Felden who? … Moshe Feldenkrais.
Dr. Moshé Feldenkrais, the founder of this method, was a nuclear physicist and engineer, and had a black belt in judo. After a severe knee injury, he began experimenting on himself, using movement and the ever-growing awareness of the relationships between movement and changes. This was a process that he continued doing throughout his life. Feldenkrais was able to recover from the injury, and retrain himself to resume judo practice and moving freely without surgery (at the time, surgery would have left him unable to walk). He learned to utilise movements with awareness of self to bring about remarkable changes in the human brain, body, and mind. He understood that growing a large variety of movement and awareness were the two main tools in order to accomplish positive changes. Feldenkrais based his method on brain plasticity long before the term even existed. Today, more and more of scientific research and theory is catching up and validating Moshé Feldenkrais’ understanding of the brain as a large, nonlinear, dynamic, self-organising system.
The Feldenkrais Method:
Moshe Feldenkrais develop a carefully designed sequence of movements, Awareness Trough Movement (ATM) and Functional Integration (FI).
Awareness Through Movement (ATM) is usually done in group class . Where a Feldenkrais Practitioner verbally guide you trough a carefully designed sequence of movements, which you explore on your own. Each lesson creates an exploratory environment in which you learn to melt away habitual tensions, relative stress, and refine a specific movement function, such as walking, reaching, bending, or twisting.
Functional Integration (FI) is “hands-on” Feldenkrais, which is done individually. The practitioner uses skilful and highly sensitive touch, to introduce new movement possibilities in small, easily available increments. The goal is to help you to find freedom from restrictive movement patterns, while at the same time improving and refined your overall organisation.
“Feldenkrais is not just pushing muscles around; it’s changing things in the brain itself.” –Karl Pribram, MD, PhD, neuroscientist
“Feldenkrais is the most sophisticated method I have seen for the prevention and reversal of deterioration of function.”
–Margaret Mead