"The only thing permanent about
our behavior patterns is our belief that they are so."
---Moshe Feldenkrais
Spend a quality hour with yourself and feel the difference.
How would it feel to be able to do more of what you want to do in your life? Or to do it with greater flexibility, ease and enjoyment? Are you interested in mindfulness and movement and their role in health and well-being? Is it possible that a challenge that you face, whether it is chronic pain, anxiety, limitations from injuries, or a desire to perform or do something you love to do better---can actually be improved by learning how to pay closer attention to yourself?
A form of somatic education, the Feldenkrais Method® develops an individual’s capacity to work with mind and body for improved overall function. Students can take a group class or schedule an individual session. Some students find that a combination of class and individual lessons helps them maximize their experience. It is up to students to decide the extent to which they wish to bring somatic awareness into their lives. Many adapt the work as part of their daily or weekly routine, as it can help improve one's ability to think, feel, and live with more clarity and vitality.
In my personal journey using the method, learning deeper presence with my physical self has improved every aspect of my life. Mindful movement is mindful living. By learning how to be more aware of my actions and to pay better attention to my physical use of myself, I learned important self knowledge. In doing so, and feeling more grounded, I have been able to better connect and be present with others in my life. I feel better, experience more joy, and handle challenges with more resilience than before.
The themes of connection and better coordination come up over and over again in my work with students as they learn to bring awareness to their daily actions, empowering them to live more intentionally with ease, grace, and resilience, even when circumstances are difficult. When we are in a better relationship with ourselves, we are in better relationship with all aspects of our surroundings.
Two Ways to Experience Somatic Education
ATM® lessons are purposeful, structured lessons which are verbally guided in a group class setting.
The opportunity to explore one's habitual patterns, and then to safely explore other variations and options for moving
can be profound, eye-opening and immediately impactful.
Watch this video to get view of what Awareness Through Movement may look like.
Personalized and hands-on, these sessions cater to an individual's needs and interests. Some students report the these sessions help them change habits of holding tension and unnecessary straining. FI® lessons can help clients with chronic issues, neurological difficulties, and preparation for and recovery from surgery or injury.
Like the classes, FI sessions support greater clarity in learning and improvement, and people pursue these sessions for a wide range of reasons. Many clients combine ATM and FI, enjoying the mix of self-directed learning and the physical and individual support of FI.
Watch this video for a view of what Functional Integration may look like.
Awareness Through Movement®
Functional Integration®
More Resources
Read Mary's blog page for more resources about Feldenkrais, and see below for links, videos and books that may be useful.
Books
Some of Moshe Feldenkrais' Titles
Awareness Through Movement provides an introduction to The Feldenkrais Method and includes theory as well as several lessons and illustrations.
The Elusive Obvious provides more information, explanation and examples of Feldenkrais' ideas and is my personal favorite.
The Case of Nora is Moshe Feldenkrais' account of his work with a writer named Nora who recovered and healed from a stroke.
Embodied Wisdom is a collection of interviews and articles with Dr. Feldenkrais.
Recent, Relevant Titles
The Brain's Way of Healing by Norman Doidge M.D. includes two chapters describing the method, aspects of Dr. Feldenkrais' background which contributed to his discovery, and stories of people whose lives were touched by the method.
Mindful Spontaneity by Ruthy Alon is a highly accessible, enjoyable, and instructive explanation of the work and includes lessons.
Pain is Really Strange by Steve Haines does not address the method but it is an engaging explanation of pain research and why learning variations of movement using curiosity and exploration are helpful for those who experience pain. The book is part of a series addressing the research and suggested practices to move through anxiety, trauma, touch, and, as explained above, pain.
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk M.D. explains how evolving neuroscience research links recovering from traumatic experience with body awareness and movement approaches.
General Information
Visit feldenkrais.com for general information on the Feldenkrais method, or feldenkraisguild.com. Also, check out this short essay by David Zemach-Bersin The Feldenkrais Method: Movement in Mind.