​

  I was seventy. I had sciatica, and the pain led to a severe, flexible scoliosis. Even after I completed a round of physical therapy which improved my core strength and flexibility, I still stood askew, left hip protruding outward. I required a cane to walk, and I walked in pain.

  When you approach my age and begin losing mobility, experiencing increasing pain, it is reasonable to assume that you are headed for serious medical interventions, surgery, even a wheelchair.

But maybe not.

  I was acquainted with the Feldenkrais method from decades earlier when it was offered routinely at a holistic learning center I visited, the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. I thought at the time that Feldenkrais was remarkable, but hard to describe. We worked in groups on mats on the floor, verbally guided through a series of gentle, repetitive movements, walking away an hour later with joints feeling lubricated and body operating so much better.

  Fast forward to 2010 when I found Yasmin’s Feldenkrais class right here in my own community. Yasmin is the real deal, trained in Israel, where the method originated.

  Over time, I undid a body full of tension and imbalance and slowly stood taller and straighter, with less and less pain. MY CANE BECOME AN IMPEDIMENT,  and I stopped using it.

  Gradually, I came to know and sense my own amazing body as a friend instead of a complaining adversary.

  I recommend trying Balance awareness with Yasmin. Begin where you realistically are right now, and go from there.

Kathy