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Feldenkrais Testimonials
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25.01.2022 A lovely short story (if I can contain myself?) Some of you may recall 'my beautiful 21yr old ballerina' I have been working and playing more with. Who ALREADY had narrow L3/4 intervertebral disc at her age !!! Here is a little update. I began seeing her in mid Feb. Once per week visits led to fortnightly visits. Her chronic pain of 4yrs was ameliorated on first visit. Her primary interest now is in improving her movement possibilities. Each visit I give her many ATM's follow...ing my theme on the day to practise as homework on her USB. Series of a well designed structure of ATM is so important IMHO. Always in mind I have her PATTERN of compressing her L3/4 disc and she needs to learn to learn to move in a way she no longer does that, irrespective of any fear of pain, her breath. So now, I as an FP etc am very excited to have a student who just wants to learn to move. For many years my reputation is to heal the most extremely disabled people and people with severe chronic pain. So they become the majority of my clientele. It is lovely and refreshing to find an absolutely beautiful young woman who moves so well learning so much and extending her learning to young ballet children she is teaching. Just recently, I gave her an FI of artificial floor, lots of home work on feet lessons and then the ATM of interlacing the toes and Roman Sandals by Ruthy Alon, ever since her feet have felt much bigger and she gave the lesson to the children (in her way), the children loved it she said, and all commented that their feet felt bigger. She explained to me today how much value she saw in the lessons and how she could so easily share with her own young children students and how much fun it was for the children. Of course the children could interlock their toes better than the teacher. " When your student surpasses you, you know you have been a good teacher." Dr MF Now THAT is preventative medicine.
24.01.2022 More on Carter - 4yr old boy with diplegic cerebral palsy 15.05.2018 My lesson with Carter today....Continue reading
24.01.2022 Testimonial I have been an outdoors person all my life. I have ridden horses, trekked the Himalayas, sea kayaked and explored remote regions. When pain began to limit my ability to ford rivers I sought help from Kim Wise, Feldenkrais practitioner. She was able to reduce my pain and teach me to use my body more effectively. We already knew I had scoliosis and 5 bulging discs in the lumbar spine. However, there was something seriously wrong. The first MRI showed calcium ...build up pressing on a nerve. So I had surgery to take the pressure off. Still the pain persisted. Another MRI showed I had torn the tendon off my pelvic bone and all the muscles had also been torn. I had surgery to lengthen and reattach the tendon with 3 screws inserted. The muscles were all sown back into place. The pain following this operation was quite intense. Kim was able to reduce and even relieve the pain on my fortnightly hands-on sessions. It took me 60 years to find out that putting in more effort was counterproductive. My old ineffective patterns of thinking and movement took a long time to fade away. My learning has been on both a conscious and an unconscious level. I am much more aware of how I use my body but am also able to play and explore until my own innate intelligence finds the effortless way to do what needs doing. So 18 months after my last operation I have reached a new milestone in my recovery. A few weeks ago I rode in hilly country, on a strange horse, in a different saddle for a total of 6 hours over 2 days. This was no walk in the park we really did a lot of trotting and fast cantering. I am 63 years old and I did not have any soreness in my back or hips. Thanks to Kim and her expertise in Feldenkrais I am ready to get back to my adventurous life with less effort but greater efficiency. See more
21.01.2022 SEVERE SKELETAL DEFORMITIES AND Change of State Here is a classic example of the power of Functional Integration. The so called more primitive nervous systems are the most intelligent IMHO; the innate intelligence is what I often refer to as the LEARNER ENZYME; and as always is so powerfully exemplified by animals. So check this out. Finding that balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the CNS in the field of gravity while navigating, differentiating, integ...Continue reading
20.01.2022 More follow up and history on Carter. April 2018 Carter is a very intelligent and robust 4yr old boy with diplegic cerebral palsy. (Meaning that only his two legs are primarily affected by the cerebral palsy.)...Continue reading
20.01.2022 I worked on a 4yr old girl today who has had a 2yr history of knee pain. She first consulted me 3 months ago, today was the third session. Since the first consultation her parents stated to me that she had not suffered from any knee pain and had been very seriously active. For the two years prior to consulting me she had been under the care of her GP, a Paediatrician, a Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist, a Podiatrist and Orthotist. She was wearing a foot orthosis and stil...l suffering chronic knee pain. I explained well to the parents the need for the foot to learn organically and to get rid of the orthotics immediately and they did so. The orthotics are a crutch that the bone will learn to lean on, and the muscles no longer need to hold up the bone, even more than it is collapsing. Although there must be something that replaces the orthotic and that is simply education. How the body can re learn to move more intelligently and natural arches return to children's feet without orthotics. To heal her knees the first lesson including rolling her up in a blanket made into a hammock, holding her in a foetal position and rocking her in an ATM mode in as many planes and directions you can imagine. Mum holding one end of the blanket and Dad the other. Lots of other fun games; balancing books on the feet, painting the toenails lying on the back and many other orientations. While knees are bent and feet are standing, rolling feet on rollers of all sizes and textures, and the list goes on and on. I always use a developmental approach and teach the parents. This little girl has great parents who have been diligent and doing amazing things by continuing to work with the program I recommend. It was never about her knees alone. Once HOW the other parts were put together changed, the knee pain just went away.
