Kathy Abeles on Eve

I'm Kathy Aprils. And I met Eve, uh, in 1979, uh, on a referral from a neurosurgeon. I had terrible psychiatric problems and I went to see Dr Rob Feldman and I had wanted him to do a procedure on my back and which he said he wouldn't do. He asked me if I wanted to, if I would go in the hospital, uh, in traction. And I said, I can't do that. I have a six month old baby. And um, he said, well, would you go to exercise? And I said, sure, I'll go to exercise. And he said, it's not physical therapy. Uh, and uh, it won't be paid for by insurance. And I said, I don't care if insurance pays for it. I just need to get out of this pain.

At the time I was taking heavy duty painkillers and, um, drug called Buda Solodyn, which is what they give horses to finish the race when they break their legs. And, um, uh, I went to see eve and within two weeks I was out of pain and off of 90% of the medications I, uh, continued to see eve for many years. But for the first two years, um, uh, I started going there. I was there for two times a week because I was afraid if I didn't go, the pain would come back. So, um, we met twice a week and the first time I went to see her actually, uh, I came home and I was to practice at home two or three times a day on the floor with my knees bent and to do basically breathing and articulation and no circles. And the first time I did that, my husband walked in the room and he said, what are you doing? And I said, very proudly I'm exercising.

And he said, only use sweetheart could find somebody to teach you exercises where you didn't have to move. And thus, um, within two weeks of of doing these exercises and seeing her, about four times, I had no more psychotic pain. And, um, uh, my life began to turn around. So I saw her religiously twice a week for two years. And then I think I may have cut back to once a week continuing on at home. And then I did for many years after that, uh, continuously with, um, eve.

And then when she became too sick to teach, I saw other teachers who she had trained, such as Shelley Larson. She wrote a book in 1982, or at least it was copper copyrighted in 1982 and it was sort of a Bible for students. And, um, uh, it was to remind me what to do when she wasn't around. And in fact, I, I have used that book, um, a number of times with friends of mine who have said that they have psychotic pain. And I'd say, well, here, let me copy a few pages and give you some hints on what to do to relieve yourself. And there've been several people who have found, uh, pages from her book helpful. I've never let my book the book out of my sight. However, I brought this book with me because, um, I treasure it. And, um, it, uh, and it says by Eve gentry, Suzanne Gutterson, Cora harms and Shelley Larson illustrated by Kathleen Adler harms. And it stated, may of 1982, uh, with the picture of the correct alignment. I've made my notes on it, um, for my specific situation. She left room in the book so that each individual student could add their own notes.

One of the great things that Eve did for me besides giving me my life back, um, was that, um, I, uh, she had, uh, a bar that I hung from. Um, and I hung from the bar religiously twice a week. And when I, uh, used to go to the doctor, I was always five foot seven and three quarters. And somehow after going to eve at age 40, I was five foot eight and a half. And the doctors could not believe that I had grown. And I said, well, I know they always measured me at five foot seven and three quarters. And, um, so that was one of the other benefits was that my spine had stretched out over a period of months and years. And, um, uh, it did a lot of good for me that way.

Eve was a very wonderful teacher because she would first tell you what she wanted you to do and then she would demonstrate what she wanted you to do. Um, and then when you did it, she would correct you, but nicely. I mean, she, um, she was never harsh. It was sort of an end. If things hurt, she always said, don't do it. I'll give you another way to exercise that part of your body. Um, uh, so we never did anything that hurt, which is one of the reasons that I could continue doing it because so often in physical therapy, um, they have you do things and it hurts. Um, the other thing is I dislocated my shoulder numerous times and finally had that operated on and I never went to physical therapy. After that operation.

I went to eve and she rehabbed my arm and did a far better job on it than, um, some person at a physical therapy would have done. Um, I probably should also tell you that the Thai first time that I met Eve, um, and I came in for a lesson, uh, she was on the reformer, uh, lying down with her feet, well over her head in the straps doing platas exercises that I could not believe someone her age could do. I was in my thirties, I suspect eve was in her sixties. And her flexibility was extraordinary. And I just kind of looked at her like, what is this woman doing that she really think I'm going to do that.