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Knowledge, Move Buffy Owens Knowledge, Move Buffy Owens

Foot & Pelvic Floor Connections

I created this short post as part of my Awaken Your Pelvic Floor Program and Pelvis & Sacred Sacrum Program. Although it’s a quick look at some of the anatomical relationships between the pelvic floor and foot, I encourage you to use it as inspiration to explore those connections. Remembering the anatomy isn’t essential. But sensing the relationships and expanding your capacity to embody your anatomy will change everything!

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Buffy Owens Buffy Owens

Falling and Failing

In that falling and failing, I was reminded of some of the wonderful ways that we explore in the Feldenkrais Method.

The power in learning to fall well. To fall well means learning to fall without harming ourselves, so, developing the skills for falling well so that we no longer fear falling.

And failing. Oh, the magic in failing and making mistakes. From a biological standpoint, mistakes are golden — especially when it comes to movement.

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Move, Life Stories Buffy Owens Move, Life Stories Buffy Owens

Feldenkrais Is So Much More Than Movement: Part One

The book, "The Elusive Obvious," was once only available in Hardback format — which brings me a special kind of sensorial gratification.

As I flip through the dense and fibrous pages, I digest each word of somatic wonder. My mind starts to bend towards a deeper realization that this work, The Feldenkrais Method®, is so much more than movement. What we discover about ourselves can change everything!

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Move, Mind Buffy Owens Move, Mind Buffy Owens

Language Of Healing

I was recently talking with a student who struggles with hip pain. Like no joke, they can't walk when the pain hits type of pain.

So we're chatting it up after an Awareness Through Movement class, and they shared their insight into how shifting their attention from their hip to their head helped them to understand their pain better.

"Do tell," I asked, "what did you discover about your hip pain?"

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Recipes, Nourish Buffy Owens Recipes, Nourish Buffy Owens

Watermelon Arugula Salad!

Let's talk about living the good life as we hit middle age! We all know (and feel deep in our bones) how important it is to keep ourselves healthy and vibrant! So, today, we're going on a delicious adventure into the world of the Mediterranean diet—a superhero (think Wonder Woman) among diets! And it's not only about eating right but also about feeling amazing.

And guess what?

I've got a super scrumptious and easy-to-make dish for you—the Watermelon Arugula Salad!

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Move Buffy Owens Move Buffy Owens

Morning Walks With Awareness

One of my favorite things is taking an early morning walk. I love the quiet stillness, and the way nature sings as the sun rises. I love how the clean, fresh morning air breathes a sense of life into my every movement. And I am inspired to play with my own movement experience.

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Knowledge Buffy Owens Knowledge Buffy Owens

A Lifestyle Approach To Chronic Inflammation

A healthy lifestyle can help curb chronic inflammation and be a crucial part of managing chronic pain. But I don’t want you to treat “inflammation” as a four-letter word —it exists to help us. It’s a crucial part of the body’s natural healing system. Unfortunately…

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Nourish, Mind Buffy Owens Nourish, Mind Buffy Owens

Benefits Of Slow Eating

For me. taking intentional time to slow down and enjoy my meals is one of the ways that I savor my day. But sometimes, we also have to eat fast without hurrying.

Oddly enough, that is often the case on Zen retreats. I remember my first Zen retreat. I assumed that we'd be eating slow and mindfully. So I did. By the time I expanded my awareness enough to notice everyone else in the room, I was stunned (and a little embarrassed) that I was the last one done eating.

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Move, Mind Buffy Owens Move, Mind Buffy Owens

Move Into Mindfulness

My own experience with becoming more mindful was genuinely uncomfortable. Every single thought seemed to echo in my physical being. I was amazed to discover how unconscious conditioning ruled both my perceptions and sensations. I decided very early on that working directly with my mind through mindfulness and meditation, was just as important as working with the history trapped in my physiology.

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Nourish Buffy Owens Nourish Buffy Owens

Satisfied vs. Full

When we think about being mindful of eating until well before we are stuffed, we often think about noticing when we begin to feel full. But actually, this practice starts well before you even sit down at the dinner table.

Tuning in to your body's cues and not feeling deprived go hand-in-hand.

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Nourish, Recipes Buffy Owens Nourish, Recipes Buffy Owens

Smoky Lentil + Cabbage Soup Recipe

I love soups. In fact, every Sunday (Soup Sunday), I make soup for the week — especially during the cooler months. Having soup on hand makes for easier meal prep throughout the week. Plus, most soups freeze well. So I can stock the freezer for days when I don’t have the time or bandwidth for preparing a meal from scratch.

In my household, we have different nourishing needs. My partner often prefers more meat. I prefer more vegetarian meals. For this recipe, I cook it up until the point where the lentils are fully cooked. After that, I divide the soup before I serve. I add the kale and corn to my soup and the Polish Sausage and spinach to his.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

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Knowledge, Move Buffy Owens Knowledge, Move Buffy Owens

Musings On The Psoas

The psoas (pronounced so-az) has come up a few times in our live classes in the last several months. Really, it was just in passing as we looked at anatomy related to the tongue, pelvic floor, diaphragm, and heart.

But it sparked some curiosity.

