Have you even wondered why your shoulders are kissing your ears?
1 of the Move Into Life, "The Nine Essentials of Life Long Vitality" by Anat Baniel is Variation!!
http://stretchyourlifenewsletter.blogspot.com/
Just be aware when your shoulders and ears are having this love affair and like to be close to each other.
Let us do some variations....
Start by sitting forward in your chair with your feet flat on the floor, legs comfortably spread.
Notice how you are sitting. Do you feel the pressure of your right foot on the floor the same as the left foot? Just notice. Are you sitting tall, straight or just notice how you are sitting.
In your minds eye what do you think of your spine? Is it like a stick that is there to support you? Is your spine like a pearl necklace that moves with grace and strength? Can you see the length of your spine, from your tailbone, up through to your head? Did you realize that your spine has a width? How wide can you see your spine in your minds eye? Does your spine have a depth? From front to back, how deep is your spine. Using this visualization will give you something more to think of then just your neck and shoulders. You have more of yourself in your minds eye!
Let gravity take the weight of your shoulders as they gently and slowly glide away from your ears.
Now start to bend your spine to bring your right ear to kiss your right shoulder, only go where the movement is easy and elegant, with no strain or pain, and gently leave your left shoulder move away from your left ear. Are you just bending at the small muscles and bones or your neck or can you make your spine from your tail to your head part of this movement? Then slowly bring your head back to your centre on top of your spine.
Rest and notice any changes in your sitting!
Then bend your spine to bring your left ear to kiss your left shoulder, again only go where you move easily with no strain or pain and gently let your right shoulder move away from your right ear. Is more of your spine in your thinking this time?
Rest and notice how you are sitting now.
It is by noticing small changes and miracles in your body that you can change areas in your life and your business that you get stuck!
Stretch Your Life to change the way you think, feel and move!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Working with Children with Cerebral Palsy and other Special Needs!
For Parents that want to give their children more possibilites to live a dynamic life!
I would now like to share this story about a very special child that I have been working on over the past four months in Edmonton, AB, Canada. This little girl was diagnosed with:
Nystagmus...wobbly eyes due to brain development.
Lissencephaly(smooth brain)...Miller-Dieker Syndrome(rare genetic disorder).
West Syndrome & Infantile Spasms-seizure disorders.
Global Development Delay.
Swallowing issues-high risk for aspiration/pneumonia.
I don’t always understand or even know what these diagnosis mean as I am not a doctor, but I do know that when I first met this child, she would lay on the table like a piece of paper and not even really move or be aware anything around her. With this work, we engage the whole body or the whole person. What is she capable of doing? Where does she move easily and without effort? It is alway "I wonder". As we started doing the lessons with her, I noticed that she did put her right index finger in her mouth. That was a way for me to introduce to her in language, "are you counting your teeth"? Amazing how quickly she learned to associate the language with the "action", one of the first parts of bringing awareness of who she is in her body. Her legs were wide apart and not touching and her arms and hands were not very interested in touching herself, other then her index finger in her mouth.
She had a very "wobbley head" with they very, very slow movements, done with great attention, differentiation and with many variations I started to move her pelvis. Very, very gently to see how the cavity of her pelvis to her head was connected. Did moving her pelvis cause any movement in her head? If not, how far up her spine did the movement transfer? In which directions? What would make a difference in her life?
Her eyes were very focused on looking up toward her forhead. Seems like looking down and around were something she was able to do at this time. She was introduced to some neurological movemetns such as interlacing her fingers, touching her feet with her hands, touching her right foot to her left foot and as many different variations as I could think of.
Because of this way of moving her, over the 28 lesson she received, she quickly became more aware, started to move and discover her hands, her feet, and her legs. She has everything hard-wired in her brain, she just needs some movements she may have missed while in the uterus. With this she is now rolling over, able to turn her head on the side while on her stomach. Her eyes and look up, down, sideways and all directions. Her legs are staight under her!
She is doing some neurological things such as interlacing her fingers, able to touch her right side, touches her toes with her hands. Laughs and smiles frequently.
