Ellen Soloway trained under Dr. Feldenkrais at Amherst and has a private practice in New Orleans. She is an Assistant Trainer and the editor of the Alexander Yanai Volumes. She offers Functional Integration® lessons and mentoring in New Orleans, Atlanta, and San Antonio. Also available in person or online are Awareness Through Movement® lessons, Feldenkrais Method® workshops, and Practitioner Mentoring.
More from Ellen…
A series of “unfortunate events” once sent me searching for something that would brighten a tart and lemony twist in my life. I found the solution by accident. It was at a workshop that happened to include a sample Awareness Through Movement® lesson. After that sample lesson, I sat up knowing I was different. My missing internal sense of humor had returned. I felt a smile on my face, and my life seemed simpler, easier, sweeter. I had stumbled onto the Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education, and I was thrilled.
I wrote to Dr. Feldenkrais and eventually enrolled in the Amherst training. This is the last program he personally taught. By the time I graduated, I understood my Cornell University education, combined with my background as a custom clothing designer and cabinetmaker gave me the skills a Feldenkrais practice requires: three-dimensional visual thinking, manual dexterity, and intellectual rigor.
Since then, I’ve worked as an Assistant Trainer in Feldenkrais programs around the world, edited the English manuscripts of the Alexander Yanai lessons, maintained a private practice in New Orleans, and mentored practitioners who want to deepen their skills.
Through all of it, one thing has stayed constant: the Feldenkrais Method® continues to brighten my life. A good Awareness Through Movement® lesson still brings a smile to my face — and helps me rediscover my imagination, resilience, and curiosity whenever they seem lost.