“You cannot do what you want if you do not know what you are doing”(Moshe Feldenkrais)

Moshe Feldenkrais (1904 - 1984)

The Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education was developed by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais. Born in Russia, Feldenkrais immigrated to Israel at the age of thirteen. After receiving degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering, he earned his D.Sc. in Physics at the Sorbonne in Paris. He subsequently worked for a number of years in the French nuclear research program with Joliet Curie.

Physically active, Feldenkrais played soccer and practiced the martial arts. He studied with Jigoro Kano, the originator of Judo, and in 1936 became one of the first Europeans to earn a black belt in that discipline.

A chronic knee injury prompted him to apply his knowledge of physics, body mechanics, neurology, learning theory and psychology to a new understanding of human function and maturation. His investigations resulted in the formulation of a unique synthesis of science and aesthetics, known as the Feldenkrais Method. Dr. Feldenkrais wrote five books about the method as well as four books on Judo.

He conducted three professional trainings during his life, one in Tel Aviv, Israel (1969-1971), one in San Francisco, CA, USA (1975-1978) and one in Amherst, MA, USA (1980-1983), training approximately 300 Feldenkrais® practitioners in total. Today, there is a thriving community of over 10,000 Feldenkrais practitioners worldwide.

What is the Feldenkrais Method® of Somatic Education?

The Feldenkrais Method® is a form of Somatic Education that uses gentle movement and directed attention to improve movement and enhance human functioning. Through this Method, you can increase your ease and range of motion, improve your flexibility and coordination, and rediscover your innate capacity for graceful, efficient movement. These improvements will often generalize to enhance functioning in other aspects of your life.

The Feldenkrais Method® is based on principles of physics, biomechanics and an empirical understanding of learning and human development. By expanding the self-image through movement sequences that bring attention to the parts of the self that are out of awareness, the Method enables you to include more of yourself in your functioning movements. Students become more aware of their habitual neuromuscular patterns and rigidities and expand options for new ways of moving. By increasing sensitivity the Feldenkrais Method® assists you to live your life more fully, efficiently and comfortably.

The improvement of physical functioning is not necessarily an end in itself. Such improvement is based on developing a broader functional awareness which is often a gateway to more generalized enhancement of physical functioning in the context of your environment and life.

Who benefits from the Feldenkrais Method®?

Anyone--young or old, physically challenged or physically fit--can benefit from the Method. Feldenkrais is beneficial for those experiencing chronic or acute pain of the back, neck, shoulder, hip, legs or knee, as well as for healthy individuals who wish to enhance their self-image. The Method has been very helpful in dealing with central nervous system conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and stroke. Musicians, actors and artists can extend their abilities and enhance creativity. Many Seniors enjoy using it to retain or regain their ability to move without strain or discomfort.

Through lessons in this method you can enjoy greater ease of movement, an increased sense of vitality, and feelings of peaceful relaxation. After a session you often feel taller and lighter, breathe more freely and find that your discomforts have eased. You experience relaxation, and feel more centered and balanced.

Professional athletes who have enjoyed the benefits of Feldenkrais include basketball star Julius Erving and PGA golfers Rick Acton and Duffy Waldorf. Celebrities who have used Feldenkrais include Norman Cousins, Margaret Mead, former Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, Helen Hayes and Whoopi Goldberg. Famous musicians include violinist Yehudi Menuhin, and cellist Yo Yo Ma.

What happens in a Feldenkrais Method® session?

Feldenkrais work is done in two formats.

• In group classes, called Awareness Through Movement®, the Feldenkrais teacher verbally leads you through a sequence of movements in basic positions: sitting or lying on the floor, standing or sitting in a chair.

• Private Feldenkrais lessons, called Functional Integration®, are tailored to each student’s individual learning needs; the teacher guides your movements through touch.

People learning the Feldenkrais Method® are usually referred to as ‘students’ rather than clients or patients. This reinforces our view of the work as primarily being an educational process.

“For the practitioner and teacher of the Feldenkrais Method, movement is a language. The quality of movement reflects the state of organization of the nervous system and the inner image of the person. Relating through movement is an exceptionally powerful approach for learning. Guiding movement through words or through touch is the practitioner’s mean of communication. Through movement, the person can experience functional integration: moving as a whole, without dissociating or separating mental and physical aspects nor body parts.” (Yvan Joly, Feldenkrais Trainer, Montreal)

What happens in an Awareness Through Movement® lesson?

Awareness Through Movement® consists of verbally directed movement sequences presented primarily to groups. A lesson generally lasts from 30 to 60 minutes. The lessons consist of comfortable, easy movements that gradually evolve into movements of greater range and complexity. These precisely structured movement explorations involve thinking, sensing, moving and imagining. Many are based on developmental movements and ordinary functional activities (reaching, standing, lying to sitting, looking behind yourself, etc.), some are based on more abstract explorations of joint, muscle, and postural relationships. There are hundreds of ATM lessons, varying in difficulty and complexity, for all levels of movement ability.

The emphasis is on learning which movements work better and noticing the quality of these changes in your body. Through increased awareness, you will learn to abandon habitual patterns of movement and develop new alternatives, resulting in improved flexibility and coordination.

How do you learn in an Awareness Through Movement® lesson?

• Using slow, gentle movement and directing students to move within the limits of safety by avoiding pain and strain.

• Orienting to the process of learning and doing rather than working towards a goal.

• Directing awareness toward sensing differences and perceiving whole inter-connected patterns in movement.

• Allowing the student to find his/her own way with a lesson

What happens in a Functional Integration® lesson?

As Feldenkrais practitioners guide you through movement sequences verbally in Awareness Through Movement® lessons, they also guide you through movement in Functional Integration® lessons with gentle non-invasive touching.

Functional Integration® is performed with the student fully clothed, usually lying on a table or with the student in sitting or standing positions. At times, various props (pillows, rollers, blankets) are used in an effort to support the person’s body configuration or to facilitate certain movements. The learning process is carried out without the use of any invasive or forceful procedure.

Functional Integration® is a hands-on form of tactile, kinesthetic communication. The practitioner communicates how you organize your body and, through gentle touching and movement, conveys the experience of comfort, pleasure and ease of movement while you learn how to reorganize your body and behavior in new and more expanded functional motor patterns.

In Functional Integration® the practitioner/teacher develops a lesson for you, custom-tailored to your unique configuration at that particular moment, relating to a desire, intention or need you have. Through rapport and respect for your abilities, qualities and integrity, the practitioner/teacher creates an environment in which you can learn comfortably.

For more information and a list of local certified Feldenkrais practitioners:

www.feldenkrais.com

QUOTES ABOUT THE FELDENKRAIS METHOD