The Feldenkrais Method (“Awareness Through Movement” classes) developed by Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-84), an eminent engineer, physicist and polymath who was also one of the first Judo black belts in the west.
The Feldenkrais Method creates a space for you to become aware of the very individual way you move, respond, act. For example, if a friend sees you coming down the road, they will recognise you from the way you walk or make some small gesture well before they can see your face.
Interlace your fingers. And then try interlacing them the other way, with the other thumb on top. How does it feel? We all have our own way of doing things that feels familiar, that feels ‘right’: that we can say feels somehow ‘like me’ – even if we aren’t clear exactly what that is.
Some of these deep patterns and habits will serve us well and some will not. Some will enable our greatest skills and some may limit us in what we want to do, or cause discomfort, injury or pain. The Feldenkrais Method lessons enable us explore, vary and improve on those deeply held patterns to find more harmonious, easier, more effective ways of living as we would like and doing what we want.
You can do the Feldenkrais Method in 2 ways:
CLASSES (‘AWARENESS THROUGH MOVEMENT’)
Moshe Feldenkrais created thousands of clear, accessible classes carefully crafted to enable the participant to explore their own particular habits and patterns and develop more choices.
The classes last about an hour during which the Teacher leads the students verbally through the lesson without demonstration, allowing the student their own process of finding out how they personally respond to the what they are being asked to do and to explore a range of options. The classes address specific themes and usually involve small (or even imagined) movements in lying or sitting that the participant is asked to pay close attention to, but there is a great range in the lessons including more challenging, bigger or more dynamic movements as well.
Please wear loose clothes you can move in and bring layers to be sure you can stay warm.
INDIVIDUAL HANDS-ON SESSIONS (‘Functional Integration’)
The aim and underlying structure of these sessions is essentially the same as in the classes, but the practitioner uses gentle touch instead of verbal instruction to guide the client (or student) and is able to respond specifically to their individual patterns and enable them to explore any particular needs or interests.
The sessions last about an hour and usually (although not always) involve sitting or lying on a low wide ‘table’. Please wear loose clothes you can move in and bring layers to be sure you can stay warm.
‘When you know what you do, you can do what you want’ – Moshe