Movement Coaching
I offer private sessions in Body Awareness Movement coaching. Sessions bring together my work with body-based studies of Body-Mind Centering®, Developmental Technique, Feldenkrais, yoga, dance, voice and acting training. These approaches are ideal for a body seeking alternative pathways to explore functional support and greater connectivity to movement. Focusing on movement patterns related to use of the floor and the dynamics of floor work, dancers and movers of all forms can find:
• muscular release and engagement of other body systems (skeletal, organs, fluids, endocrine)
• re-pattern movement choices
• support joints
• release tension for greater kinesthetic awareness
I offer a 6 session package as well as single sessions at an affordable scale. Please contact me for further information and to schedule an introductory session.
For dancers:
As a young dancer primarily trained in ballet and more vertical modern dance, my understanding of floor work was challenged. After completing my MFA at Naropa University and working with Wendell Beavers and Erika Berland in Body-Mind Centering® and Developmental Technique approaches to the body and movement, I gained a deeper appreciation of how to release muscular tension and relate to the floor as support and playground. Incorporating these approaches into the improvisational dance approaches of Barbara Dilley, I expanded, as Barbara Dilley coins the term, my "kinesthetic delight" to broaden and connect deeply to my movement impulses serving improvisational scores as well as choreography. I often see dancers in Contemporary dance classes struggling or not quite capturing movement into, using, and coming out of the floor. I seek to work with dancers to hone developmental patterns using the floor to provide a foundation readily accessible for kinesthetic impulses to respond intuitively in class, choreography, and creative exploration.
For movers, athletes, gym-goers, and everyone:
These sessions are focused on the sensing body. Not just the muscular or sculpted body, but the informed body, seeking ease of movement and a structure starting with the body and its inherent knowledge. Whether you have trained in certain body forms for many years, or are intermittent, or wondering how to reconnect, exploring the body and movement through the floor can connect you to a deeper level of awareness internally and externally. Sessions will give you approaches for muscular relaxation and fundamentals for movement applying to walking, standing, shifting, working-out with awareness and consciousness of form, and deeper levels of relaxation or how to unwind from stress. These approaches have not only transformed my movement and efficiency of body engagement, but they have also allowed me to ask questions about my fixations on the demands and attachments I had to certain perspectives on the body or a need to overdo. Using these techniques I have found alternative ways to engage the body diversifying my work-outs to provide structural support, toning of the body beyond the muscular system, and providing more energy daily and throughout a busy week.
Reviews:
"I’ve always felt uncoordinated, stiff-jointed, and not very graceful. Jason has taught me to open to new ways of movement that I never even thought of before. He has helped me learn to differentiate between pain and discomfort. I’ve learned to start listening to my body and not try to match my movements with others. I have become curious to explore the origins of different movements in my body. I am learning by practicing and thinking like a baby, which is really exploring and playing and not thinking at all. I am unlearning old patterns of behavior and movement by creating new body memories. My one-on-one sessions with Jason are now the highlight of my week during this time of “social distancing” and sheltering at home. Plus I also now have ample time to practice on my own at home with new awareness."
Stephen, San Francisco, 2020
"Working with Jason has taught me about how my body has old learned patterns that hold stress and keep me from being in balance physically and emotionally. With Jason’s deep background in many movement disciplines he has been able to help me discover my unconscious physical tendencies I was not even aware of. Jason has a very gentle nature and is good about getting me to explore and discover the different habits I have learned over time. With simple floor work, the use of gravity, and deep breathing, I found my body letting go of stress I wasn’t even aware of. The work is very low impact and does not require a high heart rate. So much is in the breath. I have only been studying with Jason for a short time but I am excited and looking forward to how I will transform as my personal body awareness practice grows over a much longer period of time. I know I will learn to be more connected to my body, release my anxiety, and be present in the moment. Also my increased body awareness will help me as I get back into shape and workout in the gym. Attuned to the signals my body is telling me, I will be less likely to over do and hurt myself, and will get more from the exercise that I put in. All these techniques will help me to live a healthier happier life as I continue to age."
John, San Francisco, 2018
"About ten months ago, I fell and injured my back. As a result, I got into the habit of holding myself in a rigid way to protect the injury. I found that, in spite of doing yoga, swimming, and biking, I was unable to relax. Jason came to my house twice and very calmly led me through some simple movements that reminded me how sometimes, less can be more!!! I highly recommend Jason to anyone who needs help relaxing and finding ease of movement."
Augusta, San Francisco, 2018
"I've been working on dance fundamentals with Jason for several months now. He starts each of his sessions with gentle body awareness sequences including an emphasis on connection to the floor. Through this greater body awareness and connection, I've found that I can immerse myself in my choreographed dance experiences with him and in other classes more easily and naturally. Ultimately, Jason simply makes dancing more enjoyable. In his instruction, Jason peels back the superficial. For example, he'll introduce concepts connecting movement initiation and support to underlying organs and fluids. Employing such concepts, I can immediately feel the greater ease I'm able to bring to movement. I highly recommend Jason. His deeper understanding and work is testament to his decades of experience and training in dance and somatic-based teachings. His appreciation for healthy movement and dance is clearly seen through not only his knowledge and thoughtfully structured sessions but also his patience, caring personality, reliability, and respectfulness. It's also refreshing to work with someone who's as insightful as he is and just seems to know what is meant when you do your best to describe an area for improvement. If you're seeking to find greater body awareness, ease, and confidence in your dancing, you'll be well advised to work with him."
