the language of arms: feldenkrais series
From Holding on to Letting Go - A Shoulder and Arm Release through Awareness
A 10 week Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement Series with Sarah Baumert
February 28th - May 8th, 2024
Wednesdays 6:30pm CST/ Sundays 4pm CST
Live classes will be taught on zoom*
*All lessons are recorded. Registering for the series gives you access to the recorded lessons indefinitely.
Do you ever feel like your arms are carrying the weight of the world? Hunched over a computer, straining to reach high shelves, or simply missing the effortless grace of movement you once knew?
Imagine this scenario: You go to quickly check something on your phone, and before you know it, the gripping action of your hands holding your phone creates a tension that has traveled up your arms to your neck, jaw, and chest. You realize you've been holding your breath, lost in the digital world while your body braces for... what, exactly? We've all been there, uncomfortable with the tension from our technology, where the strain travels from our fingertips to our foreheads.
None of us are immune to these kinds of modern day scenarios.
In the next Feldenkrais series offering we explore the hidden potential within the upper body. We will delve into the intricate symphony of the small joints, from nimble fingers to powerful shoulder blades. Discover how your arms weave into the fabric of your entire being, from your core to your feet. Imagine feeling your spine lengthen as you reach, your chest open as you move, and your whole body become one fluid instrument. When practicing Feldenkrais, we hold the concept that when one avoids pain, it helps us decrease unnecessary tension and helps us find new ways to move and connect with the wholeness of ourselves. Re-educate and re-discover the effortless movement in your arms and beyond.
Each lesson will include two components - moving from microcosm to macrocosm and connecting the dots along the way.
Microcosm: An exploration of the articulation and functional coordination of the smaller joints (fingers, wrists, elbows)
Macrocosm: Expand outwards, discovering how your arms integrate with the whole self. Feel the way your spine, ribs, and even your legs and feet contribute to the harmony of movement.
Connecting the Dots: No Feldenkrais lesson is complete without an integration of the whole self. While there will be a focus on the upper extremities, these will be whole body lessons.
Livestream classes will be taught over Zoom
February 28th - May 8th
Sundays 4:00-5:00pm CST
& Wednesdays 6:30-7:30pm CST
20 classes in total - 10 unique lessons
All lessons are recorded. Registering for the series gives you access to the recorded lessons indefinitely.
$200
scholarships and pay-as-able options available
See full schedule here.
More than just exercises, these gentle explorations will guide you to:
Reduce pain and discomfort in your upper body by unlocking the secrets of your hands, wrists, elbows, and shoulders, learning how to move each joint with newfound freedom and awareness.
Boost your energy and vitality. Expand your reach beyond your fingertips, uncovering the intimate connection between your arms and your vital core – the chest, ribs, spine, and pelvis.
Improve posture and coordination. Delve into the fascinating world of fascial connections, understanding how tension in your hands can ripple outwards, affecting your jaw, neck, and even your posture.
Deepen your connection to your own body and movement. Tap into the strength of your torso, learning how to harness the power of your larger muscles to effortlessly guide the movements of your arms.
Embrace a sense of playful curiosity and rediscover the joy of learning.
No prior experience necessary, just an open mind and a willingness to explore.
What is Included in the Series:
Movement:
• This series will include 20 livestream classes. Each lesson is taught twice, once on Sunday and once on Wednesday.
Examples of some of the lessons in this series:
Sensing Muscle Tone in the Arms and Shoulders
Liberate Your Hands - Essential Sensory Connections
Cure Hunched Shoulders - Rolling Long Arms
Beginning Hands
Regulating the Wrist
Moving Your Toes to Lift Your Arms
The Sternum Becomes Flexible
Educational Talks:
• Pre lesson Anatomy lessons
• The philosophical framework for ATM
Connection:
• Recorded Q & A to listen to questions, connect with the other students, and discuss the method and tools we are learning about.
• Optional 10 minute consultation with Sarah
• Online forum to connect and ask questions if you are doing the recordings
• Email support
• Stream recordings indefinitely
• Option to download recordings
Ways to keep practicing:
• Stream recordings indefinitely
• Option to download recordings
Live classes and recordings will be accessed via the BODY MATTER studio platform using Marvelous software. Once you have purchased the series, you will have access to the livestream classes and recordings.
How to use the Marvelous software for livestream and recorded classes.
Join us and:
Embark on a 10-week adventure of self-discovery.
Learn from a gentle guide and experienced Feldenkrais practitioner.
Connect with a supportive community of like-minded individuals.
Register today and take the first step towards a more empowered and pain-free you!
About Sarah: Sarah Baumert is known for her thorough and diverse instruction and her dedication to holding space for individual personal discovery. She facilitates whole body alignment in her students as a way for them to access balance, strength, mobility and physical clarity. Through sensory rich movement experiments, she guides students in cultivating mindfulness and deepening their learning process. She works with a variety of populations including athletes, seniors, artists, dancers, musicians, and those experiencing injury or surgery recovery. Sarah is a certified Yoga Therapist, an Authorized Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® Teacher and Feldenkrais Functional Integration® Practitioner. Her objective is to acquire the most effective skills for helping her students live with less pain and more pleasure in their bodies.
What people are saying about Sarah's teaching:
“Your wisdom encapsulates much of what I’ve studied and am still learning to apply, even at my age. May I be able to do so until I die. Now I have a fresh connection between Feldenkrais, Zen Buddhism and psycho-therapy. I have experienced many unique and special moments of joy in your classes, Sarah, and they are precious to me. - Elizabeth
Thank you for these gifts! It just felt like liquid. It was a very beautiful feeling. I just wanted to continue doing it. - Jane
I find your classes to be exceptionally supportive and illuminating, and I’ve so benefitted from the learning and the unlearning I’ve experienced. Drop by drop, this practice and what I’ve received from your teaching have radically changed how I am in my body and in my life. These online Feldenkrais courses have become some of my favorite practices ever, and I’m excited every time you propose a new series. - Betsy
When we started moving sequentially through the spine, it reminded me of what I think is so beautiful about dancers. It’s lovely to feel that within myself. - Tracy
After these lessons, I often feel like I am “floating”. I continue to realize, in real time and activities like walking, the connection between all parts of my body….the supple power that moves up and down my spine, from my head to my pelvis. - Helen”