Movement Meditation with Sarah: Deep Calm Through Movement

"I feel so much more focused and relaxed. I love how this is based on movements of the body, not on just focusing the mind. I’ve done Sarah's whole Movement Meditation course, and I’ve noticed that my sleep is better, so I can focus better on my work in the daytime. Very different and very cool!"    -Mila Popovic Geoui, BSc., MBA

Welcome to Movement Meditation with Sarah! I’m Sarah Templeton, and my aim is to cheer you up and calm you down. This course contains 10-minute movement lessons that can help you to calm your nervous system, regain your focus, and bring more optimism to your thought patterns. The lessons are based on my work, over the past 25 years, both studying and teaching the Feldenkrais® Method, Voice and Speech, and Laughter Yoga.

How are these mini-lessons different from many meditation and yoga practices?

They are different in three main ways:

1) These lessons use small, gentle movements of the body to calm your nervous system, helping you to create new habits of moving with a calmer quality. People then report a calmer mind, as a result of the pleasant quality of moving.

2) In these lessons, we don’t stretch the muscles, like in some yoga practices. We find new options for movement that feel agreeable, smooth, and easy, so that you want to repeat the quality later, in your everyday life.

3) I use humour and a sense of light-heartedness throughout the lessons, honouring the fact that that is how learning occurs best.

Each lesson is different, and, once you get to know the lessons, you’ll be able to choose what you want or need, in the moment. Maybe you’ll need to relax your jaw, or rest your eyes, or regain your focus, or find more comfort sitting at your desk, maybe feel more grounded, deepen your breath, or even just have a laugh!

You can do many of these lessons in a chair, but for some of them, you can lie down on the floor, on a rug or a yoga mat. If you’re in a chair, it’s best if it’s fairly flat and firm. But, it you feel like sitting on the edge of your bed, or in your office chair, or lying in bed, that’s all fine, too.

Try all of the lessons once each, and then pick and choose what you feel like you need, on any given day.

There are so many reasons you might do the lessons in Movement Meditation with Sarah!

Here are some of them:

· You need 10-minute breaks from your work, that calm your body and mind

· You want to try body-based meditations that use small, gentle movements to calm the nervous system. Calmer movements lead to a calmer mind. I NEVER ask you to calm your mind.

· You don't like being told to RELAX in guided meditations.

· You are a musician or music lover who cannot ignore the background music that exists in most guided meditations.

· You want to calm yourself down with a teacher who uses a sense of light-heartedness. I have discovered that this is how learning happens best.

· You are a teenager (or adult) who wants to improve your focus, or de-stress, or wind down before sleep, in a way that is body-based, which gives you something concrete to focus on (not just being told to calm your thoughts, which is very difficult for some people).

· You are familiar with Feldenkrais® lessons, and want potent, 10-minute lessons that will help you really refine some ‘classic’ moments from some of Sarah's favourite Awareness Through Movement® lessons

· You want to do something relaxing for your body that does not involve stretching. These lessons help you find a quality of moving that feels agreeable. Therefore you will want to keep doing things with that quality in your everyday life.

· You want to be able to quickly choose the lesson that you need that day; they serve different purposes, including relaxing your jaw, resting your eyes, regaining your focus, finding more comfort sitting at your desk, feeling more grounded, deepening your breath, and even just having a laugh!

· You are elderly, and want a gentle movement practice.

· You are a singer or actor who wants to relax your jaw, feel more grounded, or improve your breathing.

Many of the lessons in Movement Meditation with Sarah are based on Sarah’s work with singers. Here are some testimonials of Sarah’s Feldenkrais® for Singers course, which contains 45-60 minute lessons:

"After each lesson I just feel so aware but calm. I feel like this is what people mean when they talk about the benefits of meditation but I’ve never been able to keep focused on meditation. This is what I assume meditation is like for normal people! Not only was this non-judgemental and soothing, the main point is not just to be aware of yourself, but to have fun. And I had so much fun. It was such a joy and delight to be able to experience these lessons, and I’m very grateful for them… Sarah has the most soothing and nonjudgmental voice I’ve heard in a long time. Even when I wasn’t at my best mentally or physically, there weren’t any lessons that I couldn’t do or modify to my ability. Sarah has such a soothing voice and periodically reminds you not to overdo it, which is such a beautiful change from most classes where straining or struggle is expected for you to overcome. I found myself gaining more benefit than I would normally just because I wasn’t stressed about what I couldn’t do or felt like I wasn’t doing well enough. I felt *safe* and well taken care of. I appreciate that more than I can begin to express."

-Brittony LeFever, B.A.H.

“I sensed an increase in my body awareness, easing of tensions, and found a greater sense of balance within my own body. At the end of each session, I felt greater freedom of movement within my own body as well as a more mindful and calm attitude.”

-Danielle Cyr, M.Mus.

“Sarah's gentle kindness and enthusiasm kept me wanting more! I was always surprised at how quickly the time passed in our lessons! The session flew by in the blink of an eye.

I felt much more balanced after the lesson. Paradoxically, by learning to let go and let be, I felt more powerful. It's a wonderful feeling!

I feel like I've let go of tension I've been holding for a surprisingly long time. My shoulder, which has been hurting for so long, is suddenly much less painful, and much more mobile. I'm so grateful for that!! Because we are turning our curious attention towards how and why our bodies are behaving in a certain way, it seems we are able to get much longer lasting benefits from the adjustments that Sarah guides us through."

Chris Mayell, M. Mus.

And finally, a note from Sarah about demonstrating movements:

You’ll notice that the lessons in the course are mostly audio, meaning you are just hearing my voice, and not seeing me, and there’s a simple image showing on your screen. This is deliberate. You see, in live classes, Feldenkrais® teachers usually don’t demonstrate things. I find, when I don’t demonstrate the movements, students are able to focus on themselves and their own process with the lesson. And their learning is better, and lasts longer. And besides, my version of the movement is just one option; it’s not the ‘ultimate’ version of it. But, just in case you are confused about the main movement of the lesson, I have demonstrated each one at the beginning of the lessons.  And, please ask questions about any of the lesson content in the Q and A's of each lesson! 

Please note: These lessons are very gentle, but, please consult with your doctor before beginning any new physical activity. Sarah Templeton will not be held liable for any injury or loss sustained during, or as a result of, these lessons.