Victoria K. Carman

I was so lucky - he was the father of famous Elisabeth, one of the first clients of Anat Baniel. See the link. Father drove me to Feldenkrais practitioner Marianne Kagan, and I owe her my life. After few sessions my fever went down and then disappeared. Pain was stepping back after sessions for some time, I would gain more mobility. Marianne never charged me for the lessons. She got me to Chicago workshop with Anat Baniel. Marianne insisted I should take a professional 4-year Feldenkrais training with Anat in California.

As it turned out later, she convinced Anat to take me as a student. I was in a bad shape, misshaped, limping, barely using my arms and hands, still in chronic acute pain in 1994.   Anat confessed when she saw me first time at the training, she regrets letting me in as a student, but I was very persistent and did graduate in 4 years, never missing a session. It was extremely difficult for me, and painful but I could see and feel positive changes and continue learning and training.         

First session of training two of my male classmates were putting me down on the floor for lessons and picking me up – I couldn’t do it myself. On the second session I learn how to get up on my knees and get up and go down, through the pain.

In spring 1995 during the training Anat was giving private personal lessons to each student. When it was my turn, I remember laying on her table, on the side and she touched my back. It felt wonderful, but she was just touching and not even moving her fingers. I was thinking: what the heck? Is she going to do something or what? Then I drifter into a sleep…  30 minutes up! I woke up slowly got off the table and gave space to the next student.

I walked out… Not limping! Not having any pain! Fluid and light like a butterfly… I couldn’t believe it!!! Sweet Californian breath from the red pines, gentle sun – my last 5 years were just a nightmare! I am young, free, can move, walk, dance like in my early teens when I had a dream of being a ballerina! I was able to jump – and I did for about 20 minutes. On one leg, then on the other. The prison of my stiff body that could move only with the cane, slow and with excruciating pain, this prison was broken! For about 2 hours… Then stiffens and pain slowly crawled back and took its rightful place. Jumping after the lesson was a very stupid thing to do, but memories of this two hours staying with me even now.