This workshop is about caring for, mobilizing, and strengthening the hands and feet following a spinal cord injury. Whether or not you have sensation in your hands and feet, focusing on these areas can enhance your movement, improve your proprioception and balance, and help you feel more grounded. With over 100,000 nerve receptors in each hand and 7,000 nerve receptors in each foot, your nervous system can be retrained to use your hands and feet to your advantage during exercise and daily activities.

In this workshop, Rachel will explain:

• Why the hands and feet are important and how they affect full-body movement (regardless of whether you have sensation there or not)

• How to improve the sensory awareness of your hands and feet (or how to desensitize if you are hypersensitive)

• How to “ground” your feet for better seated or standing balance and how to “ground” your hands to improve your proprioception

• How to mobilize and strengthen your hands and feet

Class prep: This class will be a combination of lecture and movement so come ready in a position where your bare hands and feet will be accessible to you or someone assisting you.