tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3027442106304567262011-09-28T11:04:38.757-07:00A Blog by Steve Hamlin.stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.comBlogger331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-19143253967093842262008-09-26T12:45:00.000-07:002008-09-26T12:55:44.859-07:00

Finally - my web site www.mybodycanlearn.com is up and running. It has taken me several years to finish. I'm still adding several blogs a month, linked to the website. Please check it out and let me know how you like it! I love the logo, color, design and layout - it's understated and friendly to the eyes. It's a friendly simplicity that does not assault the senses. Thanks to Arlene Bogna of

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-57332499202577530362008-09-16T08:33:00.000-07:002008-09-26T12:45:23.510-07:00

It seems that as we grow older, it is normal to get hammertoes. Why? Osteoporosis? Diet related? Lack of exercise? Because of high heeled shoes? Is there a cure? Yes, certainly, there are specific stretches and exercises that will help alleviate hammertoes. I even use them when working with clients. But it is also good to know the big picture as well, to understand how you created the hammertoes

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-77063796206154722132008-08-19T21:17:00.000-07:002008-08-26T07:51:32.725-07:00

Buddha said Whatever you think, it won't be that way. Feldenkrais is that way. Beginners and experienced teachers both agree, it has to be experienced to be understood - just reading about it is not enough. All I can do here is give you some history, a few hints and some of my own insights.  Moshe Feldenkrais was born in 1904 in the Ukraine. He left home at age 14 to walk to Palestine (now known

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-13934304058068866202008-08-03T07:47:00.000-07:002008-08-11T05:54:15.916-07:00

Feldenkrais breathing ideas are opposite to what I used to believe. I was more than a little upset about that in my Feldenkrais Training - my world was turned upside down - because I had used so much effort, over so many years to breathe in what I thought was the correct way. Feldenkrais means back to basics, things we should have learned when younger, and the things we should not have learned. 

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-8215140863649494042008-08-01T21:07:00.000-07:002008-08-02T10:57:15.952-07:00

My approach is multi-pronged. First, I'll want you to have seen an MD or Chiropractor, so we can be sure your problem is within the realm of my practice. There is no sense in your seeing me, if the cause of your pain is a tumor, for instance. It is always a good idea to rule out serious pathology. True, the kind of work I do cannot cause any harm, but if another kind of treatment is indicated and

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-70507325402496393862008-07-31T06:09:00.000-07:002008-08-03T07:32:11.280-07:00

It is a tremendously stressful and underpaid job you have, and under-appreciated both by parents, kids, administrators and society. Every year it gets more that way. I have total sympathy.  It involves so much writing, correcting papers, and usage of the eyes. Your day is spent disciplining the kids and filling out all kinds of paperwork, rather than directly facilitating the learning of your

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-91921953212007614602008-07-30T20:23:00.000-07:002008-08-01T06:42:53.096-07:00

Routinely, I ask new clients to stop eating gluten for 2 weeks, to see what happens. I do this because I know there will be improvements in the client's condition, whatever that may be. It's a long story, but fascinating. It has taken me 15 years to put it together in this way. I wanted the truth about wheat, so I began to explore, to pay attention, ask questions and do research. I'm share my

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-4412913648084384442008-07-30T20:19:00.000-07:002008-07-30T20:22:48.060-07:00

Naomi, a client I had many years ago, had been seeing me for FI  (Feldenkrais Functional Integration) about 6 weeks when she asked me “Steve, how is it possible that my arthritis in my left hand is getting so much better? You have not worked on the hand much, and it has kept getting worse all these years. Nothing much has helped.” I was at a loss – even though in my Feldenkrais Training I had

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-21186221660152197062008-07-30T06:52:00.000-07:002008-07-30T07:57:09.848-07:00

Castor Oil comes from a plant, and is made from castor beans. It is an ancient therapy, time proven, and is perfectly safe - but you need to study it a little bit. Castor oil is sticky and can be messy if you are not careful. When you apply it topically, use very little, it will completely absorb in the skin after several hours, until then the skin may be "tacky".  If you use too much oil

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-76512344553213238992008-07-30T06:11:00.000-07:002008-08-19T19:45:56.366-07:00

This condition can be extremely painful, and prevent one from standing or walking for any length of time with any degree of comfort. It can be discouraging, when you get lots of treatment, PT, chiropractic, home exercises, massage, etc and nothing helps. You might contemplate surgery or injections to deaden the pain. Here I will describe one such case I had, and the successful outcome, when

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-47875180729045674042008-07-15T09:07:00.000-07:002008-07-28T11:22:37.485-07:00

In my years of practice, I've seen a few successful long term runners - those who have had very little knee, ankle, back or neck trouble from running, and who compete at a high level. My own father is an example - he won records in the mile run in 1932 -1933 - Burbank High School - and kept running ever since. Now, at age 92, he is still active, and walks as he is able. All of these people, when

