Whidbey Weavers Guild meeting

Today was the regular guild meeting for the Whidbey Weavers Guild. The drive to this guild is one of the most beautiful commutes ever. To get there I first drive across the Skagit Valley countryside. The Skagit Valley has just finished up the Tulip Festival, which draws thousands of tulip tourists for the month of April. This morning it was calm and the farmers were out working their fields. From the Skagit Valley I continue my drive onto Whidbey Island. One crosses to Fidalgo Island and then onto Whidbey via bridges. The bridge to Whidbey Island spans Deception Pass. The view as you get onto the bridge is always breathtaking. The bridge is narrow and very high above the water so you have to keep your eyes on the road while sneaking quick peeks. Fortunately there are places to turn out before and after to take a longer look.
I had my dog Twill with me today so our first stop was Deception Pass State Park to stretch our legs and such. The Guild meets at Camp Casey just outside of the town of Coupeville. I like to make a quick stop in Oak Harbor at Starbucks to grab a mocha before continuing on to the meeting. When I have Twill with me I go extra early so that I can walk her on the beach. From the beach you look across the Sound to the Olympic Peninsula and Mountains. The sky was quite dramatic today with sunshine and large storm clouds sweeping across Puget Sound. The wind coming off the Olympic Mountains was still quite chilly.
The program for the Guild today was on the Feldenkrais Method of movement presented by Julie Gersten, a Feldenkrais Method teacher who teaches in Langley, WA. She specifically addressed the problems we can run into when using our bodies to weave, spin, and knit. I have heard of this method before but this was the first time I actually tried some of the exercises. The results of our short session impressed me enough that I will be looking into it more. I want to be weaving comfortably for many years to come. I started weaving in my late 30’s and have already experienced minor physical challenges due to the motions. We always tend to ignore our bodies until something becomes painful and insists we pay attention to it. Our “no pain, no gain, grin and bear it” society doesn’t really help either. The program was a wonderful and important one that should be included in any guild’s line-up of programs.
With all this in mind I would like to ask: What steps, if any, do you take to keep your body weaving and moving in a healthful way?
Here is to joyful weaving and movement! -Renee