​The point of suspension: Freeing the head and neck from below
A Six-Class Series with Heather
Join Heather Emanuel for 6 classes
Feb 23 - Mar 30, Sundays 5pm at Yoga on Beacon and online via ZOOM
 
Dear South Seattle Feldenkrais Students, Clients, and Friends,
 
You are invited to the next class series!
 
One way of thinking about the relationship of our neck and head to the rest of us is to consider it like a pendulum. Pendulums have a point of suspension, where everything below swings freely back and forth. What does it mean to have a free head, and how does that freedom affect the rest of you? Where do you need to invite movement in order to have a feeling of steadiness and balance, as well as ease?
 
Another way to think about what is possible is to watch the flight of an Eagle—they keep their eyes on target. In order for them to keep their focus on their target, everything below their head must move. Check this video of an eagle flying and keeping his head level at all times: https://youtu.be/ZcOar6HDa6I
 
In this coming 6-series class, we will play with many positions in which to access a better sense of the connection between below and above. We will work with our necks from our feet, from our pelvises, from our spines, and from our arms.  This will be a good sampler to check out many different types of Feldenkrais classes: lying down, sitting in a chair, lying on your side, working with your eyes, spine.  
 
Many of us have biases, a slight head tilt, a tendency towards neck (and or shoulder) discomfort on one side. Many of us have other habitual difficulties that play into this that can be improved—back, chest, or hip, knee and even ankle issues.
 
We will play with balancing the work in our necks and spines, and moving towards more freedom in our heads and necks. We’ll work from many perspectives and positions, and you will find a couple of movement ideas you can return to during the week, to help you re-elicit the learning that occurs during class. We’ll inevitably improve our relationship with our chest, back, legs, hips, and ankles, all with the focus of helping us find a free head and neck.
 
Register here: South Seattle Feldenkrais - South Seattle Feldenkrais Please let me know if you have questions.
 
Meanwhile, I hope you are doing alright. I’m finding it more important than ever, for my own mental health, and for my physical wellbeing, to do some kind of mindful movement every day—even for just a few minutes. I hope you are finding practices and moments that can help sustain you!

How can a general Awareness Through Movement class be tailored to my particular difficulty?

This is a good question.
The seeming magic of Feldenkrais is that attending a class, any class on any topic will somehow improve your difficulty. Your nervous system will make this true. 

How is that possible?

Take for example an eye lesson. Let’s say you have back or neck pain, and you come to a class where you do eye movements. How does that help?

How an eye lesson helps your spine

• Your eyes help to coordinate the movement of your neck, and the moment you change/improve the quality of the movement of your eyes, it affects your spine (yourself) at every level.
  • This is because you cannot engage your eyes without affecting the muscles and bones in your neck, and you cannot engage or improve the musculature of your neck without affecting the musculature of your spine.
    • That means that at the end of an eye lesson your musculature is more well-coordinated at every level of your spine.
    • As a side note, this also means that your jaw and everything else will be improved as well. We are systems, so when you improve one part, everything else changes. 

How a hand lesson can help your hips

• The work of your hand is deeply connected to the way you organize your spine, your eyes. Not to mention that the musculature of your arm is connected from the base of your skull to your low back. This means that movements of the hand help reorganize the work you do in your shoulder, and in your spine.
  • There is a whole system reorganization that occurs with a change in muscular tone of your hand as well, and this, combined with the physical changes that occur in your shoulders and spine mean that you are reorganizing the way that you carry yourself, the way that you shift your weight.
    • When weight shifting and the movements of the spine improve, your hips don’t have to work so hard, because the Musculo-skeletal work of standing, moving, and sitting becomes more distributed across your whole self.
      • And so, a hand lesson might help your hips. And your back. And your neck, and your jaw. And so much more.

Feldenkrais classes help you with function, including thinking, balance, organizing yourself so that your action matches your intention. They help with self-awareness, self-regulation (the ability to cope or adapt to situations that arise while maintaining self-awareness and autonomy). 

So, why not come to class and see how your nervous system takes every lesson and makes it relevant to your particular issue?
​South Seattle Feldenkrais - South Seattle Feldenkrais

Although ATM stands for Awareness Through Movement, (not a cash machine), these classes are like building up a bank account of movement grammar that helps you make more fluent movement language when you are in your daily life. Lying, sitting, or walking, you discover things about yourself that help you move better, or rest better, during the week. 

Join Sheri Cohen for the next 7 weeks of classes. The last of the summer series is on 8/25/24, then South Seattle Feldenkrais classes are on hiatus for September 1st.

Fall classes begin with Sheri Cohen's 6-week series, followed by Mary Margaret Moore's 6-week series, and then you can join me over the holidays from December 1st through January 5th.  Please feel welcome to drop in for $20, or to register for either 6 or 18 classes at a time. Registering for a series gives you access to the recordings when you miss classes, and also gives you a discount. 

