Sara teaches several styles of meditation and Feldenkrais classes that are listed below. There are traditional mindfulness meditations classes, movement meditation classes, traditional Feldenkrais classes and Lighten Up with is a dynamic mix of Feldenkrais and meditation. All details are listed below. All group classes are by dana.

Lighten Up

  Feldenkrais®- Inspired Sequences

for Feeling Calm, Alert, Vital and Ready to…?

Feldenkrais Method meets Yoga meets Meditation meets Life… 

In studio, ZOOMed and recorded.

 Come along and discover:

• the delight of moving well and attentively, and doing what you thought was not possible,

• multiple ways to move from standing to sitting to lying on the ground, and back up to standing,

• how to move across the ground with grace, ease and a sense of lightness,

• many different variations of the movements that a human body needs to do daily to maintain balance, flexibility and strength - flexion (folding movements), extension (arching movements), side bending and rotation (twisting and spiraling movements)

• how to practise focusing/sensing inside and outside i.e. both awareness of how you are moving, and of the environment in which you are moving.

• identifying more clearly the internal feelings that each of these movements can evoke for you and how movement/your physical organisation can become a useful strategy/ tool for daily life,

• the boundlessness of a personal practice, the deep joy that comes from doing something that has endless possibility for exploration and fun (alone or with others).

• The feeling of being calm yet alive, potent, and ready…

Lighten Up is a practice which means the movements are experienced differently each time you do them and they deepen over time. Those who have learned the basic sequence before are welcome to come along and renew their practice. (It has evolved significantly over the last 6 years, so there are many parts and added puzzles which will be new to you).

 Pre-requisites: a willingness / preparedness to explore dynamic movements. Those with significant injuries especially hip, shoulder and/or severe pelvic floor issues must speak with Sara before enrolling. Please call me on 0415 363 313.

Lighten Up for New Students and Reviewers (Level 1). Bookings required.

Level 1 returns in January 2025

This course is the start point for those wanting to learn a dynamic movement practice/sequence which develops and improves flexibility, balance, co-ordination, responsiveness, sensitivity, energy, joy, a sense of groundedness and spaciousness… Feldenkrais meets yoga meets meditation meets life…

Lighten Up, level 2 / 3 (continuing students)

Tuesdays, 5.15pm – 6.30pm. 8 wks, 22 Oct – 17 Dec. No class 12 Nov

Fridays, 9.30am – 10.45am. 9 wks, 11 Oct – 13 Dec. No class 15 Nov

This class is for those who have completed a Lighten Up Level 1 introductory course and wish to continue to improve the basic sequence of Level 1 moves and refine their range of sensory systems available for learning while exploring new ‘puzzles’ each term.

Lighten Up Levels 3 and 4 only (experienced or by invitation only)

Saturdays, 7.15am – 8.30am. 11 wks, 6 Jul - 21 Sept (no class 10 Aug)

Level 3/4 is only for those who are current students from 2023 or Feldenkrais practitioners who have done the Level 1 course, those who can commit to attending most weeks, and know by heart ‘Grand Spiral’ or its equivalent for their physical circumstance (taught in Level 1 or by private lesson). If you are not sure, ask me.

Full Term 4 Class Dates and descriptions: 10 week Term

TUESDAYS: 8 wks, 22 Oct – 17 Dec. No class 12 Nov

5.15pm – 6.30pm: Feldenkrais Method, Awareness Through Movement: Lighten Up Level 2 in studio +ZOOM.

This class is for those who have completed a Lighten Up Level 1 introductory course and wish to continue to improve the basic sequence of Level 1 moves and refine their range of sensory systems available for learning while exploring new ‘puzzles’ each term.

Participants who chose to stay for the following mindfulness meditation class will have the opportunity to experience the effects and benefits of a longer movement session in their meditation experience (body, energy/feeling, mind).You may attend one or both classes. Arrive and leave with awareness.

6.45pm – 8.15pm: Feldenkrais: Anti-Gravity First Aid for Daily Life in studio +ZOOM. Open to all.

8 wks, 22 Oct – 17 Dec. No class 12 Nov

The Feldenkrais Method applied to bone building and weight bearing activities. Experience “Biological optimism” -- “When moving as nature intended - harmoniously coordinated and intelligently coping with gravity - we not only strengthen our bones; we also embody a sense of dignity, confidence and joy that I call biological optimism.” Ruthy Alon, Feldenkrais Trainer

THURSDAYS: 8 wks, 24 Oct – 19 Dec. No class 14 Nov

5.30pm – 6.45pm: Traditional Awareness through Movement Feldenkrais class: Sit, Stand, Balance & Walk Better. (Open to all, no previous experience required).

This is a traditional Feldenkrais Method class (see here) which uses gentle and often novel movements to help participants identify their movement and breathing habits (helpful or unhelpful) whilst introducing new possibilities of moving, sensing, feeling and thinking which will improve any activity in the participant’s daily life. However, the emphasis in these classes will be on understanding and improving the ‘postures’ and movements associated with sitting, standing, balancing and walking and the transitions between them.

All welcome, no previous experience required.

