By Madeleine Perrone

When we are light in spirit, there is an ease and bounce in our walk. When we move with comfort, coordination, and balance, we experience life differently with less stress on our nervous system. We feel and appear younger.

We are capable at any age of making changes in our thinking and moving. It was once believed that as we age, the brain’s networks became fixed. In the last two decades, an enormous amount of research has revealed that the brain never stops changing and adjusting.

FELDENKRAIS
As presented on the recent PBS program, Brain and Neuroplasticity, scientists now know that we continue to create new pathways in the brain as we age. These ideas were not new to Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, creator of the Feldenkrais Method®.

Dr. Feldenkrais developed a unique and intriguing way to help people change habitual patterns of body movements. He understood that when the nervous system senses an easier way of doing an action, it automatically will choose that way. As a physicist, he also understood that if we can spread the workload of action throughout the entire body, there will be less strain and injury.

The Feldenkrais Method® helps people learn to use themselves more efficiently by feeling and sensing “how” to execute movement – using the large muscles to do the work and not straining to do an action. Simple, yet powerful exercise explorations train the brain to send signals to the body so it can move healthier.

The classes are unique and challenging, combining movements that seem unrelated at first but later connect to an entire action, making the lessons diverse and interesting. Awareness Through Movement® (ATM) group classes take place on the floor; yet there are many lessons that are experienced sitting, standing, or walking. These lessons are verbally directed using attention and imagination. The movements are subtle, which helps to develop awareness. They help the student learn to relax and abandon habitual patterns that no longer serve to enhance ease of movement.
The other technique used in the Feldenkrais Method® is Functional Integration® (FI), which are private lessons with a Feldenkrais practitioner. Sessions usually take place on a low table or chair, where the practitioner suggests movement possibilities by gently moving the student, thus re-educating the nervous system.

The FI session is so gentle and non-intrusive, that you will be surprised how effective it can be! This is because this method is based on viewing the body's potential and not its limitations. It does not focus on tight muscles, weak muscles, misalignment, or structural deficiencies. Instead, both FI and AMT focus on the re-education of habitual patterns that can create pain.

BENEFITS
The Feldenkrais Method ® offers several benefits to our well-being:
• Move with flexibility and strength
• Be rid of aches and pains
• Acquire tools to improve your fitness practice; yoga, golf, running, etc.
• Find new possibilities
• Learn to organize ourselves more efficiently
• Action becomes easier, more fluid, and more enjoyable through awareness
How does it work? It combines the understanding of physics, judo, yoga, anatomy, neurophysiology, learning theory, developmental movement patterns, and biochemistry. In offering new ways of thinking about movement, it is a continual learning experience for anyone, at any age.

Madeleine Perrone is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner. She works with adults and children using the Feldenkrais Method to enhance performance, to make the impossible possible and the easy elegant. She offers private sessions, ongoing classes and workshops year round. Body in Motion, 559-240-7895. (see calendar for upcoming workshop)

“The very smell of [mint] reanimates the spirit,” exclaimed the Roman scholar Pliny who considered mint “the loveliest of herbs.” According to Greek mythology Minthe was a lovely nymph who was so attractive to the god Pluto (Hades) that his jealous wife Persephone kicked and stepped on her then turned her into a scented herb. Unable to reverse the spell, Pluto gave the herb a sweeter scent each time Persephone stepped on it.

Mint has been a highly regarded herb in all ancient cultures. As the symbol of hospitality, Romans strewn mint in “places of recreation, pleasure, and repose.” It was also sprinkled on the floors of Hebrew synagogues and Italian churches, where it was known as the sacred ‘Erba Santa Maria’.

Mint’s refreshing scent has continued to make it an important herb in modern times. There are over 600 varieties of mint so the best advice in choosing mint is to follow your nose. Peppermint has the highest medicinal value. Teas from peppermint help digestion, flatulence, colic, colds and influenza. The menthol in peppermint stimulates the flow of bile in the stomach which promotes digestion and relieves upset stomachs. Mint is superb for bad breath and mouth odor. Chopped mint leaves infused in oil are great for joint and muscular pain.

The culinary uses of mints are very extensive; they are popular in Greek, Arabic, North African, Middle Eastern and Indian foods. Spearmint and curly mints are milder than peppermint so they are preferred for culinary purposes. These mints enhance the flavors of meat, fish and vegetable dishes, especially stews and soups. They meld well with lentils, beans, rice, and eggplant.

The best way to propagate mint is through cuttings. Plant in a restricted area like a wine barrel or pot; otherwise the mint will take over your garden space with its shoots. Here on the Central Coast, mints thrive in sunny areas near the coast, but they prefer morning or afternoon shade in the hotter inland climates. Mint loves water particularly when temperatures heat up. They die back in winter; it’s best to cut the last of the fall harvest. Trim the stems way back so they will come up hardily in the spring. Dry the leaves flat on a well-ventilated rack. Store dried leaves in a glass jar for winter teas.

Peppermint and spearmint are excellent natural insect repellents; they make good companion plants for vegetables. They keep aphids, flea beetles and a variety of pests that affect the brassica family, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts, at bay.

Holiday Vinegar
Place 4-5 fresh mint leaves in a decorative bottle. Add a slice or two of orange peel. For added zest, put a hot chili pepper in as well. Fill the bottle with quality white wine vinegar. Add a lovely ribbon. This vinegar makes a simple, handmade gift for the holidays. Use as a marinade for lamb or chicken or as a dressing for salads.