Walking for Comfort, Vitality, and Inspiration

with Bruce Fertman

(Season 4 | Episode 159)

[Tessa] This week on The Open Nesters Podcast: We explore embracing movement for graceful aging with author Bruce Fertman.

Balance. Vitality. Mindfulness... in the “open nest” stage of life. We explore the transformative power of walking for holistic well-being

EPISODE TIME-CODE

5:58 Navigating Life’s Dark Nights

6:52 The Power of Questioning Beliefs

12:12 Walking Together in Silence

13:20 The Beauty of Walking Shoulder to Shoulder

21:21 Generating Vitality Through Walking

24:07 Finding Comfort in Physical Contemplation

32:58 Awakening the Inner World Through Movement

36:59 Exploring Aging Well and Health

As you will hear in the show, we delve into Bruce’s background, his journey from a rambunctious, energetic child to his passion for movement disciplines like martial arts and dance. Bruce discusses the importance of harnessing energy and finding harmony within oneself as one ages. We talk through the transition into the “open nest” stage of life, post-children leaving home, and the opportunity for personal reflection and growth during this period.

Bruce emphasizes the significance of slowing down, asking questions, and deepening one’s connection with their body as they age. He shares simple exercises like questioning where one’s body is, how much space it occupies, and whether it feels alive. Bruce’s approach encourages individuals to find comfort, vitality, and inspiration by tuning into their bodies from the inside out. Our conversation touches on the transformative power of walking, not just as physical activity but as a reflective, meditative practice that enhances awareness and connection with the environment.

Walking for Comfort, Vitality, and Inspiration

Bruce Fertman is the founding director of the Alexander Alliance International, the Grace of Sense Online School, and the WalkingWay™. He has been teaching people how to move well for 60 years. He brings a lifetime of training as a movement artist and educator to his work, having trained in gymnastics, modern dance, ballet, contact improvisation, Alexander Technique, tai chi chuan, aikido, chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony), Argentine tango, and kyudo.

Bruce has worked as a movement coach for the Berlin Philharmonic, Radio France, the National Symphony in Washington D.C., the Honolulu Symphony, the Curtis Institute of Music, and most recently for Jeong Ga Ak Hoe, a traditional Korean Music Ensemble in Seoul, South Korea. He taught at the Five College Dance Program in Amherst, Massachusetts; the Tango community in Buenos Aires; the College of Physiotherapy in Gottingen, Germany; and Temple and Rutgers universities.

He is author of Teaching by Hand/Learning by Heart: Delving into the Work of F.M. Alexander and The Way In/The Way Out: Renderings of the Tao Te Ching. Bruce’s newest book, coauthored with Michael J. Gelb, is Walking Well: A New Approach to Experiencing Comfort and Vitality in Every Step.

Resources for You

We want to provide you with support and many many resources for your own Open Nesting Journey. Our resource page has so much to offer as does our private discussion group on Facebook about queerness, relationship fluidity in the empty nest, and other topics of interest:

Open Nesters Resource Page

The Open Nesters Private Facebook Group

About Tessa

Tessa Krone is the engine behind and the face of The Open Nesters.

Tessa holds an MA in Consciousness Studies and is a speaker, coach, program, and journey facilitator & leader, author and, of course, Podcaster.

Her offerings are based on her mission to help people open to their most self-expressed, loving selves. Tessa’s specialties include embodiment from all the senses and elements of our inner and outer lives, ranging from mindfulness, dance, play, and sensory exploration in nature. If she had one superpower, it would be to help people, especially as they age, to live more open-hearted lives.