Witness Testimony on HB 81 — Linda D. Taylor (House Labor and Commerce Committee, May 25, 2021)

Summary

Witness testimony on House Bill 81 dated May 25, 2021, to the House Labor and Commerce Committee from Linda D. Taylor, who writes as an Interested Party with knowledge of three disciplines of somatic movement education: the Anat Baniel Method NeuroMovement, The Feldenkrais Method, and the Alexander Technique. The testimony states that although each discipline includes touch as integral to its practice, they do NOT practice Therapeutic Massage, and that the purpose of touch in movement education is different. It states Taylor completed a video documentary titled Champions Together. It requests an amendment to exempt somatic movement education disciplines from HB 81.

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                             Linda D. Taylor Witness Testimony HB 81
                                 House Labor and Commerce Committee
                                             May 25, 2021


Chair Stein, Vice Chair Johnson, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan and members of the Committee:

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on House Bill 81, a bill to revise laws governing massage
establishments and massage therapy.

I am writing as an Interested Party with a personal and professional knowledge of three disciplines of somatic
movement education: the Anat Baniel Method NeuroMovement,               The Feldenkrais Method, and the
Alexander Technique.

I recently completed a video documentary Champions Together: An Anat Baniel Method NeuroMovement
Practitioner Works with Special Needs Children and Their Parents (2021) with the Ohio State University
Department of Theatre, Film and Media Arts.

I have also have studied and experienced the benefits of all three movement education methods/techniques
for many years.

All three methods/techniques require years of specialized study to be certified as a Practitioner/Teacher.
Although each of these disciplines includes touch as integral to their movement educational practice—they do
NOT practice Therapeutic Massage.                          The purpose of touch in movement education is
different from Therapeutic Massage.

In the Anat Baniel Method NeuroMovement and the Feldenkrais Method, touch by the Certified Practitioner
creates greater awareness of movement, interacting with the student’s nervous system, helping to create new
neural pathways in the brain, taking advantage of brain plasticity. As shown in my documentary Champions
Together, an infant with a Brachial Plexus birth injury regained full use of a paralyzed left arm without surgery.

The Feldenkrais Method and the Anat Baniel Method NeuroMovement are now being studied by academic
researchers at the forefront of the brain plasticity movement.

In the Alexander Technique, touch guides the student to connect with better body use, reduce unnecessary
effort and tension, and overcome faulty kinesthetic habits. For example, I have improved my posture and no
longer have backaches. I also witnessed a virtuoso oboist learning better use of herself so that she no longer
has pain during hours of practice.

The Alexander Technique is taught to musicians, conductors, singers, dancers, actors and performers
worldwide, including at The Ohio State University.

All three disciplines help to create greater ease of movement, improve functioning, and decrease pain by
getting at the root cause of the student’s difficulties, often providing long-lasting relief and educating students
to bring awareness to movement thereby empowering themselves.
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The Federation of Therapeutic Massage, Bodywork & Somatic Practice Organizations was formed to deal with
commonalities and differences among its member organizations. They are united in their fundamental values
of professionalism, high ethical standards, commitment to service, public education and the right to practice
to benefit individuals and society at large. The Federation advocates mutual support and respect for the
diverse identities of their disciplines and recognizes that Bodywork and Somatic Practice disciplines are NOT
forms of Therapeutic Massage. http://www.federationmbs.org/mission.html

It is vital that HB 81 be amended to recognize these distinctions and to add an exemption to Sec. 4731.15 (F)
of the Revised Code, for persons who: (a) use touch, words and directed movement to deepen awareness of
existing patterns of movement as well as to suggest new possibilities of movement; and (b) are recognized by
or meet the established standards of either a professional organization or a credentialing body that represents
or certifies the respective practice based on a minimum level of training, demonstration of competency, and
adherence to ethical standards.”

As an individual who has greatly benefited from my studies with the Anat Baniel Method NeuroMovement,
The Feldenkrais Method, and the Alexander Technique, I want to affirm their importance for the betterment
of Ohio and Ohioans.

I respectfully request an amendment to exempt somatic movement education disciplines from HB 81.

Sincerely,

Linda D. Taylor, MFA, MPA
Documentary Filmmaker
1841 Kenny Rd., Apt. C; Columbus, OH 43212
(614) 949-2187 (cp) (614) 487-0564 (home)
taylind@gmail.com


Here is the link to the 5 minute trailer for my documentary: Champions Together: An Anat Baniel Method
NeuroMovement Practitioner Works with Special Needs Children and Their Parents (2021) which I hope you will share
with the members of the committee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXLxTsKQ9Fg

The trailer briefly shows the use of touch by the Anat Baniel Method NeuroMovement Practitioner and the benefits of
the method for two special needs children.

The full documentary shows much more of the process used by the Practitioner. It also explains the connection with
The Feldenkrais Method. Anat Baniel, the founder of the Anat Baniel Method NeuroMovement was a colleague and
protege of Moshe Feldenkrais, the founder of the Feldenkrais Method.




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