenkrais clinic of the new year.

This week we'll start out at 12:30 with the classic lesson that got Moshé started on this fascinating work.

What is Good Posture?

"Any posture is acceptable in itself as long as it does not conflict with the law of nature,which is that the skeletal structure should counteract te pull of gravity, leaving the muscles free for movement."

Moshé Feldenkrais 'Awareness through Movement' pg 68

This statement is at the beginning of the first lesson in this book. It's all about going from sitting to standing, and how to do it without undue pressure upon the knees.

This was necessary for Moshé to learn because he had two really messed up knees.

Personally, I've done this lesson and pieces of it at least 100 times.

There is a lot to learn here.

As we get older, or are injured, or weak, this lesson becomes more important because our ability to use our muscles (old bad habits) to carry out this action are compromised.

If you're looking for a new, vibrant way to get up for 2011, come to the West Seattle Senior Center this Tuesday for a unique outlook on what good posture is.

Erik LaSeur

De-stress your winter holiday

Cinnamon resting

Are the holidays treating you well?

Do you need a short break from it all?

This Tuesday December 20th, at the West Seattle Senior Center, we'll be hosting the final community Feldenkrais clinic of 2010.

Feldenkrais is a great way to slow down for the moment, and give your nervous system a chance to rest.
The type of rest shown by Cinnamon in the picture above.

We don't just teach people how to move more easily, with less pain.
But it's also about learning to move more intelligently...with awareness.
It's also about being more efficient with our resources...rest when you need to rest, use as little effort as possible to effect a greater change.

The West Seattle community Feldenkrais clinic is held at the West Seattle Senior Center in the California room (between West Seattle Coin and the Thrift store) on the corner of California/Oregon streets.

We still have room for the group class from 12:30 - 1:15

And the following openings for the individual sessions:

1:30 - 1
2:15 - 1
3:00 - 3

Happy stress-free holidays,
Erik

http://www.alkimoves.com/



An oasis of relief

Are the holidays starting to stress you out?

Give yourself a welcome break, let your nerves rest.

Give Feldenkrais a try.

After a short hiatus because of the recent snow/ice storm to hit, the West Seattle community Feldenkrais clinic is back on:

Tuesday December 7th 2010

 

Group class is from 12:30 - 1:15 pm
$10
$5 WS Senior Center member

Individual sessions with a Guild certified Feldenkrais Practitioner:
$25
$15 WS Senior Center member

1:30 <-1 left
2:15
3:00

The West Seattle community Feldenkrais clinic is held in the California room of the West Seattle Senior Center.
Corner of Oregon and California, next to West Seattle Coin.

To reserve your spot call Erik
206-406-8154
or
email
erik@alkimoves.com

Moving through uncertainty, or another day at the clinic!

Today's West Seattle community Feldenkrais clinic was another lesson in moving through uncertainty. What do you do when the elk runs in front of your car?

Four new people who had never heard of the word 'feldenkrais' before, got to experience at least a group lesson (Awareness through Movement) today. Two of them also received individual lessons following the group lesson.

One of my goals for this clinic is to keep it as organic as possible, to keep it a learning experience for all who participate, clients and teachers. By working together we can learn from each other to better serve the population around us.

Part of being in the organic state is uncertainty. Where change is ever-present.
How do you deal with change?

Feldenkrais lessons have helped many with chronic pains, neurologic disorders, recovery from injury, etc., and they're also a great way to learn the skills to deal with change and uncertainty.

Our next West Seattle community Feldenkrais clinic will be held on Tuesday, November 23rd at the West Seattle Senior Center.
Also, we may have an addition to our practitioner family....

The leaves are fallin, the word is spreadin...

Today we had our third approximation of the West Seattle community Feldenkrais clinic.

Ana Oeste taught the ATM lesson, a wonderful exploration of sitting, using a chair to get to the floor, lying down, and going back to the chair.

Of course this lesson is/was geared toward the more senior members of our society...the ones that usually give me that look of "you'll have to get me off the floor if you make me lie down there!"