Reid, San Francisco, 2017
• muscular release and engagement of other body systems (skeletal, organs, fluids, endocrine)
• re-pattern movement choices
• support joints
• release tension for greater kinesthetic awareness
I offer a 6 session package as well as single sessions at an affordable scale. Please contact me for further information and to schedule an introductory session.
For dancers:
As a young dancer primarily trained in ballet and more vertical modern dance, my understanding of floor work was challenged. After completing my MFA at Naropa University and working with Wendell Beavers and Erika Berland in Body-Mind Centering® and Developmental Technique approaches to the body and movement, I gained a deeper appreciation of how to release muscular tension and relate to the floor as support and playground. Incorporating these approaches into the improvisational dance approaches of Barbara Dilley, I expanded, as Barbara Dilley coins the term, my "kinesthetic delight" to broaden and connect deeply to my movement impulses serving improvisational scores as well as choreography. I often see dancers in Contemporary dance classes struggling or not quite capturing movement into, using, and coming out of the floor. I seek to work with dancers to hone developmental patterns using the floor to provide a foundation readily accessible for kinesthetic impulses to respond intuitively in class, choreography, and creative exploration.
For movers, athletes, gym-goers, and everyone:
These sessions are focused on the sensing body. Not just the muscular or sculpted body, but the informed body, seeking ease of movement and a structure starting with the body and its inherent knowledge. Whether you have trained in certain body forms for many years, or are intermittent, or wondering how to reconnect, exploring the body and movement through the floor can connect you to a deeper level of awareness internally and externally. Sessions will give you approaches for muscular relaxation and fundamentals for movement applying to walking, standing, shifting, working-out with awareness and consciousness of form, and deeper levels of relaxation or how to unwind from stress. These approaches have not only transformed my movement and efficiency of body engagement, but they have also allowed me to ask questions about my fixations on the demands and attachments I had to certain perspectives on the body or a need to overdo. Using these techniques I have found alternative ways to engage the body diversifying my work-outs to provide structural support, toning of the body beyond the muscular system, and providing more energy daily and throughout a busy week.
Reviews:
"I’ve always felt uncoordinated, stiff-jointed, and not very graceful. Jason has taught me to open to new ways of movement that I never even thought of before. He has helped me learn to differentiate between pain and discomfort. I’ve learned to start listening to my body and not try to match my movements with others. I have become curious to explore the origins of different movements in my body. I am learning by practicing and thinking like a baby, which is really exploring and playing and not thinking at all. I am unlearning old patterns of behavior and movement by creating new body memories. My one-on-one sessions with Jason are now the highlight of my week during this time of “social distancing” and sheltering at home. Plus I also now have ample time to practice on my own at home with new awareness."
Stephen, San Francisco, 2020
"Working with Jason has taught me about how my body has old learned patterns that hold stress and keep me from being in balance physically and emotionally. With Jason’s deep background in many movement disciplines he has been able to help me discover my unconscious physical tendencies I was not even aware of. Jason has a very gentle nature and is good about getting me to explore and discover the different habits I have learned over time. With simple floor work, the use of gravity, and deep breathing, I found my body letting go of stress I wasn’t even aware of. The work is very low impact and does not require a high heart rate. So much is in the breath. I have only been studying with Jason for a short time but I am excited and looking forward to how I will transform as my personal body awareness practice grows over a much longer period of time. I know I will learn to be more connected to my body, release my anxiety, and be present in the moment. Also my increased body awareness will help me as I get back into shape and workout in the gym. Attuned to the signals my body is telling me, I will be less likely to over do and hurt myself, and will get more from the exercise that I put in. All these techniques will help me to live a healthier happier life as I continue to age."
John, San Francisco, 2018
"About ten months ago, I fell and injured my back. As a result, I got into the habit of holding myself in a rigid way to protect the injury. I found that, in spite of doing yoga, swimming, and biking, I was unable to relax. Jason came to my house twice and very calmly led me through some simple movements that reminded me how sometimes, less can be more!!! I highly recommend Jason to anyone who needs help relaxing and finding ease of movement."
Augusta, San Francisco, 2018
"I've been working on dance fundamentals with Jason for several months now. He starts each of his sessions with gentle body awareness sequences including an emphasis on connection to the floor. Through this greater body awareness and connection, I've found that I can immerse myself in my choreographed dance experiences with him and in other classes more easily and naturally. Ultimately, Jason simply makes dancing more enjoyable. In his instruction, Jason peels back the superficial. For example, he'll introduce concepts connecting movement initiation and support to underlying organs and fluids. Employing such concepts, I can immediately feel the greater ease I'm able to bring to movement. I highly recommend Jason. His deeper understanding and work is testament to his decades of experience and training in dance and somatic-based teachings. His appreciation for healthy movement and dance is clearly seen through not only his knowledge and thoughtfully structured sessions but also his patience, caring personality, reliability, and respectfulness. It's also refreshing to work with someone who's as insightful as he is and just seems to know what is meant when you do your best to describe an area for improvement. If you're seeking to find greater body awareness, ease, and confidence in your dancing, you'll be well advised to work with him."
Reid, San Francisco, 2017