When you go to schedule with me, you'll see that I don't have availability until the very end of September. That's true! I'm travelling, some for work, and some for family. It's rare that I'm away for this amount of time at once. If you know you will need an appointment, I may have a few days in around the 6-9th. Please email me if you would like me to try to work you in. 

Otherwise, I refer my clients to Sheri Cohen for Feldenkrais sessions: Sheri Cohen Movement Education | Seattle Feldenkrais, Yoga & Dance
For my East side clients, I recommend Shrutee Sharma: Redmond WA Chronic Pain Specialist | Customized Care for Lasting Relief (shruteesharma.com)
For Cranio-Sacral work, please contact me directly, and I'll give you a few options.

Meanwhile, it may take me a day or so to respond by email.

See you in the fall!

A new 18-class, 3-part series begins at Yoga on Beacon, February 4th, with Sheri Cohen, Mary Margaret Moore, and Heather Emanuel. Classes are at 5pm Sundays. The best deal is all 18 classes for $295; come in person, access the class remotely if you wish, and have the recordings if you can't make class! Not sure about your schedule for the next 18 weeks? Sign up for 6 classes with Sheri, Mary Margaret, or Heather, or simply drop-in when it works for you. 

Awareness Through Movement classes offer a learning environment in which you can explore and recreate or rewrite movement habits so that in your day-to-day life, you have access to more of yourself. So, instead of always feeling that same pain when you do that thing, you might find yourself turning more easily, walking more simply. And because we are not separate from our bodies, our movement patterns are intertwined with our feelings about ourselves, our confidence, our vitality, and our wellbeing. When we lie on the floor, or sit, or stand and explore Awareness Through Movement lessons, we work with more than just the physical. We work with our whole selves.

​You are invited!

Dear clients, students, friends,
 
I’ve joined forces with Sheri Cohen and Mary Margaret Moore to offer ongoing Sunday 5pm Awareness Through Movement classes at Yoga on Beacon, starting September 10th.

What this means is regular Feldenkrais classes in the south end with three teachers! You can register for all classes, for 6-classes at a time, or simply drop-in. Classes are available in-person or online. 
 
For those of you who have never taken an Awareness Through Movement Class, these sessions are the group way of accessing similar reorganization you feel when you come up from the table. You’ll do some novel movement experiments, and play with focused attention, and in the process feel different from your head to your feet. These are wonderful ways to own your own growth and continue to make your own progress towards aligning your movement with your intention.
 
For more information, and to register for these classes, please go to http://SouthSeattleFeldenkrais.com I’ll also put a link on my website for you.  The flyer is here as well. 

Upcoming Workshop Sept 17:
Free Shoulders and Neck at The Yoga Tree Seattle. For those of you who have come to a variation on this workshop, each one is a little different, but all of them offer you some information, some instant relief, and some strategies for thinking differently about yourself in movement. 
​
Upcoming travel:
I have two trips coming up: Sept 5 – 15; and Sept 26 – Oct 9th.  While I’m away, I encourage you to go see Sheri Cohen shericohenmovement.com for individual sessions.
Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing you here, there, or around!

Montlake has been closed, and it's something how much Madison Valley becomes an island at these times.

Here are my travel dates for those of you wondering!

I'll be away September 5 - 15th working in San Fransisco, and September 27 - Oct 9th on vacation! Other than that, I plan to be around for the rest of the year.

Keep your eyes open for classes beginning in the fall, and remember to sign up for the next workshop at The Yoga Tree on September 17th. That's a fun one. Each of these workshops is different than the one before, but if you have special requests for things you'd like to revisit, please let me know. 

And, for those of you wondering, my application to become an assistant trainer for Feldenkrais practitioners-in-training has been accepted! Thank you to all of you who have contributed your well-wishes along the way. 

Kindly, Heather

April Feldenkrais Classes:
Sunday, April 16, 5-6pm
Wednesdays, April 19th & April 26th 10:30-11:30am
Three pop ups in April To come online, class registration is here.:
To come in-person, please email or text me. I give priority to current clients and previous class attendees. Class size limited to 3-4 people depending on what we are doing that day!

7 Class Series:  May 21 - July 5
Wednesday mornings 10:30
Online Drop-in $5-20 per class - register for the series, but pay when you come. You'll receive reminders for all the classes in the series. Or, simply email me for the zoom link.
Full series online $90 for the series (second weekly class included for free)
Full series In-person 1x week $120, plus free attendance in the second class online.

