Category Archives: Cultivating Awareness

#yyj in person Awareness through Movementยฎย lessons in Oak Bay

Spring/Summer ’26

group lessons

Micro-movements using the Feldenkraisยฎ Method of Somatic Education

Felt sense through Body

Starting May 25th, 2026 – 6 Sessions

1 – 2 pm – Balance

&

2:30 – 3:30 p.m. – Awareness through Movement

New Summer Sessions:

July 06, ’26 – 4 Sessions

August 10th, ’26 – 4 Sessions

Feldenkraisยฎ is a system for learning new actions through movement to increase function and quality of life. There is no dogma or self-image attached to this system of independent self-learning. This means it introduces a focus upon what you can do, not what you can’t. It reduces limiting beliefs by increasing focus of attention in the present moment. As an empath, I can trust the Feldenkraisยฎ experience as it deepens my inner understanding, clarity and skeletal support through perception. It taps into the same dynamic of inner support I trusted as a baby to stand up and begin taking my first step.

I recommend it to everyone longing to be free of the past and to shift the fear of the unknown future. I especially recommend it for those who have been given labels and now identify with them. The only way to transformation is through a new action.

Dedicated Feldenkrais Focus, influenced by Somatic Dialogue & Awareness of Environment Stimulation to function

(Read more)

Renee is a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner – since 2007

Location: Monterey Recreation Center – Oak Bay

Register by phone @ 250-370-7300 or

online @ Oak Bay Recreation website

Read more on Awareness through Feldenkrais – topic website for updated topic information, news and tips for somatic movement programs


Feldenkraisยฎ Practitioner since 2007, Communication & Empathy Coach since 2004, Art of Placement since 2001

Feng Shui for function

by Renee Lindstrom, founder, Inside Awareness Center for Integrative Somatic Learning

Bus Stop Feng Shui

Announcing Feng Shui for function

….in first person…..I have just announced this focus on the topic page titled Awareness through Feng Shui.

Announcing a new integrative focus on Awareness through Feng Shui. Not a new focus my work as a practitioner, consultant and mentor, a new focus in Feng Shui and a newly differentiated topic on the Urban Feng Shui web site. Feng Shui is a program of one of the nine pillars at my learning center, Inside Awareness Center for Integrative Somatic Learning. It is a program in the Knowledge/Educational Life area for creative lifestyles. Feldenkrais is in a the pillar area of Health with a focus of attention on functional integration that originates with the skeleton in postural transitions… I have differentiated the life areas life activities fall under for increased integrations, understanding and increased mindfulness. This differentiation increases intellectual clarity through enhanced mindfulness. Watch these web pages if this topic interests you as there will be a new and interesting perspective on design and health. The relief is it will not be from the marketing perspective of advertising furniture will a lack of understanding the skeletal needs for optimized functional movement.

Read more at this linked articlebelow:

Copyright 2014 โ€“ 2026 Renee Lindstrom, GCFP

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Balancing Somatic Awareness & Cognitive Intellectualization while observing 3 Posture Transitions through the felt senses

Woman in black tank top and gray leggings moving from lying on stomach to seated to standing position
A woman demonstrates a sequence of recovery poses from lying down to standing up during a workout.

1. Standing

2. Sitting

3. Prone

Here are some reflections of this Feldenkrais Practitioner prior to a Breath Workshop held in April, ’26 to center and ground prior to leading a group through a specific guided patterns of movement. .

The focus of attention in the verbal guided patterns to go beyond the busy mind of thinking into an expanded awareness of the somatic experience

The process of observing the guided pattern suggestions is another focus of attention for balancing the somatic experience with cognitive conceptual function. This focus in this pattern leads with somatic experiences to redirect cognitive functional focus of attention. In the process of this focused pattern, the mind can enter a state not unlike a mindfulness meditation. In this mindfulness like state the cognition can expand beyond beliefs, opinions, evaluative thinking and social conditioning into a field that cultivates deeper awareness.

The guided micromovements focus on the body’s structural design for potential movement beginning with the core – the skeleton.

Why? The natural design of the bodies ability to transition through postural shifts is through the bone pressure using the force of gravity. Original movement transitions are not through muscle and soft tissue lifting the bone and bearing the weight of the bone matter. That only creates constraints, pain and limited function. Organizing the skeletal bones to transition through flexibility and expanded range of motion increases ease and effortlessness in functionality.

Micromovements through the perspective of skeletal function is its own separate type of workout from what is currently focused on, and this focus can be far more challenging than the current mainstream focus is aware of

Imagine repeating changing patterns of micromovements toning the muscles through available functional transitions that release the few muscles that have become the primary motivation for controlling movement. New muscle patterns are created as habitual holding is released through the tonification and dormant muscles are activated, while the organization in the brains is expanding through conscious awareness.

These guided patterns go beyond the conceptualization of cognitive intellectualization that has locked movement into patterns that eventually create diminishing capacity through its limited understanding. Beliefs, opinions and evaluative expressions lock down the brains functional capacity. This is expressed through a lack of flexibility in all qualities of function; mentally, emotionally and physically.

This suggests that these guided patterns for integrating movement through a focus that taps into conscious awareness that balances both the somatic experience and cognitive function can give all aspects of functional experiences a workout from perceptions, mobility to brain function. Ihe focus is completely on expansion and identifying limitation whether it is through thinking, emotional and physical patterns.

