Lavinia Plonka
Develop increased flexibility and improve your range of motion and balance, transforming tension, pain, and stress into wellbeing, ease, and radiant health — as you experience the joy of stress-free movement with the Feldenkrais Method®.
— Lavinia Plonka
Many of us struggle with physical limitations, pain, and stress that tend to affect every aspect of our lives. These are often the result of habitual physical, mental, and emotional patterns that take away our ability to choose how we want to move and behave.
But what if there was a way to transform your life and improve your health through gentle movement?
Guild-certified Feldenkrais teacher and body language expert Lavinia Plonka shares that your body is not an immutable substance but a shapeshifting sea of possibility that’s predominantly liquid.
Everything about you is in movement all the time — your breath, your blood, your heart, your neurons sparking through your brain.
Lavinia explains that the power to transform — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually — lies within a deeper understanding of how you move. With this insight, you can become more flexible, improve your range of motion, and experience increased health and vitality.
As you’re moving, you’re sensing, feeling emotions, thinking, and synthesizing, all at the same time, which is why developing more functional habits and intentional/attentional movement helps your brain make different choices in all areas of your life.
The Feldenkrais Method is akin to alchemy, says Lavinia. It uses gentle, well-planned, and sophisticated movement sequences to reconnect your mind with your body by developing your awareness of your movement patterns.
Using the Feldenkrais Method, you can awaken the latent possibilities that are hidden under your habitual patterns — and through subtle movement, you can transform your inner lead of physical impairments and emotional stress into the shining gold of physical dexterity and emotional wellbeing.
Lavinia has helped people improve their movement, behavior, relationships, and careers for over 35 years as a Feldenkrais teacher, a teacher of the Alba Method, and as a lead instructor of Emotional Body. Her unique expertise connects the dots between posture, movement, emotions, and the mind.
Lavinia’s students consistently report feeling a renewed sense of hope, self-confidence, and re-engagement with their bodies after working with her.
When you join her for her 7-module course, you’ll learn to move consciously and strengthen the connection between your mind and body — activating an increased sense of agency and helping you feel more resilient, cared for, and flexible.
During this health-enhancing course, you’ll:
- Learn how to move with greater ease and efficiency, reducing strain and tension in your body
- Explore strategies for fall prevention and recovery
- Experience a movement lesson that will free your neck and shoulder area
- Understand your movement choices so you can reduce back pain and tension
- Cultivate greater awareness of your movement patterns and habits, and learn how to release those that no longer serve you
- Discover how to use your breath to increase emotional fluency and reduce stress and anxiety
- Improve your posture and balance, reducing pain and enhancing your overall health and wellbeing
- Develop a deeper connection to your inner wisdom, increasing your confidence and sense of agency in your life
- Tap into your inner resources of resilience, creativity, and joy for a more positive outlook on life
- And much more...
The Feldenkrais Method is not just a form of exercise or physical therapy. It’s a holistic approach to personal development that offers you a way to develop a deeper cognizance of yourself and the world around you — to break free from the constraints of old habits and beliefs and open yourself up to new possibilities.
This potent program will help you reduce physical pain, increase flexibility, improve your balance, and enhance your vibrance, as you enjoy stress-free movement in a safe, non-competitive environment.
You’ll become more integrated, balanced, and full of harmony — capable of navigating life’s physical, mental, and emotional challenges with greater ease and grace.
What Is the Feldenkrais Method?
What You’ll Discover in These 7 Modules
In this 7-part transformational intensive, Lavinia will guide you through the fundamental skills and competencies you’ll need to successfully uncover your own inner authority and develop wellbeing through intentional, attentional movement.
This course will feature step-by-step teachings and experiential practices with Lavinia. Each session will build harmoniously upon the previous ones, so you’ll develop a complete holistic understanding of the practices, tools, and principles you’ll need to improve your movement, enhance your emotional resilience, increase your flexibility, and reduce physical pain.
Module 1: Strategies for Regaining Suppleness & Support in Your Back So You Can Move With Pleasure
We don’t think of our backs as emotional. No one says, “My back is anxious” or “My back feels abandoned.” Yet, even our common phrases intuit this emotional part of our anatomy. We say things like, “She has no backbone,” “I feel like he doesn’t have my back,” “It was like a stab in the back,” “Back me up, here,” or “I’ve got my back against the wall, and I can’t get out of it!”
Anxiety, grief, and insecurity can influence the muscles of your back. Combine that with sitting too much or poor postural choices, and you’ve got a recipe for discomfort. If you add fear of pain to the mix, you’re literally stuck in a holding pattern — holding yourself together or holding on for dear life.
