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Are you on all the time?

8/20/2019

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PicturePhoto: H Gordon-Kirk
If you make a fist, holding it maybe just a moment, and then relax your fist, it takes a little while to soften, and to settle. Even then, your hand may not be totally without work. Many of us are walking around in a fist, and we don't know! And even if/when we do know, we might not be sure how to address it. 

The more I teach Restorative Yoga, and the more I work with clients, the more I am aware that we all are working far too hard.  I don't mean your job, although, perhaps that is also true. Instead, I mean our muscular work. 

Its as though we instinctively are flinching, ready to run, always in fight or flight at some level. Or, we are working twice as hard to be in gravity as we need to be, because we simply have no other way to accommodate gravity than to fight it. We have only what we know how to do, and what we have developed out of habit.  But, you know, it is very hard to be ready to move, or to walk, or to run, when the body (you) are already tense. 

That tenseness is sometimes called high-tone, high muscular tone: like with sound, low tone would be soft, and high tone would be hard. We usually think of tone as a positive, but that’s not always true. A toned muscle is able to move well, but if the muscle is already on, like a light, how much brighter can it become? A toned muscle needs to be able to be on and off, so that when it is needed, it can be turned on, and when it isn’t needed, we are not spending our resources keeping a light on for no reason.

This is where Restorative Yoga and the Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education are such powerful practices for me, and for my students.  

I have learned, and am continually learning this truth: before I can change any behaviors that turn me into a fist, it is necessary to learn how to soften, to do nothing but yield and breath, to be available to myself, to be available for breathing. I must take the time I need to begin to let myself un-ball, unwrap, unwind. And I must practice doing it, so that it becomes more possible to be that way more often in my day-to-day.

This work of taking the time to do this practice of softening is deeply profound. It is a practice of being embodied (and learning to be embodied) mindfully, gently, without agenda, judgment, fear. It is a practice of being in the moment without being in a story we were told about ourselves, or a story we have been telling ourselves. It is about creating through our breath, through our inquisitiveness care for ourselves, our own experience of what it means to be. BE.

I’d like to share three things with you.
  1. Jodi Boone and I have begun a new venture:
        Restorative Yoga Institute
  1. We are offering a second Restorative Yoga Trauma Informed Teacher Training
  2. And I continue to offer weekly Restorative Yoga classes at Be Luminous Yoga in South Lake Union, Yoga on Beacon, and Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement classes at Wise Orchid at 20th and Union, on Capitol Hill.
I am so excited to be working with Jodi Boone to increase our offerings, and continue to promote restorative practices that empower people to find their own way towards healing.  


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Restorative Yoga and Feldenkrais® For Emotional Health

3/13/2019

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I am very fortunate to be able to stop everything. 

So, I did. And I practiced finding quiet. Listening to the underneath, the thoughts and emotions that are so easy to set aside in daily life, to quash, or to ignore. When ignored, emotions can become stuck, can sour. I was feeling so out of sorts, grumpy, and had not painted since January, but for a few sketches. It was like a little girl inside me was stamping her foot: "STOP" she said. And eventually I listened. 

Movement is one of the ways to work with emotion, not to deepen and exaggerate it, or to dwell in the stories that emerge, but simply to see it, and experience it in the body. 

In yoga, we often talk about meeting ourselves on the mat as we are, with acceptance for our bodies as they are. Sometimes, it feels like we say that, but then we push to meet some goal, to change ourselves.  Yet, if we really do see and accept ourselves as we are, then change becomes a possibility. It entirely depends on us to actually do the first step: really to accept and witness ourselves as we are.  Otherwise, our actions are in conflict with our needs. 

Its like we've been driving down a road, but we got lost. How do you go anywhere from a place of being lost? You can try, but where will you wind up? Yet, given a map, if you know your location, then step by step you can move towards your intention.  Sometimes, we pretend we aren't lost, or we know we are lost, and keep going anyway. That's part of the process too. 

Both Restorative Yoga and Feldenkrais are opportunities to create an inner map to our relationship with stillness, with our bodies, with pain, with comfort. They are ways to have a deep conversation rooted in compassion and honesty.  For me, these can be ways to meditate with and in the body in a way that honors my whole self, that teaches me to meet myself with neutrality and create ease.

This is why I practice, this is why I teach.  

