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Felicia
graduated from Santa Fe High and in 1966 and was
drawn to Northern California where Michael Murphy
invited her to live at what was to become the
Esalen Institute. In that small, emerging
community she met Alan Watts, Joan Baez, Janis
Joplin and Jerry Garcia.
In the early 1970s, Felicia pioneered the
translation of patient information for
multicultural immigrants in the Bay Area and
provided health education and medical
illustration for the San Francisco clinic system.
As part of a team to improve health care, and
drawing on her background as a naturopath, she
worked to introduce innovative prenatal health
education materials, breastfeeding, and assisted
mid-wives in creating the first Alternative
Birthing Center in this country. She also trained
as a Patient Advocate in the UC Medical system.
One of Felicia's proudest achievements during
this time came after being scrubbed and gowned to
enter the nursery to do illustrations of the
babies. She noticed one baby who was crying
miserably and asked about his condition. The
nurse replied that he was a heroin baby going
through withdrawal and that nothing could be done
about it. Felicia asked if she could pick the
baby up and when she did the crying stopped
almost immediately. "This time" she
said, "I was a grownup — and working
with some of the best medical professionals in
the country. They listened when I suggested we
borrow a few grandmothers and granddads to come
in and hold these babies.
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This became
a national program for infants going through drug
withdrawal."
During these years of so much giving to others
who were in pain Felicia developed severe TMJ
(Temporal Mandibular Joint Dysfunction). In 1975,
friends referred her to Moshe Feldenkrais, D. Sc.
His work was hands on — derived from his
ability to translate evolution, neuroscience,
physics and infant development into a
revolutionary approach that is said to
pleasurably evoke our innate freedom of movement
and true potentials on emotional, intellectual
and physical levels. It relieved the TMJ as well
as
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In
a babymovesTM
session your body is gently guided to
re-find movements you made as an infant.
Long forgotten neural pathways are
reactivated, often resulting in loss of
pain, greater freedom and ease of
movement.
Photo
by Jennifer Lovejoy
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he need for
surgery. And, an amazing side effect
of Feldenkrais's work was that she could walk
effortlessly for the first time in her life, she
said.
Exuberant, she began to train as a dancer. Three
years later a car accident left her with a severe
whiplash and one surgeon's dire prognosis that
even after surgery she would be in a wheelchair
for life.
Once again it was the work of Moshe Feldenkrais,
rather than surgery, that enabled the healing and
the return of some mobility to Felicia's body.
After a few sessions she was able to walk with a
cane. She received a scholarship to train with
Feldenkrais in Amherst, Mass., and in his native
Israel for four years; graduating in 1983. Having
integrated and benefited from his work, she began
to synthesize her own approach to movement which
she calls by the trademarked name babymovesTM.
Two years later her practice of working with
clients ranged from athletes and dancers to those
struggling with a variety of crippling
conditions.
A PERSONAL VIEW
Eliminating pain is an enormous accomplishment;
few methods are effective. Restoring or
increasing the body's ability to move freely is
even more astounding. Yet, this work, synthesized
and created via Felicia's own life experiences,
appears to do both.
(Continued on page 3) |
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