Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash |
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Photo by Road Trip with Raj on Unsplash
The pandemic has impacted us in myriad ways. One side effect has been noted by many prominent dentists: we are clenching and grinding our teeth more than ever. In a recent interview for MarketWatch, Dr. Mark Drangsholt, chair of the Department of Oral Medicine at the University of Washington’s School of Dentistry has said, “There’s effectively an epidemic of jaw muscle pain in the country right now because of COVID.”
Stress as well as excessive computer time have created the perfect storm in our mouths. Can the Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education come to the rescue?
We are excited to have several very experienced Feldenkrais® practitioners present strategies for better TMJ health: David Zemach-Bersin offers his perspective in an exclusive interview; Nancy Haller shares useful tips on how to reduce jaw tension, and Buffy Owens explains the anatomy of the jaw and its impact on the whole body.
Don’t miss the Resource section: we have collected several free lessons guaranteed to make your jaw feel better, generously offered by multiple Feldenkrais practitioners: Buffy Owens, Erin Finkelstein, Nick Strauss-Klein, and David Zemach-Bersin.
We are sad to say good-by to LeeAnn and she moves onto other Feldenkrais® adventures.
Lavinia and Yulia
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TMJ and Feldenkrais Method® : An Interview with David Zemach-Bersin
Feldenkrais® trainer David Zemach-Bersin was one of the first Feldenkrais practitioners who taught a TMJ audio series in collaboration with Mark Reese. His interest originates from working with Biofeedback specialists to see immediate effects in the jaw from Feldenkrais exercises. Learn more about why the health of the jaw is so important for your posture and your overall health. Interviewed by Yulia Kriskovets.
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About David
David Zemach-Bersin studied with Dr. Feldenkrais from 1973 to 1984 in the US, Europe and Israel. He also studied extensively with Gaby Yaron, and Yochanon Rywerant. He has maintained a private Functional Integration® practice since 1977 and for the past 25 years has been the Educational Director of Feldenkrais® Professional Training Programs in the metropolitan New York City area. David is co-author of Relaxercise (Harper Collins) and has created many Awareness Through Movement® audio programs for the public and video programs for practitioners. David currently teaches continuing education programs for Feldenkrais practitioners online, and offers a popular online class series for the public. His website is https://www.feldenkraisaccess.com
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The Movements of The Jaw
By Buffy Owens, GCFP
The jaw and its movements play a pivotal role in balance — physically and emotionally.
Ahhhhh….the jaw!
I recently created a short movement practice for a student titled, "reConnecting The Pelvis & Jaw" (see the Resource section). I’m sure that you know that the jaw impacts your teeth and other mouthy parts. But did you also know that the jaw and its movements play a pivotal role in balance — physically and emotionally?
The upper jaw, part of the cranium, connects most intimately with the spine and back of the body. Every movement the upper jaw makes reverberates through the spine. One of the best ways to feel this is to sense the connection between the pelvis and the jaw. Once you've made the connection, you can refine your ability to feel how the jaw movements transmit down the spine (...)
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About Buffy
Buffy Owens is a Feldenkrais® Practitioner, Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, and the founder of Conscious Movements. She teaches people around the world how to move beyond pain and live a more embodied & resilient life. Her journey with the human potential movement dates back to the 1990s when she first began her studies of human anatomy and the spirit that moves the form. Her website is https://www.consciousmovements.com/buffy-owens
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Tips for TMJ Health from Nancy Haller, GCFP
Nancy Haller discusses how one's teeth, mouth, neck, and the whole body can be affected by the tightness in the jaw. She shares many useful tips and explorations to help you change your habits and get to a more relaxed jaw.
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About Nancy
Nancy Haller graduated with a MA from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA in 2010. She has been a practicing Guild Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner, since completing her four year training in 1997. She finished her National Certification for Massage, with honors, in 1995 and recently accomplished National Board Certification for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork in 2014. Her website: https://nancyhaller.com/hallertraining.html
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There is still time to purchase the entire
FGNA Speaker Series!
The first part of the three-part FGNA Speaker Series was last week, but you can still access the recordings by purchasing the entire series!
Register now and you will receive the recordings for June LaPointe's and Larry Goldfarb's inspiring lectures, and a reserved spot to attend the next two sessions live.
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Don't miss the 4th Annual Feldenkrais Awareness Summit with free access to talks, lessons, live panels and so much more with some of our leading practitioners as well as special guests like James Nestor, author of Breath and Stephen Nachmanovich, author of The Art of Is. Truly a banquet of awareness!
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Resources
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“TMJ Another Way” lesson by Erin Finkelstein. This short Awareness Through Movement® exploration creates the conditions for you to feel how the relationship between your TMJ and your sitz bones can help you start to function better and with less pain, without having to open your jaw. Click here to sign up for a free lesson.
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"Easing the Jaw, Neck, and Shoulders" by Nick Strauss-Klein. his lesson is often helpful for reducing many types of jaw-related tension and discomfort, including some kinds of headaches, TMJ pain, and discomfort and stiffness in the neck, shoulders, and spine. Click here to listen.
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