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What Can Errol Flynn Teach Us about Yoga?

3/4/2019

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Errol Flynn, the movie star from the 30s and beyond, was trained to fence, and while his lifestyle might not teach us much about yoga, learning to reach effectively, from the spine, using the ribs, well that's a skill many yogis don't know they are missing. 

Watch the shape of Flynn as he dances up the stairs--Warrior Two anyone? What makes his stance powerful, and his thrust powerful, is his connection to the earth, the way he utilizes gravity to push up through his bones, his pelvis, into the spine, and directs the energy out the tip of his sword.  He is not static, and yet, he can be still. He is at ease, and that ease results in quickness.

What if we were so easy and soft through the ribs that they became a true transmitter for the force generated by our legs, hips, spine? How would that change the way we reach out to the world, grounded in our own sense of self? 

How does the very physical act of being both stable, and instantly movable, change our way of relating with others?

For me, to be truly connected to the earth, to be able to be at ease within--physically, and able to reach effectively out while not being pulled off balance: that is to be truly aligned with my inner intuition.  

Yoga, union, is to be really one with myself, body-mind-spirit. Doing the subtle practices of Feldenkrais lessons, one-to-one, or on my own, or in class, have taught me the places that I didn't know I was not inhabiting.  This has effected my yoga practice, the way I dance, and surprisingly, the way I communicate with others. 

Explore the Thoracic Spine, and see how it impacts everything--as above, so below... Tuesday 7-8pm

Drop in 15-20 sliding scale.

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Find a little ease: Moving Meditation Eyes and Neck

3/1/2019

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A Brief Exploration of the relationship between our eyes and neck, based on the work of Moshe Feldenkrais. Sense the relationship between the way you use your head in turning, the way you move your eyes. This is very personal, and although we all have a connection, how you move your head is dependent on your work, your development, even on culture. This exploration will help you sense your patterns, and possibly free you just a little bit. Enjoy.

Closed Captioned for ease of use and accessibility.

Please be mindful to only work in comfort. Pain does not cause gain in this way of working and sensing yourself. Pain is useful in knowing when to stop, and what some of your habits are. If you experience pain, back off, breathe. Do less. 
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Walking Habit: Orientation of the Feet

2/18/2019

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How do you walk? 
When did you learn to walk?
Did you ever alter that way?
Do you limp? How?
 
I was a dancer and my feet were turned out all the time—like, even when I walked, I was doing ballet. And when I turned my feet in, I only turned my feet in—but whatever happens with the feet, affects the knees and hips—and, you guessed it, everything all the way up through my neck and head.

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When I've had hip, back, or even neck pain, there have been many reasons. And, I’ve learned also that pain in my back can be perpetuated by how I organize myself from the ground up.
 
The Feldenkrais Method®  isn’t about thinking yourself into the "right way" to move every part. Instead, it is a way of orienting attention, creating experiences and a quality of attention to those experiences, so that I can distinguish between what it feels like to walk well—powerful, soft, so easy that it is like someone else is walking me along--and what it feels like to walk my habitual pattern. I don’t always walk “perfectly”—Instead, I have many ways to walk to suit my shoes, the terrain, just like we all do.

The "magic" comes from the quality of my attention, the ability to sense, and the ability to play. Through these, I can find out what I am doing, and then I have the opportunity to accept myself as I am, while also expanding my possibilities.

Play along:
  1. Walk, freeze everything except your legs and feet.
  2. Walk, let everything move, except your arms.
  3. Walk, turn in your feet slightly, and move anything you want. Go slowly, and make sure you can breathe. Take the time to sense what is moving in your hips, back, ribs, neck, head.
  4. Walk, (if you are in a small space change directions) turn out your feet. See how much movement is required of you. Turn in your feet. Turn out your feet.
  5. Walk, normally. How does it feel?
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Becoming free of self-imposed compulsion

