How do ethics and professional boundaries impact your work?

There will be a Zoom Café to discuss “The Educated Heart” by Nina McIntosh and Laura Allen, on September 19 at 4:00 pm Pacific Time (7:00 Eastern Time).

Register Now!

Members of the FGNA Ethics Committee recently read The Educated Heart. Offering support for both new and experienced practitioners, the book can assist teachers of the Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education in understanding and navigating complex ethical boundaries and professional principles. It provides practical strategies for effective communication and professional relationships that enhance the quality of client care, helping ensure a strong practice.

This insightful book provides an overview of the challenges and ethical dilemmas faced by practitioners. It covers topics relevant to movement educators as well as massage therapists and bodyworkers.

Key points from the book include:

Navigating Complex Boundaries: The book explores how to define, address, and resolve the complexities practitioners face regarding professional boundaries.

Ethical Financial Interactions: McIntosh provides guidance on handling financial interactions with clients ethically and professionally, including setting fees, managing payments, and discussing financial matters.

Building Trust: It emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining trust with clients through consistent ethical behavior.

Additionally, the book features a series of illustrative case studies that highlight challenges and solutions, emphasizing the importance of maintaining professional boundaries. 

Prepare for the Zoom Café: Buy your copy and start reading now! The book is readily available for purchase online. Search for the 5th edition, which is most current, and contains new content covering boundary issues related to the Internet.

There will be changes in the FGNA Board positions at the end of August 2024.

Nancy Haller, who has volunteered her time and energy for the past 9 years, will be stepping down from her position of President of FGNA.

Maxine Sidenfaden, FGNA Director 2,  will be the new President of FGNA .

Fariya Doctor's who has been FGNA  BoD secretary (8 years) will be retiring from the Board, but continuing to facilitate the FGNA Cafes and remain on the Membership Committee.

Nicolette Gibson, will be assuming the FGNA Secretary position and will be the new FGNA Director 1 and will be assuming the FGNA Secretary position.

Erik LaSeur is stepping down from his position as a FGNA board member, FGNA Director 1, but will continue as FGNA Treasurer. 

Jane Johnston has been appointed to FGNA Director 6 and has resigned from her FGNA Director 2 Appointed. 

Misha Forrester (New England Regional Rep) has been appointed to the position of FGNA Director Appointed 2 and will be the new CORR/Board liaison in addition to taking on other duties. 

The FGNA BoD would like to acknowledge the creativity and generosity of CORR for providing $50 scholarships to the FGNA 2024 Annual Conference (15 to each of the10 regions) for FGNA members on a first come, first served basis and for their substantial FGNA 2024 Conference Series.

The 3rd Quarter FGNA Board Café will take place the end of August - BOD Cafe: August 28, 2024 4:30pm PT, be on the lookout for information about sign up. 

In addition, the FGNA Annual Meeting will take place on September 5th.  

In his lifetime, Moshe Feldenkrais spoke and wrote extensively about the importance of breath.  The fact that we breathe differently in various situations, like seeing red lights of a police car or falling in love, and he emphasized that there is not one “right” way to breathe.  

At the Feldenkrais Conference Series this year, our presenters will inspire you with practical tools around the theme of “Breath” so you can reconnect with this most important pillar of health. 

See you there!

Come get inspired! Awareness of our breathing has far reaching impact on our health and well-being. This year’s conference presenters will you help you deepen your understanding of "Breath” through the Feldenkrais Method®, from the very scientific aspects to the most practical strategies you can use to breathe easier through life.

Register

https://www.feldenkraisguild.com/events/register.aspx?id=1858336&itemid=dfffe517-c0c9-4470-b22a-3b44d8be84ab

Please set these dates to your calendar:

September 6, 2024

September 27, 2024

October 18, 2024

Learn more about the workshops here. Zoom links and more details on how to join will be provided prior to each event.

The deadline for Early Bird registration is August 9.

Workshop recordings for the days you purchase will be

included with registration!

