A current student in the MBS Foundation Training, Iveta Varmusova shares how the MBS program has helped her son, both through her own study and through her son’s participation in demonstrations with Leora and Mia. Iveta travels three times a year from the Czech Republic to the trainings in Bad Tolz, Germany. Last October, she brought her son along.
“While I was searching through various therapies to help my son, who has severe cerebral palsy (CP), I came across a documentary television program about the Feldenkrais Method and how it works. Immediately, I felt that it could be a very useful therapy for my child. So, during the following four years, our family searched for a therapist somewhere in Europe who could work with us. Eventually, I heard about Leora Gaster and her reputation for working so well with children with CP, and her mother, Mia Segal, the most experienced Feldenkrais Practitioner in the world.
I heard that Mia Segal was about to hold a short workshop in Vienna. So, off we went! Mia helped me to find a practitioner who began working with our son regularly, and I decided to join the MBS Foundation training in Germany. Practicing MBS with our son, we began to see more progress than we’d seen with any other therapy.
Mia Segal and Leora Gaster worked directly with our son during the October 2012 seminar of the Foundation Training. Mia played with his mouth and his hand, slowly letting him discover a pattern that had been missing. Our son hadn’t been very keen to do the next movement initially, but once Mia managed to draw his attention to these places that were new for him, he allowed her to put his hand to his mouth. What’s more, he could even put his fingers in his mouth! After the session, he started eating very nicely; there was a completely different quality to how he could chew the food in his mouth.
In another demonstration, Leora helped our son to discover more of his body – and to discover more of himself. Through gentle movements she quickly had our son sitting in a vertical position for quite some time! He even kept his head up with extraordinarily good control. After the session, he simply liked being in the upright position. We all enjoyed that so much!
Our son had been going through such very slow development previously, just one tiny improvement at a time, though of course, we’re always happy with any progress. He would lie without much control of his head and with extreme difficulty swallowing. Through MBS, he started to roll onto his side and eventually onto his belly. Now he plays with lifting his head more often. Eating, though still an issue, is very much improved. Part of his improvement is happening mentally, too.
I now say, ‘Where other therapies end, MBS begins.’ I see that the role of the practitioner is fundamental, and only well educated practitioners are able to give the most to my son and children like him.”
-Iveta Varmusova
Iveta continues to train with MBS Academy, and regularly brings her son for sessions with MBS Practitioner, Erhard Klammerth, the person Mia originally referred her to. Mind Body Studies is not a form of treatment, healing or therapy. We use movement as the basis for learning about oneself and expanding one’s set of choices. MBS is suitable for everyone and many individuals with severe physical limitations find that they can use themselves more masterfully and easily as a result of this exploratory learning process.
Finding our true potential 