Discover the stories held in your back, and learn potent strategies for regaining suppleness and support, so you can move with ease and pleasure.
In this session, you’ll:
- Gain a deeper understanding of the anatomy of your back
- Discover the connection between feeling unsupported and back pain
- Experience a movement lesson for relaxing the back
- Uncover how fear impacts your back and hips
- Learn a strategy for lengthening and strengthening your back while improving your posture
Module 2: Use Your Breath to Reduce the Tension in Your Muscles & Sleep Better
If you’re alive and reading this, you’re breathing! Breath is fundamental to our existence, and “proper” breathing is discussed a lot lately, but how can it support all of your functions?
There’s a powerful chemical (and alchemical) process that takes place with every breath you take. Developing a better understanding of your habitual breath patterns can calm your nervous system, reduce the tension in your muscles, and help you sleep. Learn how to employ an awareness of your breath to engage in a deeper study of yourself and experience deep tranquility.
In this session, you’ll:
- Learn a movement meditation that takes you deep into your lungs
- Understand how your breath is connected to your emotions
- Unpack the chemistry of breathing
- Take a historical look at the use of breath across traditions
- Develop strategies for using your breath to counter anxiety
Module 3: Recover a Sense of Safety & Develop Emotional Resilience by Becoming More Flexible
Feeling fragile or unsafe can make you even more prone to injury because it throws you off balance. Tension can make your muscles hard and affect your ability to be spontaneous during times of challenge. Tightening in this way limits your options for recovery, but the good news is that becoming more flexible can reverse this.
Flexibility has more than just physical benefits, however. Softening and recovering a sense of safety also helps you become more mentally flexible and emotionally resilient.
In this session, you’ll:
- Discover a movement for improving mobility and resilience
- Experience a meditation guiding you toward feeling safe and flexible
- Learn strategies for fall prevention and recovery
- Gain a new understanding of how modern research is connecting resilience to wellbeing
Module 4: Find Your Inner Authority to Create New Freedom in Your Life
Our lives are made of habits, from how we get out of bed to how we make decisions. These habits are essential for living our lives, but sometimes we can become prisoners of the very habits we developed in order to survive. We end up being governed by physical, mental, and emotional patterns that take away our ability to choose how we want to behave.
Shoulder and neck tension are common afflictions that impact our ability to move — whether we’re attempting to turn around, hold our heads high, or swing a tennis racket with accuracy and power.
By freeing your shoulders and neck, you’ll find new freedom and learn to exercise yourown agency, instead of being at the mercy of your habitual limitations.
In this session, you’ll:
- Uncover the connection between your shoulders and your emotions
- Learn how your shoulders and neck communicate to your brain and each other
- Experience a movement lesson that will free your neck and shoulder area
- Gain a deeper understanding of shoulder anatomy
- Discover strategies for relieving shoulder tension while sitting
Module 5: Liberate the Power of Your Pelvis for Increased Self-Confidence & Improved Posture
Your pelvic region is not only the geographical center of your body, it’s also your primal energy center in many ancient healing traditions. It’s the home of your root and sacral chakras in Ayurvedic medicine, the location of your hara in Japanese medicine, and the residence of your abdominal dantian in Chinese medicine.
All of these traditions emphasize the importance of liberating and harnessing the power of your pelvis because engaging your power center improves your self-confidence and posture, helping you move through life with a clarity of intention.
In this session, you’ll:
- Discover the secret behind power posing
- Experience a movement lesson that frees the pelvis
- Learn a meditation on the movement of energy
- Take part in a visualization exercise for healing pelvic trauma
- Gain an understanding of the connection between your core and your hip joints
Module 6: Move Your Spine Like the Ocean to Unlock Hidden Tensions & Latent Grace
In Module 5, you learned how to cultivate energy in your power center to energize your whole self. When you remember that you’re 70% water, you can also learn to flow like an ocean wave, a sinuous serpent, or flowing seaweed. You can begin to undulate and revel in your own fluidity and grace because the ability to bend, lean, twist, arch, and stretch are your birthright.
In this session, you’ll:
- Learn how to differentiate your vertebrae for fluid movement
- Receive a deeper understanding of how serpentine movement has influenced sacred and ordinary dance throughout history
- Experience your body’s undulatory capacity to unlock hidden tensions
- Take part in a movement lesson that invites the movement of the ocean into your skeleton
Module 7: Create Your Talisman for the Future to Turn Your Personal Lead Into Gold
Alchemy is defined as “a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination.” What do you want to transform, create, or combine for a rewarding and joyful life?
