Spotlight on Erica Baker

 

Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement is a neurosomatic movement practice that uses carefully designed, mindful movement explorations to improve mobility, awareness, and overall well-being. Based on principles of neuroplasticity, the explorations help to rewire habitual patterns that may be causing physical or psychological discomfort, and allow us to discover more efficient, easeful ways of moving and being.

 

I discovered Feldenkrais while researching effective and innovative therapies to support my husband’s recovery after a major brain injury. I was immediately struck by the brilliance of the practice, the science behind it is solid and fascinating, but experiencing the impact of the practice in my own life has been incredibly profound and beautiful.

 

I am a lifelong learner and fascinated by life—the beauty, the complexity, and even the challenges. I’ve always wondered how I could blend my love of learning with contributing meaningfully to humanity. I have discovered that synergy in Feldenkrais. It’s the most holistic, interdisciplinary, and effective methodology I’ve encountered. It fosters dignity, ease, creativity, stability, and a deepening a felt sense of connection within ourselves as well as with our environment and with all beings. This is something our world deeply needs right now and so I am forever grateful that I was able to participate in the training and that I can share this with others.

 

I’m a relatively new practitioner, having graduated just over a year ago from a 4-year training in Kelowna. Since then, I’ve been teaching workshops, classes, and private sessions, and am honored to be sharing this work!

 

Oh! Where do I begin? Feldenkrais has been life-changing for me. I was dealing with significant PTSD, chronic pain, and other significant challenges when I started the practice. Feldenkrais isn’t magic (although it sometimes feels like it!), but it’s given me tools to access my own innate resources more readily—to adapt, learn, and meet challenges with greater ease and with hope. I also live with very little pain now! I’m continually amazed by the brilliance of our exquisitely designed systems. We have an unlimited capacity to grow and heal and connect! I love sharing the wonder of our exquisiteness with others and I truly believe this connected, embodied self-awareness is key to elevating consciousness in the world.

 

Feldenkrais is deeply woven into my daily life and way of being.  I practice the Awareness Through Movement (ATM) lessons nearly every day… because they are just so useful… and I apply the principles of the practice to all aspects of my life—whether it’s how I get out of bed more gracefully, how I patiently navigate relationships, or how I respond to life’s demands with balance and stability. I’m constantly deepening my knowledge through advanced training and studies, but the most transformative insights for me happen through engaging somatically with the practice. Similar to a meditation practice, its takes time to develop the patience and skills to really slow down and be attentive to what is happening in the present moment, but the benefits that infuse all of my life are invaluable.

 

In my classes, I guide students through gentle, exploratory movements that often focus on functional or developmental patterns—movements we use continually throughout our days. Many of the explorations are done lying down on the floor or sitting, which reduces muscular effort and allows for greater sensory awareness. I like to introduce elements of anatomy, developmental biology, neuroscience, and even a bit of poetry to support the learning process. Through curious, attentive self-exploration, participants begin to uncover easier, more efficient ways of moving—which also often translate into ease in thinking and feeling. It’s incredible how quickly change happens when we give our nervous system the right information! The Feldenkrais practice meets us exactly where we are at in life, without judgement, and offers us clearer, concrete self awareness and more possibilities to live how we choose… and with greater ease, with joy and potency.

 

Each person experiences the lessons slightly differently as we each come with our unique skills, habits, injuries, and life circumstances.  Often though, people feel lighter, more grounded, and surprised by how much easier and more fluid movement feels after a class. There’s usually a sense of calm, clarity, and a deeper connection to oneself—and also with others.

 

For sure! Like yoga and meditation, Feldenkrais cultivates presence, awareness, and a deep connection with oneself. It’s a form of moving meditation that encourages curiosity and non-judgment, fostering profound transformation over time.