Day 1: Re-orientation

This week the workshop is taking place at Gotham Physical Therapy in Union Square.  My first challenge of the day was how to get there.  The directions were to take the R or N train which I walked to Times Square to catch.  Four stops and there I was.


When I walked out of the subway, I was in the midst of the weekly farmers' market.  It felt like I had died and gone to heaven.  And Union Square is amazing.  Teaming with the brilliance of New York with people and sounds I am so in love with this neighborhood now.  The only time Tom (that's my amazing husband, if you didn't read Thursday's post) and I have gone there is at night to a specific theatre (The Public which is technically below Union Square) or restaurant.  This is the first time I have seen it during the day with neighbors and others moving to the rhythm of its very distinct "music".  I will return now that I know how to get here.


The class was with 11 other students, several of them going to Pratt Institute in the fall for dance therapy.  There was one other public school teacher of dance and one student going for her master's at NYU in dance ed.  One student studied at BC in theatre and dance and lived in New York teaching Pilates.


The day was filled with remembering much of what I had learned in college about anatomy.  What re-engaged me was having an instructor who, as a former dancer, spoke through the lens of movement.  


Anastasi Siotas  gave us a Feldenkrais experiential called the tripod, which I can use as a new practice.  After engaging us in this practice for just about 30-40 minutes, it had completely realigned how I used my body in walking.  Simply amazing.


Anastasi talked about the skeleton in depth.  One of the very interesting concepts he presented us with was that of the bone "remodeling" itself and that the skeleton changes every ten years, based on what it has been challenged to do.  He is a certified "Bones for Life" trainer and teaches both here, in DC and in Australia, where he is from originally.


Anastasi shed light on a theory of Irene Dowd and her theory of functional anatomy.  A book I will now add to my library is her, Taking Root to Fly.


Lesson of the day:  my posture and use of body will be ever effected by the work I have done in just one day.  I can't wait for part two.