The steps to get her to this point have been done with great care and love. Not only did she have the opportunity to change but there was a shift done by the whole family. She is such a lucky girl to have the parents she has! They really embraced and supported the process by doing everything at home that would encourage and give enthusiasm to her and keep her learning inbetween sessions. Her older brother is also in on the action now!! This family noticed and honoured all the small changes, all the small miracles!
This is the part of noticing small miracles by holding your goals loosely. I had worked with one young boy only 8 sessions. I noticed many, many small changes in the child. I saw him 2 or 3 x per day for 4 days. On the third day he changed so much, when I mentioned to "soften" his legs, he did. Most of the time his legs were very spastic. He has such a wonderful learning brain! I was amazed with these changes.
The sad part for me was on the 4th day lesson 7 and 8 the young man was stiff and lost everything gained in the previous days. I could not figure out what had happened, until the end of the last lesson. Mom asked if I would really make any changes in her son. She didn’t notice anything. This is not a fault with her, but it put so much pressure on her son to perform in a way that he was not able to do at this time. It was a great way to learn a lesson in educating the parents to "see" and become enthusiastic on the small changes and hold their goals loosely.
I am just so thankful for the opportunity working with these very special children. The trust, enthusiasm and leaning that we as a community in Edmonton are creating one child at a time, one family at a time! Let's keep the momentum growing and see where we can take this work and knowledge out into the world.
Karen Toth
www.stretchyourlife.com
519-743-5375
Karen has been blessed to follow her heart in life and in her career. She took a 3 - 3/4 year training with Anat Baniel. Anat had studied directly under Moshe Feldenkrais in Israel, San Fransisco and followed and helped train others all over the world. Anat studied with Moshe for the last 15 years of his life.
Anat has written a book "Move into Life, The Nine Essentials for Lifelong Vitality". It is a book Karen highly recommend everyone read! This is a way to put what we do into language most people can understand. Here are the 9 essentials:
Movement with attention - our brains are organized through movement
The learning switch - everything in life becomes an opportunity and miracles
Subtlety - turns stimulations into new information
Variation - create a greater variety of possibilities in the way you think, feel and move
Slow - slow gets the brains attention
Enthusiasm - energy that lifts and inspires you
Flexible Goals - gives your brain opportunities to discover new ways to fulfil you dreams
Imagination and Dreams - leaving current limitations and leading to your authentic life path
Awareness - living in the present and being fully alive
To purchase this book Move into Life: The Nine Essentials for Lifelong Vitality
For more information on this method check www.anatbanielmethod.com/
Next training begins March 2011 check this site for more info http://www.anatbanieltraining.com/
Currently Karen is studying with Mia Segal and her daughter, Leora Gaster! Mia was Moshe's first assistant. Mia and her family were visited daily by Moshe and were there first hand as he devised his method. Mia even helping him create the method. Leora has be very blessed to live a life that was so full of possibilities and variations. Their approach is very different, it brings the simpleness of the method as well as letting the brain figure out how to do the organic learning. Mia and Leora have a wonderful way of sharing the Feldenkrais Method .
Karen has also had the honour of studying with Yvon Joly from Montreal Canada. He is so delightful to be taught by and she noticed how much she was able to remember and learn. He has a playful, yet powerful technique from his many years of following Moshe back to Israel after his cerifying training.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Working with Children to Wake up the Brain Through Movement!
The more I work with the children the more I learn.
To master setting limites on my table and in my practice has been a huge learning curve for me. The benefits that the children get is to listen to themselves in a more profound way and sets the tone to turn on a learning brain.
The parents can see and sense how the child is learning just by the look in their eyes. How quiet and focused they are on the movements change from using slow, small movements.
For example, if you were to sit tall on the edge of your chair, both feet flat on the floor and sense how you are sitting on your chair.
1. Turn your head to the right and notice how far you can turn and look to the right. Turn your head to the left and notice how far you can turn your head and look to the left. Come back to centre.
