Welcome to our first Regional Feature. Each new issue of SenseAbility will look at a region and spotlight events and information relevant to readers in that area.

The Feldenkrais Guild® has 10 regions within North America, and has designated representatives from each one. The Southeast Region covers a huge geographical area of 12 states, from the “deep south” to Oklahoma and the eastern half of Texas. While some people may be fortunate to live where there are many Feldenkrais® practitioners, others might find only one practitioner in their town, or county. The Southeast Region is dedicated to providing opportunities for practitioners to feel part of a larger community as well as offer more opportunities for students throughout the region.

In that spirit, Feldenkrais practitioners from around the Southeast Region gathered over Memorial Day weekend in Carrboro and Durham, NC for a weekend of business, learning, and fun. As Moshe Feldenkrais said, “this work is a method of learning how to learn.” When practitioners have the opportunity to step back into the process of learning, clients benefit.

The Carrboro area is also the site of a Feldenkrais Professional Training Program that has trainees from the SE Region and beyond who will be graduating after 4 years this November, bringing a whole new group of practitioners to a city or town near you.

Upcoming Workshops and Events In the Southeast Region:

Taught by Ann Harmon:
Avenue of Expression: A Feldenkrais® Approach
November 9-12, 2006
Tampa Florida

Movement-Based Bodywork: Understanding the Temporomandibular Joint
March 24-25, 2007
Florida School of Massage (Gainesville)
Day 1 open to general public, oriented toward people with neck problems or TMJ syndrome. Day 2 for hands-on professionals only.

Feldenkrais for Yoga Practitioners
November 8, 2006
Stillpoint Studio, Lutz (North Tampa), Florida

For further information, contact Dr. Ann Harman.
352-466-4940 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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Taught by Brenda Rasch
Moving with Grace and Ease: A workshop in the Feldenkrais Method®
Friday, October 6, 2006 6:30 -9 pm
Saturday, October 7, 2006 9 am - 4:30 pm
Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church
2931 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37922

For information about the workshop contact Brenda Rasch. 865-363-6416, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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Taught by Lavinia Plonka
Talking, Laughing, Kissing (and Eating): Exploring the Mouth
Saturday, September 30, 2006 9:30 AM – 1 PM

The Art of Seeing: Exploring the Eyes
Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006 9:30 AM – 1 PM

Asheville Movement Center, Asheville, NC
828-275-4838 http://www.ashevillemovementcenter.com

Regional Collaborations

• Karen Dold of Chapel Hill, NC, taught a 10-week series of classes at the Duke Institute of Learning in Retirement during the winter semester 2006. She has been invited back into the renamed program: The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Duke University (OLLI at Duke). Details: Contact Karen at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
• Astra Coyle, in Celo, NC recently completed a residency teaching movement to artists and crafts people at the world renowned Penland School in NC. The participants, many of whom were instructors, agreed that Awareness Through Movement® lessons enhance the thinking and creative process.
• Theresa Claytor of Ft. Lauderdale, FL will be doing a special presentation at the Green Festival, sponsored by Co-op America and Global Exchange in Washington, DC, October 14–15. For info contact her at: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Research and Publications:
North Carolina practitioner Paul McAndrew participated in a doctoral study initiated by Glenna Batson, PT, through the Department of Neurology at UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine. The study was titled: “Effect of Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement on Balance in Adults Post-Stroke.”

Paul taught 6 weeks of Awareness Through Movement lessons to 10 participants with stroke with varying motor deficits. The majority of the group improved on balance tasks and walked faster at the end of the study.

Practitioners Betty Akiba and Joe Strain assisted with the study.

For further information about this and other studies on Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lessons and stroke, contact:

Glenna Batson, DSc, PT, MA
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
(919) 732-1640

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Sandy Burkart PhD, PT, GCFP from Boca Raton, FL recently presented several research papers at the Stroke Rehab 2006 Meeting in Goentberg, Sweden in April, 2006. These papers included:

• “Recovery of Arm and Hand Function Following Stroke Using the Feldenkrais Method, and Other Therapies”
• “Assessing the Recovery of Standing Balance and Gait Following Removal of a Meningioma Using the Feldenkrais Method and Other Therapies”
• “Recovery of Hand Function Following Stroke Using the Feldenkrais Method.”

For info on these papers, contact Sandy at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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Asheville practitioner Lavinia Plonka’s second book, Walking Your Talk: Changing Your Life through the Magic of Body Language (Tarcher/Putnam) will go on sale in March of 2007.