2/18/2019

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At the coast, I had a plan. I’d hike from 3rd beach, on my own, camping one night in each place, and keeping a pace to arrive at the Hoh River. Then I would return.
I had chosen the pace, chosen everything about the hike.
And, as I humped past Giant’s Graveyard, towards Strawberry point, I became increasingly grumpy.
In my body, I felt heavy. My hips were beginning to ache.
I noticed an Eagle perched up on one of the rocky points out in the water. He was sitting. Just sitting.
I became more grumpy.
Continuing on, trudging in the sandy, rocky beach, I approached Strawberry Point, and again: an Eagle, sitting. Perched atop the tor, he was looking at the beautiful blue sky, and alternately napping.
I stopped.
Rebelliousness surged within me. Anger. Jealousy.
​Me, jealous of the Eagle.
I began to laugh. Here I was, self-directed, and completely behaving as though I’d been told “you must do this, in this way” and I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to keep walking. I didn’t care about making it to the Hoh River.
I simply stopped. Who was I rebelling against? Myself. So compulsive to stick to the plan that I couldn’t even listen to my own system, until I was able to choose.
I chose: I relaxed, looked around. I enjoyed the view.
I set my tent and happily stayed put for the rest of the trip.

Vacuuming

This self-imposed compulsion happens in movement too.
I remember “I had to” vacuum my son's bedroom. Every time, I would hurt afterwards—particularly in my back. 
Vaccum in hand, parts of me were forcing the issue, while parts of me were rebelling.
My hand pushed the handle.
My jaw was set against it.
My pelvis and hips were leaving the room—or certainly not contributing, as if by stillness they were keeping some part of myself free from having to do this chore.
That left my arm and upper back left to do the vacuuming--and that just was a recipe for pain. 
My physical body was not in agreement with my intended action. In fact, half of my intended to not vacuum at all, so I was literally and physically in conflict with my actions.

Does that mean I don't vacuum anymore? Nope. I found out that in order to really vacuum well, I need to be in agreement with it, with my whole self, that this is what I need to do.
Sometimes that is a shift from “should do” or “have to do” to “will do” and “need to do”—and sometimes it means really asking the question:
  1. Is this mine to do?
  2. How do I do this in a way that respects myself and my own boundaries?
  3. How do I make this more enjoyable for myself, or, if not enjoyable, how do I stay present and move in a way that is in agreement with my intentions?
This is one of the many ways the Feldenkrais Method® informs my choices today.

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1 minute Sitting Exploration

2/13/2019

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How are you sitting?
Many of  us find ourselves in front of the computer, legs crossed, pretty much only active from the shoulders and neck up. 
The pelvis? Well, it may be locked if our legs are crossed: all our movement emerging from the low back bending. Our pelvis is left out completely. 
We wonder why our necks are sore, our backs are sore, and our shoulders are sore. 
I usually notice at this point that I am barely breathing, not that I need much breath to work on the computer--but that the muscles of my chest are frozen in a way to support my shoulders and neck in this seat I've chosen.
 
This very short lesson might give you some clues as to how to support your connection to the Earth through your feet, and how to incorporate your sitting bones to organize underneath you to support your work. 
​
​Or, it could just be a lovely moment of connecting with yourself. What will you do with it?
https://vimeo.com/317107815
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Washing Dishes Dance

2/11/2019

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Stand at the counter. Feel the height of the sink, how far you stand away from it.
Notice how you reach into the sink. 
Are your knees straight? Or bent? 
How do you reach? Do you use your chest, or simply reach from the shoulder?
Do you bow your head and neck only? What about your chest?
Are you comfortable? Are you breathing? Would you stay still here and be able to breathe without effort?
If you've had a neck injury like whiplash, I would bet this is not your favorite activity. 

What I used to do all the time: If I look down only from my head and neck keeping my sternum (breast bone) aloft, as if I am standing tall, there is a conflict:  If I am trying to bend down, but my chest is up, I am going two opposing directions, creating 1. Neck pain and overuse; 2. Low back tension to help support me here, 3. Upper Back tension to hold me "erect".

What else is possible?
​My counter is often wet; I stand about 4 inches back from the counter, and find that the sink reaches me below my waist, around my hip bones.  That seems very low for me--and it used to be a problem. 
Now, I have many ways to reach into the sink.
Sometimes, I am fast, and think nothing of what I am doing. That used to mean only using my neck, and clenching my teeth. Headaches resulted from dishwashing. I've had many opportunities to learn other ways, though, so it is usually easy.
Today? I recorded a version of today's playing around with this. 


What to notice:
My trunk. Sometimes it is very quiet, usually when my neck is moving too much. Sometimes, I use my legs, and my whole body turns. You can tell when I am comfortable--it is quite obvious.

