About

'Learn to Listen To Your Body in a Time Poor, Fast Moving, Noisy World'

'Movement Matters' the Feldenkrais Way
 

*Live Workshop – 17 January, 1:30-4:30pm 

Have you noticed how easy it is to 'live in your head'? 

Constant thinking. Constant doing. Constant noise, interuptions and digital pingings.
Meanwhile hundrends of tiny little muscles muscles surrounding joints and organs feel the alarm and shorten and tighten.  Breath becomes shallow of held, eyes squint, jaw tightens, shoulders hunch, belly contracts, back and knees stiffen and toes curl. 

The greatest risk we face today isn’t just a 3rd world war, a global virus, or an economic collapse.
It’s something far more subtle, insidious and deeply personal:

We are being coerced by external powerful sources to trade the very qualities that make us human.

* Our empathy
* Our intuition
* Our ability to feel embodied, present, connected and to make healthy choices from our hearts

We’re being insidiously nudged, coerced and directed toward a lifestyle that distances us from our innate natural connections … often at the cost of feeling truly alive and at home within ourselves.

This workshop is an invitation to step aside from the surrounding fast moving treadmill – and feel ourselves from the 'inside out', to find our inner peace and gentle playfulness and natural body wisdom.

What is 'Movement Matters' – The Feldenkrais Way?

This is 'not' an exercise class and it’s 'not' about pushing through pain or “fixing” your body bits and pieces.

It’s a gentle, exploratory, 'lying-on-the-mat' style workshop where we’ll use small, slow, comfortable movements to:

* Reawaken your natural sensitivity
* Restore ease, flexibility and coordination
* Rebuild trust in your body’s inner signals

Using the Feldenkrais Method, we’ll work with your brain and nervous system to soften old patterns of tension and limitation – the ones that quietly drain your energy and joy, and that many people mistakenly call “just getting older”.

You’ll discover how 'neuroplasticity'  (your brain’s ability to re-wire) can help dissolve long-held habits such as:

* Muscular tension and tightness
* Stiffness and restricted movement
* Nagging discomfort or pain
* A sense of feeling “switched on” all the time
* Subtle overwhelm, brain fog or “hidden” stress

So you can move – and live – with more ease, clarity, and choice.

Imagine…

* Waking up with a lighter, more supple body
* Feeling supported from the inside rather than “holding yourself together”
* Moving through your day with less effort and more grace
* Having a quieter mind because your nervous system feels safe
* Feeling reconnected to your own inner yes/no – your real, embodied choices

This is what becomes possible when movement becomes a 'conversation' with your body, instead of a demand on it.

Who is this Workshop For?

This day is ideal if you:

* Feel stiff, tight, or “older than your age” in your body
* Have stopped doing certain activities, sports or hobbies because of discomfort or fear of injury
* Spend a lot of time caring for others and rarely truly rest yourself
* Feel like you’re living in your head and want to feel more grounded and present
* Are curious about Feldenkrais, neuroplasticity, or body–mind approaches
* Long for a kinder, more respectful relationship with your body

No prior experience is needed. Movements are gentle and adaptable, and most are done **lying or sitting**, within your own comfortable range.

What You’ll Walk Away With

By the end of the day you can expect to:

* Experience 'more comfort and fluidity' in everyday movements (walking, turning, sitting, reaching)
* Notice a 'quieter, more regulated nervous system' – less “on alert”
* Feel **clearer inner signals** – easier to know what you need, what you want, and when to rest
* Have a new appreciation of your posture as a *living, adaptable process*, not a fixed “problem”
* Take home **simple movement explorations** you can use anytime to reset yourself
* Feel a renewed sense of **kindness, curiosity and respect** toward your body

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## What We’ll Actually Do Together

During this live, small-group workshop you will:

* Be guided through several **Awareness Through Movement® lessons** – slow, structured explorations done on a mat or chair
* Learn how tiny changes in **attention, breathing and support** can transform how you move
* Discover where you’re unconsciously overworking – and how to let unnecessary effort go
* Explore new, more efficient options for posture, balance and coordination
* Have time for **questions, reflection and integration** so the learning really lands in your everyday life

All at a pace that honours your comfort and capacity.

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## Meet Your Guide – Sandy Leathem

I’m Sandy Leathem – developmental physiotherapist, Feldenkrais practitioner, and ever-curious grandmother.

I chose the name *Movement Matters* as a young physiotherapy student in the early 60s, not yet realising just how powerful those two words would become.

Decades later, after witnessing radical discoveries in brain research in the 1980s, I completed the 4-year professional Feldenkrais training. Since then, I’ve spent many years helping people of all ages rediscover ease, dignity and confidence in their movement.

My approach weaves together:

* A deep understanding of **developmental movement and posture**
* The science of **neuroplasticity and learning**
* A heartfelt respect for each person’s lived experience

Above all, my work is about helping you **feel at home in yourself** – physically, mentally and emotionally.

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## Workshop Details

**Workshop:** Movement Matters – The Feldenkrais Way
**Date:** Friday 17 January
**Time:** [Insert time e.g. 9:30am–4:30pm]
**Location:** [Insert venue / suburb]
**Group size:** Small, to allow individual attention
**What to bring:**

* Comfortable, layered clothing
* A mat or blanket to lie on
* A small towel for head support
* Water bottle and light snacks

**Investment:** [Insert fee]
(includes tea/coffee and handouts / audio resources if you choose to offer them)

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## Continue the Journey (Optional)

If you find this work nourishing and would like to deepen it, I also offer **ongoing online classes via Zoom**.

Through a simple monthly membership, you can join 1-hour classes **twice weekly** on Monday and Thursday evenings, between **5:45–7:00pm AEST**.

We’ll share more details and how to join during the workshop, so you can decide if it’s right for you.

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## Ready to Reclaim Your Natural Intelligence?

If something in you is longing to slow down, soften, and come back to yourself…

If you’re curious about how gentle movement can quietly transform how you live, work and relate…

Then I warmly invite you to join me.

👉 **Reserve your place for “Movement Matters – The Feldenkrais Way” on 17 January.**
Spaces are limited to keep the group intimate and supportive.

*Your body has been speaking to you for a long time.
This is your chance to truly listen.*
 

Date

Location

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Uniting Queenscliff Hall Queenscliff
Queenscliff Victoria 3225

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