Mercedes Didi von Deck, MD
Untitled_Artwork.jpg

Optimal Health & Performance

Moving with ease and staying vibrant and healthy are within your reach. Combining my knowledge as an orthopaedic surgeon with my studies of yoga and the Feldenkrais Method®, I can teach you the tools to improve function, relieve pain and enhance performance. You can learn to bypass limitations, feel more comfortable in your body and become all you can be.

 

CONTACT ME

Contact me to find out more about Feldenkrais®, Yoga, and how my knowledge of Orthopaedics can benefit you.

IMG_0208.jpg

Testimonials

Didi’s Feldenkrais classes are amazing! Her thoughtful sequences, informed by her deep knowledge of human anatomy, have a powerful effect on the way I move and feel. Her simple and direct instructions make the movements accessible and easy to follow. Everytime I leave her class I feel more grounded and connected to my body. I’ve had a daily yoga practice for nearly seven years but it wasn’t until I began to explore Feldenkrais with Didi that I began to feel parts of my body that had always been in a blind spot of my awareness. No matter who you are or what you do, there is much to gain from these simple but powerful classes.
— M.V.
Didi is golden. She is a serious, knowledgeable and beautiful practitioner and teacher. The class provides a wonderful platform for students to learn the power, strength and discipline of the Ashtanga practice, the mother of flow vinyasa classes. As a teacher, Didi is supportive, engaging, articulate, intelligent, generous and curious. With her broad and deep background in Ashtanga and health sciences, I feel so lucky to share in her commitment to the practice.
— J.T.
I have had the fortune of studying Feldenkrais with Didi von Deck for the past few months. What it has done and is doing for me is SO incredible - I had not been able to take a deep breath whenever I wanted to no matter how much I practiced yoga. I went to pranayama classes but they never really helped me. I started Didi’s class and immediately noticed I was able to breathe better. Amazing! It feels so great to be able to take a deep breath. I now am much less anxious and more confident. I love it and you will too! There is so much to it - wherever you are in your life, Feldenkrais and Didi have much to offer!!
— E.S.
Didi has the power to instantly change the way one feels in and about their body. Her wealth of knowledge about both the human body and the mind enable her students to fully trust her guidance. Didi holds a gentle and supportive space while pushing her students beyond limitations, allowing us to develop strength in both the physical asanas as well as in the meditative aspect of the yoga practice. She brings an extensive amount of experience to our yoga shala, as well as her ATM lessons, tailoring instruction to best meet the needs of her students. She has made a large impact on my practice; the way I feel in my body and in the way that I relate to my body. It is truly a blessing to be under her guidance and care.
— N.A.
Didi introduced me to Feldenkrais four years ago and it forever changed the way I live in my body and experience the world around me! I am a survivor of severe childhood abuse and dissociate from my body regularly. I was unable to ground, in fact, I couldn’t even feel my feet on the floor. There was also in an enormous amount of pain and tension that I never recognized as pain before because it felt “normal”.

After hitting a wall of pain in my yoga practice, I needed to look for other ways to work with and learn about my body. Didi introduced me to Feldenkrais and started teaching me various Awareness Through Movement (ATM) exercises and providing private Functional Integration.

My very first lesson was profound - I knew I would never move the same again! It was stunning how such small and seemingly unattached movements could make such a big difference in the way I moved that evening and the next few days. Didi encouraged me to incorporate the tools into my life whenever possible, and after a few weeks I felt better moving through each day in my body and everyday things like doing the dishes, standing in line at the store, and walking the dog became easier, lighter and less painful.

I can’t imagine my life without Feldenkrais now - I feel better and can move easier in my body than ever before!

Didi is an extraordinarily gifted teacher and provides a safe environment in the classroom and on the table. Her approach is unique given her deep knowledge of the human body (she’s an orthopedic surgeon) and her longstanding yoga practice. Didi’s classes are intentional and she guides her students through ATMs gently ensuring their comfort and understanding. Her dedication to teaching the Feldenkrais method is remarkable and a rarity in today’s world! Thank you Didi!
— B.T.


 

About Me

Didi is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais® practitioner as well as a practicing orthopaedic surgeon and yoga teacher. She began studying the Feldenkrais Method when competing internationally in ballroom dance in the 1980’s. By combining her understanding of orthopaedics and human anatomy and physiology with her knowledge gained from years of practicing yoga, dance and Feldenkrais, she brings a unique perspective to working with her students in order to improve their functioning and well-being. She is currently teaching Awareness through Movement®, Functional Integration®, and Ashtanga Yoga at the Down Under School of Yoga.