FRIDAYS: 9 wks, 11 Oct – 13 Dec. No class 15 Nov

9.30am–10.45 am: Feldenkrais Method, Awareness Through Movement: Lighten Up Level 2 in studio +ZOOM

This class is for those who have completed a Lighten Up Level 1 introductory course and wish to continue to improve the basic sequence of Level 1 moves and refine their range of sensory systems available for learning while exploring new ‘puzzles’ each term.

1.15pm – 4.30pm: Individual lessons Bookings required. (Email Sara for appointment times). Not by dana, see fees. (Email Sara for appointment times).

SATURDAYS: 10 wks, 12 Oct – 14 Dec

7.15am – 8.30am: Feldenkrais Method Awareness Through Movement: Lighten Up Levels 3/4, experienced only +ZOOM.  Arrive and leave with awareness .

Level 3/4 is only for those who are current students from 2023 or Feldenkrais practitioners who have done the Level 1 course, those who can commit to attending most weeks, and know by heart ‘Grand Spiral’ or its equivalent for their physical circumstance (taught in Level 1 or by private lesson). If you are not sure, ask me.

Feldenkrais Method Awareness Through Movement: Lighten Up: Level 1 Beginner’s course returns in January 2025. In studio and recorded only, open to all. Bookings required.

This course is the start point for those wanting to learn a dynamic movement practice/sequence which develops and improves flexibility, balance, co-ordination, responsiveness, sensitivity, energy, joy, a sense of groundedness and spaciousness… Feldenkrais meets yoga meets meditation meets life…

Venue: Centre for Movement Studies & Yoga Moves studio at 45 Evans, Street Shenton Park. (For your safety and the quality of your experience, new students who wish to use ZOOM or the recordings must book an individual lesson before starting).

What to wear and what you will need: You will need to wear clothing that you can move and breathe in (no tight waistbands, jeans or belts etc). You will need a soft mat to lie on and at least two thick towels. (The studio is fully equipped with mats, please do not wear perfume or strong scents if using the studio equipment).

Bookings: For enquiries and/or to book please email Sara: sara@yogamoves.net.au or phone 0415 363 313.

Class cost: Dana is often taken to simply mean donation or gift. Dana is a Buddhist teaching about generosity of spirit or the sharing of blessings, the aspiration to generate health and goodwill in all the cycles of giving and receiving; the transactions of daily life.

In reflecting on the practice of dana one begins to understand the interdependence of life. Dana is a gift that supports the livelihood of the teacher and their family. In turn, the teachings offered are to support you in meeting with life with wisdom and compassion. Each being arrives at the amount of dana voluntarily. Teachers of the Dharma are supported by considerate donation. Following Buddhist tradition, Sara charges no fee for teaching. It is customary to offer dana at the beginning of the class (there is a bowl near the entrance of the teaching space or you can direct debit as before). Giving prior to the teaching supports the experience of openness and generosity.

55 min Functional Integration / Individual lesson with Sara $150 per lesson OR book & prepay for series of 3 lessons $360

ZOOM 55 min individual lesson with Sara    $100 per lesson (ZOOM only)

Payment: Cash and direct transfer payments accepted. No cheques or credit cards please. For direct transfer please use your name as the reference and send an email to Sara.

Email and bank details: Commonwealth Bank, West Perth

Acc. name: Centre for Movement Studies  

BSB: 066 130   No: 1036 6227

Email Sara Elderfield: sara@yogamoves.net.au

History: Lighten Up, a dynamic Awareness Through Movement movements is based on the more than 1500 Awareness Through Movement lessons created by the founder of the Feldenkrais Method, Moshe Feldenkrais. It was originally composed in this format by French theatre teacher, Monika Pagneux (who studied with Moshe Feldenkrais) to help her students "wake up", to be ready to play/explore and to follow their impulses when performing (or in life!). In 2017, one of Monika’s students, theatre practitioner, Anna Yen generously shared the original sequence called Wake Up with other Australian Feldenkrais practitioners including Sara that it might be further developed by the community of practitioners. It was then further refined by Australian Feldenkrais Trainer, Julie Peck and over the last couple of years, with Julie’s input, Sara has been exploring its twists and turns with her classes. This new version is called Lighten Up.

Sara Elderfield is a Feldenkrais Method practitioner, yoga teacher and long-time meditator. She has been teaching yoga and Feldenkrais as a form of movement meditation practice for 27 years. Since 2000, she has been leading yoga, Feldenkrais, meditation and hiking retreats to Bali, Nepal, Tibet, Vietnam, France and Japan.

In studio versus ZOOM and using the recordings: With the exception of individual lessons, there is no substitute for being in the room however, as another experiment with the advantages that technology can offer, for at least the next 12 months, my classes will be offered in studio and on ZOOM* (you will need to read the terms and conditions). Classes are recorded and thus all participants in class and on ZOOM will be required to sign a waiver for their image should they appear on screen by design or chance. The camera is positioned on me usually but if you do not mind being in the background so that people on ZOOM can see the position/movement then please feel free to take a place in the room.

Recordings: Participants receive a recording of the class for 3 days. Please do not ask for extensions to this time.