Workshops I Classes I Keynote I Lecture I US Workshops I Asheville Movement Center

Workshops

Health and Vitality

Any Health and Vitality workshops can be taught as intensives or in one hour segments during a several day residency.

The Body In Question!- New! What is the relation of the eyes to balance? How can wiggling the toes help relieve back pain? Why do we hold our breath? The myriad relationships among our body parts are taken for granted, yet many of the questions are rarely asked. This workshop offers an opportunity to explore the connections between the body and mind, the nervous system and the skeletal system. Lively discussion, presentation of fascinating research in the field of psychomotor learning and Feldenkrais® Awareness Through Movement® exercises will direct our investigation. You'll discover new options for easier movement, as well as making new connections about how your thinking and emotions affect your mobility and vice versa.

FeldenYoga! - Your back not bending in Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Facing Bow Pose)? Fingers a mile part in Gomukhasana (Cow Face)? Is Kurmasana (Turtle Pose) just a distant dream? This workshop will explore movement sequences specifically designed for the improvement of asana practice. Based on The Feldenkrais Method¨, these lessons are of value to anyone - from a beginning to advanced student. Each class will focus on specific poses. You'll leave feeling more flexible, with a more intelligent body, even if you don't practice yoga.

Get Some Sleep - Poor sleeping habits are responsible for problems ranging from depressed immune systems to fibromyalgia. This workshop provides tools for calming the nervous system for a proper night's sleep. These lessons can all be done in bed if desired, either with a cassette tape or memorized.

Freeing Neck and Jaw - The clenching and tensing of the head and neck area creates a number of painful conditions. Feldenkrais once said that if the head and neck are improperly organized, the work on the rest of the organism is a waste of time. Practical, simple movements help improve the head spine relationship so that less tension is required to be upright. Strategies for releasing clenching and gripping in the day time help reduce night time grinding and improve posture.

The Power Of The Pelvis - A locked pelvis inhibits movement, communicates insecurity, creates back pain, reduces sexual pleasure and diminishes personal potency. Abuse and trauma often freeze the entire pelvic region. Our culture glamorizes sexuality, yet punishes freedom of movement ("Nice girls don't wiggle like that.") This conflict affects not just personal power, but the ability to rotate, run, and lift using what Asian disciplines call the "hara", the power in the pelvis, leading to stiffness, arthritis in the hips, knee problems and more. This workshop introduces the value of pelvic freedom to the organism in a safe, nurturing environment.

Personal Development

Courageous Living: Body/Mind Tools for Anxious Times-
( MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION) The "fight or flight" response has gone haywire. Our apparently safe and comfortable life has an undercurrent of constant anxiety - crazy drivers, terrorists, the dreaded phone call, getting fired, failing, falling. This fear is not just in the head, it is a chemical response that can be controlled by a heightened kinesthetic awareness and relaxation of the body. Through discussion, writing, theater exercises and Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® lessons, students learn to recognize and identify the emotions masking fear, as well as strategies for creating a more courageous life.

Chakra Writing Workshop - What is the relationship between writer's block and a blocked chakra? How can opening your heart free your poetic soul? Do restrictions in the throat keep you from saying what needs to be expressed? Using Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement, meditation, visualization and of course writing, students will explore the relationship between freedom of movement, the chakras and creative expression.

" I got a physical and spiritual revelation as well as confidence as a writer, which is what I was looking for." Suzanne Chankalian, CMT

Walking Your Talk: Harnessing The Magic of Body Language
( MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION) - Before the words come out, the posture is there: the raised eyebrow, the tightened chest, the inadvertent smirk. Each expression, each gesture is tied to neurochemical responses that constantly communicate that which cannot be said in words. Actors throughout history have studied posture and gesture: from the ancient Greeks, then further developed by Delsarte. The blending of science and art is seen in techniques like The Alba Emoting Method For Actors, which was actually developed by a scientist, Susannah Bloch . Researchers like Paul Eckman, who developed the Facial Action Coding System are contributing to the evolution of this "science of gesture." In this workshop, students learn what these involuntary movements say to others, begin to recognize habitual postures, attitudes and gestures and develop strategies for turning this to advantage.

"Thank you, this workshop was inspiring, engaging and thought provoking. LaviniaÕs humor and clear physical presence were an added bonus."

Bringing Movement Into School Curriculums - Howard Gardner named kinesthetic intelligence as one of the seven intelligences needed for mature development. While private and some alternative schools have movement based education, most public schools keep children in their chairs outside of gym and recess. How do you incorporate movement into the classroom? How can it enhance the educational process? What are strategies for the classroom teacher? How can movement artists bring their talents to school systems? What are educational options for performing artists?

Creating Movement Theater - This is a product oriented residency that works intensely with a group of students - combining training with a scheduled performance. It can be an already existing company, or pre-determined theater piece, or it can be something that develops out of the process. Students will learn mime, mask, clown, choreography, improvisation, and other techniques necessary for the chosen piece. Length of workshop to be determined based on need.

The Great Adventure: Myth, Metaphor and Movement - Joseph Campbell once observed that each of us is the hero of our own myth, with obstacles, evil demons, unexpected help and dangers on the way to our goal. What myths were you born into? What myths do you communicate to others via your body language, your attitude? How do the challenges you face correspond to archetypes in history and the arts? (Are you Venus On the Half Shell or Edvard Munch's The Scream? Or both?) In this workshop, we examine the myths that emerge from our lives. We'll work to recognize the repetitive cycles, the destructive elements, as well as the allies along our path. You will experience a blend of approaches: Theater, The Feldenkrais Method¨, guided imagery, use of art resources. By working somatically and not just mentally, you will access tools that uncover your personal myth and how you can imagine new endings to your story. Then we'll explore ways these myths and archetypes can support us in the creation of our art, and the art of our lives.

Lectures/Keynotes/Performance

The following programs can be offered in conjunction with a scheduled workshop, or as separate events.

Keynote - The Courage To Be Yourself

Fear ruins many business deals, relationships, even careers. Whether you deny your fear or allow it to control you, it is still reflected in your posture and attitude, silently signaling others to respond not to you, but to your fears. Based on Plonka's book What Are You Afraid Of?, this one hour presentation will teach you to recognize key signs of fear in yourself and others, and offer basic tools to begin a courageous and successful life as who you really want to be.

Lecture - Walking Your Talk

Hunched shoulders, a sway back, swinging hips: "every move you make, every step you take" you are communicating, usually unconsciously. This fascinating lecture looks at some of the research, both historical and current, about body language, how it affects perception, and how you can benefit from studying it. Includes the Body Language Checklist - 12 Tips For A Successful Meeting.

Asheville Movement Center Schedule

The Asheville Movement Center is 900 sq ft of learning space. Classes include Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement, Nia, Yoga and more. If you are interested in renting Asheville Movement Center for workshops or classes contact Lavinia Plonka.

For Information on Classes, Workshops and for Directions click Here.

Workshops

Workshops Around The Country

Walking Your Talk,(Registration & Details)

Seattle, National Feldenkrais® Conference , Friday August 27
Registration: www.feldenkrais.com

Denver, Sept. 10-11, www.movement-educators.com

Dortmund, Germany, Oct. 1 - 3, D.Steinkamp@gmx.de