Discussions about the possibility of having more ATM® Teacher training programs

Now that the two NATAB-accredited pilot project ATM Teacher training programs have been completed, it's time to look at whether, and if so how, to allow more ATM Teacher training programs accredited by NATAB.  There is a page on the FGNA website with information to support discussions about this (https://www.feldenkraisguild.com/page/atm-teacher-training-future), including the report of "what was learned" from the pilot projects, video recordings of interviews with Educational Directors and more.

A survey was sent to all FGNA members, FGNA certified teachers, and trainees in NATAB-accredited training programs to gather their initial thoughts. The survey closed on August 7, 2024. After reviewing the survey results, NATAB and the FGNA Board of Directors will discuss possible next steps.

Do you know someone who would like to learn about becoming a Feldenkrais® Practitioner?  

Our website has helpful information about Feldenkrais professional training programs, including:

links to training programs that are currently open for enrollment or in process. 

what participants will learn in a Feldenkrais training program

what Feldenkrais Practitioners know and are able to do...

and more!

Continuing to shine the spotlight on region library holdings!

We now travel to Canada.

The Canadian library received a generation donation of materials in April 2022 from

Marilyn Bentley, which more than doubled its holdings. In addition to two copies of

Alexander Yanai volumes 1-6, numerous books were added to their inventory, including

Anatomy of Movement by Blandine Calais-Germain

Awareness Heals by Steven Shafarman

Mindful Spontaneity by Ruth Alon

Singing with Your Whole Self by Nelson Blades-Zeller

The Brain’s Way of Healing by Norman Doidge

The Hand by Frank D. Wilson

The Master Moves by Moshe Feldenkrais

Wise Up by Guy Claxton

If you are someone who still likes touch the pages of a book (like I do) rather than reading an electronic screen, check these books out!

Access the library system  https://www.feldenkraisguild.com/page/interregion-library

… or … find the library link anytime through the FGNA Membership Portal’s Resources tab, then click the library link. 

Questions about your region’s library ‘branch’ - contact your region’s librarian.

Questions about the overall library system - contact Katherine W at
feldenkraisnwlibrary@gmail.com.

Each region is offering a $50 scholarship off the conference fee for professional practitioner registration until August 28. Scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis for the first 15 requests.

To Apply:

Contact your Regional Representative as soon as possible before August 28 to get your coupon code. 

Locate the email of your Region Rep on the Guild site (insert link: https://www.feldenkraisguild.com/page/regions-of-the-feldenkrais-guild-of-north-america)

Use the coupon code when you pay.

Already Registered?

Keep your receipt and contact your Regional Rep immediately to start the refund process 

Deadline:

The deadline to contact your Regional Rep is August 28.

Locate the email of your Region Rep on the Guild site (insert link: https://www.feldenkraisguild.com/page/regions-of-the-feldenkrais-guild-of-north-america)

This scholarship is offered to our region on behalf of the Council of Regional Representatives. 

Thank you to those who are not applying so others can. 

Your Region Representative participates on the Council of Regional Representatives which plans local and Guild-wide events to support members.

Strong service marks are essential for clear and identifiable professional services to the public. The public looks for this. Using FGNA service marks secure our strength and longevity as a profession. 

Here is the link to the FGNA service mark guidelines: https://www.feldenkraisguild.com/page/service-mark-use

 Here is the link to the footnotes. https://cdn.ymaws.com/feldenkrais.site-ym.com/resource/resmgr/pdf/02-20-21-sample-sm-footnote.pdf

Please write to FGNA Service Marks <servicemarks@feldenkraisguild.com> with questions

Gain access to original source materials from Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, DSc not found anywhere else!

Register for a free account to access the complete catalog (available exclusively to Practitioners and Trainees) at: https://feldenkrais-method.org/materials/catalog/  

if you are in a Feldenkrais® Professional Training Program, check out the Trainee resources here: https://feldenkrais-method.org/materials/iff-trainee-resources/

There are hundreds of hours of audio and video of Dr. Feldenkrais teaching: Esalen Workshop, San Francisco Training, Amherst Training, FI® lessons, and so forth. There are thousands of pages of transcripts of his teachings, as well as photographs and contemporary marketing videos in multiple languages. 

