Chances are you’ve never looked at the soles of your shoes unless you needed to wipe dog poop off them, but they can tell you so much about your walk and about when it’s time to buy new shoes! An out-of-town client who I’ll call C, and who I hadn’t seen in years, came in recently with recent hip pain that didn’t have an obvious cause - until we looked at their shoes. Check these out.
Read moreFinding Comfort at Your Computer
Whether you work on a computer all day or you’re just on it for an hour or two sometimes, finding a set up that keeps you comfortable is so important and can feel so elusive. When you’re thinking about desk ergonomics, it’s really important to remember that computers (and especially laptops) were not designed with human bodies in mind. We have to intentionally set up our desks to accommodate ourselves, not the computer. Let’s start from the floor and work our way up.
Read moreDegrees of Awareness
The question of how much physical awareness one needs to get by has been on my mind a lot lately, and the variety person to person and day to day is astonishing. Think about it for yourself... How much attention do you need to give your feet as you walk down the street? How much does that change if the sidewalk is bumpy? What if you have a sprained ankle or some other foot injury? Are you someone who can walk while looking at your phone or reading a book?
Read moreBalance and Your Nervous System
This month, I've had the wonderful opportunity to help run a class taught by fellow Feldenkrais practitioner Becci Parsons on improving balance for people with peripheral neuropathy. This means that because of nerve impingement or nerve damage, they can't feel their feet to one degree or another. It's a very scary condition - imagine going through your day, unable to tell without looking where your feet are under you.
Read moreWinter Self-Care: Where Do I Start?
As the year goes through its seasons, our bodies develop different self-care needs. For many people, winter is the most physically challenging time of year - the cold weather aggravates inflammation and joint stiffness or pain, cold air might bring back your lungs' memory of bronchitis you had years ago, short dark days can worsen depression and deplete energy levels...
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