Dear All,

I am raising funds to complete my Feldenkrais training while navigating a chronic condition that has significantly limited my ability to work.

About me

My name is Weronika Koralewska, I am from Poland. Some of you might know me as the founder and moderator of theFeldenkrais Book Club. (btw. If you would like to join our free monthly meetings, you can find more information on Instagram or Facebook). Currently, I am at the end of my third year of the Feldenkrais training in Vienna.

Professionally, I work as an educational program designer, facilitator, project coordinator, and trainer in non-formal education, mostly for non-governmental organizations. My work focuses on educational methodologies, ecopsychology, food sovereignty, intercultural education, and the arts. I also facilitate workshops in body-based practices such as dance movement therapy, intuitive movement and psychodrama. I have 10 years of experience as a trainer and facilitator in non‐formal education, working with international groups for different non-governmental organizations.

Alongside my practical work, I have a deep passion for books, methodology, and neuroscience—especially exploring how different approaches to learning, embodiment, and personal development intersect on a theoretical level. This is also the foundation of the Feldenkrais Book Club, where we read and discuss texts that bridge body-based practices, neuroscience, philosophy, and experiential learning. 

My situation

After a very difficult period in my life, I find myself in need of support.

Despite being a vert active person, around two and a half years ago, following a viral illness, I developed chronic symptoms associated with POTS, myalgic encephalomyelitis, dysautonomia, and MCAS-conditions that are often also recognized under the umbrella of long COVID.

In simple terms, for the past 2.5 years I have been living with:

• Episodes of extreme, overwhelming fatigue - like having the power suddenly cut off. At times, I have had to spend many consecutive days in bed, completely unable to function, regardless of willpower.
• Periods of temporary paralysis lasting from several minutes to several hours.
• Postural tachycardia - an abnormal increase in heart rate when changing position and standing.
• A sudden onset of multiple food intolerances and allergies, including reactions that may become severe.
• Exercise intolerance - at its worst, even minimal movement of a hand can cause exhaustion, breathlessness, or difficulty speaking.

As those of you with deep knowledge of neuroscience might already recognize, these are not isolated symptoms but manifestations of a dysregulated nervous and immune system. The good news is that, slowly and steadily, I am improving. Much of this improvement is thanks to the Feldenkrais Method.

Context

As you can imagine, these symptoms have had a profound impact on my ability to work and live normally.

At the beginning, it was absolutely overwhelming, bordering a nightmare. Today, I am able to work again-but still not at a level that allows me to fully support myself and finance my Feldenkrais training. I cannot take on full-time, on-site work, as I still experience episodes that can last from two to seven days.

With strict pacing, rehabilitation, and limited outings (usually about once a week), my condition is more stable. I am gradually returning to short in-person engagements, but they often come at the cost of symptom relapses. Most of my work is now remote, as physical presence requires energy that is still very limited. This is also an “invisible” illness-you may see me for an hour on a good day, without realizing that it required days of preparation and may be followed by days of recovery.

Every activity involves careful energy management. Rest alone does not restore my energy; it often feels less like resting and more like enduring and recovering from waves of symptoms.

My healing journey

Over the past years, my recovery has involved intensive work with the nervous system, health protocols, extensive research, and consultations with numerous specialists. This process has already required a significant financial strain.

I am currently in the final stage of my Feldenkrais Method training at the Feldenkrais Institut Wien (3 out of 12 modules remaining). This method has been a crucial support in my recovery and will also enable me to professionally support others in the future.

What I need

The support I am seeking will go toward:

• Ongoing rehabilitation and specialist care
• Continuing my Feldenkrais training, which is essential both for my recovery and my future work

Looking ahead - the dream :)

One of my deepest motivations is to support people who are going through similar experiences-especially those who have been left without guidance or told that their condition will simply pass. Or that it will never pass.

Those who know me are aware of my long-standing commitment to social and educational work. I hope to transform this difficult experience into something meaningful and supportive for others.

I feel that I am closer to recovery than further away-but financial limitations are slowing down my progress.

What I can offer in return

While I am asking for support, I could also like to give something back whenever my health allows.

In exchange for your support, if you want, I can offer (leave a comment while donating if you want to receive one of the below, I will contact you):

• Individual or group ATM lessons (online), choreotherapy, psychodrama, and intuitive drawing classes
• Workshops in areas such as wild plant foraging and cooking, permaculture, mentoring, and agroecology
• Design of printable materials, publications, and social media graphics
• Conversations, consultations, and support

Thank you

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

And thank you, truly, for any form of support. Those who know me well may understand how difficult it has been for me to ask for help-it has taken me a long time to reach this point;-)

Weronika Koralewska