The Feldenkrais Method for Children
with Catrina Choate-Heretoiu
A Movement Intervention Program for infants or children with motor disorders or developmental difficulties. Private Sessions are available by Appointment.
For the child facing developmental challenges it’s important to receive help so that the learning of skills can continue to grow. Many pediatric therapies include facilitation techniques, stretching, positioning, and mobilization exercises.
The Feldenkrais Method Movement Intervention Program is different. The practitioner interacts with the child quietly without force and in a manner that encourages natural exploration along with guiding the child into better movement patterns. The overall engagement promotes a healthy sense of curiosity and development.
The Feldenkrais Method uses a developmental learning model and works to bring a child from one stage of functioning to the next appropriate level by assisting the child to feel more clearly their body in motion and at rest. Through physical guidance, the child’s attention will be directed to their structure and movement which is crucial for the development of a new function.
The process of each lesson improves the child’s quality of movement as well as the possibility for coordination, mobility, and balance which therefore propels improvement in confidence and self-esteem.
When a child’s movement feels easier and more comfortable this provides the platform for investigation and discovery of new motor pathways.
This ability to experience different pathways and more than one way of doing something is one of the great keys of why The Feldenkrais Method works.
The practitioner gently guides the child into an experience of movement options which in turn helps the child to feel, sense, and learn that they don’t need to be locked into one way of doing something. However, because the work doesn’t use force, the choices feel organic to the child so learning and integration occurs.
The power of choice can make all the difference.
When to start Feldenkrais lessons?
It’s best to start early for a child who is experiencing development difficulties or delays but older children will also benefit from the work. It’s common to have older children be considered too old for improvement by traditional medical standards but this is not the case with the Feldenkrais Method.
With patience and consistency, better overall functioning is possible. When you improve the quality of movement, you also improve the quality of life.
Dear Parents,
As a child I stuttered and through the struggle of stuttering was born the understanding of what it means to be stuck in dysfunction. In my early twenties I began taking Feldenkrais lessons and quickly experienced an immense sense of relief.
New moving and thinking pathways opened up and I organically took to all of the possibilities presented. Needless to say, I changed drastically. I learned how to maneuver my physical anxiety which was layered strongly into my foundation from years of stuttering and my self awareness grew while exploring my range of kinesthetic options through each Feldenkrais lesson. I grew into verbal fluency as well as something I call physical fluency.
Today, it gives me great pleasure to work with children who may be stuck in their own level of functioning. I quietly meet the child where they are at, slowly introduce new motor pathways, awaken a range of possibilities, and lightly guide them into a greater range of physical fluency.
It’s my belief that kinesthetic awareness grows into self awareness and no matter how long it takes, should never be underestimated! With patience, every child has the possibility to improve and learn how to enjoy their experience of self exploration.
Sincerely,
Catrina Choate-Heretoiu
Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner
MFA Dance
B.A. English Literature
Commitment for each cycle of lessons is necessary for the growth and development of the child’s progress.
- Fill out the intake form below.
- Catrina will contact you for a first consultation.
- Program options:
a). Ongoing - 5 week cycle: 1-2 lessons per week.
b). Intensive Series - 3-4 lessons per week for agreed upon time.
Fees:
Each 1 hour lesson is $100. There is financial aid available so please email us to inquire! At KineOasis, we stand firm in our belief that money should not get in the way of a child’s learning and well-being.
Catrina Choate-Heretoiu graduated from the Sonoma II Training Program of The Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education with trainers Russell and Linda Delman. She has over 1,000 hours of recorded training and has maintained a private practice since graduating in 2007 but has been active with the method since 1996 when she started lessons after foot surgery. The method not only helped her to recover from surgery, it also provided an immense learning environment for her to grow into and continue to nurture throughout her life by sharing the physical tools for learning that the somatic method so readily offers.
KineOasis helps children to connect and grow through kinesthetic exploration. Catrina Choate-Heretoiu specifically brings her 28 years of experience with The Feldenkrais Method to help children with motor disorders and developmental difficulties. It is our mission to reach as many children as possible and help them with this unique neuromuscular method of learning.
The Feldenkrais Method was developed by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984). He earned his D.Sc. in Physics at the Sorbonne in Paris and while formulating his own learning method he combined his knowledge from physics, bio-mechanics, human behavior and development, and martial arts to develop a highly effective physical application that connects human function and learning.
We focus on fine-tuning individual skills through nurturing each student's journey of learning and personal growth.
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