What is the Feldenkrais Method?

The Feldenkrais Method helps you to become aware of how you habitually use your body and to explore more efficient, comfortable ways of moving. Feldenkrais classes, called Awareness Through Movement, offer subtle movements that improve range of motion and relieve tension and pain.

Feldenkrais works on a neurological level as much as a musculoskeletal level. You might, for example, be asked to do non-habitual movements to “scramble” the nerve pathways of damaging habits. You can then relearn normal movements in an efficient way.

The Feldenkrais Method is named after its developer, Moshe Feldenkrais. Mr Feldenkrais was not only a body therapist, physicist, engineer, judo black belt, and author but also, by many accounts, a genius.

How does Feldenkrais differ from yoga?

Yoga develops flexibility, strength, stamina, and awareness in an integrated way. Feldenkrais, on the other hand, focuses almost exclusively on awareness. A key idea is that the more effort you use, the less aware you can be.

Rather than ask your body to achieve certain tasks, Awareness Through Movement classes encourage you to listen to what your body says when it performs subtle movements. As a result, you come to intimately understand the workings of your mind and body.

Donna Farhi is one well-known yoga instructor who incorporates Feldenkrais into her teaching. Feldenkrais is also popular with sportspeople, musicians, actors, and others for whom physical awareness is paramount.

How can Feldenkrais enhance your yoga practice?

The benefits for your yoga practice are likely to include:

• heightened awareness
• the ability to release habitual tension that might be limiting your practice or causing you pain
• increased mobility
• a greater ability to access core strength

As your awareness increases, you can do the same asanas with less effort. Feldenkrais said, “If you know what you are doing, you can do what you want.”

What do people say about Feldenkrais?

• “Feldenkrais represents a revolution in human health.” (Smithsonian Magazine)
• “The system developed by Dr Feldenkrais … has as much potential for understanding the mind/body relationship as Einstein’s general theory of relativity had for physics.” (Bernard Lake MD)
• “Feldenkrais is not just pushing muscles around, but changing things in the brain itself.” (Karl Pibram MD, Stanford University)
• “The Feldenkrais Method has had remarkable success in a wide range of complaints ranging from the debilitating to the merely nagging.” (Science Digest)
• “The Feldenkrais exercises are so ingenious and so simple.” (Yehudi Menuhin, world-renown violinist and conductor)
• “It’s made the difference between continuing my competitive running career and retiring prematurely.” (Chris Boyd, US track-and-field champion)

~ Oli Wiles