What should I wear to my appointment?
Comfy layers! If your feet tend to get cold easily, you might want to bring a cozy pair of socks or soft-soled slippers.
Loose and/or stretchy clothes are recommended. They'll make sure you can breathe without feeling squished, and they'll allow you to move freely.
Belt-loops, seams, or buttons can sometimes be uncomfortable to sit or lie on - keep that in mind when choosing your outfit!
Note that Sarah's office is scent reduced. Because many clients have scent sensitivities that can trigger headaches, nausea, or allergic reaction, please avoid using perfumes, essential oils or other scented products like deodorant or lotion before your appointment. Your efforts are appreciated!
Loose and/or stretchy clothes are recommended. They'll make sure you can breathe without feeling squished, and they'll allow you to move freely.
Belt-loops, seams, or buttons can sometimes be uncomfortable to sit or lie on - keep that in mind when choosing your outfit!
Note that Sarah's office is scent reduced. Because many clients have scent sensitivities that can trigger headaches, nausea, or allergic reaction, please avoid using perfumes, essential oils or other scented products like deodorant or lotion before your appointment. Your efforts are appreciated!
How many sessions will it take to notice results?
You will likely feel differences after your very first session!
Because we're often working with and reshaping deep-seated movement habits, it often takes 5-10 private sessions to notice lasting results that you can sustain on your own.
That being said, everyone's different! Book a consultation and you and Sarah will design a custom plan that will work best for your goals, your schedule, and your budget.
Because we're often working with and reshaping deep-seated movement habits, it often takes 5-10 private sessions to notice lasting results that you can sustain on your own.
That being said, everyone's different! Book a consultation and you and Sarah will design a custom plan that will work best for your goals, your schedule, and your budget.
How is Feldenkrais different from Yoga?
In some ways, they're actually quite similar.
In fact, Feldenkrais practitioners often have clients who are yoga teachers and yoga enthusiasts who are looking to find more ease and richness in their practices.
Like with yoga, Feldenkrais helps us build self-awareness. We gain insights about how we interact with the world around us, and we learn how to use our physical and mental energy in ways that make the most sense for us and the diverse situations life brings our way.
The way Feldenkrais is taught is often very different from what you'd experience in a yoga class, especially if you're used to doing yoga classes other than restorative yoga, yin yoga, or yoga nidra.
For starters, Feldenkrais encourages us to play with small functional movements slowly enough so we can understand their complexity and subtlety.
There is no stretching or strength training in Feldenkrais, but it is nevertheless incredibly successful at helping people feel more dynamically stable, improves range of motion, and provides us with a sense of deeper and deeper integration every time we practice.
We spend a lot of time exploring within our existing comfort zones. This is to make sure our nervous systems are primed to experience the detailed sensations that we'll ultimately combine to help us make bigger, supremely coordinated, powerful movements (or help us sustainably manage things like posture, injury, or chronic pain).
Feldenkrais classes are often taught in an explorative - rather than prescriptive - style that views movement as a highly individual process, not as a series of poses to master. The emphasis is placed on how a movement feels rather than how a movement looks.
Students are given the guidance they need to feel themselves more completely, make sense of what they're feeling, and use those sensations to carry themselves with more comfort, confidence, control, adaptability and resilience.
In fact, Feldenkrais practitioners often have clients who are yoga teachers and yoga enthusiasts who are looking to find more ease and richness in their practices.
Like with yoga, Feldenkrais helps us build self-awareness. We gain insights about how we interact with the world around us, and we learn how to use our physical and mental energy in ways that make the most sense for us and the diverse situations life brings our way.
The way Feldenkrais is taught is often very different from what you'd experience in a yoga class, especially if you're used to doing yoga classes other than restorative yoga, yin yoga, or yoga nidra.
For starters, Feldenkrais encourages us to play with small functional movements slowly enough so we can understand their complexity and subtlety.
There is no stretching or strength training in Feldenkrais, but it is nevertheless incredibly successful at helping people feel more dynamically stable, improves range of motion, and provides us with a sense of deeper and deeper integration every time we practice.
