A guest post by Dawne Roy
A Snapshot
My story begins at a New Zealand airport where I came across Norman Doidge’s book, “The Brain’s Way of Healing.” The book ignited my curiosity, leading me to investigate Feldenkrais. I had been seeking a movement program that would deepen my work in the domain one might call learning differences. Eventually, I entered a training program with Diana Razumny in Santa Fe. At that time, we were assigned a mentor. I was fortunate to be paired with Marsha Novak, who I had actually met previously in a Feldenkrais workshop. Over the 4 years of training, now entering 5 due to Covid, I find myself continually inspired and motivated by this wonderful mentor, to discover, learn, and grow. She has been a trusted shepherd and gardener for my learning journey. I am forever grateful that this opportunity was offered.
In this final year of my Feldenkrais training, with a focus on FI and the link between ATM and FI, I am learning to ask questions in order to direct my attention, increase my awareness, and deepen learning connections. In pondering the role of a mentor and mentee relationship, I am likewise inspired to ask and respond to a few questions to illuminate my experience of the relationship. This is one way to perhaps provide a “snapshot” of my individual mentoring experience. Hopefully, the picture will increase in clarity as I proceed.
What is the role of a mentor?
While searching for definitions and descriptions of the term mentor, many roles emerged. Those that spoke to me included guide, active listener, supporter, and role model.” How are these relevant to my personal journey as a mentee in the Feldenkrais method?
Guidance
According to Moshe and inherent in the Feldenkrais method is the notion that the aim of education should be to assist the individual to evolve. Moshe further advises that he does not teach people but rather helps them learn about themselves. Through the provision of a safe learning environment that invites curiosity, exploration, and discovery, learning can proceed organically. In his book, The Elusive Obvious, Moshe states that “organic learning is slow, and unconcerned with any judgement as to the achievement of good and bad results. It has no obvious purpose or goal. It is guided only by the sensation of satisfaction… (p.30).”
Consistent with a model of organic learning, in this, my final year of training, we are encouraged to meet the client where they are at; not to change them, but to support, enhance, and provide other possibilities to consider. Indeed, the learning process during my Feldenkrais training has been very different than the goal oriented approach to my education pre-Feldenkrais, including 2 graduate degrees. How appropriate to be in a program that encourages and promotes attention to differences! What has been a significant bridge between the two? Mentoring.
My mentoring experience has and continues to provide a safe, encouraging environment to question, explore, and evolve, at a pace and place that matches my individual learning strengths, needs, and skills. It has been particularly significant that Marsha has a shared interest in learning challenges, as well as dance. As a passion and profession, I am continually drawn to foundational aspects of learning that, in particular, impact reading and writing, or more globally, literacy. Over the years, I have become increasingly aware of the significance and importance of movement and developmental trajectories within the movement domain to learning outcomes.
Having had years of observing a daughter who is now a professional dancer, choreographer, and director, has provided me with many years of attuning to movement is ways I was not cognisant of. It is only recently, that I have become aware of the association and the potential within it. The fact that Marsha not only shares an interest in learning differences, but is also a former dancer and dance instructor, means we can share a language of understanding and passion that provides a meeting place to connect, converse, and enter into a shared space for exploration and learning.
A skilled practitioner and educator will meet the student where they are at. Marsha does this in spades. I firmly believe that the shared interests have provided not only a meeting place to begin our mentoring journey, but also afforded a context that continues to be accessed by both of us, to clarify and distill evolving questions and curiosities. Importantly, Marsha also uses this connected place to further develop, encourage, guide, and support the learning. As a result, the sensory connections can be more fully sensed and eventually integrated. In essence the learning conditions and how she uses them, promotes my discoveries, and ultimately the intersection between thinking, sensing, moving and acting.
Listening
One aspect of providing guidance, of learning, and of meeting a client where they are at, that has often been referred to in the training, is active listening. I greatly appreciate Marsha’s skill in listening, the sense of being heard, and the opportunity to sense, feel, and observe this important skill in action. In particular, she not only encourages questions, but through her attentive and reflective listening skills, is able to effectively arrive at that essence of my question, and provide a response that is consistent with the skill and pace of my learning. Through the process, Marsha provides a sense that with each response, or additional question, she is listening, connecting, and ultimately guiding. It is remarkable.
Support
Although Marsha and I initially met either over the phone or Skype/Messenger, eventually we began meeting on a weekly basis through Zoom. Regular contact, and online communication through Zoom, has been incredibly fruitful. Since we live far apart, the regular communication and the sense of connection in space, albeit distantly, contributes to an ongoing relationship that has morphed into a mutually respectful learning partnership. Over time, the regularity has established a safe and effective learning environment that invites curiosity. As a learner, I am free to learn from mistakes, to invite feedback, to seek deeper connections, and ultimately, to expand my learning, in my way, at my rate. I greatly appreciate Marsha’s time commitment, regular contact, and the opportunity to benefit from her vast knowledge, experience, and insights. As a result, I regularly leave our meetings feeling motivated and inspired.
One aspect of support is acceptance. For me, I sensed this immediately with Marsha because she meets me where I am at. Furthermore, her approach is non-judgemental, reflects enthusiasm, and creates a wonderfully safe learning space. Don’t get me wrong. She is honest and candid. She encourages and guides through constructive feedback (not destructive) and with awareness. Her ability to support my personal, cognitively emphasized learning habit, and then extend the learning, to effectively connect to less familiar somatic and skeletal aspects of the Feldenkrais Method, has been a significant factor in my ongoing progress toward becoming a practitioner. Marsha readily responds to my queries, most often with other questions or information that set the stage for me to discover possibilities and solutions. She does so within a learning zone that is comfortable and attainable for me, while also providing opportunities to expand the repertoire. As a result, I find myself free to learn, discover, and evolve.
Role Modelling
As a 4th year trainee in the Feldenkrais method, I strongly believe that some of my greatest learning is in witnessing the authenticity of the trainers and practitioners I have had the privilege to learn from. More specifically, it is their lived example of the Feldenkrais method that has been the most potent for me. The demonstration of their own self- acceptance, including responses to their own present or past “mistakes”, the openness to variation and possibilities, and the ability to respond with creativity to change, is inspiring. They offer possibilities, alternatives, and options. In a similar vein to my trainers, Marsha is an amazing example of this “walking the talk.” The principles of the Feldenkrais method are not just shared, but alive and modelled. As a learner, my mirror neurons can’t help but pay attention!
Conclusion
Despite the fact that Marsha is my mentor, the word feels insufficient. She is advisor, shepherd, teacher and consultant. However, personally, I prefer the title that Larry Goldfarb makes references to. Feldy Mom. It strongly denotes an important, connected relationship. Marsha guides, directs, supports, and cares about my journey. I feel safe, heard, and supported. She does so with wisdom, skill, acceptance and importantly, with heart. The mentoring relationship has provided bridges when they were difficult to find myself. My snapshot continues to change and evolve. Marsha is my Feldy Mom. I am forever grateful for the journey and opportunity. What a brilliant idea to include mentors as part of the Feldenkrais training.
Dawne Roy M. Ed. (Ed. Psych.), M. Ed. (Literacy) has worked in private practice as a Learning/Reading Coach and consultant for over 30 years. She is specifically interested in underlying developmental, visual, and movement factors impacting literacy issues.
She is presently completing the final stages of training in the
Santa Fe 6 Feldenkrais Training with Diana Razumny.