Happy Birthday...to me!

Today I turn 48, I don't look a day over 30-something...heh.

It's also my dog Larry's birthday within a few days, so I thought I'd post a pic I took earlier this summer when it was uber-hot.

He's laying in front of the fan trying to cool off.

Every year I get older and yet my functioning gets easier, this shows me more and more about the effectiveness of the Feldenkrais Method.

So many people my age complain about the things they can't do anymore, and they blame age...to which I call bullshit on.

Recent studies in Neuroplasticity are now proving what Moshé Feldenkrais postulated over 50 years ago:

Our ability to learn is ever present, even in our most advanced years.

So, no matter what age you've reached, you always have the opportunity to re-live your youth. The simple lessons that the Feldenkrais Method offers, gives any of us a chance to move once again as we did when we were younger.

Stay tuned for details soon on the opening of Alki Moves movement learning center on Alki.

Erik LaSeur GCFT

http://www.alkimoves.com/

The sound of the clock ticking

I've been testing out new outside the ear hearing aids the past week and a half.

Hearing things I've never heard before.

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Birds chirping in my trees.

Before it was usually just crows I could hear.

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Phones, alarms, and all sorts of signals I didn't know existed.

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Having read some of Oliver Sach's books has helped me nagivate the waters of rapidly changed neurological impulses.

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Finding where I can support myself, with my skeleton as well as from a deeper space within.

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The most fascinating things I can hear now are the human voices.

I can listen without strain.

Resting in new support.

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Adapting to change.

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As the clock ticks.

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Beginning this Sunday August 9th 2009, I'll be teaching a 2:00 to 3:00pm group class (Awareness through Movement®) at 8 Limbs Yoga in West Seattle.

http://www.8limbsyoga.com/

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These one hour classes will explore how we can find support and move in easier, more pleasant ways.

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Class Price: $15.00

$90.00 for 7 class series

Aug. 9, 16, 23, 30

Sept. 13, 20, 27

2:00 - 3:00pm

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Erik LaSeur GCFT

Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher®

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http://www.alkimoves.com/

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Don't shoot at cows

That was the biggest take-away from a BNI members orientation meeting I attended today.

The trainer had a fancy Powerpoint presentation where a bow & arrow and target appear on the screen. Then some cows appear on either side of the target.

The scenario is that you are blind-folded aimlessly shooting at cows instead of at a specific target.

This is a trap that we can fall into when putting our message out to the world.

Trying to cater to everyone at once instead of targeting a specific niche.

When we target a specific group in our marketing message people are more apt to see themselves or others they know that may need our services.

Lessons also often target specific functions/actions we do in everyday life. Spending time with one area, refining how we move and act, in our own personal classroom.

The quality of movement we learned from the lesson can then be applied to our other movements.

Becoming a whole human being...and not shooting at cows.

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'What do you want to do?'

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Erik LaSeur GCFT

http://www.alkimoves.com/

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Happy Independence Day

Okay, I don't have a flag shot.

But these petunias on my porch seem pretty happy to be alive.

They've been given a place to find support for growing from a seedling to a plant that sprouts large flowers.

Similar to plants we too can live a life with more independence by finding and using our support system.

Our skeleton.

Our intention.

Always the question:

From where I am now, at this moment, am I able to move in any direction without hesitation or preparation?

Where do I find support, and how can I change support with as little effort as possible.

Always ready and flowing with our environment.

The environment has already met us, it's hand is always open.

Happy Independence Day!

For more on the Feldenkrais Method®:

http://www.feldenkrais.com/

Feldenkrais in West Seattle
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http://www.alkimoves.com/
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Erik LaSeur GCFT
Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher

Feldenkrais in West Seattle

Some more beauty from my yard in the past month.

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This beautiful lilac grows right out my kitchen window.

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Watching all the spring growth lately has helped me to see how other beings find support for their growth.

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As in watching time-lapse photography, some of the new bamboo shoots are over 20' tall already, in one month's time since poking thier heads out of the ground.

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How do they find enough support to quickly climb 20 feet into the air.

Beginning as a soft grass, hardening into a wood.

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How do you find support?

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Feldenkrais in West Seattle

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http://www.alkimoves.com/

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Erik LaSeur GCFT

Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher

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Erect this

Tis the season for new bamboo shoots in the yard. This one is already about 12' high and has only been out of the ground for a couple weeks.

Having a physics brain I'm always looking at how things are constructed. How do they find support to stand up? What type of stresses can they take in order to remain erect?

The human body posits the same questions in my daily journey as a Feldenkrais® teacher.

How does one find support in order to be as erect as possible given the forces against us, mainly gravity?

My students will say I probably harp on the finding support theme a bit much. But I find this aspect of the Feldenkrais Method® as an important foundation (pun intended) for potent action in the world.

Sure there are many lessons we can learn about being more flexible, connecting the movements of parts of ourselves with others to have more fluid actions. But without a sound support any new actions we may want to perform won't have the power they could.

When you want to be erect how do you find support?

For more on the Feldenkrais Method®:

http://www.feldenkrais.com/

Weekly Awareness through Movement® lessons at:

http://westseattlewellness.com/

Tuesdays @ 7:00PM

Erik LaSeur GCFT

Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher®

http://www.alkimoves.com/

Red Clover, move on over

Since I live on a corner lot there are two parking strips I maintain. The main strip is on the busy road that brings everyone down to the beach...it's grass.

Then there is the other parking strip, where no one can park. I decided a few years ago to plant wildflowers here and just let them do what they do naturally.

Grow wild.

The first and most abundant flowers that show up in the spring are these red clovers. There are hundreds and hundreds of them packed in this little spot.

Since many people walk past here on their way to the beach I always hope that the ones that need to have some flowers to cheer themselves up will help themselves (within reason, of course). I've already seen a few people do just that, and it does make me feel good that I can help brighten someone's day a bit.

So if you need some floral cheer, come on down and pick a few. They don't last forever. Soon they will pass and other wildflowers will take their place.

Amazing how much joy a $1.98 seed packet can bring.

For other ways to uplift your life come check out my Awareness through Movement class being held at:

West Seattle Wellness

http://westseattlewellness.com/

Erik LaSeur

Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher®

http://www.alkimoves.com/

For more on the Feldenkrais Method:
http://www.feldenkrais.com/