18.01.2022 A SAD UPDATE TO THIS POST. Liesl passed away at 3am this morning. RIP Most beautiful spirited woman who suffered so much pain and disability all her life yet always had a smile, a positive attitude and a joke. She always made me laugh. I have worked with her for approx 5 yrs and love her so much. RIP you beautiful angel. This is beautiful Liesl at 65 yrs who suffers from very severe rheumatoid arthritis. Many years in the past of many extensive and invasive corrective orthopa...edic surgeries. Her ankles are fused with screws, her back and neck are also full of screws. Last year she consulted me to work with her after corrective (R) hand surgery. She could no longer use her hand or fingers after the surgery even though her fingers now were 'straighter'. I told her that her brain did not know where her fingers were anymore, so to speak. I began lessons and she quickly began to improve function in many ways.
18.01.2022 A magic day today visiting a 101yr old gentleman in a private nursing home. His daughter asked me come to consult him despite the nursing home having a physiotherapist. He told me straight up that he wanted to live until 106. He was obviously astute and had enough mental capacity to understand and respond appropriately. I had to use a microphone to speak to him through his ear phones and he was blind. He is bedridden with bilateral knee contractures, can barely move nor roll ...over, he has severe OA in shoulders spine, hips, knees ankles, feet and toes. I was able to get him to lift his right arm to reach over to me a few times. Did some head rolling and eye movements with the arm reaching. Bent his knees, stood on his feet and rolled his pelvis side to side, integrating with reaching. Then he wanted to stop because he wanted to go to the toilet and as he said, Have a poo. At first he was orientated (BUT could still not do it !) to only roll to the right, after the lesson he was rolling to the left. He enjoyed it and especially his daughter who was amazed at the gentleness, patience and tenderness and how much her father enjoyed the lesson. She hugged me twice when I left. Back there next week. Keep you posted. I must add some of the things the daughter said during the lesson. "OMG I have never seen anyone touch him so gently." "No one has ever been able to touch his feet before he always screams, you have been touching them for 10 minutes and he is going to sleep, he loves it." Tears welled in her eyes. So much more she said in amazement to see her father treated with so much dignity. This is what is lacking in our aged care.
17.01.2022 After numerous doctor visits for foot problems and bursitis and then wondering if I needed a hip or knee replacement because I couldn't walk very well, couldn't walk up stairs normally, couldn't stand in one place for long without back-ache, knee and hip waking me during the night, I finally I realised these things were probably all related so went to see Kim. Pity I didn't go six months earlier as I got instant relief and after four visits (and many hours homework), and now know I have the tools to hear what my body is saying. I am already greatly improved in all areas and looking forward to finding out where this journey takes me. Thankyou Kim. Lorraine 72 years old
17.01.2022 Louisa has not been able to do what you see in this video, ever before in her 36yrs of life, It is follow up time again. More about beautiful evolving Louisa a young woman with Severe Athetoid Cerebral Palsy with whom I have had the absolute pleasure to work with for over two years now. Twice per week the past 15mths. She lives alone in her lovely little home and is doing her PhD in Psychology at Uni. The history is exhaustive, so I will keep it short>...Continue reading
15.01.2022 Who would know learning to move your shoulder blades in an ATM could immediately ameliorate knee pain and dysfunction. ie not being able to walk upstairs? Only a Feldenkrais Practitioner would know. Would we not? I taught an ATM to a brand new student in class a week ago. Amherst 12 Movement of the Shoulder Blades. She reported immediately after the lesson that her knees felt better and I spoke to her a week later and her knees were still great, no pain and so much improved f...unction, she said she could even walk upstairs without any difficulty now. She booked in yesterday for a private lesson. The ATM involved pulling on the wrists with hands behind the head, sliding the hands, gets a little complex but repeated in many orientations, on back , sitting and prone. Everyones chest had lifted so much after the lesson. Some students were walking in the homolateral pattern, returning to primitive old patterns of the gorillas, with arms hanging very loosely and swinging a lot more, shoulder blades gliding. This is a very interesting concept or phenomena as to why that occurs after some ATM's and the CNS to recalibrate and how and why it adopts more primitive patterns of movement, it is like going back to the beginning. Cleaning the slate to learn something new. So what happened to the bilateral knee problem this woman had? I think just by changing the way she re-organised her rib cage during the lesson changed the vectors of force through her skeleton to her feet. I believe she became better balanced which freed the work she was doing on her knee joints.