2. Next sitting on the edge of your chair feet standing flat on the floor. Start by rounding your back, thinking of the length in the back of your spine, come back up to sitting tall. Repeat 4 - 6 times. Check to see how you are sitting on the chair now.
3. Sitting on the edge of your chair with feet standing flat on the floor. Start by lifting your head and sitting up tall, sticking your belly out. Feel the length in the front of your spine now. Come back to centre. Repeat 4 - 6 times.
4. Sitting on the edge of your chair with feet flat on the floor. Start rounding your back letting your eyes and head look down toward your belly, then start sitting tall, feeling your spine lengthen at the front and head and eyes looking up toward the ceiling. Repeat 4 - 6 times.
When you are finished doing this. Sit tall and again look left and right and notice any changes you have noticed.
Karen Toth
To master setting limites on my table and in my practice has been a huge learning curve for me. The benefits that the children get is to listen to themselves in a more profound way and sets the tone to turn on a learning brain.
The parents can see and sense how the child is learning just by the look in their eyes. How quiet and focused they are on the movements change from using slow, small movements.
For example, if you were to sit tall on the edge of your chair, both feet flat on the floor and sense how you are sitting on your chair.
1. Turn your head to the right and notice how far you can turn and look to the right. Turn your head to the left and notice how far you can turn your head and look to the left. Come back to centre.
2. Next sitting on the edge of your chair feet standing flat on the floor. Start by rounding your back, thinking of the length in the back of your spine, come back up to sitting tall. Repeat 4 - 6 times. Check to see how you are sitting on the chair now.
3. Sitting on the edge of your chair with feet standing flat on the floor. Start by lifting your head and sitting up tall, sticking your belly out. Feel the length in the front of your spine now. Come back to centre. Repeat 4 - 6 times.
4. Sitting on the edge of your chair with feet flat on the floor. Start rounding your back letting your eyes and head look down toward your belly, then start sitting tall, feeling your spine lengthen at the front and head and eyes looking up toward the ceiling. Repeat 4 - 6 times.
When you are finished doing this. Sit tall and again look left and right and notice any changes you have noticed.
Karen Toth
Saturday, August 1, 2009
ABM for Children!
The second trip to Edmonton was great! Seeing the same 4 out of 5 children again was priceless. The changes from the month previous and the learning of how to take the children to the next level.
Most children get some PT and/or OT weekly. So I must come in and think outside the box on how to get the child to turn on the "learning switch"!! I have noticed if I do something, like lye the child on her side and she is not used to being there, she looks at me with a look that says I'm learning! When I teach them to feel there arm under there body on their side and feel different ways of holding their heads, they are learning. The parents report the child going home and sensing and doing what I have taught them throughout the day! This in and of its self makes wonderful changes for the children.
For the children that have a really hard time holding up their heads, it starts to give a kinesthetic sense of themselves. When requested and they start to use their lower back, they can then start to support their head. When the head and pelvis become more attached they can start to progress to another level. This takes them from "wobbly" to moving on their own.
With splasticity comes softness with awareness. Teaching a brain is very rewarding! It takes time, but we all have learning brains. It is when the brain or person chooses not to learn that the learning switch cannot be turned on. I see this in my aging father and it saddens me.
I often wonder if there is a generation thing here. Today, most people wish to learn and evolve to see what they can do and what all they can accomplish. Or perhaps these are like minded people to me. I see the children as a whole new way of being, how they can move, sit, roll, stand and then evolve into a continum of movement grow beyond what was ever expected of them. If you look at some of Anat's videos along the side you will see and hear some things that will perhaps even turn on your learning switch and give you a whole new way to view the world for you and your family!!
Most children get some PT and/or OT weekly. So I must come in and think outside the box on how to get the child to turn on the "learning switch"!! I have noticed if I do something, like lye the child on her side and she is not used to being there, she looks at me with a look that says I'm learning! When I teach them to feel there arm under there body on their side and feel different ways of holding their heads, they are learning. The parents report the child going home and sensing and doing what I have taught them throughout the day! This in and of its self makes wonderful changes for the children.
