FELDENKRAIS AND YOGA PRACTICES WITH SARAH BAUMERT
BODY MATTER offers Yoga and Feldenkrais® practices with teacher Sarah Baumert. These functional techniques promote self-regulation by involving the nervous system, the muscular system, the mind, the whole self. These teachings help create a safe container for you to learn and through which your self-image can be transformed. Sarah’s classes are currently offered in the online livestream format and through self paced online courses. Her in person private practice is based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Sarah has worked with hundreds of students to help them learn more about the importance of their bodies, especially in this ever-changing world. She aspires to awaken sensation in people, help others out of pain, and to support students in finding a deeper sense of connection and embodiment with themself and others.
“I think one thing we get from this work is a felt sense of the interconnectedness, the way we are one system. Not a collection of parts. I have witnessed how these practices can transform lives.” - Sarah
SERVICES
WORKING ONE ON ONE
Sarah is currently offering in-person Feldenkrais Functional Integration and private yoga in person and via Zoom. In Functional Integration, the teacher guides an individual student in movement lessons using gentle, non-invasive touch as the primary means of communication. These sessions may interest those who would like more individual attention, clarity, and direction/or have specific needs or issues they are working on.
THE FELDENKRAIS METHOD®
In Feldenkrais® Awareness Through Movement® lessons, you use your attention to learn something about how you move. You will be guided through gentle movement explorations to build self-awareness, recognize your habits, and find new and more expansive ways of moving. The benefits include body acceptance and awareness, reduced pain and stress, regulation of your nervous system, and an experience of graceful, ease-filled movement.
YOGA
Sarah’s classes are an interdisciplinary excursion of traditional yoga asana, self-massage, breathing exercises, movement puzzles, and a compassionate mindset to help you feel a greater sense of ease and comfort in yourself. Each class is elegantly designed weaving in somatic practices, attention to alignment and safety, and support of the calm wakefulness of Buddhist meditation practices.
CURRENT COURSE OFFERINGS WITH SARAH BAUMERT:
Upcoming Feldenkrais® Awareness Through Movement Series:
Extend Yourself: Can Backbends Feel Good?
A 10 week Feldenkrais® Awareness Through Movement Series with Sarah Baumert
January 8th - March 12th, 2025
Wednesdays 6:30pm CST/ Sundays 4pm CST
Live classes will be taught on zoom*
Free Intro Class Wednesday January 8th @ 6:30pm CST
The ability to extend (aka arch or backbend) your spine well is at the heart of upright vitality and posture. This 10 lesson series will take you from basic explorations of the extension pattern of the spine, to a more comprehensive skill set for combining and integrating the pattern of extension with everyday actions and movements. Our functional daily movements require the spine to blend movements of extension with rotation, twisting, and side bending.
Each lesson in "Extend Yourself" helps you explore how to arch your back successfully. If you are NOT a backbend enthusiast, this series is actually just for you! It will give you tools and new possibilities for sensing how the spine can extend with more ease and pleasure, and less pain and stiffness.
Students can join anytime during the series, with the option to catch up with the recordings.
Blending Yoga + Feldenkrais Winter Series
An new 8 week session:
January 13th - March 10th, 2025
Mondays: 9am - 10:15am CST
Live classes will be taught on zoom*
These full body classes will awaken, stretch, and calm the body. As one student recently described the Blending of Yoga + Feldenkrais format: "That felt like I just gave myself a massage!"
For all of you who have been joining Monday nights, I am changing the time for these 8 weeks to experience a morning practice. Think of it like a whole body reset to start your week! For new comers, come with no expectations. Allow your body to be your guide. All levels are welcome. This will be a nonjudgemental, un-intimidating space to create friends with your body (yourself!).
Each class is an original, innovative creation of Sarah’s teaching. She blends a more traditional gentle yoga practice with the novel Feldenkrais® awareness practices. But that’s not all, she incorporates joint specific training, functional range exercises, self-massage, breathing exercises, and a compassionate non-competitive mindset. It’s a true experience of movement therapy!
Students can join anytime during the series, with the option to catch up with the recordings.
Access your body’s vitality, develop strength, and awaken new, more functional patterns for moving and living with ease.
Now you can practice anytime with 300+ pre-recorded audio & video yoga and Feldenkrais classes in the BODY MATTER library. Choose from a selection of styles, levels and lengths. Join the membership to get full access to the library. A ten day free trial is currently available in for the library membership!
ALL ARE WELCOME FROM NEW BEGINNERS TO ADVANCED STUDENTS
What People Experience:
“I think it requires a very skilled teacher. Lucky for us, you are just that. Your instruction is uncanny - incredulously balanced, seemingly telepathic. - Inez
Sarah is an epic poet of movement - Anne G.
I am so grateful for these lessons. I am experiencing shifts in body acceptance, awareness and feeling IN my body. You create a safe space that feels very nonjudgmental. Past me would have never imagined feeling comfortable moving in a group setting. Thank you Sarah!” -Kathy
”Your wisdom encapsulates much of what I’ve studied and am still learning to apply, even at my age. May I be able to do so until I die. Now I have a fresh connection between Feldenkrais. Zen Buddhism. non-violent communication, and psycho-therapy. I have experienced many unique and special moments of joy in your classes, Sarah, and they are precious to me.” - Elizabeth
These practices are well-thought out; they promote subtle movement and increased awareness. They have relieved pain, reduced tension, and built strength in my body. I have also learned how to better prepare for specific asanas, and I am inspired by the creative sequencing. Thank you! - itunes student Deb D.”
Check out the newest episodes of the Sarah B. Yoga podcast. You can access all episodes on the podcast blog or subscribe to the podcasts via itunes, google, spotify or wherever you find your podcasts!
“Sarah’s yoga is for any and everybody. I have been able to build a home practice around her classes - these podcasts. Her cueing is so effective and easy to follow. She is able to describe motion, direction, and take you through visualizations of postures that allow for unexpected growth and depth. She makes yoga relatable and approachable. I have deepened and developed my practice with Sarah. These classes have been a blessing for me and I strongly encourage you to try!”