The roots of folding forward to reach the dishes:
The sternum, breast bone, is attached to the ribs with cartilage. The ribs attach to the spine. In order for me to bow effectively, the sternum can soften down towards the earth. That makes looking down easier, as it then comes from my whole spine. 


I also am aware of my contact with the earth, with the way I shift my weight, knees soft.

I know today, that much of my trunk movement is really coming from how I shift my weight in my pelvis, and how much I am using my whole spine. It was so much fun to play with keeping the glass still and moving my self around it.


What's true for you?
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The Wisdom of Silly Walks

1/29/2019

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Playful Walking Exploration (with Cat) from Heather on Vimeo.

I sure had fun exploring walking post session with a client today.  
"Walking backwards is often a simpler pattern, because it is homolateral," I suggested.
"Is that why it always feels so different!" She exclaimed, and then asked: "Can you walk backwards contra-laterally?" She tried it. So did I.
I sure have trouble--I can swing my arms opposite, but does that really count? In fact, its hard to even do what I think I am doing when I walk backwards!
How about you?
When you walk forwards and backwards pay attention and see what you do. Do you keep your head centered, and walk contra-laterally (opposite arm and foot lead, sense of this through your trunk)--or just swinging your arms, head centered, but your trunk is quiet--or do you feel a little side to side movement through your head. What happens if you try to walk with your head centered? Do your arms swing the same amount? Is your walk easy? 

In a Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lesson, questions like this lead to  further exploration, experiments with new ways of movement, epiphanies of self-awareness, and then an expansion of the possibilities of how we move. That would mean, in this case, an easier, more enjoyable walk! Come try it out! 

Tuesdays 7-8pm, beginning February 19
Wise Orchid Taijiquan & Qigong
2002 E Union St
Seattle WA 98122

PS: You may remember Monty Python's Bureau of Funny Walks sketch, or maybe that's just me. And although these walks aren't that funny--well, I laughed.

Register here
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Finding an internal reference

9/11/2018

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As a young dancer, I was trained to look at my teachers to form an image in my mind of the “right way” to do something, then to look in a mirror, and form myself to that image. This is an extrinsic way of learning with very little reference to my own body.

Of course, I learned also from the feedback I gained from moving, but that was after I already had the image of the “right way” and somehow, the image of how steps looked remained more important than how I felt them in my body.

This happens in yoga too: we look to our teachers for models of what the poses look like. That is not wrong. Our eyes are a useful tool for learning. And, yet, that model image may override our own experience of the pose. This happens for many reasons—our bodies may not match the body style, shape, of the teacher.  Our arms and legs may be longer or shorter relevant to our torsos, making the cues the teacher gives simply not apply to our shapes—and we may not even know that until years later. The cues for placing my feet for Bridge, for example, simply do not help me arrive in a configuration that helps me align for bridge--and that is true for more than 2/3 of the students I teach. Feet are either too far or too close to the sitting bones, too wide, or too narrow. The placement is based on canned cues that may not have been questioned even by a wonderful teacher (I have used them myself before I knew),  instead of being based on the function of lifting the hips in the air--and how that works for us--and what that means for how we place the feet.

As an adult, and as a practitioner of Yoga,  and most importantly, the Feldenkrais Method®, I now know that intrinsic feedback from my practice of yoga is invaluable to developing my own internal reference.  This is something that I began to learn in Yoga, but have learned to do playfully, experimentally, and joyfully through Awareness Through Movement® (Feldenkrais group classes) and Functional Integration® lessons. 

This idea of looking within for how I am aligned, how I feel, serves me in my life:  I am much more aware of whether I am violating my own boundaries in my day-to-day interactions with others and with myself. I can feel it in the way I am breathing, feel a sensation in my gut.

I have built in more space to listen deeply to the voice within, and as I have made changes to my life, and my way of being, that voice has become much more easy to hear.
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Taking some time to listen deeply to the voice within, and to restore. Join me Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 at Om Culture 2-4:30 for some of this for yourself!
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    ​Heather Danso wears many hats. As an artist, she playfully explores work in Acrylic, printing, and multimedia, creating portraits and abstracts that explore expression, playfulness, identity, and the possible.  Her CV is here.

    She is also a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Method® Practitioner, yoga teacher, Awareness Through Movement® teacher, and helps people design and manage their own websites.

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