Better in 45

Better in 45

How Awareness Through Movement allows you to take a higher level of control over seemingly unconscious things like mood, energy level and the effects of the stresses of life.

“You look tired.” “You seem stressed-out.” “Are you feeling OK?” 

What are people noticing when they say these things to us? Sometimes the signs are obvious, such as when there are big bags under our eyes or when our faces are pale. On the other hand, a lot of what our faces reveal is more subtle. The rims of our eyelids can be slightly more red than usual or our eyes themselves can have a slightly cloudy quality. These signs are less obvious and our friends who see us as tired or stressed might not even be aware specifically what they’re reacting to but. If asked, they might just say something like, “I don’t know, you just seem a little off.” 

We tend to think that when things have gotten so bad that other people can see on our faces that we’re in rough shape we must need a vacation or a job change or a different life partner. We tend to believe that there not much we can do about it without, at least, a fun weekend during which we can refresh. But this kind of mindset doesn’t give enough credit to the power of awareness, that is, specific awareness of exactly the subtle things that add up to an experience of bad mood, tiredness and stress. It also doesn’t give enough credit to the ability we all have to radically shift how we feel relatively quickly, in a matter of forty five minutes or even less. In fact, with some practice and some awareness, it’s often possible to shift out of these modes in a matter of minutes or even instantaneously. 

Before and after 5 Lines Fitness, a martial arts-derived Feldenkrais Method-based system of movement. Taught daily through 5 Lines.

We’ve all had strange experiences where our mood or energy level is suddenly greatly improved. An obvious example would be hearing fantastic news but there are many other times when mood and energy can shift quickly and dramatically. We might have a chance encounter with someone who has a big effect on us or we might even find a big improvement after something seemingly negative, like being startled or stubbing a toe. Such events set off big changes in the nervous system that can shift our internal state very dramatically and quickly. Our increasing understanding of the way our brains control mood and energy makes these experiences less mysterious. What seem like bedrock, objective facts like being tired, hungry or stressed are experiences that result from a complex set of neurological mechanisms that are a lot more plastic than they seem to be. 

Is it possible that we can learn to shift our mood and energy level more purposefully and less reactively? People with a lot of experience doing Awareness Through Movement know that the answer to these questions is yes, absolutely we can. 

ATM makes use of the fact that there is a strong link between the autonomic functions that dictate mood and energy level and our control of normal body movement through intentional motor function. When we reduce the overall effort in the muscular system and evoke efficient, whole-body patterns of movement organization, as in ATM, the benefits to mood and an overall sense of well-being is immediate and dramatic.

This is why it is possible to feel so incredibly refreshed after a 45-minute session of ATM. To be sure, other things can have a similar effect. Things like taking a bath, exercise, sex (and pleasant touch in general), and even just listening to music can all have strong effects but what makes ATM so different from these other things is the way it specifically guides our attention to noticing the subtle details of our own movement and sensation. ATM is fundamentally a learning process though which, over time, we become more and more capable of eliciting a shift in the way we feel without the need for a session of exercise, sex, or anything else. Over time we become much more aware of, and much more able to control, the little kinesthetic details that make up our mood and overall sensation. 

The signs that we’re not feeling well can be much more subtle than tired eyes. Slight tensions in the facial muscles can create changes in the shape and quality of the skin, not wrinkles exactly but a slight thickening here, a slight thinning there, that give away the fact that something is stressing us or wearing on us. These subtle signs, when they aren’t sufficiently ameliorated by rest and relaxation, can build up over time. We all know people who seem to have a certain grimace perpetually pasted onto their faces like a kind of mask. Sometimes these habitual expressions can be so extreme that you wonder how the person could ever smile or laugh and, in fact, often smiling and laughing are rare events for people who have habits like that.

