Ain. daft dil• ■ • i • INI ■ dila. an& 4i02. se /Mb •IM• ••••• VU0&0`..Y2°... #1 h I YOUR MOVE page 69 3 (7 I The A premier rental retirement community 4 Wishes All Of Our Residents, Family and Friends A HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 411" 4 t e ptyp o 810-352-0208 24111 Civic Center Drive • Southfield, Michigan 48034 1 T ctior 41101 Mr MO •IIP 112 del) /7=N 9A. •01, vow mow mow vow mow mow gar vs. • 111111 • w imp The key concept is becoming aware of one's movement, which means thinking and doing. "I believe that the unity of mind and body is an objective re- ality," Dr. Feldenkrais wrote in Mind and Body. "They are not just parts somehow related to each other, but an inseparable whole while functioning. A brain without a body could not think: at least, the continuity of men- tal functions is assured by cor- responding motor functions." But does it work? The Feldenkrais Journal is re- plete with testimonies of changed lives, like one report in the Winter 1991 issue. Written by Feldenkrais practitioner Frank Wildman, it's the story of Ann, who had sustained a terri- ble knee injury which had be- come infected. "Her knee was now excruci- atingly painful," Dr. Wildman writes. "The infection was spreading to other parts of her leg. She could no longer step on her right foot. ..." Using games and breathing exercises, Dr. Wildman began to work with Ann. He introduced her to specific exercises and vi- sualization. Ann began to real- ize she could control the pain in her knee. "We re-created a map of her body so that rather than having all of herself feel stress and pain, especially her knee, she now had a body that felt good almost everywhere," Dr. Wildman writes. "Ann no longer hurt — she simply had a sore knee." In the end, Ann was able to walk. Her physician was so im- pressed he called to ask the in- evitable, "How do you pronounce the name of this stuff, again?" And to think: it all started with a knee. Moshe Feldenkrais was work- ing in England when an old knee injury, sustained during a soc- cer game, began acting up. Years earlier Dr. Feldenkrais had set out to fix the problem, reading everything he could on physiology and anatomy. Then he stepped off a curb and all the pain came back. The issue, Dr. Feldenkrais re- alized, had been his failure the first time to concentrate on the entire body. "I was like every other idiot who fixed a part and didn't look at the whole system," he said. He began to study his own body and the movements of oth- ers, such as how they walked (quickly? gracefully? with head held high? shoulders back?). This became the roots of the Feldenkrais movement. Dr. Feldenkrais was born May 6, 1904, in Russia. At 14, he left with friends for Eretz Yis- rael. He worked odd jobs in Tel Aviv and became interested in self-defense programs, like ju- jitsu, as a way of protection against Arab attackers. In 1928 Dr. Feldenkrais moved to Paris, where he earned a doctorate in applied physics at the Sorbonne. After graduating, he worked in nuclear fission with Professor F. Joliet-Curie, winner of the 1938 Nobel Prize, and as a member of France's Na- tional Committee for Scientific Research. All that came to an end in 1940, when the Germans in- vaded France. Feldenkrais bi- ographer Garet Newel recounts that Moshe's sister, Malka, who also worked with Joliet-Curie, knew something was wrong the day the Nazis, searching for Jews, called everyone from the lab into the courtyard. She • / Always open. And close. has immediate access to your medical infor- We're here for you. Right in your own back mation. And should you need hospital care, yard. And we've expanded to provide you ask your doctor about admission to nearby with the most complete care — all under St. Joseph's Hospital-Oakland, Huron Valley one roof. In addition to internal medicine, Hospital or Henry Ford Hospital. OB/GYN, pediatrics, dermatology, eye care, More space, more physicians, more orthopedics and, of course, 24-hour services, the same high level of care ... emergency care, we offer nearly 150 o :■ >,c this is Henry Ford Medical Center-West physicians in more than 35 specialties. 1Pz:v Bloomfield. Find out just how much more For after-hours questions, you can call our nursing advice IMP and most major health care plans are welcome. accommodating we are. Stop HAP members are also welcomed at over 60 by and see us. For a Henry Ford service and talk with an hospitals and medical centers throughout physician, call 1-800-653-6568. Southeast Michigan. experienced nurse who Pl'a, • HENRY FORD MEDICAL CENTER B loom field 70 The Name You Can Trust For Complete Health Care. 6777 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322 o get a taste of what it's all about, here's an ex- ample of an introductory Feldenkrais exercise. First, stand with your feet about 18 inches, or shoulder-length, apart. Hold your left hand in front of you Turn the arm and body to the left as far as possible, with- out feeling any discomfort. Make a mark mentally of how far you were able to stretch. Next, return to the center. Slowly begin moving your arm, still outstretched in front of you, to the left, At the same time, move your head and eyes to the right. Return again to the center, then repeat the movement a maximum of 10 times. Now, select an object directly in front of you, While'Reeping your eyes on the object, gently turn your arm to the left and your head to the right. Return to the center and repeat this exercise no more than 10 times. For the last part, repeat the first part of the movement, turning your arm and body to the left. You may be surprised to see how much farther you are able to move. When you have mastered the left side, try the right. But this time just imagine it all. Did your flexi- bility improve this time, too? I , `\ c _/