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NORTHWEST REGION – The Larger View and Local Perspective
By Susan Wildwood, GCFP, Northwest Regional Representative
The Northwest Region of FGNA consists of the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. The region has great range both geographically and demographically.
Geographically, the landscape includes the densely packed urban centers such as Seattle and Portland, growing urban centers such as Boise, agriculturally productive areas such as the Willamette Valley, dense forests, impossibly remote and primitive areas, scenic Pacific coastlines, lakes, rivers, glaciers, active volcanoes, semiarid scrublands, prairies, deserts, not to mention national conservation areas, parks, recreation, wildlife areas including the Snake River Birds of Prey and the Denali in Alaska.
Demographically, these states range from the least settled state of the union – Alaska with a density per square mile of 1.1 persons per square mile (compared to the most densely populated, New Jersey, at 1,134.4 per square mile) to Idaho the third fastest growing state (following only Nevada and Arizona) with a density of 15 persons per square mile.
The diversity of the region is reflected in the diversity of those persons training in and practicing/teaching the Feldenkrais Method®.
The three trainers residing in the Region, Angel DiBenedetto and Richard Corbeil (Kirkland, Washington) and Jeff Haller (Bend, Oregon), have student trainings in with graduations slated for October 2009 (Bend ~Haller) and May 2010 (Seattle ~Corbeil/DiBenedetto).
The region can boast two resident assistant trainers, Annie Thoe (Bellvue, Washington) and Robert Spencer (Boise, Idaho).
Is there a Feldenkrais Practitioner in my neighborhood? You Bet!
| Alaska: | Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Homer |
| Idaho: | Boise, Bonners Ferry, Coeur d’Alene, Hailey, Moscow and Sandpoint |
| Montana: | Emigrant, Great Bend, and Missoula |
| Oregon: | Ashland, Baker City, Beaverton, Bend, Brookings, Cave Junction, Corvallis, Cottage Grove, Dexter, Eugene, Hillsboro, Kalamath Falls, Lake Oswego, Manzanita, Newport, North Bend, Portland, Redmond, Roseberg, Salem and Sisters |
| Washington: | Anacortes, Arlington, Auburn, Bainbridge Island, Bellvue, Bellingham, Bothell, Bow, Carnation, Coupeville, Duvall, Ellensberg, Enumclaw, Everett, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Greenbank, Indianola. Kenmore, Kennewick, Kent, Kingston, Kirkland, Langley, Manchester, Marysville, Mercer Island, Monroe, Newcastle, Normandy Park, Olympia, Haddock, Port Orchard, Port Townsend, Pullsbo, Puyallup, Redmond, Renton, Seattle, Sequim, Shoreline, Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Spokane, Tacoma, Union, Vancouver, Woodinville, and Yakima |
There is an increasing collaborative effort among the diverse practitioners, trainers and students that ranges from group study efforts, attending student trainings to hone skills, organizing and participating in advance trainings for practitioners and face-to-face collaborative efforts to make the Method more available to the public.
The Northwest Region was the site sponsor for the Centennial Celebration of the work of Dr. Feldenkrais in 2004, and will be hosting the 2007 Annual Conference in Portland in August. The public is invited to attend. We encourage you to contact the Guild for the nearest practitioner/teacher near you. We are as close as your computer, even in the remotest parts of Alaska. Welcome to the Northwest Region!