--you want to reduce stress and if you have a tendency to always "do too much" that you'd like to change

--you have a desire to move better in whatever it is you do, whether it's gardening, massage, sports, dance, bicycling, playing an instrument, or being able to get into and out of a chair more easily. These things might sound relatively minor to most people, but if you are a professional musician, a senior, a health care provider, or a performing artist (for example), you know that being able to move well and easily affects not only the quality of your life, but also your ability to function in your profession and/or maintain your independence.

--you are a parent or relative to a special needs child, teen, or adult who needs help with physical and emotional development

--you are looking to facilitate your recovery from injury, surgery, or repetitive strain--in other words, to "get back to your life," as many people put it

--you are curious about how you can better live your life as a complete whole, body and mind functioning in harmony

--you enjoy learning, growth, and transformation

How does it work? Think of it like this. If you move/sit/stand in a certain way, let's say with a particular twist to your back, after many years of doing this, it's entirely possible that the repetitive twisting will cause your back to start to hurt in some way. Then you might go to a doctor, PT, massage therapist, etc. to get relief. That person can usually provide a temporary and quite helpful "fix" to the pain. However, the "fix" might dissipate over the course of a week or two and then you need the same thing again.

Another way to illustrate is to say that in many ways the medical model is linear. You have X condition and you do X, Y, and Z to make it better. Of course, sometimes that doesn't work out the way we hoped. Or, we get some better, but not all the way better, and we are left feeling a bit short. We ask, "Well, now what? I did all my treatment and here I am...what do I do next to get better?"

Feldenkrais is sort of like one of those maps at the mall with a big star that says "You Are Here." The question we ask is not, "What's wrong with you?" but "Where do you want to go?" It's a different way of thinking, one that is non-linear and explores possibilities instead of pathologies. This is why Feldenkrais is a good complement to medical practice--it provides a way of working with whatever your goals and challenges are that isn't limited by the need to follow a linear treatment sequence.

In Awareness through Movement classes, I guide a group of people verbally through lessons. Groups vary in size from 4-10 people and meet once a week for an hour and 15 minutes. Most of the lessons are done while lying on the floor, on a mat or blanket if you desire. I guide you verbally through a series of gentle, structured movements. The focus is on your sense of yourself and finding easy ways to move, not on competition or pushing yourself.

Common 'side effects' of a Feldenkrais lesson are:

--feelings of increased mobility

--better breathing and/or posture

--increased relaxation

Over time, my clients often find that they take what they learn in class into their daily lives, functioning in more integrated and holistic ways.

In Functional Integration I work one-on-one with you privately. We may work on a table or on the floor. I use a combination of verbal guidance and gentle touch to guide you through a lesson relevant to what you want to explore.

Please note that the work I do is educational, not therapeutic, although learning about the ways you think, feel, sense, and move has therapeutic benefits. Feldenkrais is not medicine, therapy, massage or energy work (if it seems to both of us that this is what you need, I will refer you to the appropriate professional(s) for such services.) Instead, what you and I do is take a guided tour through your movement patterns and learn ways to improve them. The process is very gentle and a lesson takes around an hour. I teach you how to learn about yourself and improve the quality of your life using the way you think, move, sense, and feel as the learning vehicle. It's learning how to learn, which is one of the most valuable and powerful tools with which a human being can approach life.

ATM classes, as they are called, are more affordable than one on one sessions and also offer a different learning experience. People often ask me if they should do a class or private sessions. In actuality, most of my clients do both at one time or another, depending on their needs. I can make more specific recommendations when we talk initially about what might be the best for you.

My Awareness through Movement class schedule can be found on the page entitled 'Feldy Classes' on the toolbar. For information on one-on-one sessions, click the 'Functional Integration' link.

I am also a graduate student in Texas State's Master's Program in Professional Counseling and am studying for an LPC licensure in community counseling. My long-term goal is to provide integrated mind-body services to both the general public and within specific environments, such as positive self-image and health workshops for young people, stress reduction for caregivers, and preventive movement training for performing artists, in addition to my Feldenkrais practice.

It is especially important to me that the people I teach each find their unique way of becoming their own teacher. I view myself as a guide accompanying a person's learning and growth process, rather than as a "fixer" or therapist of any kind. Ultimately, the power to transform comes from inside of you. What I do is gently direct and shape some of the pathways that allow your power to grow, develop, and self-express.