After the group lesson Ana, Mary, and I gave 1-on-1 lessons to the public.

I even ended up receiving a great lesson from Ana at the end, since we had a couple openings.

The next community clinic will be:

 Tuesday, October 26th at the West Seattle Senior Center.

Book Now as the three 1:30 lesson slots have already been booked.

We still have spots available at 2:15 and 3:00pm.

If you'd like an appointment call Erik LaSeur at 206-406-8154

What's your dream?

For more on the Feldenkrais Method:

http://www.feldenkrais.com/

Community clinic, part deux

The West Seattle community Feldenkrais clinic will be held again this coming

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Come experience movement in a new way.

Ease pain and increase comfort.

There are still openings for the 2:15 and 3:00 1-on-1 sessions

Contact Erik LaSeur

erik@alkimoves.com

206-406-8154

The West Seattle community Feldenkrais clinic will be held in the California room at the

West Seattle Senior Center

http://www.sc-ws.org/

Happy birth day!

Later today will be the inagural session of the West Seattle Community Feldenkrais clinic.

Anna, Mary, and I will be giving 30 minute individual lessons in the California room of the West Seattle Senior Center.

For more information contact Erik @ 206-406-8154

Sessions will be at 1:30pm, 2:15pm, and 3:00pm

$25.00 ($15.00 for WSSC members)

For more on the Feldenkrais Method:

http://www.feldenkrais.com/

Learning in the doing

Gas Works Park in Seattle

Yesterday I worked at my 5th street fair this season.  It was a low-key blues music festival in the middle of one of Seattle's larger urban parks.
Despite the 95 degree temperatures, we were busy all day, giving lessons and spreading the word of the wonderful work we do.
The above picture was taken before I erected my pop-up shelter, we were just to the right of the red canopy.
That along with sheets added to serve as walls provided wonderful shade for us to work in, and for the public to relax into themselves better while with us.
.
Having tried this 5 different times this year has given me valuable information on what works and what doesn't work:

A crowd does draw a crowd.
I knew this lesson from my days working at a gas station in the 70's. It was feast or famine, once one car comes in it tends to draw others in too.

Props help to stir the audiences curiosity.
My skeleton (dennis) has made appearances at 3 of these street fairs, and he always seems to be a crowd favorite.
Also, the use of clever signage. Mary made up two tall white boards, one with one word questions (anxious?, tired?, joyful?, etc.), and the other with a short blurb on what we were offering that day.

Look interesting.
The great thing about working with someone is that if no one comes in, then you can give each other a lesson. These lessons are always cut short by someone stopping by and wanting to be next.
Sitting around, twittling your thumbs doesn't draw people in very well

Have fun...life is short.

For more on the Feldenkrais Method
http://www.feldenkrais.com/

Erik LaSeur
Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner
206-406-8154
http://www.alkimoves.com/

improve your movement, improve your life

West Seattle Community Feldenkrais

Announcing the upcoming opening of the bi-weekly West Seattle Community Feldenkrais clinic. It will be held every other Tuesday afternoon from 12:30 to 3:30pm at the West Seattle Senior Center (WSSC) in the California room.

Each Feldenkrais Tuesday will begin with a group (seated or lying down) verbal lesson. These are known as 'Awareness though Movement' classes.
Learn how to move with greater ease and less pain.
This lesson will go from 12:30 till 1:15pm.
$5.00 - WSSC member
$10.00 - General public

Low-cost community Feldenkrais sessions.
These are 30 minute 1-on-1 sessions with a guild-certified Feldenkrais practitioner, in a room where 3 other sessions may also be going on.
Session times:
1:30 - 2:00
2:15 - 2:45
3:00 - 3:30

$15.00 - WSSC member
$25.00 - General public

This helps the public get a taste of what the Feldenkrais profession has to offer.
This is also a learning ground for Feldenkrais practitioners.
A study group
A mentoring

Beginning Tuesday, September 14th 2010

Erik