15.01.2022 https://feldenkrais-method.org/research/reference-database/
13.01.2022 When we have one of those HUGE moments of revelation in our lives, while working/playing with our students, they are very special moments. Here is another one to be remembered forever and I believe one to be shared, especially with my kin, my fellow Feldenkrais Practitioners Around the World. What I struggle with is my belief in my ability to articulate, with words to adequately describe what happened today. IN MY HUGE MOMENT... :) The huge moment in it's moment in the end wa...Continue reading
13.01.2022 DOING LESS TO GAIN MORE I am forever reminded of how much less is more. Again today I was reminded with a FIRST lesson with a true blue honest as the day is long, the finest of old gentleman (He is so IT savvy too, has all his computers), all of his life has been very hard physically working; an Aussie 84yrs of age. Who would have no concept in the world of what doing less is to gain more. The world is flat syndrome but an open, highly intelligent man with a heart of gold. He...Continue reading
12.01.2022 An email from a parent of a boy with cerebral palsy who could not walk at 2yrs of age, who is now 4yrs old. "I have lots of videos to show you of our little boy playing soccer and gymnastics which I thought would be of interest to you - not only to see his skills and movement but just how far he has come with you Kim!! " I love my work.
12.01.2022 Teaching a series of ATM's at the moment on the 'planes' of movement relative to gravity. These 'planes' are the basic cardinal directions we move in when broken down in our thinking using mathematics, physics and with the understanding of child development neurologically as does Moshe did. (Intended misuse of language at the end there. lol ) This series is what I call my Mindful Spontaneity series. (Thank you Ruthy Alon to allow me to use your words - for those in the 'not k...now zone' Ruthy Alon wrote a brilliant BIG book called Mindful Spontaneity.) I usually switch from teaching a series of AY or Amherst, SF etc lessons and then always come back to my Mindful Spontaneity Lessons. Which I always feel more comfortable doing. They grow each time after studying Moshe and teaching his lessons for long periods of time, but I come back to me each time with more knowledge more ideas, more concepts and closer approximations in what Moshe wanted us to learn as Feldenkrais Practitioners teaching ATM. Or as Ruthy Alon said, "Providing the perfect green house for learning." I design my Mindful Spontaneity lesson on my 20min drive through the forest into town to teach my class. Of course with a theme in mind of the whole series. It is a long learning process teaching ATM and learning HOW to teach ATM. Last week was moving in the forward and backward plane of movement in standing relative to gravity, the lesson transpired on the floor of course and 100% of students felt a huge shift when standing after the lesson, forward of course. Tonight I jumped right up the ladder of child development to make an impact and did a lesson on rotation. Only second lesson of series. Rotation of planes relative to gravity. Yes it was an amazing lesson. Every student had a lot to say after the lesson in our group talk. It was so amazing to hear back how much they all gained from a simple lesson that caused me zero effort to teach. Again DO LESS GAIN MORE Thank you all for your feed back. You really encourage me and support me. I feel that and it helps me share more without effort too. :) <3 This series is literally my own mindful spontaneity, not copies of by Ruthy or AY, yet in places perhaps inspired by them. The ATM's are my own spontaneous invention in action in the moment. I am recording the lessons, the series may become available when I finish them.
