Feldenkrais Session - Functional Integration® work

This afternoon I had the great pleasure of having a much-needed Functional Integration® (one to one) Session of Feldenkrais. It was something that was long overdue, and I had the privilege of having a session with the lovely Maggy Burrowes who works in South London not far from where I live. Maggy is someone very special and someone who contributed to my most recent book writing all about Feldenkrais for people with Hypermobility Syndrome. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Multidisciplinary-Approach-Managing-Ehlers-Danlos-Type/dp/1848190808/ref=pd_sim_b_3 

After a good catch-up, Maggy begun to work on me, doing a session that was aimed at freeing my hips and helping with improving my use of hips pelvis and to help with walking. Such as the one-to-one work in Feldenkrais, it seems that as the recipient of treatment, that I am doing absolutely nothing whilst the practitioner does all the work. Not entirely so. I was very much processing what Maggy was doing. It was if my brain was listening - certainly my ears felt active, but I was "hearing" the work deep inside my body. The movements are incredibly gentle and the Feldenkrais is working on improving the relationship of the bones, rather than necessarily the muscles, although of course the work is very holistic. In fact, I was having sensations on my head and neck when Maggy was working on my feet. The work is almost playful because Maggy is just coaxing the joints to articulate in a subtle, yet different way.

Maggy started by working on me with me lying on my left side. I then lay on my back to compare the difference before she worked on my right side. By the end of the session, which must have taken towards an hour, the right side of my body (the actual shorter leg/side) felt much longer than the left and then I went to stand, which was interesting. My right knee felt a little more vulnerable - initially since it had its full range of hypermobility fully restored, but this certainly felt OK - I didn't feel unstable. However, upon walking my hips were going up and down and there was far more 'articulation' in the pelvis and I had an improved tilt in my pelvis, improved belly breathing and increased sensation and use of my feet. 

I am now a little tired, which is entirely normal following this work, but my body feels better and freer for it and I think it will be interesting to explore walking with my 'sexier' hips and allow the muscles to relax off that are keeping the area in such a held way. 

If you haven't yet had Feldenkrais as a one-to-one session or Functional Integration® (as it can also be taught in class settings) I would highly recommend it. Maggy Burrowes website is http://www.vocaldynamix.com/index.html and she is a lovely person and as I say, very knowledgeable about Hypermobility Syndrome and also works a great deal with singers, being a singer herself.