I would like to announce that I will finally start teaching my Feldenkrais clases in English from next week and will be offering an introductory month of free classes. On the 7th/14th/21st and 28th of January, you and anybody else you know who may be interested are invited to come and join a class, find out what Feldenkrais is and see what it does for you.
Classes are Mondays from 7.15-8.15 pm at Toulouse Institute in Berrenweg 1D, HH-Bahrenfeld.

If you have no idea what Feldenkrais is, here's a blurb:

Improving your moving and training your brain
"I'm less interested in flexible bodies and more interested in flexible minds"
Moshe Feldenkrais

The Feldenkrais Method of movement education is a remarkably effective, sophisticated, yet simple approach to improving flexibility, ease and coordination in movement, whilst challenging your mind to rethink assumptions and redifine limits. Learning to approach movement patterns in new ways can help us to approach thought patterns in new ways. Thus we can rediscover freedom, creativity and flexibility in our problem solving skills and in our ways of dealing with our lives.

Human beings are capable of a level of learning that provides choices rather than fixed patterns of responding. Awareness, the learning of new responses, an openess to present circumstances, and freedom to take potent action can result.

Actors, sportspeople, dancers, musicians and other professionals around the world use the Feldenkrais Method to enhance their performance. Anyone interested in increasing their capacity for learning, facilitating change and realising their potential more fully can benefit.

Feldenkrais works - simply, safely, effectively.

Hi there

Can you attend these classes during pregnancy?

Hi Brenda,
yes you can, though the more advanced your pregnancy is, the more you'll be wanting to leave bits of the class out.
As a lot of excercises are done lying on your back, you need to check with your doctor or Hebamme whether there's any increased danger of cutting off the blood supply to the placenta. Normally, taking additional rests on your side in between should be sufficient.
There are, in fact, a number of Feldenkrais excercises which specifically address pregnancy, although I wont be focusing on that in these classes.
You are welcome to come and try, and judge for yourself whether it "feels right".

Do we need to bring a yoga mat or will there be mats provided?

For those of you who looked up the address and couldn't find it, I found another spelling in an email from Hamburg Koala: Beerenweg 1D

I LOVED THIS CLASS!

I went to the first introduction class this evening and it was great.

Hamburg Koala is a great teacher and it was a very relaxing atmosphere.

I didn't really know what to expect when I went, in my mind I thought it would be a bit like yoga, but it's not really. This is much more about body awareness. It's so gentle and non-judgemental. You can be at any fitness level (including armchair ) as this method only asks that you can do, what you can do.

I can't wait to go back next week.

@ Steph, wow, that's a great description, I'll have to engage you for publicity material!
Thanks for your write up.

I also enjoyed the class and am very pleased - after having taught Feldenkrais for 10 years in German - to have finally had the brain wave of teaching a class in my native tongue!

@Marymanu: thanx for picking up that Typo and correcting it: yes, it's Beerenweg!

Mats and blankets are provided, all one needs are comfy clothes (can be street clothes or tracky dacks but belts and tight waists are unadvisable),
warm socks and an extra jumper are also recommended.

cu you all again - and anyone else who wants to try out - next monday...

HK

Hey HK,

Thanks for your message! Sorry not to have got back to you soon.. it's a bit choatic at the moment here. I will do my best to make it to your classes.. but at the moment things are difficult.

Talk to you soon
Bren

@Bren: no worries, whenver you can make it work you're welcome to join.
all the best!
HK

so - last chance for a completely free try out class coming Monday, and an opportunity for me to post two more details:
1) it's a good idea to bring a small towel for your head
2) there's a cosy area up front where people can drink a cup of tea and chat after the class if they wish - giving you the opportunity to meet people, or relax before leaving...

For all those who haven't been able to make it in January:
I will post details of the course next week, but there will still be an ongoing possibilty of doing two trial classes at half price, even after the classes are officially up and running...

Well, I've finally had a free Monday evening and went to check out HamburgKoala's class. It was wonderful. It's the first time I have been to a class where it's okay to be an individual. Usually I am always looking around to make sure I am doing it the "right way," yet all of our bodies are different and we all have different ways of moving. It's interesting to get in touch with why our bodies do the things they do. I'll definitely be back again next week.

Is there a good place nearby to lock up a bike?

Oh, sorry Marymanu, wasn't online today so didn't see that.

As Marymanu will have seen for herself this evening, there are some good spots for bikes and some not so good spots for bikes, but usually everyone manages to find a suitable spot.

For those with cars, there are lots of parking spaces for Toulouse Institute behind the building.

So the classes are now up and running. Classes run in terms of approximately 5 to 8 classes in a row. Each block is to be paid in advance at the equivalent of 11,- Euro per class. For exact dates and registration forms please contact me.

For those who have missed the introductory month, you can still do two trial lessons at half price, ie pay 11,- Euro and come twice before you decide whether or not to commit for the rest of the term.

I will be there tonight!