Big Body, Big Breath, Big Mind ©2009 Dennis Leri
3 Awareness Through Movement® Workshops with Dennis Leri
Aikido of Tamalpais, Marin County
Map at http://www.tam-aikido.org/

Big Body -- In the San Francisco Training in 1975 Moshe Feldenkrais introduced the notion of the “Big Body.” The Big Body is none other than the vital dynamic somatic potential out of which we shape our actual and individual somatic structures. Ignorance of our Big Body comes from being identified with our self image. Created out of our limited personal history and haphazardly formed, the self image influences our actions, our self perceptions and how we present ourselves to the world. Size does matter: the “size” of one’s life is consonant with the size and shape of one’s self image. Experiencing the Big Body, even if only briefly at first, reduces the hold our self image has on our potential.  It’s simple, really, to contact Big Body’s vast potential. The not so simple task of bringing that potential into action will be the focus of this workshop.
Saturday Oct. 24, 1-6:30 PM
$100, 2 workshops for $180, 3 workshops for $250

Big Breath -- Big Breath, as a signpost, points us towards a way to stay in touch with ourselves in any situation as we are living it.  As is well known, Feldenkrais was opposed to any idealized way of breathing or to “correcting” breathing through rules.  Breath, being the center of our metabolic processes, the barometer of our emotions and the engine of speech, cannot be more important to life. In this workshop we will examine our relationship to breath and how we breathe and why it’s important.
Saturday Nov. 28, 1-6:30 PM
$100, 2 workshops for $180, 3 workshops for $250

Big Mind -- Big Mind is the vast spaciousness and brilliant activity that is the non-conceptual base for all manifestations of conceptual activity.  And yes, Feldenkrais did address the topic and the domain.   In Feldenkrais’ notion of maturity we are not driven by compulsion. We need not grasp at this or that goal, we need not make purposeless efforts or in some cases any effort at all.  In this workshop we will distinguish between effortful thinking and effortless mental activity. And, in the process we just might give ourselves a chance to glimpse our own Big Mind.
Saturday Dec. 19, 1-6:30 PM
$100, 2 workshops for $180, 3 workshops for $250

Mentoring
Jan. 19, Feb. 16, March 16, April 20 10 am-1 pm
Aikido of Tamalpais, Marin County
Map at http://www.tam-aikido.org/
$400

For practitioners a mentoring group will be formed this Winter & Spring. In the group we’ll take an advanced look at the basics of Functional Integration®. We will meet one half day a month for four months. We will address the concerns of practitioners who feel they lack competence or confidence in any aspect of their private practice. We will review and refine what you do know. Where you feel you have gaps in your understanding or in your use of self we will bridge those gaps. This is an opportunity for practitioners to closely work with Dennis on improving the level of the lessons you give.

No Non-Sense Nuance: Precision, Competence & Confidence
Advanced Functional Integration® Training (Practitioners only)
April 24 & 25 2-7 pm
Aikido of Tamalpais, Marin County
Map at http://www.tam-aikido.org/
$200 by March 15 / $228 after

There is a concrete way to stay with your student, yourself and the lesson as you move through a Functional Integration session. We will proceed in a way to simultaneously develop competence and confidence. It works like this: Our ability to make sensory-motoric distinctions determines what we sense and shapes our lessons. Both the quality of contact and how it informs the lesson can be greatly refined. Becoming familiar with nuance allows us to see new part <-> whole patterns. And recognizing emerging patterns permits greater levels of skill. That develops competence. Because it’s innately rewarding it keeps our attention. By learning to regulate our attention, by staying with what the student’s terrain tells us, our confidence grows.

“Through” A leap beyond a doubt
Awareness Through Movement® Research Group
(Practitioners & 3rd & 4th year students)
March 20 & 21 2-7 pm
Aikido of Tamalpais,  Marin County
Map at http://www.tam-aikido.org/
$200 by February 20 / $228 after

Some give more importance to Awareness while others promote Movement. No one talks about “Through.” Is it just nondescript filling sandwiched between Awareness and Movement? I think not. We need to think “Through” through. When giving Awareness Through Movement lessons what do we give importance to? When we ourselves do a lesson what’s important? It’s not the case that understanding Awareness Through Movement is just a matter of doing more of it. In this weekend we will thoroughly deconstruct lessons themselves – structure, functions, pedagogical strategies, lesson “families” and much more. We will also delve into “styles” of giving lessons – to talk a lot or not at all, to tell stories or make jokes, to correct or not correct the students – and why. We will discuss ways to get the most out of lessons for ourselves. In a way this workshop will be an Awareness Through Movement of Awareness Through Movement. The “Through” is what distinguishes and ultimately relates Awareness and Movement.

Information & Registration For All Workshops
Questions: Maria @ 415.485.3873 email: mnow@earthlink.net
Registration: Send checks payable to “Dennis Leri”
12 West St., San Rafael, CA 94901
Refunds (less $30) given with 2 weeks notice before workshop

Dennis Leri, Trainer, has worldwide experience presenting the Feldenkrais Method in training programs, seminars and workshops. He apprenticed with Dr. Feldenkrais at the Feldenkrais Institute in Tel-Aviv, Israel and has taught the Method for nearly 30 years. His accessible teaching style reflects training in Western and Eastern philosophy, psychology, martial arts and poetics. His published articles on the Method have been translated into several languages.

Functional Integration® and Awareness Through Movement® are service marks of the Feldenkrais Guild® of North America. Content of this e-mail copyright Dennis Leri 2009. Copying or distribution without the written permission of Dennis Leri is forbidden.