It took me a long time to convince myself to slow down and try Feldenkrais …
… instead of sort of pretending to not be injured and wait for it to ‘go away’, but I’m so glad I did. Already more helpful than two orthopedic surgeons.
—Shannon, professional dancer
Who is the Feldenkrais Method ® of Somatic Education for?
The Feldenkrais Method is for anyone who wants to move better, feel better and think more clearly. Do you want to be more comfortable sitting at your computer? Walk without pain? Play on the floor with your children and grandchildren? Perform at a higher level in sports or the arts? Get out of a mental rut? This gentle method addresses your unique needs through our most fundamental human activity: movement.
How does the Feldenkrais Method work?
Guided by a trained practitioner in group classes or private sessions, Feldenkrais® students sense for themselves the hidden patterns of tension that cause them strain and limitation. The process of moving gently, sensing, and becoming aware introduces greater balance of effort throughout the whole body, leading to more comfortable, more skillful and more effective movement.
Is Feldenkrais therapy?
Feldenkrais is an “educational” method, because movement engages the whole self—thoughts, sensations and feelings—in coordination. Rather than “fixing the problem” and leaving students to inevitably repeat their habitual patterns, Feldenkrais practitioners guide students to both sensory and mental self-awareness, and point the way to alternatives. Students learn to trust their own agency in areas where they may typically be unsure. The process is playful and engaging, and the results are long-lasting.
Why is it a process and not a one-and-done thing?
The Feldenkrais Method recruits our nervous system's natural change-making system, called neuroplasticity, by introducing students to novel movements in a safe, creative environment. By learning what feels best through trial and error, you begin to build new neural pathways that you can build own through repetition and reinforcement that turns those novel patterns into stronger, better movement options over time.
Is Feldenkrais for me?
The Feldenkrais Method is beneficial for everybody, but especially if you want to:
- Reduce the impact of chronic pain, degenerative or sudden-onset conditions such as arthritis, stroke, MS, Parkinsons, surgeries, and athletic or workplace injury
- Advance your technique in music, dance, theater, sports, yoga or martial arts
- Work, play and rest with greater ease and efficacy
- Develop deeper awareness about how you transform intention into action
For more about the Feldenkrais Method, download some Articles, or look through my Blog. Please also visit the Feldenkrais Guild of North America, and the International Feldenkrais Federation.
Not sure whether to start with classes or private sessions? Contact me with your questions.