07.01.2022 "This women saved my life every doctor I have seen also specialist also radiologist and on not one of them found by reading mri and x rays that my spinal cord was nearly severed i had lost most feeling in my arms and legs still they couldn't help me happy to fill me with drugs thank god i was strong enough to say no ,then my beautiful son Aaron took me to this amazing crazy bohemian amazon women who found the problem by this time because of lack of knowledge lack of care and ...totally clueless behaviour from these medicos i had to have 3 major surgeries on my spinal cord,thank you Kim you saved my life i have spread this amazing womens name every were but i am not sure people understand that if it wasn't for kim wise i would not be here i no i could not have lived being totally crippled, yes i still struggle but i can walk thanks to kim she even went above and beyond to find me one of the best doctors at st vincents,i cant understand why what this women isn't known by every one people out there are dying from what i had what the hell is going on that this womens work isn't being talked about by all doctors so please every one out there if you are suffering pain from injuries go see this women don't just opt for drugs or operations you may not need i have a lifetime of experience be screwed around by so called experts you kim are my hero your understanding of the human body and how it works is mind blowing to me.bless you i pray other people who are suffering find you as i did my name is suzanne powell i would be happy to talk to any one who may need info on my journey with kim wise." See more
07.01.2022 22.05.2018 CARTER Today’s lesson did not go to ‘my’ plan with Carter. This often happens with children and also anyone we work with, we have to find them first where they are and what they are doing because they have to learn what they are doing to know how to do want they want to do. (MF) and BE there before we articulate our intention for mirrors, maps and choices through our hands. ... Nonetheless the lesson with Carter today, still turned my head around to what is even MORE AND MORE possible with a child and HOW very important the relationship is with that child. Within 10 minutes of the ‘sleeping’ lesson turned into a beautiful journey of us coming together in the waking state, At first when he sat up, I asked him to lie down and go to sleep again, he lay down next to me as he does and I began working again (touching him in FI with a very exquisitely gentle nonintrusive touch) His eyes remained half opened and he sucked on his dummy and he allowed me to continue to work with him for 45 minutes and then he said, Kim is time to wake up now, let’s go and play. I worked with him a bit more in sitting. He ALLOWED me to work with him in a way he has not allowed me to do before. Not at this LEVEL. WOW so beautiful, he was so interested too in what I was doing and being attentive, really listening to his body. We ended the bed lesson with him gentle touching each one of his toes, with each hand, using his index finger touching the pads of each toe so gently but so clearly, going from one to the next. I guided him to use both hands unilaterally and then contralaterally. He really enjoyed it. This is what I had being doing with his toes during the lesson and he did exactly what I did at the end of lesson. He did it so gently, same place, same direction that I moved them, he blew me away. He WAS really listening. (He was also integrating and tricking the hamstrings to lengthen in same instance without knowing it.) Afterwards we did a game of fully extending the toes and he did that so easily, almost miraculously, (OR WAS) beautiful movement with 90 degrees of dorsiflexion at the ankle TOO!!!!!. (NOW That is pretty GOOD for a child with Diplegic CP.) Then crawling again extending toes to push off. He walked beautifully afterwards with his heels down first and his feet looked more grounded and nicely beginning to arch with widening toes and forefoot. I worked a little more with him as he stood cooking me the ritual BBQ we share after the lesson and then played front end loader and diggers. Then we walked down the stairs; Carter walked with his left leg first instead of always the right one for a few steps at a time. And with his heels down first as well. WOW Go Carter. My little Mr Miracle Man.
06.01.2022 2006 - 2009 - Scientist of Anatomy, Consultant Physiotherapist and Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner for the elderly at 'Strathlea' now known as 'Ken Thompson Lodge' in Armidale, NSW Australia. (In the 'outback where I was born and bred' :) ) Benchmark study established that the intervention showed the best improvement and maintenance of functional mobility and range of movement results out of 130 facilities for the elderly in NSW for the two years Another feather in my cap.... Pat on my back. :) Was sad that because of the politics. It was important to the owners of the elderlies facilities to keep the beds full. More money for them. I came along and people got mobile and good enough to go home again, and that is what they did. I became unpopular with the establishment because more beds were empty and they were not getting their money. !!!!! I only attended the facility one day per fortnight although trained a full time 'physiotherapy assistant.' Really AGED CARE in AUSTRALIA IS THE PITS without FELDENKRAIS. 2006 - 2007
03.01.2022 BRAG TIME AGAIN :) I really felt like a SHAMAN today. After a brilliant lesson I did today with an aboriginal woman who I have been seeing irregularly (when she is on walkabout :) ) for past 3 mths. She walked in today using a magnificent, beautiful cane that had been carved out of wood the aborigine way....Continue reading
