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Hi, I’m Sari Weissbard
I am a physical therapist, and my goal is largely to educate people about what is and what is not causing dis-ease, connect mind-body processes, and prevent that dis-ease from continuing or recurring. Teaching Feldenkrais ATM lessons is one wonderful way for me to guide people to learn about their own bodies and how to take care of themselves (in every way) from the inside out in a supportive, comfortable manner.
What I like about Sari’s class is the way it makes you think about movement in a completely new way. At the end of each class, I stand straighter and understand why I stand straighter and walk a little easier. The physical movements in Feldenkrais are mentally challenging, and I think of them as thinking from the inside out. Sari’s clear instructions and calm voice guide you through each session.
Sari’s Feldenkrais classes calm my mind and body and I am refreshed and energized. I can find beauty in my body’s movements with Sari’s guidance. These classes combine meditation and movement in a unique and illuminating way, I would love to do them every day!
I wasn’t familiar with Feldenkrais before learning with Sari — but I’m so glad I leaped into the practice! Sari gently guides you through Feldenkrais lessons consisting of simple, mindful movements, and they truly have a restorative effect.
I have attended both in-person and virtual Feldenkrais classes with Sari and found them to be really helpful. I felt immediately more relaxed and found that I walked and moved differently, more fluidly, and with more energy after the class. But also in the longer term, I tend to be more aware of when I am tensing up in any part of my body or making unnecessary movements (for instance when chopping wood, raking leaves, cooking or knitting). I tell myself to move more slowly and more deliberately and to experiment with how my body works best. I highly recommend this class.
‘Your brain is plastic, it can always change with sufficient support and an environment for
learning.'
My Story
I’m a runner, climber, food lover, PT, transportational bicyclist, and now a Feldenkrais ATM instructor. I’ve been a PT for about 8 years. Not long after graduating, I began to question some of the methods I was taught to use and some of the things I was taught to blame pain on. This led me to stumble upon mind-body education, and separately but not unrelated, the Feldenkrais Method.
I was reminded of the simple concept that though everyone is different, structurally we are largely the same. The human body is much more resilient than we’ll ever comprehend, yet in the healthcare industry, we focus on injury instead of questioning whether injury actually makes sense with respect to the situation. The structure must be examined and attended to, but there is always more to the story than the painful area. Healthy muscles do not contract or tense on their own; it requires constant signaling from the brain. This is what separates everyone from each other more than anything else: the intricacies of why your brain does what it does. Learning more about the mind-body process, combined with education about muscle referral pain patterns through dry needling courses, changed the focus of my practice significantly.
Now I am entering the 4th year of a Feldenkrais training program (out of 4). I am an authorized ATM teacher, which can be done in a group or privately. During Feldenkrais lessons, the gentle slow movements bring to light longstanding unconscious habits. They allow for deep neuromuscular re-education so that the brain can let go of those habits and learn easier ways of moving. These movements, though they often result in decreased pain and improved function, are merely the vehicle for gaining overall awareness in any aspect of life that may become relevant for the person performing them. As long as you remain curious and kind to yourself, there is no limit to the potential of learning within each movement. It allows for space where there is no judgment, no right or wrong, no good or bad, only attention to what is, and noticing differences that may occur when this space is allowed.
