by Carol Montgomery | Nov 26, 2018 | Research, Somatics
Peripheral neuropathy changes your skin. Nerves that carry sensory information are supposed to look like a fist-full of uncooked spaghetti—a long cord with hundreds of small cords inside. At the ends of the small cords are sensors or receptors with different jobs:...
by Carol Montgomery | Nov 26, 2018 | General
We overexert ourselves. We strain and we ignore the messages our bodies send to us to the detriment of our health. Moshe Feldenkrais understood this. We live in a culture that prizes the ability to grin through the pain. Our heroes are those who can put mind over...
by Carol Montgomery | Jul 30, 2018 | General, Holistic Wellness, Mind Body Spirit
By Andrew Heimann Spirituality is not the absence of conflict; it is the ability to flourish because of it. To avoid conflict and chaos in life detracts from the human experience, which is what ultimately helps our spirit and spirituality blossom. We become our...
by Carol Montgomery | Jun 12, 2018 | Integral Human Gait, Somatics
Moshe Feldenkrais once said, “If you don’t know what you are doing, you can’t do what you want.” Perhaps no other phrase so captures the challenges that the Feldenkrais Method and Somatic Education, such as Integral Human Gait™, help students overcome. Phrased...
by Carol Montgomery | May 1, 2018 | General, Holistic Wellness, Mind Body Spirit, Somatics
We see every day that technology can be used for ill both unconsciously and consciously. But technology can also be used for good. This is definitely the latter. The Feldenkrais Awareness Summit: Resiliency, Freedom, and Evolution—sponsored by Future Life Now OnLine...
by Carol Montgomery | Apr 26, 2018 | General
For many people, pain is part and parcel of day-to-day existence. The way they experience life, comfort is the exception, not the rule as it should be. But what many of those people don’t realize is that drugs—like those causing the opioid epidemic—and invasive...
by Carol Montgomery | Mar 5, 2018 | General
This is the fourth part of a four part blog post on the standing forward fold yoga therapy pose. If you haven’t yet, please go back and read parts one, two, and three. Standing Forward Fold Yoga Therapy Pose Cue 4: Arms Move at the Same Level as the Head If starting...
by Carol Montgomery | Feb 1, 2018 | General
This is the third part of a four part blog post on the standing forward fold yoga pose. If you haven’t yet, please go back and read parts one and two. By following the first link, you can read more about disengaging the toe pads. The second link contains information...
by Carol Montgomery | Jan 2, 2018 | General
This is the second part of a four part blog post on the standing forward fold yoga pose. If you haven’t yet, please go back and read part one. Standing Forward Fold Yoga Pose Cue 2: Pelvis Sways behind the Heels and Feet Most instructors cue “exhale forward hinging at...
by Carol Montgomery | Dec 6, 2017 | General
Searching the internet, one can find many videos and detailed lists on how to correctly perform the Standing Forward Fold Yoga Pose or Uttanasana. Seeing how popular yoga has become, that should come as no surprise. According to the 2007 National Health Interview...
by Carol Montgomery | Sep 21, 2017 | General
Searching the internet, one can find many videos and detailed lists on how to correctly perform the Standing Forward Fold Yoga Pose or Uttanasana. Seeing how popular yoga has become, that should come as no surprise. According to the 2007 National Health Interview...
by Carol Montgomery | Aug 8, 2017 | Bones For Life, General, Holistic Wellness, Osteoarthritis, Physical Therapy, Somatics
Bones for Life and Senior Citizen Day On August 21st, Americans have an opportunity to celebrate the wisdom and achievements of their elders, as well as advocate for the rights of older people all over the world. Senior Citizens Day, which was originally celebrated on...
by Carol Montgomery | Jul 6, 2017 | Holistic Wellness, Mind Body Spirit, Somatics
What is social wellness? While retweets and mentions can be validating, it certainly isn’t how many friends, followers, or likes you have on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Even though social media can close the social gap between two...
by Carol Montgomery | Jun 22, 2017 | Bones For Life, Mind Body Spirit, Osteoarthritis, Somatics
What is Bones For Life? “The opportunity to improve your posture occurs not when you are standing still, motionless in the center, but when activity is taking place, when you have a biological necessity to regenerate your skill for adjustability, and you find...
by Carol Montgomery | Jun 15, 2017 | Bones For Life, Mind Body Spirit, Osteoarthritis, Somatics
Geriatric Rehabilitation and Bones For Life: In about a month’s time, I will have the honor of presenting the research that my colleagues—Cynthia M. Allen, Shereen D. Farber, and Mark O. Farber—and I have been putting together on the Bones for Life® program. The...
