What I Offer
Motor Function / Strength / Education
Private Sessions / Single Sessions and Packages
Group Classes / Workshops / Retreats
Complimentary 15 minute phone consultations.
Online instruction also available in all US time zones.
Why Work with Me?
True mind-body engagement is not easy. It takes concentration and time. Over the past two decades I have developed keen observational skills for movement, pursued deep theoretical knowledge of biomechanics and kinesiology, and learned from my many thousands of hours in session with all types of human bodies. My teaching style leans heavily on clear language and metaphors to help my clients visualize and understand what they are doing. This understanding is key. I like making big concepts accessible and colorful. I find my clients thrive when they are engaging physically and mentally with our work. I enjoy helping people discover their own way into body awareness, strength, and better movement patterns by staying with their experience, following what I see and giving clear feedback. I listen deeply and keep notes for each client. Together, we develop an individualized course of action that is both flexible and oriented toward progress.
Perhaps most importantly, I value a quality of presence, warmth, and compassion necessary to reach a successful outcome. I believe that trust and feeling seen are paramount to making real progress. I have maintained many of my clients for over 16 years, while some are still new to me. But whether I see a client for years at a time, or for one consultation, I take care to view every person I see as a whole person, in motion and in the context of their lives and goals. People need to feel safe and seen to try new things and embrace awkwardness. It’s important to me to always meet people where they are at with kindness and presence.
So many folks are left in a room with a ditto sheet of “magic exercises” and no true understanding of their own bodies or injury status. Often those exercises don't work. Worse, they feel alone and unseen. So many give up and never feel that energizing sense of agency that CAN come from expertise, clarity, understanding and presence. As an experienced guide, I have the capacity to see YOU and provide a nuanced education that can make a world of difference in how you feel every day. Ultimately, you are doing this for yourself in partnership with me. You put in the time, and effort. You learn the concepts. You create new neural pathways. You are the magic. I will just help you find it.
Motor Function - A Framework for Change
Motor function and motor learning are the processes through which we attain, adapt and refine the language of movement. From small children learning to walk or grasp to elite athletes switching up a baseball pitch - we need access to our body/ brain connection to reach new levels of ability and adapt to our ever changing needs. A motor function framework for physical training asserts an inherent somatic plasticity. It also gives us a working template of how the body actually generates movement. When we access our nervous system and engage consciously with movement retraining, we can go beyond what we thought possible. We can also pull back where we are forcing motion and range and stop hurting ourselves! We can't create new patterns while on autopilot. While heuristics and habits are part of the genius of our motor systems - think of how easy it is to drive or eat- these were at one time very awkward tasks and took up all of your concentration and now they can happen in the background while you live life - sometimes we need to interrupt long held patterns to see if there's a better way to move. Often there is, and we can move away from pain and toward ease.
Education and Engagement
To gain the most benefit and forge new movement pathways, a deeper understanding of human physiology and kinesthetic control must be cultivated. There are no magic exercises. The “magic” is in our ability to slow down, perceive, visualize and understand a new way of moving. Clarity is gained bit by bit and digested more fully when a client is ready to understand certain concepts and let go of long held movement habits that are causing dysfunction. This isn’t always easy. There is often an awkward period of re-learning and disorganization that is merely part of a longer process of adaptation and ultimately, better, stronger movement. Embracing that “awkwardness” while learning new concepts is an important step in the process of healing. We have to learn, tune in and lean into the awkwardness so we may become true partners with our bodies and change how we move for the better.
What I Offer
Sensual Movement
Sensual movement is a dance form that is meant for ALL people, at ANY age and ANY fitness level. It is an incredibly effective tool for reconnecting to your body, sensuality, power and purpose. “Sexy” is the by-product of coming home to a body that we accept and care for without condition. Confidence is natural in this state, and movement is the key. Since our bodies tell our greatest truths – if we can learn to listen and trust, the potential for growth is unlimited. A safe, informed, inclusive environment is probably the most important aspect of these classes. Twenty-plus years in this area has taught me a lot about how to offer this movement in a way that is engaging, fun and safe.
Sensual movement classes emphasize reclaiming of safety in our bodies in a group setting. The classes often help us to feel more at home in our identities outside of who we think we should be or were told to be. The process of learning a movement vocabulary that does not shy away from our innate humanity and encourages a slower pace can heal our wounds and free us from the many psycho-social scripts we may carry about how we “ should” be, “ should” move and “should” look. This movement intentionally slows us down and opens us to this deep knowledge that we all possess but sometimes can’t access. We learn to pay attention to ourselves with benevolence and slowly feel into what we actually want and let go of judging ourselves for it. When we begin to move and connect to our bodies, we also unlock “stuck” parts of our lives, confront old stories and feel more health and joy!
Learn more at The Alt Feminine.com
Please check the events page for upcoming classes, workshops, and retreats.