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-59983332579180291832008-07-11T18:43:00.000-07:002008-07-30T23:05:04.901-07:00

Some of the ideas here are unique; I think you'll find them useful to prevent and cure Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS).  They come from my own experience, from  long mentoring in the method by many patient teachers, and from my pleasant memories of many hours doing Awareness Through Movement in my Feldenkrais Training.  Maybe I am spoiled, but I like to be comfortable, and during my Training, I did

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-11473870608860665092008-07-11T17:12:00.000-07:002008-07-29T23:56:19.385-07:00

If you closely compare the geometry of both hands, when fully relaxed, you'll probably notice that the thumb or the right hand (or dominant  hand)  is bent in towards the center of the palm more than the left hand. No doubt, that is because with our right hand we do more gripping, holding, shaking hands, writing, using tools, etc. However, I must add that often I notice this even in left-handed

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-2360024473815289112008-07-11T13:18:00.000-07:002008-07-30T00:14:58.674-07:00

All day long, unless we lie down, the back of the neck muscles are holding up much of the weight of the head.  Our head would tilt down (like it does if you fall asleep in a chair), if those muscles were not always tensing - they are postural muscles and are designed to do that. Nonetheless we need to check in with the back-of-the-neck-muscles now and then to be sure they are not doing too much

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-21772065537130273032008-07-11T12:41:00.000-07:002008-07-30T01:13:11.757-07:00

For starters,  where, exactly, is your ankle? The common idea of ankles is that it is a 4-6 inch area in the vicinity of the two ankles bones just above the foot. If you think (and act)  more clearly and precisely about your ankles, and how they work, you can reap many benefits. It can literally change your life. When balance improves, the entire nervous system "settles" and become more calm,

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-26455101939478423392008-07-11T12:22:00.000-07:002008-07-30T01:33:07.163-07:00

Your life will become SO much easier when you learn how to sit in a chair. In my case, for at least 35 years I was sitting to study or meditate by tensing the back and spine, to ENSURE that I never slumped, which I was warned against strongly. My mental dialogue went like this: If I slumped, I would be "like a bum" or "the energy will not flow in the spine" or "slumping posture creates depression

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-67686853031539912782008-07-09T13:47:00.000-07:002008-07-11T08:09:51.690-07:00

Chances are your shoulder pain, like practically every other kind of pain, is something that you have spent many years working to create. This may seem hard to accept, and it is not meant as an insult (rather, a blunt truth, which is generally true for everyone, I've found) but once you are open to this way of thinking, you can get amazing results - such as are never possible if you continually

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-70133239060835123022008-06-17T02:41:00.000-07:002008-07-09T13:46:36.430-07:00

We all have been told to sit up straight, don't slump, and maintain good posture.  Have you ever taken a close look at such advice? No doubt, if properly understood, it is a good thing. Chronic slumping is not conducive to concentration,  personal growth, maturity or success - that is for sure.  But have you considered that there are many ways to "not slump" and of all the many choices,

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-71969455710218964422008-06-15T15:47:00.000-07:002008-07-11T15:06:31.624-07:00

This post is very blunt.  I don't know any other way to say all this. I see so many suffer from lack of understanding this. I did, for years, so again, I speak with passion and understanding. I was raised as a minister's kid, and I took all that good advice and preaching deeply to heart.  In some ways it was good, but in many other ways it really messed me up. Because I did not rebel, and took it

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-47048629445897881572008-06-14T06:16:00.000-07:002008-09-26T12:09:13.172-07:00

Your life will become SO much easier when you learn how to sit in a chair. In my case, for at least 35 years I was sitting to study or meditate by tensing the back and spine, to ENSURE that I never slumped, which I was warned against strongly. My mental dialogue went like this: If I slumped, I would be "like a bum" or "the energy will not flow in the spine" or "slumping posture creates depression

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-89824485121453773132008-06-12T06:49:00.000-07:002008-06-12T18:55:50.215-07:00

Learn this one, and you will never be the same again.  Your life will sparkle with joy, love, spiritual advancement, compassion, people will love you and you'll get RICH!! (OK I may exaggerate, but you move in this direction). A lot of our self-image lives in our chest region and our somatic anatomical self-image has a lot to do with how this area moves, and how it continually re-creates or

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-38855472578574991552008-06-11T11:38:00.000-07:002008-06-11T12:38:53.685-07:00

How tightly do you hold yourself? Can you relax from the inside? Can you stand and sit and clearly sense your soft tissue resting on your bony skeleton? If not, don't worry - not many people can. But it is easy to learn, and the benefits are outstanding and permanent. Once you learn it, you will shed years of turmoil, aches, troubles and tensions written in your body. You'll go through life with