In this final module, you’ll weave together the threads of the first six modules into a beautiful tapestry of a new self-image that you can take with you into the world. Through this alchemical process of transformation, you’ll experience how your new conception of yourself is reflected back to you in your outer circumstances — from your family to your job to your environment... as above, so below.
In this session, you’ll:
- Experience an exercise to weave together the experiences of the past few modules into your own talisman for the future
- Take part in a movement lesson to celebrate your own magical formula for transformation
- Explore alchemical postures throughout history that are connected with movement
- Gain an understanding of “where attention goes, energy flows”
The Movement Alchemy Bonus Collection
In addition to Lavinia’s transformative 7-modules online course, you’ll receive this special bonus offering to complement the course and take your understanding and practice to an even deeper level.
Oscillation: The Key to Relaxation
Audio Lesson With Lavinia Plonka
If you’re of a certain age, you may remember the vibrating mattresses that used to be in some hotels back in the day. You’d pop a quarter in the slot (imagine a quarter buying ANYTHING now!) and the whole bed would jiggle back and forth. This relaxing, oscillating movement is yours anytime you desire when you practice the exercises in this audio lesson. Beneficial side effects include: softer hips, improved breathing, and a delicious feeling of melting into the floor. Enjoy!
The Art of Letting Go: Learn to Relieve Your TMJ
Audio Program With Lavinia Plonka
This 80-minute audio program contains eight short, meditative lessons designed to help you relieve TMJ discomfort. You’ll learn how your jaw is directly connected to your emotions and how improving your TMJ health can help you resolve postural problems and shoulder and neck tension. These gentle lessons are for anyone who is looking to improve their wellbeing, relaxation, and quality of life.
What Graduates of Lavinia’s Courses Are Saying...
— Lisa Stanley: “I’m 60 Years Old, and I Feel Stronger and More Balanced and More Capable Than I Did in My Thirties”
— Brenna Wilcox: “I Can Stand Up Long Enough Now to Cook Dinner”
— Chrish Kregse: “Lavinia Is a Patient, Understanding, and Very Wise Witness to Your Process”
“I experienced deep healing and a profound shift on all levels throughout all sessions.”
I joined this course mainly for support with managing recurring back problems, which were due to emotional/mental stress. I experienced deep healing and a profound shift on all levels throughout all sessions. I was particularly impressed with the depth of subtle movements, and appreciated the exploration of the seven bodies, which Lavinia so expertly presented in a holistic way. I am deeply grateful for this unique and powerful “being in the moment” experience.
— Christiane, Llandovery, West Wales, United Kingdom
“The healing hands exercise was particularly beneficial and had a transformative impact on me.”
The healing hands exercise was particularly beneficial and had a transformative impact on me. Having suffered the loss in use of my hands and subsequent difficulties of pain, numbness, and dexterity over a 30-year period, the session allowed such gentle movement with transformative effect. I shared about this in the session and Lavinia’s response was gratefully received. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
— Carol, Scarborough, United Kingdom
“... if I remain in the process I see the shift and am so grateful for being presented with what I thought was too difficult.”
Some of the movements were difficult for me at first, but I soon realized that in time my imagining being able to do them was really laying a foundation for what I EVENTUALLY would and could do. Imagining is like paying attention to what I want (to move more freely), making an intention to open myself to be empowered by doing what I can in the moment, believing in the power of the attention/intention, and realizing that I will eventually move more freely without pain. It may take time, but if I remain in the process I see the shift and am so grateful for being presented with what I thought was too difficult. Thank you!
— Eileen, West Hempstead, New York
“Getting in touch with my emotions was new and very surprising.”
It was nice to reconnect to the Feldenkrais Method. Getting in touch with my emotions was new and very surprising.
— Susanne Peschel, Muenster, Germany
“Lavinia’s work feels like a continuous shift and rebirth, it takes me in very deep.”
— Ruth, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Here’s What You’ll Receive
Seven 90-Minute Class Sessions With Lavinia Plonka
Experience a unique opportunity to learn from body language expert and guild-certified Feldenkrais® teacher Lavinia Plonka — from the comfort of your own home. Each class session includes a streaming video option and will guide you to improve your posture, increase your range of motion, and feel more empowered and resilient in your daily life with the gentle and sophisticated movement sequences of the Feldenkrais Method.
Seven Transcripts of Class Sessions
You’ll also receive the entire class transcription after each session is completed. You can then review, print, and highlight the most important insights and practices you were given.
Exercises and Questions for Each Lesson
Between class sessions, you’ll have the option of completing related exercises, practicing new tools, and answering questions to accelerate your learning and integrate each lesson.
