About

Sound Body Sound Brain

Grand Rapids Feldenkrais Method

We are a Center for

Somatic Learning & Education

Sound Body, Sound Brain: Somatic Education Center is and has been a leader in the West Michigan area for training and teaching how the Feldenkrais method can impact health and wellness through movement. We hold classes for Awareness through Movement for clients and over half our clients come seeking Functional Integration sessions, a unique form of intervention and education for better health.

As an education-focused center, we see self-pay clients for whom we provide a variety of educational and brain-body focused methods of learning and achieving healthy living.

Many clients we serve are seeking health solutions and effective home programs they have failed to find in more traditional settings.   We are committed to your learning and to finding the path that helps you best achieve function and wholeness.

For those who wish, we provide holistic physical therapy assessment with recommendations for therapists that the client is working with elsewhere, but who have manual therapy or Feldenkrais skills that interface with our suggested treatment plan.

Meet the People Behind

Sound Body
Sound Brain

Grand Rapids Arvigo Mayan Abdominal Massage

BA/GCFP/CAP/AAP

Karel Millard

Karel began working in 2000 at the holistic center Sound Body, Sound Brain with Joseph Cordes, PT/GCFP. She joined his therapeutic team in 2010 after completing her training in acupressure, neurofeedback trainer (2004) Zengar, and the Feldenkrais Method® (certified by Jeremy Kraus in 2009, certified by the  North American Feldenkrais Guild, and has attended annual Advanced Feldenkrais training with Francois Combeau).  Karel runs two Awareness Through Movement® groups each week for our company.  Many of these group members become clients of hers as well, seeking Functional Integration work blended with her acupressure and psychology training.

In 2012, Karel was introduced to ATMAT R, the Arvigo Techniques of Mayan Abdominal Therapy®. Karel felt so changed by these time-honored techniques, she became a certified practitioner in April of 2016 and completed (October 2017) the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy® [Supporting Pregnancy from Preconception through the Postpartum Period], as well as certified Advanced Practitioner of the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy®  in fall of 2019.  She has completed Level I & II Mayan Techniques of Spiritual Healing with Rosita Arvigo as well, through the Abdominal Therapy Collective®, of which she is a certified member.  All this enhances the effectiveness of  the therapeutic interaction with her clients.

Karel’s early career foundation  began with a degree in Psychology/Special Education  (GVSU ’95) and  in teaching students with learning, cognitive, and hearing impairments.  This teaching and psychology experience/training only adds to her depth of connection with her clients and her ability to communicate methods of holistic self-care via her Arvigo practice, her Feldenkrais method, and her acupressure skills.

Karel believes that each person contains the potential for healing and wholeness within themselves and she is passionate about helping them to unlock and enhance that potential. An avid student of yoga, meditation, qi gong and mindful living, she fully gets what mind-body-spirit healing entails and has lived that journey.

Grand Rapids Feldenkrais Method

PT/GCFP, LLC

Joseph B. Cordes

Owner/Founder of Sound Body, Sound Brain: Somatic Education Center
Joe offers 42 years experience as a manual therapy oriented physical therapist and has a deep commitment to true “integrated” care. His training includes osteopathic training through MSU-COM (10 classes with Greenman, Ward, Steele, Bourdillon, Mennell, Stiles, & Briner), SCS with Jones/Kusonose, craniosacral technique via MSU-Sutherland style, as well as the Upledger Institute, extensive acupressure training via Justin Pomeroy and LifeGate Center,  and Feldenkrais Method® via Reese Movement Institute. A certified Movement Teacher (1997) by the Feldenkrais Guild of North America, Joe has attended annual Advanced Feldenkrais training with Francois Combeau for 23 years.  Joe has extensive energetic balancing skills via training in Tibetan esoteric healing (30 yrs experience & is certified by the NAEH)  and completed advanced acupressure technique training (90’s).  He is certified EEG biofeedback trainer (2004) Zengar, as well as being a Certified Listening Program Provider (2004) Advanced Brain Technologies.

Joe’s goal is to enhance the health and restore the function of the brain and body with movement techniques, awareness, and sensory integration. He works with children of all ages and adults.  Joe practices meditation, Palm Tai Chi, and Qigong.  Living life with mind, body, & spirit balance is his highest priority and seeks to empower others to do the same.

Joe is also experienced and sought-after teacher.  He has organized  & led the West Michigan Feldenkrais study group for over 20 yrs as well as the West Michigan NAEH study group since 2015.

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