This fantastic connection in this process is that it is through organic functional movement, the brains focus of attention and mindfulness. Imagine a fitness workout that is actually a pattern for learning and going beyond what we know into a expanded reality that reduces fear, pain, effort and suffering into ease, flexibility, groundedness and agility.

Learning focus here is through the bones and not socially conditioned thinking patterns that come through titles, names, labels, trends and images of right and wrong beliefs. Current examples are the bastardization of the cultural practices of yoga and tai chi where cognitively designed exercises have been turned into chair yoga and chair tai chi. These are exercises packaged as a concept and they lack the somatic awareness component of the source philosophy. It’s the development of a marketing strategy for creating an image that taps into the focus of attention of society’s ego concepts of self image. Are they beneficial for becoming active. Yes, however they are examples of misleading advertising that is associated with the mindfulness and expanded consciousness of the traditional philosophies.


The above is an evolution of deeper understanding of social conditioning and the lack of balance between somatic experiencing and cognitive conceptualization that is developing from the focus of attention and observations of the practitioner of functional integration.

It is an example of reflection for tapping into and grounding thought patterns for organizing a focus on balancing the mind to guide patterns that will open students consciousness and not reflect boxed in cognitive concepts. Pausing to organize thoughts to set them aside to guide others into mindfulness is an important part of this practitioners process. I hope you enjoy the content.


Body Mindfulness – Core Body Functional Breathingย Audio

New Release


Connect for Lifestyle Coaching and Learning Needs

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Copyright 2014 โ€“ 2026 Renee Lindstrom, GCFP

Feldenkraisยฎ, Feldenkrais Methodยฎ, Awareness Through Movementยฎ, and Functional Integrationยฎ, are registered service marks of the Feldenkrais Guildยฎ of North America

Weekly Culture of Values Focus

Education, Knowledge

Nov 3rd to Nov 9th โ€™24

Definition of Friendship:

Definition of Friendship

Friendship is hanging out with others regularly, like your classmates.ย  It can also be a long-term friendship with someone you trust and have shared values and experiences.ย ย ย 


Consideration can only be truly achieved through the ability to balance the actions of listening and speaking equally.

COV’s Value observances in Nov to date :

Friendship

Peace, Clarity, Understanding & Resolution can only authentically be achieved through leadership training in the skills of listening and speaking

Dialogue and Listening are needed to have a balanced conversation of meaning. This balance brings success and achievement for all in relationships equally. When someone speaks they are leading the conversations and the listener is following. To have equality the speaker becomes the listener. This means the listener becomes the speaker. Leadership is a balance of giving and receiving in dialogue.


This pattern was developed from a talking circle.  The format was to go around and ask each participant what the focused value word meant to them.  Sometimes a definition from the dictionary was read out first.  People often did not know the definition meaning.  โ€˜Renee Lindstromโ€™


Weekly Feeling Observations:

Feeling Observations this week

The Culture of Values educational program is available through Amazon. The program includes:

Why? How? When?

Culture of Values – 5 Easy Steps for grounding

These guided grounding patterns compliment the Culture of Values Educational Program

Click Covers to read more……..

Compatible grounding integrative experience with values, feeling and needs, mindfulness and history through the walking pattern of the labyrinth

Click cover pic to read more……..

Other titles by Renee Lindstrom

Copyright 2014 โ€“ 2024 Renee Lindstrom, GCFP
Feldenkraisยฎ, Feldenkrais Methodยฎ, Awareness Through Movementยฎ, and Functional Integrationยฎ, are registered service marks of the Feldenkrais Guildยฎ of North America. Feldenkrais Methodยฎ

An eloquent definition of the differences in interpretations of the value of cooperation

I am sharing Damion Williams’s eloquent interpretation of the value word ‘cooperation.’ He is sharing an understanding of how this word is used for different effects in our Western culture. This is a seed of understanding that lit up my consciousness during a process of conversational groups gathering to integrate values. No one knew their inner definition and understanding of universal values or each had a different interpretation. I loved Damian’s eloquence in explaining this experience in the use of the value word cooperation that I had to share for educational purposes.

Listening โ€“ Weekly Culture of Values Focus

Culture of Values Focus for this week – Sept 8 to 14, ’24 – Dialogue. Read more @ https://atomic-temporary-16610124.wpcomstaging.com/…/dialogue-weekly-culture…/ #communication #cultureofvalues #universalvalueeducation #feelingsandneedslanguageineducation

Sept 8th to 14th โ€™24

Definition of Listening:

Listening is an action of hearing the sounds in the surroundings.ย  This includes other peopleโ€™s voices. Hearing what others are saying is a way to get to know what is important to them and to learn from them.ย 

Remember Dialogues definition from last week:

Dialogue is a conversation with others that increases understanding, addresses problems, and questions thoughts and actions.

Dialogue and Listening are needed to have a balanced conversation of meaning. This balance brings success and achievement for all in relationships equally. When someone speaks they are leading the conversations and the listener is following. To have equality the speaker becomes the listener. This means the listener becomes the speaker. Leadership is a balance of giving and receiving in dialogue.


This pattern was developed from a talking circle.  The format was to go around and ask each participant what the focused value word meant to them.  Sometimes a definition from the dictionary was read out first.  People often did not know the definition meaning.  โ€˜Renee Lindstromโ€™


Weekly Feeling Observations:

Feeling Observations this week

The Culture of Values educational program is available through Amazon. The program includes:

Why? How? When?