The Movement Alchemy Bonus Gift
- Oscillation: The Key to Relaxation
Audio Lesson With Lavinia Plonka - The Art of Letting Go: Learn to Relieve Your TMJ
Audio Program With Lavinia Plonka
An Unprecedented Opportunity to Join the Online Training, Movement Alchemy With the Feldenkrais Method®
We feel honored that Lavinia Plonka has chosen to partner with The Shift Network to offer this exclusive online training. This is a unique opportunity to learn from a body language expert and guild-certified Feldenkrais teacher whose powerful insights and pioneering work are helping us heal and awaken ourselves and our world.
If you’re serious about exploring the intersection between movement, emotions, and the mind to learn how to live a more grounded, balanced, and resilient life, then you owe it to yourself, your loved ones, and our world to take this one-of-a-kind training.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your own evolution, click the register button below to reserve your space now.
Your Satisfaction Is 100% Guaranteed!
Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed! If you don’t absolutely LOVE Movement Alchemy With the Feldenkrais Method® — or don’t feel that it meets your needs — please submit your refund request form 2 weeks from your date of purchase and we’ll happily issue qualifying customers a refund.
More Praise for Lavinia Plonka ...
“... feeling taller, stronger, pain-free, and awakened...”
In practicing Feldenkrais, it looks and feels like you’re doing next to nothing, yet the effects are profound. Taking Lavinia’s classes always leaves me feeling taller, stronger, pain-free, and awakened to the potential of a better me. The power in the art of the subtle can’t be emphasized enough, and Lavinia delivers it with fun, precision, and grace.
— Merina Ty-Kisera, LAc, DiplAc, author of Acupressure With Essential Oils
“... free up our bodies, relax our minds, and open our hearts.”
Lavinia Plonka is one of the most engaging, brilliant, fun instructors I have ever experienced in any field. My students in the Florida Keys and I personally have benefited from Lavinia’s unique blend of somatic modalities that free up our bodies, relax our minds, and open our hearts. Lavinia’s profound understanding and easy-to-follow teaching of the Feldenkrais Method is refreshing, entertaining, and life-changing.
— Judy Greenman, Body Brain Freedom
“... unlocking the power of the Feldenkrais Method to free attention and create greater ease...”
Lavinia Plonka has an easy, understated teaching style that gracefully unwinds her vast formal and intuitive knowledge of the body and its metaphors, unlocking the power of the Feldenkrais Method to free attention and create greater ease — in our bodies and in our lives. If you have an opportunity to study with her, I recommend it.
— Mike Morrell, co-founder of ReWilder and collaborating author with Richard Rohr on The Divine Dance
“Lavinia... helps you know your body in easy and accessible ways that lead to transformation.”
Lavinia is an engaging and expert movement teacher who helps you know your body in easy and accessible ways that lead to transformation. I’m consistently amazed at how small movements have huge effects.
— Leanne Cusumano Roque, president of Shine Like the Sun and author of the award-winning book, Live Light: Simple Steps
About Lavinia Plonka
Body language expert Lavinia Plonka has helped people improve their movement, behavior, health, and careers for over 35 years. Her unique expertise connects the dots between posture, movement, emotions, and the mind. Lavinia is the founder of Kinēsa®, an educational process that integrates movement, science, and ancient wisdom traditions.
Lavinia’s training and professional career have included theater, dance, yoga, and the martial arts. A former vice president of the Feldenkrais Guild of North America, she has taught the Feldenkrais Method® for over 30 years, is a lead instructor of the Emotional Body® and an ISMETA Master Somatic Movement Educator. Her theater credits include the Guggenheim Museum’s Learning Through Art program, international tours, commercials for Nickelodeon, and more.
Lavinia has written several books exploring the intersection of movement, awareness, and wellbeing, including What Are You Afraid Of? which has been translated into seven languages. She is director of the Asheville Movement Center in North Carolina, where she maintains a busy private practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is your refund policy?
A: Your satisfaction with The Shift Network and this course is our highest priority! We offer a satisfaction guarantee for a full two weeks so that you can try out the course risk free. The deadline to receive a refund is two weeks from your date of purchase. To request a refund, please click here to submit your Refund Application Form. Your refund will be processed within five business days and we will send you an email confirmation when your refund has been completed. However, we’d love to have a chance to address and resolve your concerns first. If there’s something we can assist you with, please email us at support@theshiftnetwork.com, and we’ll be happy to help!
Q: How can I reach Customer Support?
A: Please visit our Customer Support Center, where you should be able to find the answer to your question or the solution to your problem. And if you can’t, you can submit an online request form and we’ll get right back to you.
