BABY STEPS
Twelve lessons that take the student through all the major movement milestones from birth to walking.
Awareness Through Movement® Audio Lessons
The video demos will give you an idea of what the lesson is about.
👉 Do these lessons on a solid surface like the floor or an exercise table so you can feel your skeleton. A bed is too squishy to be as effective.
👉 Stay underneath any level of pain or discomfort even if it means you aren’t moving. The nervous system can’t tell the difference.
👉 If a movement seems really hard, put less effort into it. No. Seriously.
The Easy Lessons are a great start for the beginner.
The Medium Difficulty Lessons might require a position or movement that might cause more discomfort if you aren’t careful. Once you get used to taking care of yourself, go for the medium ones.
Listen to yourself. Take care of yourself.
Click here for instructions on how to download your mp3 audio file.
Slow is Fast. Small is Big. Less is More.
Mapping Ourselves
Easy. This lesson is done on your back and stomach.
Simply pressing different parts of ourselves into the floor and feeling how the impulse travels through us is the beginning of connections that are essential for walking.
This is part of the early developmental series, Baby Steps.
Lifting Your Head
Easy. This lesson is done on your back and your stomach .
It explores how the back and belly support the head against gravity.
It is part of the early developmental series, Baby Steps.
Sphincters
Easy. This lesson is done on your back.
It explores the important connections the sphincter network contributes to our stability and mobility
It is part of the early developmental series, Baby Steps.
Preparing to Roll Over
Easy. This lesson is done on your back.
Simply by holding the foot we explore the coordination between the legs and the shoulders that is essential for upright walking.
This is part of the early developmental series, Baby Steps.
Rolling Over
Easy. This lesson is done on your back and on the stomach.
It explores the various ways the hips and the shoulders coordinate so we can roll over.
This is part of the early developmental series, Baby Steps.
Creeping
Medium Difficulty. This lesson is done on your stomach.
It explores our first ability to support ourselves against gravity and to move forward through space.
It is part of the early developmental series, Baby Steps.
Looking Around
Easy. This lesson is done on your back.
It explores the movements of the eyes and how they connect with the head and neck.
This is part of the early developmental series, Baby Steps.
Connecting the Eyes with the Pelvis
Easy. This lesson is done on your back.
It explores our connection with the eyes and the pelvis, an essential component to walking.
This is part of the early developmental series, Baby Steps.
Coming Up to Sitting
Medium Difficulty. This lesson is done on your stomach.
It explores the coordination of the shoulders and the pelvis more and more against gravity.
It is part of the early developmental series, Baby Steps.
Crawling
Medium Difficulty. This lesson is done on your stomach.
It explores our first ability to balance ourselves against gravity and move forward on our hands and knees.
It is part of the early developmental series, Baby Steps.
Walking
Medium Difficulty. This lesson is done from lying on your back into standing.
It explores the coordination of the shoulders and the hips in channeling gravity through the skeleton to come to standing and walking.
It is part of the early developmental series, Baby Steps.
Vocal Integration
Easy. This lesson is done lying on your back.
We explore the connection between our breath and how we make sound.
This lesson is relaxing and regulating for the nervous system. It will help relieve strain on the vocal cords.
It is part of the early developmental series, Baby Steps.
TESTIMONIALS
Francie White’s well planned Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lessons offer numerous step-by-step mind/body explorations where you can learn to re-establish old, forgotten mind/body connections, or learn new connections and less strenuous ways of moving. I always notice improved mobility and less pain after each class and highly recommend these lessons to anyone who is in need of a mind/body defrag and rebuild (for example, anyone like me who has spent the last 40+ years hunched over a computer keyboard).
As a bonus, Francie also seems to always deliver at least one Zen-like but humorous koan per lesson, such as this one (from Preparing to Roll Over): “Sometimes we have to get MORE confused before we figure things out.” Truer words could not be spoken! Feldenkrais with Francie is a great way to get more confused so you can figure things out – and giggle at yourself while doing so – a sentiment you will surely embrace after just one or two lessons. I wholeheartedly encourage all to sign up and enjoy the rewards of reconnecting your mind & body. Kudos and warm thanks to Francie for her great presentations and her thorough Feldenkrais knowledge base.
A few months ago I was happy to discover Francie’s audio lessons. I love that she makes her lessons so easily accessible to those interested all over the world. She chooses her words so well that even an audio file results in a true verbal massage of the nervous system. Not to long, not to short, flowing but with respect for the slowness of my brain processes, provided with the right amount of back ground information. These lessons are very well balanced. As a pianist I consider Feldenkrais to be the most musical of all somatic learning systems. I know that Francie too loves to play the piano. Maybe that’s why her lessons are so easy translatable to all kinds of musical situations!
The Feldenkrais method is providing me a whole new way to understand how we move, learn, and heal. It is such a joy! The classes are fun and I am already experiencing noticeable changes in my body. I feel so lucky to be learning from Francie. She is extremely knowledgeable about anatomy & physiology, insightful about human nature, and she also embodies the patience & kindness of her craft. I am so grateful for this enriching experience.
Having been both in Francie’s in person group class and group zoom class, I can say that I find them equally enjoyable and useful. The Feldenkrais method itself, I find to be invaluable in keeping my 72 year old body moving without pain. When I do have complaining parts, I now have an assortment of Feldenkrais moves that usually resolve the discomfort by the following day. I have been so inspired by Francie’s sharing of her own journey with Feldenkrais. She very effectively incorporates these personal stories to guide, instruct and encourage. Francie’s passion and dedication to teaching Feldenkrais is a blessing.
I just finished the 3rd video of the mini-course yesterday [Feel At Home In Your Body]. I loved them! This is a really amazing way to be reconnecting with my body and my breath and I’m so grateful to you for sharing these gifts & resources with me. Thank you!!
I have been learning Feldenkrais lessons from Francie White for several months. In that time, I have enjoyed her teaching immensely. Francie is a good teacher and has given me information that has helped me to be comfortable and healthy in my spine. I found my sense of balance to be improved as well as an improvement in my ease of thought and movement. Francie’s classes are fun and interesting. I highly recommend her!
I participated in Francie’s Feldenkrais workshop at the Trauma Healing Center and then her online Feldenkrais class. Francie is focused, knowledgeable, welcoming, and wonderfully helpful, and she has such an enthusiasm for Feldenkrais work. I felt so fortunate to have her as my teacher and guide because she knows what she’s doing and communicates so beautifully.
Born with a congenital hip condition that developed into arthritis by age 30, I’ve tried a LOT of different therapies for pain relief. Feldenkrais is unique as it re-programs patterns our bodies adopt in the pursuit of maintaining function and — in my case — compensating for a congenital condition. Working with Francie in the Feldenkrais method has given me the most lasting pain relief of any method I’ve tried. She brings her whole heart, well-cultivated perception, and expert instruction to our work.