We spend a lot of time exploring within our existing comfort zones. This is to make sure our nervous systems are primed to experience the detailed sensations that we'll ultimately combine to help us make bigger, supremely coordinated, powerful movements (or help us sustainably manage things like posture, injury, or chronic pain).
Feldenkrais classes are often taught in an explorative - rather than prescriptive - style that views movement as a highly individual process, not as a series of poses to master. The emphasis is placed on how a movement feels rather than how a movement looks.
Students are given the guidance they need to feel themselves more completely, make sense of what they're feeling, and use those sensations to carry themselves with more comfort, confidence, control, adaptability and resilience.
What is the history behind the Feldenkrais method?
The Feldenkrais Method is named after its founder, Moshe Feldenkrais. D.Sc. ,(1904-1984).
He began exploring this style of movement to help him overcome a serious knee injury that doctors at the time weren't confident they could help. He combined insights he gained from his background in physics, bio-mechanics, and martial arts with research in motor development, somatics, psychology and human development to ultimately make a complete recovery.
His explorations over many years lead to the powerful, effective, and practical application we use today that reconnects learning with human health and function.
Dr. Feldenkrais was a distinguished scientist, physicist and engineer. He earned his Doctorate of Science in physics from the Sorbonne and was a close associate of Nobel Prize Laureate Frederic Joliot-Curie at the Curie Institute in Paris, where they conducted research together.
He was also a respected Judo instructor and author of many books on the subject.
Before he passed away in 1984, Feldenkrais personally trained a small group of practitioners to continue his work. Today there are over 6,000 Feldenkrais Practitioners around the globe.
His insights contributed to the development of the field of somatic education and continue to influence disciplines such as the arts, education, psychology, child development, physical and occupational therapy, sports enhancement, and gerontology.
He began exploring this style of movement to help him overcome a serious knee injury that doctors at the time weren't confident they could help. He combined insights he gained from his background in physics, bio-mechanics, and martial arts with research in motor development, somatics, psychology and human development to ultimately make a complete recovery.
His explorations over many years lead to the powerful, effective, and practical application we use today that reconnects learning with human health and function.
Dr. Feldenkrais was a distinguished scientist, physicist and engineer. He earned his Doctorate of Science in physics from the Sorbonne and was a close associate of Nobel Prize Laureate Frederic Joliot-Curie at the Curie Institute in Paris, where they conducted research together.
He was also a respected Judo instructor and author of many books on the subject.
Before he passed away in 1984, Feldenkrais personally trained a small group of practitioners to continue his work. Today there are over 6,000 Feldenkrais Practitioners around the globe.
His insights contributed to the development of the field of somatic education and continue to influence disciplines such as the arts, education, psychology, child development, physical and occupational therapy, sports enhancement, and gerontology.
What is your cancellation policy?
For group and private sessions, cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance of your appointment to avoid being charged for your missed session. Exceptions are possible for illness and emergencies.
Is feldenkrais appropriate for people who've experienced trauma?
It depends, and we're glad you asked.
If you have any concerns that focussing on sensations in your body might be triggering or overwhelming for you, we recommend consulting with a mental health professional to see if (and maybe how) a sensation-based mindfulness practice like Feldenkrais could be a good fit for you.
Sarah has basic training in Somatic Experiencing and is passionate about facilitating sessions that are trauma-sensitive.
If you have any questions, or if you'd like Sarah to speak directly with your doctor, counsellor, or therapist, please get in touch.
If you have any concerns that focussing on sensations in your body might be triggering or overwhelming for you, we recommend consulting with a mental health professional to see if (and maybe how) a sensation-based mindfulness practice like Feldenkrais could be a good fit for you.
Sarah has basic training in Somatic Experiencing and is passionate about facilitating sessions that are trauma-sensitive.
If you have any questions, or if you'd like Sarah to speak directly with your doctor, counsellor, or therapist, please get in touch.
Do I Need to bring my own mat?
For 1-on-1 sessions and private group classes, all mats and accessories are provided.
For group classes located off-site, participants will need to bring:
For group classes located off-site, participants will need to bring:
- a yoga mat
- a towel that can be folded up and used as a pillow or bolster
- a blanket for comfort and temperature adjustment (optional)