June 19, 2020
The Magazine By, For, and About Feldenkrais® Practitioners and Trainees
The Feldenkrais Method®: Moving Beyond Ourselves
Welcome
In Touch 
is a monthly e-newsletter about developing one's competence as a Feldenkrais® 
teacher. Issues will contain articles about teaching the Feld enkrais Method® of somatic education, 
running your own business, and more.
In This Issue
From the Editors  

Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash
While FGNA publications routinely showcase the work of our own member Practitioners, on occasion it is beneficial to listen to other voices so we can increase our capacity to grow and understand ourselves and our work in new ways. For this month's issue of In Touch, we looked both inside the Feldenkrais®/FGNA community, and outside of it, to colleagues from the larger world of somatic education.

We are witnessing historic cultural shifts that shape generations. From the disruption of lives and livelihoods by the COVID-19 virus, to the protests and demands for systemic change in governmental, educational, criminal justice, and healthcare policy at all levels, of course we know that we are more than witnesses. We know that we are always part of our environment, affecting it; and it, us. 

Many in our community have been moved into action in recent weeks. Some have been activists for years. Martha Eddy and Elisabeth Osgood-Campbell are veteran somatic practitioners, widely known and respected, who have been addressing issues of inequality and inclusion for decades. They offer the fruit of their research, experience, and leadership as a resource for us as we as somatic educators might navigate these times.
Candy Conino worked for years as part of the international team to create the IFF Competency Project and the FGNA Feldenkrais® Practitioner Profile (FPP). Her article grounds us in a process of inquiry, rooted in the Feldenkrais Practitioner Profile, so each of us can choose the next steps in our own education and development.  
 
As we face squarely into these issues, it's fitting that our publication date is June 19, or "Juneteenth." When MaryBeth moved to Texas in 1978, she was surprised that she had never learned about this historic event in the Illinois public schools. The history of June 19, 1865 echoes through to today, as we see how much has changed, and how much has not.

Moshe Feldenkrais said,"Change happens whether you want it to, or not." We are challenged now, but we are equipped to survive and thrive, because we have learned how to learn. 

--Lavinia and MaryBeth
 
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Martha Eddy
An Interview with Martha Eddy Martha

Dr. Martha Eddy is the Geraldine Ferraro Fellow for Social Justice and Movement at Marymount Manhattan
College, where she also advises the Body Science and Motion studies for students in the Dance and Natural Science Departments. She was a speaker at the 2019 Feldenkrais® Summit, and is the author of  "Mindful Movement: The Evolution of the Somatic Arts and Conscious Action." She recently spoke with MaryBeth Smith to discuss what social justice action might look like for somatic movement educators. 
Elisabeth Osgood-Campbell
ISMETA Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
An Interview with Elisabeth Osgood-Campbell Elisabeth

Elisabeth Osgood-Campbell is a Continuum teacher, expressive arts therapist, and artist. She has taught at the Harvard Graduate School of Public Education, on the faculty of Tamalpa Institute, and served for 9 years on the Board of Directors of the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA). She is co-chair of their Research and Publications Committee. She is the lead author for ISMETA's Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She has been an ally, scholar and activist on these issues for 40 years. She spoke with MaryBeth Smith about how somatic movement educators might think about, and begin to implement in their personal practices, the ideals behind the statement. 
Plan to Attend the Next Feldenkrais® Café

Tuesday, June 30, 7:00 pm EDT

How might we respond to the Black Lives Matter movement?
What actions can we take to deal with the fact that FGNA has few members of color and the clientele of our members is equally homogenous? 

On TUESDAY June 30 at the next Zoom Café, we invite you to join us as we explore our relationship to the Attitudes and Values section of the Feldenkrais Practitioner Profile. We have been reflecting and have found some points of inquiry and discussion. This is simply a beginning point, like a scan. We welcome your input and participation. 

Bring your tea, your wine, your hors d'oeuvres and your questions. We are here for you. See you at the Café!
floating candles
Photo by Mike Labrum on Unsplash
Attitudes and Values Candy
by Candy Conino

Black Lives Matter. How do we respond to this urgency? What actions can we take to deal with the fact that FGNA has few members of color and the clientele of our members is equally homogenous? 
 
As Feldenkrais® practitioners, we've learned and we teach a process of sensing, feeling and exploring our way toward efficient and potent action. Make no mistake, the intention is to act! We begin our process with a scan. We direct our attention and appreciation to examine our current relationship with ourselves and the environment. We go on to explore small and gentle variations in action, pausing to reflect afterward on how each one created a shift in our organization. We know the enormous power of this process to create change.  
 
As we acknowledge our readiness to create change in our professional organization, perhaps we can begin. . .
Let Us Know!
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

 Write us  to let us know how you are educating yourself about anti-racism efforts, and moving into action. Book club? Study group? Sliding scale? Collaboration with your community? We'd love to share your story, so you can inspire others to intelligent action. We hope that new collaborations may arise so that what you create might be replicated elsewhere. Inspire us! 

July is right around the corner, and with it, U.S. Independence Day and the Fourth of July holiday. We're looking for your blog posts, videos, or lessons you have created around the themes of Independence, self-determination, and internal authority to share with our general public readership for SenseAbility. Deadline for submissions is Friday, June 26. Send submissions or queries to   communications@feldenkraisguild.com.

Header image by Julentto Photography on Unsplash.