FAQs
How is the Feldenkrais Method® different from yoga?
"Unlike yoga, the Feldenkrais Method does not require you to be flexible, nor does it involve stretching or holding any positions. It also does not involve any practice to perfect positions. Instead of repeating and holding set poses as in yoga, in a Feldenkrais® class you explore gentle and innovative movements as you learn to become aware of habits that may be causing you movement difficulties, inefficiencies, or pain. Many yoga devotees explore the Feldenkrais Method as a way to achieve postures that previously eluded them or that caused discomfort." (from The Feldenkrais Guild of North America)
How does one become certified as a Feldenkrais Method® practitioner?
After successfully completing 160 days of training spread over at least 36 months, graduates are eligible to become certified by the Feldenkrais Guild® of North America. They maintain that certification by fulfilling continuing education and professional practice requirements each year.
What kind of approach is the Feldenkrais Method®?
The Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education teaches a practice, a process, and a system for self-improvement. As a form of 'somatic education,' the practice is about learning to pay attention to one's actions. Awareness of one's habits and patterns and the self-knowledge that follows means that one change those patterns if we wish.
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The Feldenkrais Method is a learning approach to becoming more present in one's life. Movement is the vehicle for helping students become more aware of mind/body unity. The Feldenkrais Method is not a treatment, adjustment, or exercise program. Instead, this somatic approach "is based on decades of research in physics, neuroscience, biomechanics, learning theory, and human development to give you the means to help yourself. "(The Feldenkrais Guild of North America)
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Though many people seek the support of a practitioner when they encounter problems such as injury, pain, and anxiety, there are many others who use the method to support them in staying flexible, creative, and generally connected to their life vitality. How one moves is linked to how one moves through life. Improvements will often enhance your thinking, emotional regulation, and problem-solving capabilities.
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The Feldenkrais Guild of North America is a professional membership organization of The International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA).
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