From the Editors
This month's edition of SenseAbility introduces a theme that points to what long-term practice of the Feldenkrais Method of somatic education can make possible. Within any single Awareness Through Movement® class or Functional Integration® session, it's possible for a person to feel a marked improvement in the their physical comfort, nervous system regulation and even their view of themselves within the course of an hour. Consistent practice over weeks or months can help a person dramatically improve their movement quality, recover from injury, or even alleviate long-term difficulties. However, by developing a deeper relationship with this practice over a period of years, one can notice a shift in one's overall attitude towards life. It's this factor that becomes especially important under highly difficult circumstances where no immediate solution is available and one needs to be both resilient and stay engaged for a lengthy period of time.
All three of our contributors share stories that speak to this longer term influence of the Feldenkrais Method in their lives, under trying circumstances - a life-changing injury, natural disaster and the grim realities of war. While we hope our readers never have to face similar situations, we think these stories will provide inspiration to anyone on the path to self-improvement as well as an opportunity to think through what qualities may be needed to experience wellbeing in an increasingly chaotic world.
Lisa Hueske's life was changed forever the when a day for relaxation on the beach ended with a tree falling on her shoulder, causing multiple broken bones in her ribs and shoulder. After which she was left paralysed in her left arm for a number of months. In her interview with Joe Webster, she describes her journey to rehabilitate from this blow and rediscover feelings of magic in her movement. Larissa Babij, a Feldenkrais® practioner living in wartime Ukraine, has been writing about her experiences since the Russian invasion in February 2022. She shares excerpts from her blog, A Kind of Refugee, that shed light on the kind of life and death survival instincts that informed Moshe Feldenkrais - who also lived through war - in his creation of the Feldenkrais Method. Eve Boltax, a recently graduated practitioner who had been looking forward to a summer of teaching in Vermont unexpectedly found herself applying the lessons of her training in a flood recovery zone. She writes about how the self-care strategies of Awareness Through Movement can also be used for cultivating resilience in times of crisis and in support of community.
We hope you will gain a new appreciation for the way that the Feldenkrais Method can deeply touch our lives from this issue of SenseAbility.
Jane, Joe and Seth
