As December approaches, we often look for ways to lighten our moods and hearts. It's an easy time of year to get lost in election results, the potential difficulties of family gatherings, the change in weather and amount of daylight, and the desire to hibernate. Here's a mini-lesson to help you along the path toward lightness, whether it's mental, emotional, or physical.
Read moreA Still Small Voice: The Jewishness of Feldenkrais
Unlike the American New Year, the Jewish New Year turns in the fall, based on the lunar calendar. Like all New Year’s celebrations, it comes with a party and a ton of food, but it also brings with it a time of thoughtful quietness in the form of Rosh Hashanah (New Year's Eve) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). The 10 days between them known as the Days of Awe are considered the holiest days of the Jewish calendar.
Read moreLower Back Pain and Your Legs
If you've ever experienced lower back pain, be it constant or occasional, you know how much trouble it can cause you. The difficulty of going from sitting to standing, going up stairs and hills, leaning or squatting down to pick something up... There are seemingly endless activities that can trigger lower back pain. So why is that?
Read moreSome Tools for the Physical Side of Grief
Only three days after the horrifying attack on a Latin music night in a gay bar in Orlando, I've decided to write about the physical manifestations of grief, and some tools for working through it. Partially, this post is for myself and my own processing, since as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, this hit me very hard personally. I hope it offers you some reprieve too, whether from pain about Orlando or something else entirely.
Read moreA Story of Jaws and Panic Attacks
Today, a client brought up her panic attacks, which manifest physically as extreme tension through her upper chest, throat, and jaw. We started to do some work with her jaw, because the tension you carry in your jaw ripples down into your throat and upper chest, and a question came up. In response to asking her to gently open her mouth a little and hold it there, she asked, "Why is this so hard?!"
Read more