For the children that have a really hard time holding up their heads, it starts to give a kinesthetic sense of themselves. When requested and they start to use their lower back, they can then start to support their head. When the head and pelvis become more attached they can start to progress to another level. This takes them from "wobbly" to moving on their own.
With splasticity comes softness with awareness. Teaching a brain is very rewarding! It takes time, but we all have learning brains. It is when the brain or person chooses not to learn that the learning switch cannot be turned on. I see this in my aging father and it saddens me.
I often wonder if there is a generation thing here. Today, most people wish to learn and evolve to see what they can do and what all they can accomplish. Or perhaps these are like minded people to me. I see the children as a whole new way of being, how they can move, sit, roll, stand and then evolve into a continum of movement grow beyond what was ever expected of them. If you look at some of Anat's videos along the side you will see and hear some things that will perhaps even turn on your learning switch and give you a whole new way to view the world for you and your family!!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Pilates in Italy anyone!
View from outside me windo
w.
View from outside my window!
View from outside my window!
w.View from outside my window!
View from outside my window!Outside Sportlandia, Castlemmare Di Stabia, Italy! The best coaches in the world.
Was it just a facebook joke? Was it real? I was asked to teach Pilates at an "International Marathon Pilates" event being held in Italy! My first response was "yes", in my mind I thought it was a joke. This all started in April 2009. I was than asked for my name and address for a airline ticket. I responded with the information.
Two weeks later I was asked for my email address to send the e-ticket to. I gave the information. One day the ticket arrived in my in box. I was so excited with this new possiblity of teaching in Italy. Meeting new friends and travelling. To think "NOW" it is real !! I'm going to Italy!
I flew from Toronto to Rome and from Rome to Naples. I was to be met at the airport by Sportlandia personal and driven to my hotel in Castlemmare Di Stabia, Italy. It all happened like clockwork. Not knowing what was to happen, where I was staying. Or the others that were attending. I had gotten my schedule 2 weeks before leaving and knew my teaching times. I arrived at the hotel. Actually the Grand Hotel La Medusa!!
What a place. 5 star, my own room with a king sized bed and a view that was out of this world.
Here is a link for some pictures of my hotel and some of the events that took place in Italy.
It went so well that we will be doing this again next year! 2009 had 96 hours of Pilates over 4 days! 2010 will have 480 hours of Pilates over 8 days. If you would like to go to Italy next year June 17 - 28th, let me know. Would you like to visit Italy and become a participant in this Pilates marathon? I would love to have some fellow Canadians join me on this venture next year.
After the event we can tour around see Rome, Florence and Vience.
Call 519-743-5375 for more details of this amazing trip.
Karen Toth
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Feldenkrais (R) Anat Baniel Method (sm) for Children and Edmonton!!
What an amazing journey this was. I flew into Edmonton to meet a lovely person, Carla and her sister-in-law Theresa. What a wonderful group of people to meet!
I was coming to work on 5 special needs children. My request upon landing was going to see the West Edmonton Mall ! I found myself at this mamoth place within 1/2 hour of landing! We saw the ice rink, the swimming pool, the roller coaster, stores galour, Europea section, and had dinner in the Bourban St. Area. We also stopped into the Lululemon store. I finally purchased so Lululemon fitness wear for my upcoming trip to Italy!
I was given my very full intensive, schedule to see 5 special children either 2 x for 45 minutes or 3 x for 30 minutes a day for the next 4 days.
First child was very cooperative and got 3 lessons that first day with some wonderful changes, eg. better balance, more confident playing sports.
The second child was amazing and loving in his own way. He was very spactistic, but learned to soften during the sessions.
The third child has had many lessons with Anat Baniel and other practitioners in California, so she was very quick to learn and change. She has had brain injury so repeating things was very helpful for her.
The fourth child came in very quiet and little to now awareness or movement. She changed very quickly to become aware and have a light and sparkle for life in her eye.
The fifth child was abused as a 9 week old and had suffered brain injury! She has a number of habitual habit that have formed from being in the hospital and parents and grand parents just not knowing what to do, how to create new possibilities and change. I believe this is the 1st step in becoming aware of an issue with your child.
