One event that made a significant impact in my thirty plus years of practice is the first time I witnessed Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy in 1992, what is now called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. In this situation, the patient’s hand and wrist swelled, turned red, and was extremely sensitive to any touch or movement. During normal healing many systems rev up to aid in the healing process, but sometimes a system—in this case the nervous system—was still working to excess in a failing attempt to “help.”

Since I had never seen this before, or didn’t recognize it before now, this was a scorching lesson in trial and error. I eventually found some helpful answers for this person and was now more alert to this constellation of signs and symptoms. Every time a person started to report symptoms that seemed more reactive than typical, I slowed down and talked to the patient more about their experience and what to expect in the normal healing process. I began incorporating measures to disrupt the over-active pain cycle, as needed. Additionally, I kept an eye on the current literature on pain.

I’ve realized this event has guided many of my choices since that time. It’s one of the reasons I became certified in the Feldenkrais Method in 2003. I use the FM to help clients examine their incongruities of movement, learn how to create space, and listen more deeply to find how their parts work together in collaboration.

I enjoy giving workshops around metaphysical topics (Authentic Connection to Self, Self-Compassion, and Resilience) using the Feldenkrais Method to create an embodied sense of these ideas. In 2018, I began teaching Bones for Life which is a Feldenkrais oriented workshop on finding “your length” in a postural sense and applying resistance judiciously. This was originally designed for people with osteoporosis in mind, although it is extremely useful for folks with “computer posture,” joint instabilities like Ehlers-Danlos, and anyone with a curiosity about Feldenkrais work. I plan to add more series and workshops as I go. If you are interested in being on my mailing list, sign up for my mailing list. If there is a topic you are interested in, let me know!