Two more Experiential Anatomy workshops coming up in June and July: One focused more towards breathing and posture; one towards balance, neck, ankle, foot and leg freedom. In Breath and Posture, we will explore the connections between how we hold ourselves and how we breathe, and improve both. Think neck and spine ease, and a freer more available breath. In Neck, Ankles and Balance we'll work with our feet, legs and neck, towards more effortless balance in walking and other activities. A caveat here, often when we work to improve movement and function of neck and legs, we feel a bit off balance and then find our improvement. That's possible, because as we change things, we must become used to the changes. Babies learn balance by losing their balance, just as we learn to find our equalibrium by feeling when things are off. This is true in life, as well as movement--or at least it has been for me!​

Did you know I am a member of a consortium of Feldenkrais Practitioners in Seattle? This is a fantastic resource of classes and practitioners. Perhaps you'd like a class closer to home? Perhaps you need an appointment and I'm away! 

It is always a good idea to try different practitioners. I love seeing you, and of course, I'm hoping to work with you again, but a different practitioner will always offer you a new perspective. It is like seeing yourself in a new context. It may be that a different perspective will spur new growth and even invigorate our work together when I return in May. 

Join me for two deep-dives, each with anatomy information and movement session that will help improve your relationship to yourself. These sessions introduce you to the Feldenkrais Method®, as well as help you feel better. How? Through novel movements that help feed new information to our brilliant nervous systems, providing us with more choices for how we do what we do! Even though these are focused on a particular area, improvement will be general—meaning, you’ll likely feel taller, experience neck freedom, and relaxation! In addition, find some rescue movements to help you keep what you learn.​

December 4th, find more comfortable sitting, and understand the anatomical foundations that support you during the many hours you spend in a chair. Take home with you some foundational knowledge, and movement practices that will help you sit more comfortably! Come again in January for the Shoulder workshop!

Two pop-up Awareness Through Movement Classes in December. This is not a series, so sign up for all the times you would like to attend, either online, or in-person. Only 3 spaces available for the in-person class. $20 in person / $15 online

I’m so grateful to you all for continuing to remember to avoid scented products, essential oils, lotions, and make-up when you come to the cottage. However, a few clients are coming wearing scent without realizing it.

As a chemically sensitive person, one of the most difficult things is Fabric Softeners and Scented Laundry detergent. It’s a good idea to simply keep a few items of clothing washed in scent-free detergent to use for visits to scent-free places (doctors, physical therapists, acupuncturist, etc.). Why? Because fabric scents stay in the space, sheets, and props, long after you leave. Sometimes it takes weeks to remove the scent (especially from fabric softeners, which coat fibers in perfumed silicone), and then these items are not available to use with other clients. In addition, they make me ill, and affect other clients!
​
For more information on why avoiding scented laundry products is good for you, your neighbors, and your environment, look at this Seattle Study! Hitchcock Center for the Environment | Education for a Healthy Planet and Scented laundry products emit hazardous chemicals through dryer vents | UW News (washington.edu)

I'll be offering one-to-one sessions through-out the holiday season. Keep in mind, I'll be away January 17 - February 5th, as part of my internship helping to teach at a Feldenkrais Training. 

Learn kinesiology and function of the spine, as well as the basic anatomy, through sensing, looking, exploring, and listening. Then, through movement, expand your awareness of how you use your spine, and use the process to improve your alignment, posture, and sense of ease. Sit better, stand better, breathe better. 

Hybrid - online or in person at The Yoga Tree in Fremont (Seattle)

We have room for a couple more people in this trauma informed training. Jodi and I deeply value the practice of Restorative Yoga, and love teaching teachers. This practice is deeply needed, and is powerful to offer in groups or individually. Even when working with manual therapy clients, I find that the propping continues to be something I use with my clients. As a practitioner, Restorative Yoga has helped me balance the business that I tend towards. Quiet, restful, and meditative, Restorative Yoga has been an invaluable healing modality for me, and for my clients and students.   An added workshop on 11/17 is included and will address teaching restorative yoga online.

Jodi Boone and I are teaching Thursday nights at 7:15pm. Jodi in-person, and I'm teaching online. We'd love to see you all! Register through Mind Body app, or at ​The Yoga Tree - Home

10/19 and 10/23 will be quieter lessons organized around the pelvis, and how moving the pelvis influences everything else. We'll work with asymmetries and anatomical specificity, as well as some mindfulness cuing.  In the later classes, we'll work with the pelvis, spine, and neck. Some lessons will be quiet, others will be more active. Some lying, some seated and lying, some possibly on hands and knees as well. 

Classes end 11/27, and will begin again next year

In this lesson we clarify the location and movement of the hip joints and find more availability in the ankles, and participation in the low ribs, sternum, and upper chest. Now, of course, that means that the primary place of focus in the hip joints is only the beginning, and learning to facilitate the movement in the hips by softening the rest of you can transform your walking, sitting, and general sense of well-being. 

Sunday's recording is a little different. We spend more time on some of the stranger movements at the end.