The changes in the children were amazing and the parents were very, very thankful.
The news of your child being diagnosed with some disease or disability is 'overwhelming' to say the least! What steps do you take and what do you do? There are many agencies out there to tell you this that and the other, but the "overwhelm" creates a helplessness that sometimes closes our minds to look for other alternatives.
Working with the children in the Feldenkrais, Anat Baniel Methods gives me lots of insite as to how to create new possibilites, create more movement and self awareness for the child. I work with the whole child and adult, not just the dis-ease or dis-ability. I have been through a process of many lessons on the floor as well as doing hands on sessions in my training! With this new knowledge in my body, mind and soul, I have learned how to teach others to learn and be aware as well.
Whom has benefited and can be helped by this method?
I was coming to work on 5 special needs children. My request upon landing was going to see the West Edmonton Mall ! I found myself at this mamoth place within 1/2 hour of landing! We saw the ice rink, the swimming pool, the roller coaster, stores galour, Europea section, and had dinner in the Bourban St. Area. We also stopped into the Lululemon store. I finally purchased so Lululemon fitness wear for my upcoming trip to Italy!
I was given my very full intensive, schedule to see 5 special children either 2 x for 45 minutes or 3 x for 30 minutes a day for the next 4 days.
First child was very cooperative and got 3 lessons that first day with some wonderful changes, eg. better balance, more confident playing sports.
The second child was amazing and loving in his own way. He was very spactistic, but learned to soften during the sessions.
The third child has had many lessons with Anat Baniel and other practitioners in California, so she was very quick to learn and change. She has had brain injury so repeating things was very helpful for her.
The fourth child came in very quiet and little to now awareness or movement. She changed very quickly to become aware and have a light and sparkle for life in her eye.
The fifth child was abused as a 9 week old and had suffered brain injury! She has a number of habitual habit that have formed from being in the hospital and parents and grand parents just not knowing what to do, how to create new possibilities and change. I believe this is the 1st step in becoming aware of an issue with your child.
The changes in the children were amazing and the parents were very, very thankful.
The news of your child being diagnosed with some disease or disability is 'overwhelming' to say the least! What steps do you take and what do you do? There are many agencies out there to tell you this that and the other, but the "overwhelm" creates a helplessness that sometimes closes our minds to look for other alternatives.
Working with the children in the Feldenkrais, Anat Baniel Methods gives me lots of insite as to how to create new possibilites, create more movement and self awareness for the child. I work with the whole child and adult, not just the dis-ease or dis-ability. I have been through a process of many lessons on the floor as well as doing hands on sessions in my training! With this new knowledge in my body, mind and soul, I have learned how to teach others to learn and be aware as well.
Whom has benefited and can be helped by this method?
- Arthrogryposis
- Ataxia
- Athetosis
- Autism - Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Brachial Plexus
- Cerebellar Atrophy
- Cerebral Palsy
- Charge syndrome
- Contractures
- Delayed development
- Diplegia
- Down's Syndrome
- Failure to thrive
- Fragile X Syndrome
- Hydorcephaly
- Hypertonia
- Hypotonia
- Larsen's syndrome
- Macrocephaly
- Microcephaly
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Periverntricular Leukommalacia
- Polymicrogyria
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- Premature birth
- Rett syndrome
- Sensory integration dysfuntion
- Shaken Baby syndrome
- Spinal muscular atrophy
- Stroke
What changes are seen when children receive lessons?
- Improved mood
- Better sleep
- Greater comfort
- Increased alertness and awareness of their surroundings
Functional changes that have been seen as children continue the work include:
- More effortless movements
- Better balance
- Improved ability to move: crawl, walk, run, jum and reach
- Greater problem-solving skills
- Improved speech
Find an Anat Baniel Method (sm) practioner in your area to learn more! email me at info@stretchyourlife.com
phone 519-743-5375 please leave a message as I may be out of town (off to Italy June 23 - July 3rd) or working with a client. I will return your call as soon as possible!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
