This writing is an ongoing process. It articulates a pedagogical approach when teaching Yoga Asanas, The Feldenkrais Method and Experiential-Anatomy . This comes from the experience of teaching for over 30 years internationally; with people who apply those practises in a variety of ways.

We teach classes and workshops, develop projects and conduct research, at Universities, Colleges, Cultural and Movement Centres, internationally, as well as, in our studios in the UK and USA. We also teach on-line, and in-person, individually, and in groups. Classes are available for anyone who is interested, and costs are negotiated (sliding scale), Contact us via e-mail for more information. (see the Home page for e-mail addresses)

We offer classes in:

- The Feldenkrais Method, focusing on gentle guided movement experiences enhancing body connectivity. 

- Yoga Asanas (Postures) in the Sivananda tradition focusing on  the self, the inner and outer body, breath work and relaxation 

- Experiential Anatomy focusing on developmental movement patterns, alignment through the nine lines of movement, constructive rest and Yoga Asanas

Our approach to teaching

Intro.

The work we have been developing, while unique, is part of a fantastic myriad of body-movement awareness work, addressing how the body/mind/self can effectively bring more ease and choice through greater body-movement understanding. One important and continuous rediscovery is to develop our sense of "proprioception", as well as, movement and structural knowledge; by asking ourselves to notice and give value to the process of movement- "the means whereby"- rather than only emphasising the final result. 

" Yoga is not about touching your toes, it's about what you learn on the way down." 

- Jigar Gor 

And, an important part of this process is, of course, having an individual movement experience, as well as, connecting with others in a group. While we work with overarching principles from anatomical studies and empirical research on the structuring of a movement class; we recognise that approaches, methods, and techniques sometimes share principles and sometimes differ, as a result questions can emerge. But within these differences we always bring our own unique selves to the practice. Acknowledging this, and working through a sense of process helps us to avoid potentially injurious approaches- like competitiveness for example- realising there are informed alternatives/options within a given form related to each individual, and this  plays an important part of learning about body-movement. 

“Everyone evolves according to his or her own nature. Because each body and mind is unique, each person’s natural physical and mental response to (... ) practice is different.”

- Ram Jain and Kalyani Hauswirth- Jaan

It is not uncommon for many of us to move about in our day-to-day lives- put on our clothes, go down stairs and ramps, we lie, sit, stand and walk; a large part of our work has been to develop an understanding of the elements and articulations within these movements, rather than just arriving in a shape, or place, without a sense of how we chose to get there.

"If we attempt to carry out an action with awareness- that is to follow it in detail- we soon discover that even the simplest and common of actions, such as getting up from a chair, is a mystery and we have no idea at all of how it is done."

- Moshe Feldenkrais

Focusing on the process, and working developmentally, can help  us gain a greater understanding of individual movement preferences and habits and offers important information toward creating more efficient pathways. We consider any missed steps and elements that individuals are not utilising, or are skipping, when practicing a posture/movement. The goal is to develop a greater level of efficiency, and to practice in a way that avoids injury, while still exploring extra-functional, as well as, functional movement.

"Weakness, inflexibility, and lack of coordination are often not due to structural or muscular problems but caused by a lack of process. When that process is actualised, we experience strength, flexibility, and ease in our movement and our mind".

Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen

 Focusing on the process of mobility can offer a neurological pathway to greater ease if we can avoid blocking that process. Part of this involves adapting to changing conditions or requirements in motion and when in a posture, avoiding gripping or holding, and as a result our relationship to our environment remains more dynamic.

"many people got injured in an attempt to contract through movements in the mistaken belief that they were stabilising something. Human movement is a pretty balanced and intelligent thing and when you move, the things that are allowing you to do it without falling over, already know what they have to do. They don’t need you to stabilise them."

Julian Baker

To conclude, we can actively question how we perform movement by observing what pathways we sequence through and our choices within a specific form. These are issues that, most likely, cannot be fully understood in just one moment, so to make change, curiosity and consistency can support finding more ease on issues like lower-back pain, stiff and sore joints, recurring injuries etc.. How we approach whatever we do is a key component of the outcome. Often, correcting from the perspective of form alone, or the end result of a movement, or "holding" without a sense of awareness to inflow and outflow of information, can be reductive and less translatable to what our bodies may actually need to do from day to day, as we shift from movement to movement and in dialogue with our surroundings. We want to improve the sense of "dialogic" movement, making new discoveries about our structure and habits; developing our thinking and feeling to facilitate a deeper sense of body, movement, space/time awareness, coordination, range and integration. Principles that support all aspects of movement.

"Movement is life, life is a process, improve the quality of the

process and you improve the quality of life itself"
Moshe Feldenkrais.