The Feldenkrais Method

The Feldenkrais Method, a process that uses the movements of the body to increase awareness and expound on the ways a person responds to the situations we encounter in life, is not to be confused with yoga, a practice that promotes relaxation. According to Wikipedia, the Feldenkrais method was developed by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, a Jewish Judo practitioner who believed that the key to good health centered on the ability of a person to function well.

The Feldenkrais Guild of North America, (a division of the International Feldenkrais Federation, or IFF), does not claim that this method diagnoses or cures any physical illness, instead it promises that the Feldenkrais method raises our awareness beyond the simple ability to function. The method is also said to enhance the way we respond to various situations.

The Awareness Through Movement classes last from one half hour to an hour, and are focused around the explorations of deliberate movement in relation to thought, sensation, imagination, and of course, structured movement. According to the IFF, the goal of these classes is to concentrate, learn, change intent to action, eliminate unnecessary energy expenditures , and attend to the entire self.

The Functional Integration lessons are the Feldenkrais method taught not through vocal guidance, but through a hands on approach. The Feldenkrais practitioner uses touch, not a forceful movement of the subject, but instead a non-invasive, hint of contact to suggest movement.

A Feldenkrais practitioner must complete an approved course of training, (usually through the International Feldenkrais Federation). The Training, consisting of 800 hours of the previously mentioned classes, lectures, process and practice, and the teachings of Dr. Feldenkrais, often takes four years or more. The training is focused on a gradual awareness.

"Body and Mind", by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, (1980) states his belief that body and mind form a whole unit, instead of being separate entities. The Feldenkrais Method of awareness through movement begins with the subject lying on his or her back on the floor or table, purportedly to reduce the effects of gravity on the body. The subject is then asked to "scan" his or her body. This involves the examination of the points of contact between the surface and the body. The purpose of this first exercise is to raise the awareness of the subjects muscle structure, and ends with the practitioner asking the subject to lift various parts of the body in a deliberate, concentrated manner.

The practitioner continues to guide the subject through new and different pleasant exertions (new, so as not to dull the senses), until the movements are mastered. during this process, all movement is closely monitored by the practitioner and unnecessary exertions are eliminated.

For information on Awareness Through Movement or Functional Integration classes, or for more information on becoming a Feldenkrais Method practitioner, visit www.feldenkrais.com or call 1-800-775-2118. The Feldenkrais Guild of North America is located at 5436 North Albina Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97217. The International Feldenkrais Federation also publishes the Feldenkrais Journal, a publication that in each issue focuses on the different aspects of the Feldenkrais Method.