In fact, I had three members reach out to request a series on the psoas. So I chucked March's arches & waves series and started prepping for the upcoming Hips + Psoas series.

I have to admit. I'm pretty excited about it. The psoas is a fascinating muscle... and some would say not just a muscle.

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Move Buffy Owens Move Buffy Owens

Go Fast Without Hurrying

Recently, a person asked:

"I'm interested in the Feldenkrais concept to "go slow without hurrying." Whether it's while eating, walking, etc. Can you explain more about it and how to cultivate that practice?"

My response was relatively short, so I'll expand upon it here. And, I ask that you join me in sharing your experience with fast, slow & hurrying in the comments below. Together, we can start to paint a more comprehensive picture of how to cultivate change.

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Move, Mind Buffy Owens Move, Mind Buffy Owens

5 Tips For A Sustainable Mindful Movement Practice

A few weeks ago, I went on a relatively short and easy hike in the woods, a trail I had been on before. It led to a beautiful watering hole where a stream became a waterfall, ultimately flowing into a large pool for swimming before continuing onward. The trail was quite wide and did not have many obstructions to deal with; it was also relatively flat.

Along I plodded, anxious to reach the water to cool off as it was an exceptionally hot and muggy day. Halfway there and my feet and back were already tiring. By the time I reached all the action, which was only a mile in, my feet had moved past tiring to aching.

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Nourish, Recipes Buffy Owens Nourish, Recipes Buffy Owens

Cardamom Bliss Balls

I love the taste of cardamom for sweet treats and savory dishes. Most of the cardamom bought here in the states is green cardamom. It has a strong, sweet, pungent flavor and aroma, with hints of lemon and mint. But there’s also black cardamom with a smoky note and hint of menthol. Green cardamom pairs nicely with sweet treats (think Scandinavian baked goods), fruit, and savory dishes like curries and kababs. Yes. It is that dynamic.

Today we’ll create some simple Cardamom Bliss Balls for a super simple tasty treat. They’re a perfect match for your morning coffee or afternoon tea.

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Move, Knowledge Buffy Owens Move, Knowledge Buffy Owens

More Movement. Less Exercise

There is no life without movement. From the blood that pulses through our veins to the actions required to gather and consume food, your mind and body are intimately connected. And while your brain is the master control system for your body’s movement, the way you move can also affect how you think and feel.

Some of the functions for movement are obvious — like hunting and gathering. Other critical aspects of movement may be less obvious — like the way movement acts as an extension of your cardiovascular system or primary pump for your lymphatic system. And then, there are all the other ways movement impacts you emotionally, mentally, and socially.

There’s a lot I could say about movement. But for today, we'll focus on the importance of moving more in everyday life.

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Nourish, Recipes Buffy Owens Nourish, Recipes Buffy Owens

Polish Greek-Style (baked) Fish

The star of this dish is rooty dish is the knobby celery root. But this funky root doesn’t party alone. It’s joined by its skin-loving companion, the carrot, and Omega-rich fish friend. If you’re looking for a new dish to add to your menu that will nourish you through the midlife ‘pause (hello perimenopause) and be great for the family and on the go, then this Polish fish dish is for you.

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Knowledge, Move, Nourish Heather Fleming Knowledge, Move, Nourish Heather Fleming

What can your poop teach you?

 One thing we can do for our loved ones, community, planet, and social change is to understand how we can be health and wellness warriors from our own personal emotional and physical well-being. So let’s start with what everyone on the planet does. Poops! 

Your poops are an excellent indicator of your total health. Your gut and brain are in constant communication via the amazing Vagus Nerve, which I LOVE to talk about. If you are feeling depressed, experiencing mood swings, and all digestive issues, your communication between the brain and gut are not getting along and this disruption is the beginning of many symptoms and diseases. 

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Nourish, Recipes Buffy Owens Nourish, Recipes Buffy Owens

Crabapple Crumble Recipe

This year our Crab Apple trees are fruiting to the point of limbs nearly touching the ground.

Now, if you are in upstate New York and have an apple tree in your yard, then you know that all apples are about to start abandoning their post. You may have already experienced these tiny tarts dive-bombing your car and your head. You might even be enjoying the sweet stench of those that are composting themselves right there on your lawn.

When a branch finally made contact with my thick head the other day, I realized that I needed to do something about it. Really?! Why on earth was I letting these wonderfully organic and insanely accessible food bits go to rot? And why-oh-why wasn't I enjoying the reaching up, squatting down, and all the wonderful movements associated with gathering my harvest. So I grabbed two of my largest bowls (one for each tree) and started collecting my bounty.

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Knowledge, Move Buffy Owens Knowledge, Move Buffy Owens

Movements Of The Jaw

I recently created a short movement practice for a student titled, "reConnecting The Pelvis & Jaw." I’m sure that you know that the jaw impacts your teeth and other mouthy parts. But did you also know that the jaw and its movements play a pivotal role in balance — physically and emotionally?

The upper jaw, part of the cranium, connects most intimately with the spine and back of the body. Every movement the upper jaw makes reverberates through the spine. One of the best ways to feel this is to sense the connection between the pelvis and the jaw. Once you've made the connection, you can refine your ability to feel how the jaw movements transmit down the spine.

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