News: June 2010

A Moving Story of Movement

A man who heard me speak publicly about massage therapy sent me a copy of an inspirational article printed last year in the New York Times. I was awed and moved by this amazing story of a 31-year-old actor with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder in which the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles, thereby affecting movement. The actor, Gregg Mozgala, could only walk on his toes, with his hips and knees rotated inward, as he swung his weight to propel his legs forward.

An unconventional choreographer and bodyworker, Tamar Rogoff, was inspired to develop a ten-minute dance piece for Gregg. She didn't realize what she was in for. “Every time he tried to move in a way that wasn’t specific to his habitual pattern, he would fall down or just not know how to address it,” she said, “because he had a certain amount of patterning linked to his C.P., and I was asking him to step out of these patterns.” She began to introduce him to his own bones and muscles one at a time, experimenting with movement and sensation. In the process, Tamar not only changed the way Gregg walked, she also changed the way he viewed himself and his disorder. She taught him to regain control of his body, and the ten-minute dance piece grew into over an hour of challenging choreography.

In the past, neurological disorders were seen as fixed conditions. But Gregg's and Tamar's creative bodywork teaches us that positive change is possible.

“'This isn’t a cure,' Gregg explained, 'I’m always going to have cerebral palsy.' But now he doesn't feel so enslaved by it. … 'It’s not over,' he said. 'There’s always a chance to change. You should not – you dare not – give up.'"

(Neil Genzlinger, New York Times – November 25, 2009)

Healing summer adventures!

Need another way to de-stress, but not enough time or money to take a vacation? Just look around you! It’s summer in the city, which means lots to see and do for little or no money: Central Park, Staten Island Ferry, Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Bronx Zoo, concerts in parks (FYI: the New York Philharmonic is performing for free in all 5 boroughs from July 13th through 19th.) And this is just to name a few. So take a break, relax, and enjoy the summer!

What's new with me ...

I was invited to be on the panel of speakers at a “healing careers workshop” for actors, singers and dancers. I spoke about my transition from theatre to massage therapy – the hows, whys, and whats. I also discussed the nature of my work, and how rewarding it is to be a healthcare practitioner. Also, my husband and I celebrated our 1-year anniversary on May 31st. Where did the time go?