What is The Feldenkrais Method?
The Feldenkrais Method is a creation of Moshe Feldendrais, an engineer, physicist, and judo master; an unusual combination to be coming up with a new form of physical therapy.
His method is designed around the principle of using your mind, and proper movement in combination to improve your physical functioning. The technique is called Awareness Through Movement. Moshe Feldenkrais was attempting to overcome the effects of a badly damaged knee, working to train himself to walk properly, with proper motion. He understood the importance of focusing your mental energy into the process of learning to use the muscles and your body properly.
One of the techniques used withing the Feldenkrais method is touch awareness training. In this process a Feldenkrais therapist is working with the patient, touching various body parts, and working with them on movement, and feeling sensations. This is to help the patient become more in tune with the way their body feels and moves in the proper form. As the patient practices with their therapist, they learn to move with more efficiency and range of motion.
The mental portion of the training is working with your mind and imagery to help you picture and visualize the proper movement of your body. When your body moves properly, using the least amount of energy, you feel more empowered, have less physical problems, and feel more energetic. Feldenkrais believed you need to work and train the motor cortex of your brain in order to have the most efficient movement possible.
All of us learn our methods of movement and action through years of trial and error. The majority of people move with a low level of mechanical efficiency. Their bodies are doing excess work and creating added strains with every movement. Moshe’s scientific mind, along with his training in the martial arts helped him to recognize how destructive this can be, and to formulate a solution.
The Feldenkrais Method has grown from the simple beginnings to now include hundreds of movement lessons, and hundreds of hours of instruction. Lessons commonly last nearly an hour, and will focus on a particular body part, the proper movements, and your thinking processes involved with the movement. As you work through your various body parts and your mental connections, you will discover a deeper understanding of your body-mind connection. You will learn to move more easily with more self-awareness and control.
One concern often raised about this method is the touching. The touching in not overly personal in anyway. The client is always fully clothed, and is in full control of the class and session. If you would ever feel uncomfortable, a simple mention of your concern will have the trainer moving on with other techniques. The client’s confidence, comfort, and mental participation is the primary concern in every session.
While many forms of therapy work on increasing range of motion and improving physical strength, the Feldenkrais Method takes it to another dimension with adding the mental integration and self-awareness into the re-training of your body. It is not only excellent for people overcoming injuries, but an ideal way for anyone to improve their physical efficiency, and overall life. The Feldenkrais method is designed to help you to overcome many of life’s physical inefficiencies, and a method you should check out.
