Sunday, January 25, 2009

Year of the Ox


Happy New Year!

This is the year of the oxen.

Those of us who are oxen, including Barack Obama and I who were both born in the summer of 61' (he is one month older than me), share these attributes according to the chinese zodiac and Wikipedia:

The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. This powerful sign is a born leader, being quite dependable and possessing an innate ability to achieve great things.

As one might guess, such people are dependable, calm, and modest. Like their animal namesake, the Ox is unswervingly patient, tireless in their work, and capable of enduring any amount of hardship without complaint.

Ox people need peace and quiet to work through their ideas, and when they have set their mind on something it is hard for them to be convinced otherwise. An Ox person has a very logical mind and is extremely systematic in whatever they do, though they have a tremendous imagination and an unparalleled appreciation for beauty.

These people speak little but are extremely intelligent. When necessary, they are articulate and eloquent.

People born under the influence of the Ox are kind, caring souls, logical, positive, filled with common sense and with their feet firmly planted on the ground.

Security is their main preoccupation in life, and they are prepared to toil long and hard in order to provide a warm, comfortable and stable nest for themselves and their families. Strong-minded, stubborn, individualistic, the majority are highly intelligent individuals who don't take kindly to being told what to do.

The Ox works hard, patiently, and methodically, with original intelligence and reflective thought. These people enjoy helping others. Behind this tenacious, laboring, and self-sacrificing exterior lies an active mind.

The Ox is not extravagant, and the thought of living off credit cards or being in debt makes them nervous. The possibility of taking a serious risk could cause the Ox sleepless nights.
Ox people are truthful and sincere, and the idea of wheeling and dealing in a competitive world is distasteful to them.

They are rarely driven by the prospect of financial gain. These people are always welcome because of their honesty and patience.

They are reputed to be the most beautiful of face in the zodiac. They have many friends, who appreciate the fact that the

Ox people are wary of new trends, although every now and then they can be encouraged to try something new. People born in the year of the Ox make wonderful parents and teachers of children.

It is important to remember that the Ox people are sociable and relaxed when they feel secure, but occasionally a dark cloud looms over such people and they engage all the trials of the whole world and seek solutions for them.

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http://www.feldenkrais.com/


Erik LaSeur
Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher®
http://www.alkimoves.com/

Awareness Through Movement® lessons (group) at:
West Seattle Wellness in the Alaska junction.

http://westseattlewellness.com/


Every Tuesday:
7:00pm

Saturday, January 17, 2009

the F word


Invariably the conversation comes to the question of "what do you do for a living?"
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How many ways can I describe what I do without uttering the official title?
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Something about the mere utterance of the 'F' word sends normal brains into tailspins, trying to place it into a familiar box, to make some sense of it.
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Among alternative titles, following are some of my favorites:
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human advocate
wellness teacher
pest control consultant
gardener
self image consultant
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Even as the name dance goes on, I'm still officially a feldenkrais teacher.
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I did just recently give an entire lesson without ever uttering anything about what my professional title was. She was too busy having fun (and smiling a lot) learning how to make her legs light so she could lift them with less effort.
She just knew me as someone that was willing to engage in the play field of learning with her, to hopefully find an easier way to do something. Something that was mostly impossible for her.
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She did have the Jan09 copy of the AARP magazine where I pointed her to an article which mentioned feldenkrais as very effective with chronic pain patients.
I said "in case you're wondering what it is that this was."
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In case you're wondering about the 'F' word:

Erik LaSeur
Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher®
http://www.alkimoves.com/


Awareness Through Movement® lessons (group) at:
West Seattle Wellness in the Alaska junction.

Every Tuesday:

12:15pm
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Friday, January 2, 2009

Got Chronic Pain?



The Feldenkrais Method® is known for helping people with mobility issues, neurological problems, recovering from trauma, and even helping world class athletes perform at higher levels, etc.
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But one of the largest groups of people it can help, are those that suffer from chronic pain.
When learning to pay attention to the littlest movements, to how we do them, what parts of us participate, and what parts don’t, we in the process learn bit by bit to move and be as whole persons.
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Chronic muscular pain usually exists because part of us has taken on more of a burden of the work than other parts. When we can enlist these forgotten parts back into our every movement, whether it’s just the simple act of pursing our lips or of much larger movements, the work will be spread out more and the stress and strain (and pain) that’s been put on one area will lessen.
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Awareness through Movement® (ATM) classes are group classes where the teacher gives verbal instructions and the student(s) interpret them in their own way. Unlike exercise classes where you’re expected to do the movement to its full extent and like everyone else, in ATM it’s not about how far or fast but rather it’s about paying attention to how you do it.
The actual movement is really inconsequential as you can learn just as much or more by not even moving but rather getting a sense of what would be involved to initiate the movement.
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Feldenkrais® has been called the anti-exercise for this reason as it has nothing to do with ‘working out’ or getting ‘stretched out’. It’s an educational approach to the intelligent use of our bodies, to the maturation process.
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Also, one of the best things I like about the classes is that there is no strict decorum of how you enter the classroom or lesson. We all have our own unique ways of being in this world and each of us needs to honor that by not being pigeon-holed into the same routine as everyone else. It gives each of us another chance to view our own individuality. If one must come late or leave early, no reason must be given to the instructor. The ultimate learner is the student and learning to take care of oneself is the ultimate lesson.
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These are adult learning classes, so humor and play are highly encouraged. These are helpful in the learning process.
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For more on the Feldenkrais Method®:
http://www.feldenkrais.com/
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Erik LaSeur
Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher®
http://www.alkimoves.com/
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...Coming Tuesday, January 6, 2009!
Awareness Through Movement® lessons (group) at:
West Seattle Wellness in the Alaska junction.
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Every Tuesday:
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9:00am
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11:30am
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1:45pm