Enjoy this fun meditation by Houston Feldenkrais Practitioner, Mary Beth Smith
The Mardi Gras season breathes its last gasp today. New Orleans, Galveston, and other cities in the Southern U.S. bid adieu to their revelers and pack away the parade floats until the next festival. But the essence of Mardi Gras, expressed as “Laissez les bons temps rouler” – let the good times roll – is apt no matter the season.
Since we live on a planet that has gravity on it, falling is inevitable. SInce most people fear falling, the overwhelming instinct is to try to STOP the fall. As the body stiffens and tries to pull up, away from the ground, limbs also stiffen and spread to break the fall. However, the fall happens anyway, and it’s frequently the limbs or their major joints that are broken. Martial artists train to overcome the human instinct to avoid falling. They embrace the fall by softening and rounding the body, and pulling the limbs inward. In the Feldenkrais Method, our martial arts roots can be seen in many lessons, already on the floor, where we tuck, fold, soften, and roll.
In classes, we explore unfamiliar movements in a gentle and safe way. Confidence builds and learning blossoms with resilience and curiosity. We learn to roll with it: to take on the experiment with enthusiasm and playfulness, certain that we will be happier and wiser in the end.