FGNA members are eligible for a special discount, Look for your discount code here: https://www.feldenkraisguild.com/page/international-feldenkrais-federation-discount?&hhsearchterms=%22discount%22

-

Sincerely,

Allegra Heidelinde

IFF Distribution Center
Seminal Feldenkrais Materials
https://feldenkrais-method.org

As many of you know, Erik LaSeur, Fariya Doc, and Nancy Haller will be leaving the FGNA Board shortly, after nine years of truly dedicated service.  

Our FGNA Board needs to fill not only their seats on the Board, but two other open seats. We also have some additional much needed volunteer positions. Without a constellation of volunteers, individuals on the Board and committees are spread very thin. Your help and expertise is needed.  The FGNA Board needs your support!

The FGNA Board and the Nominating Committee needs your support for the following positions! We are seeking volunteers for: 

The FGNA Board of Directors:

FGNA Board of Director #4, Q3 2024 – Q 2027

FGNA Board of Director #2, Q3 2025 – Q 2028

FGNA Board of Director #3, Q3 2025 – Q 2028

FGNA Board of Director #5, Q3 2025 – Q 2028

FGNA Nominating Committee 

The Nominating Committee generally meets for an hour twice a month February-October.

Nominating Committee seat #3, immediately – 12/31/2025

Nominating Committee seat #2 January 1, 2025 – 12/31/2026 which begins January 2025. The Nominating Committee generally meets for an hour twice a month February-October.

PLEASE don’t let these seats dwindle! This makes it harder for those continuing to serve, as well as for new initiations and projects to begin, which affects us all. 

You are welcome to immediately apply by going online to the application.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2QcTURWzKvijIOEq0npLbWOpWtXY_hF__hgAr6p

As a Director you will work with other Directors to ensure the stewardship for the continued legacy of The Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education. Directors at-large will meet regularly once a month for two hours, typically the last Monday of each month, with other Board members and chair a portfolio of one or more volunteer member committees. 

Would you like an addition way to get FGNA news, IFF news, news from your region and news from your colleagues? If so join our new Facebook group for FGNA members only. Join our FGNA Members Facebook Group. Click on this link to join. https://www.facebook.com/share/CZUzLXVrXF9mqCqN/ 

Dates: September 28 (10-4), September 29 (10-4), & September 30 (9-2)

Instructors: Sheri Cohen, Trainer Candidate, and Joshua Wolk, Assistant Trainer

Description: This workshop will be an intensive study of individualizing Functional Integration® lessons. Sheri and Josh will help participants build their abilities to address the unique needs of their clients, including acute observation, truly open-ended hypothesizing, comfort with not-knowing, identifying emergent patterns, and surfing surprises and seeming obstacles to become a truly responsive partner in duets with their clients.

Location: Rainier Beach Community Club, Seattle, WA

Host: Northwest Region and Council of Regional Representatives

Contact: Sheri Cohen, shericohenmovement@gmail.com; 206.941.4161

Cost: Cost: Early bird (by 8/31) $495; full fee - $550; plus discounts for Guild members (5%) and for Canadian member participants currency exchange adjustments (27%)

Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/948271003097?aff=oddtdtcreator

Title: Rolling for Seniors

Presenter: Moti Nativ

Dates: Nov 9-10

Where: Online

Upcoming FGNA Cafes

Board Cafe - August 28th

FGNA Annual Meeting - September 5th

Ethics Cafe - September 19

In Touch Live - October TBA

Publications

In Touch

FGNA Journal

InterRegion Library

Discounts on 

FGNA and Region Events

IFF Distribution Materials

ISMETA Membership

SAVE the Date for 2025 Renewals begin September 3

All is quiet on the legislative front. If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer in this area, please contact Government Relations Administrator Andrea Wiener: andrea.wiener@feldenkraisguild.com.