| |
|
|
|
|
|
La Escuela
Feliz inhabits a large house with little
furniture. Most of the rooms are carpeted, cozy
and warm. Pillows, bolsters and inflatable
"eggs" abound, as do two widework
tables — a womb-like kind of design,
environment, energy. Perfect, considering that babymovesTM
unfolds from infant development and movement and
merges with the evolutionary brilliance inherent
in our structural design.
I have just come through my first babymovesTM
session. After an initial detailed conversation
about my life, Felicia has asked me to lie on the
table. Whether on my back or side, she uses a
variety of responsive props to comfortably
support my body while she works. For some of the
moves I am totally passive, my body and neurology
simply receiving the information supplied through
these gentle movements. For some of the moves
Felicia supplies colorful, imaginative
instructions to follow as I originate movements
that ripple through my body. The moves themselves
are delicate, rhythmic, soothing. As has often
been my mode, I venture out to embody her
movement suggestions with a noticeable amount of
certainty that I will do them "wrong."
Much to my amazement Felicia responds with
delight, "Oh that's lovely, that’s
beautiful. Yes, yes, this is how you were
designed to move, this is your evolutionary
heritage." Wow!, I think to myself as I melt
into a full body-being smile, this loving
acknowledgment is glorious, reawakening what must
be an instinctual yearning towards full
liberation.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Throughout
this session I have been noticing structural
changes in my body. As I lie on my back I feel my
ribs relax and contact the table; my legs feel as
though they extend for miles; my ribcage expands
up, out and down with each breath; after my neck
released there was a new point of contact for the
back of my head with the table; the angle of
pelvis meeting table is different, more
comfortable.
When we're finished, Felicia suggests resting
(it's during rest that the body can
"file" the changes) and then moving
slowly to sitting. I'm a little woozy and
lightheaded; being in my body is feeling very
different. Upon standing I feel a good deal
taller than ever before. Particularly glorious is
the lift and curve of my spine and upper body. I
am not making any effort, simply standing, and my
spine-upper body feels like a great sail billowed
by the wind to curve gracefully upward and
outward. In this case, however, it's not the wind
supporting me, only my very own muscles. Newly
released from historical patterns of spasm (I was
shocked to hear Felicia use the word spasm; to me
they always felt "normal"). Now my
muscles were relaxed and responsive — able
to be and do what they were created and designed
for. A domino effect of ease and joy relays
through me: from happy muscles to bones that feel
newly weightless, to my vitality which feels both
buoyant and grounded, to me who feels I've
suddenly been transported back to being a
vivacious, playful 5-year-old.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Doing
the moves is relaxing and fun. Photo
by Jennifer Lovejoy
|
I begin to walk around and enjoy this woosh of
energy and wildness. There's a wave of animal
instinct that feels back on track. I can't but
help notice that I feel very, very big and very,
very free. Hmmm . . . .feels delicious but kind
of dangerous. My excitement drifts over to fear,
and I started pressing my doubts to Felicia:
"Isn't my chest sticking out too much? Don't
I look too proud, too full of myself? Somebody's
not going to like this. I feel too happy, too
energetic, too alive." While still strongly
registering this new wave of lightness and
vitality in my body, my mind is working hard to
convince me that in order to preserve
"myself" I'd better bail quickly.
Felicia hangs with me, gently contradicting the
cultural-historical-familial mythology to which I
am attempting to stay attached. What a divine
place of reality, truth and comfort she holds
out. I am able to disengage from my fears and
tune instead to the wisdom and perfection that my
body is presenting. I love feeling young and free
and open and alive like a child again.
(Continued on page 4)
|
|
|