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-8224445859365746422008-06-08T16:39:00.000-07:002008-06-17T02:46:59.698-07:00

If you must continually do something with your shoulders, then do this: push your shoulders directly down (with not even a trace of pulling them backwards) while at the same time lifting the chest up, while relaxing the spine(don't stiffen and straighten your thoracic spine). As much as I dislike any type of "posture correction exercises" that must be done almost continually, this is one that

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-54421682803069762562008-06-01T23:17:00.000-07:002008-08-03T07:45:16.218-07:00

In the realm of human movement, the word relaxation does not quite fit. In common usage it is heavily weighted with  the idea of inertia or disconnect from whatever might usually need to be done - duty. It is seen as a sort of relief from over-work. In the somatic sense it needs to take on a dynamic quality - efficiency of movement, minimal effort, a quiet readiness to do whatever is required,

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-70429861129871570862008-05-29T10:31:00.000-07:002008-05-30T10:47:37.491-07:00

Many of my clients are incredulous when I tell them they can feel the front of their spine by pressing in on their belly (on an empty stomach, on an exhale, press in from the side). The spine has a dimensionality that most of us do not know on a gut level (pun intended).Why is this? I think it is cultural. Growing up, we were taught that the spine was that row of bones on our back - the back bone

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-43262168002867972892008-05-20T11:48:00.000-07:002008-07-30T01:49:17.813-07:00

Of course, it would be better to sit on the floor, as they do in other cultures, and make that a regular habit, to eat, or meditate, watch TV etc. Prolonged chair sitting, as practiced today, can lead to many troubles. We'll benefit by learning more about how to optimally use chairs. In The Feldenkrais Work we believe - and experience confirms - that the central issue is not that chairs are a

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-1864318222405802862008-05-17T07:20:00.001-07:002008-08-03T07:38:59.547-07:00

Correct understanding of this little detail can have a huge positive impact on your life. This is basic, functional anatomy that we should all know. If you think the top of the neck is at chin level, you are mistaken. Remember, the jaw just hangs from the skull like an appendage. The lower jaw is much lower than the base of the skull, or the top of the neck. Actually, the lower jaw is about at

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-21934031888251947962008-05-17T06:42:00.000-07:002008-05-18T08:27:02.928-07:00

It is amazing what other cultures can teach us. In particular, I am discovering that India has built into its culture many things that are extremely intelligent.  How they gesture with their head is one example. We have all seen people from India do this "side wagging" movement the head. I think it comes from their dance tradition. It is like there is a hinge (actually there is) right between the

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-81617718951436220122008-05-16T13:07:00.000-07:002008-05-17T06:42:41.782-07:00

By keeping the neck quiet, the head relatively motionless as we talk to people, we help reduce compression and pain in the neck vertebra. The hands are better able to express with gestures than our neck and head - the head is heavy! Almost as much as bowling ball. Just try holding a bowling ball in your hands and move it around, as if gesturing with your head. Even thinking about that makes my

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-50581453209151346332008-05-08T09:30:00.000-07:002008-05-19T13:27:15.799-07:00

It's OK to slump while sleeping! This strange advice is practically guaranteed to give some relief from back pain or trouble. It can even change your life! It costs nothing, is very easy and pleasant, and has no downside. But of course you need to understand it thoroughly first, and practice it for a few weeks. Then you'll do it automatically, since it feels so good. This is a longer post, so

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-33629094785761657142008-05-07T10:02:00.000-07:002008-05-14T11:45:49.038-07:00

If you travel a lot, this may help. How do you pick up a heavy suitcase? Of course, it is best to use wheels or a cart. But there are occasions when we have to heft a heavy bag. Three ways to do it. First, for most of us, we tense and lift the shoulder towards the ear while gripping and lifting the bag. The shoulder tension stabilizes the joint, which is good. But the lifting of the shoulder

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-54841975915108616072008-05-02T09:52:00.000-07:002008-05-03T12:27:29.306-07:00

My clients continue to teach me. Yesterday, a client with back pain, and an abusive boss, did role playing with me. She pretended to be her boss, I was her. She yelled at me while I stiffened my back (like she does). Her words were sharp, cutting - it's what naturally came out of her mouth. Then I softened my posture, relaxed my chest, slightly slumping. Her words became softer, kinder, in a

stevehamlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926014780714493345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302744210630456726.post-74706399140355663092008-04-30T11:46:00.000-07:002008-05-10T14:11:05.418-07:00

Finally someone is speaking about the talus. The new issue of New York Magazine has a great article about shoes and the importance of walking barefoot for our health. Podiatrists, thanks to some exciting new research, are beginning to understand that shoes themselves cause lots of troubles, no matter how good or expensive the shoe - barefoot is better, minimal is better.Did you know that runners

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