Such habits aren’t limited to our faces. The posture and attitude of the entire body is just as susceptible to the kinds of habits that people read on our faces. Subtle holding of the breath, tightening of the abdomen, tensions in the hip joints, tightness in the shoulders and a million other subtle (and not-so-subtle) muscular habits reveal to others that something is not right and, more importantly, have a powerful affect on how we feel. Our habits make us unwitting collaborators with the external stresses that can bring us down or wind us up.

ATM is a robust antidote to these things not just because it causes a shift in us, as many things do, but because it is specifically geared toward helping us learn what those shifts consist of in their practical details so that we don’t get into such bad habits in the first place and, when life does start to get to us (as it inevitably does, however good our habits may be) we have the tools to make a change without the need for an hour at the gym, a loving touch, or a weekend away from it all. To begin with we learn that we can feel much better in 45 minutes. Then 40. Then half an hour…. 

Amanda Hoyne

Awareness Through Movement® Teacher

Amanda stumbled upon the Feldenkrais Method not knowing anything about it nor how life changing it would be. After one class she was hooked, and after a few short months, she began a practitioner certification program. She has a professional background in film and television, and is a dedicated mover, with a wide background in physical practices ranging from fencing to modern dance. Amanda believes in the full incorporation of the Feldenkrais Method into everyday living to develop a well integrated self and community.

Anna Martynova

5 Lines Fitness Instructor and Awareness Through Movement® Teacher

Work/Education:

Lifelong movement/dance enthusiast. Finance professional and Portfolio Manager for several large financial institutions. Discovered the field of somatics, detailed inner sensing and connecting to the present moment. Then used it to stay dynamic in the process and let go of attachment to goals, discover opportunities and options at every turn and fall in love with her life!                                          

Movement Background:

Starting with Yoga and 2010, Pilates and Gyrotonic in 2012, Yamuna Body Rolling and Franklin method in 2016 merging into the Feldenkrais method in 2019 and the journey continues. Anna earned Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement (ATM) teacher certificate in summer of 2023.

About:

Anna began studying with 5 Lines Fitness and the Feldenkrais Method in 2019. It allowed Anna to connect to the present and discover the habitual tension and fatigue that was robbing her of vitality, clarity of action and thought. At first, taking a sanctioned “break” during Feldenkrais class, after a long day in the office, led to a surprising resurgence of energy, lightness and increase in productivity. No straining, pushing, or holding was necessary, but resting in awareness and guiding the felt sense of movement, even with pleasure and play! What a relief it was to let go of the habitual way to progress in the world and instead allow ease, fluidity and creativity to flow through.

Read more about Anna’s offerings and values on her website: https://www.integrativesomatictherapy.net/

Motivation:

Anna continues to embody a harmonious state of being that is nourishing and balancing. With Feldenkrais experiential learning, Anna's calling in life is to bring this guided awareness to all facets of life including the corporate world and observe the changes it creates with curiosity and open mind!

Bob Henkel

Awareness Through Movement® Teacher

Bob has been a student of the Feldenkrais Method for over 20 years. His teaching is influenced by years of nature awareness studies, tracking, and outdoor and environmental education which at its core asks us to sit still in mindful sensorial awareness and be present and grateful to what is. Bob has found the gift of Feldenkrais lessons a wonderful support to unlocking his creative being. They have brought new voice to his singing, a greater body awareness in his sports and definitely a faster recovery time when he forgets what he has learned and lets his enthusiasm for enjoying physical activity override the need to pause and take time to reorganize his system.

Eric de Rolland

Awareness Through Movement® Teacher

Eric deRolland, A Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner since 2019, uses his background as an occupational therapist, martial artist, and mindfulness/meditation practitioner to create movement programs for improving function, managing pain and supporting well-being. Eric brings a specificity to highlight each student’s unique self, enhancing potential and optimal learning. Eric is highly interested in continued advancements in neuroplasticity, using this knowledge to further potentiate the work. His experience includes serving individuals managing pain and trauma, neurological difficulties such as stroke and spinal cord injury and work limitations (ergonomics).