by Carol Montgomery | Apr 23, 2017 | Holistic Wellness, Mind Body Spirit, Somatics
Handling Stress and The Role of Resilience: When you see or hear the word “stress,” what image comes to mind? You might see a business executive poring over the latest numbers with a concerned look in her eye. Or perhaps you see a mother waiting up late, her gaze...
by Carol Montgomery | Mar 20, 2017 | Holistic Wellness, Mind Body Spirit
In what ways can we view lack of sleep as an illness? “Sleep…Take all the time you need for each breath.” – Michael Krugman, Feldenkrais Practitioner and creator of Sounder Sleep What happens when we sleep? It’s something we spend about a third of our...
by Carol Montgomery | Feb 17, 2017 | Holistic Wellness, Mind Body Spirit
Self compassion: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi I’m sure you’ve seen the above quotation floating around, perhaps slapped on a bumper or printed on a motivational poster. These words are a great reminder that making an impact in the...
by Carol Montgomery | Jan 18, 2017 | General, Holistic Wellness, Somatics
The Psychosomatic Connection: If you’ve looked at a diagram of a thyroid during Thyroid Awareness Month this January, you may not think this little butterfly-shaped gland could do too much to affect your body or mind. Of course, you would be wrong. I certainly didn’t...
by Carol Montgomery | Dec 18, 2016 | Holistic Wellness, Somatics
Somatic Essentials: “In order to change our mode of action, we must change the image of ourselves that we carry within us.” – Moshe Feldenkrais The holiday season is here! The hustle and bustle throughout the holidays can be a stressful time. It is important to...
by Carol Montgomery | Oct 18, 2016 | Holistic Wellness, Physical Therapy, Somatics
Mind Body Relationship: “I believe that the unity of mind and body is an objective reality. They are not just parts somehow related to each other, but an inseparable whole while functioning. A brain without a body could not think.” – Moshe...
by Carol Montgomery | Sep 3, 2016 | General, Holistic Wellness, Somatics
Living an Awakened Life through Social Connections When it comes to wellness, we often think of our physical body and the absence of disease. But wellness extends to every aspect of our lives, including our relationships — with others and with ourselves....
by Carol Montgomery | Jul 27, 2016 | General, Holistic Wellness, Somatics
6 Ways Your Social Wellness Can Affect Your Health This month our blog reaches out and talks about another facet of wellness: Social. Having a good social life, be it during the holiday season or any other time, has benefits that go far beyond happiness. Humans are...
by Carol Montgomery | Jun 23, 2016 | Physical Therapy, Somatics
Somatic Education: When we experience trauma, it is an experience of both the body and the mind. The mind and body affect each other more than is usually recognized, so it’s not a surprise that trauma leaves its mark on both. Many people who experience a...
by Carol Montgomery | May 20, 2016 | General, Somatics
Awareness in how we move creates changes in physical alignment and freedom from unconscious patterns of inhibition, the source of chronic physical and emotional suffering – Carol Montgomery Being aware is the key to creating freedom. It is the most crucial resource...
by Carol Montgomery | Apr 11, 2016 | General, Integral Human Gait, Somatics
Gait Training: Walking for Health The science is clear: active people suffer from fewer health issues than their inactive counterparts.i So walking should be good for us, right? Well, if done appropriately, walking for exercise can certainly be beneficial....
by Carol Montgomery | Feb 11, 2016 | Somatics
When we say we are head over heels, we are saying we feel the elation of spirit and a deep alignment of self through our relationships with others. In somatics, the physical alignment of having the head over the heels is not just sexy, it might save your life. Where...
by Carol Montgomery | May 18, 2015 | General
Quality of Movement and Quality of Life: Neural connections in the brain are constantly being created or deleted. How you live and act will govern these neural connections. The more automatic, habitual and rigid your thinking, quality of movement, and activities are,...
by Carol Montgomery | Mar 18, 2015 | General
Interview with Mary Jurisson, MD and Feldenkrais Practitioner Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic Osteoporosis and Bones for Life® program March 2015 MJ: What do healthcare providers need to know about the Bones for Life® program? Should they refer...
by Carol Montgomery | Feb 20, 2008 | Physical Therapy
Over the last 40 years, and certainly most recently, advances in surgical techniques allow persons suffering from severe knee or hip pain to return to active lives through Total Joint Replacement (TJR). TJR is a surgical procedure in which arthritic or damaged joint...
