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Science
and the Feldenkrais Method "Feldenkrais:
New Relief for Pain" (link
to CBS web-site feature article) "The Feldenkrais
Method: Moving with ease" "Feldenkrais
is worth the search, fans say" "Exercise
in Awareness" "New
Hope for aching, creaky, yuppie bodies" "Aligning
Up: Good Posture is about a lot more than standing up straight" "A Healthy
Me" "Dancers
find a way out of pain with The Feldenkrais Method" "Finding
Feldenkrais: Heightened body awareness aids efficiency of motion, freedom
from pain" "Movement
101" Excerpt from
"Awareness Through Movement" The New York
Pain Treatment Protocol: A Structured Physical Therapy Approach for Treating
the Muscular Components of Chronic Pain Syndromes The Feldenkrais Method: Moving with Ease by Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D. (reprinted from the Self Healing Newsletter) Have you ever watched a baby learn how to crawl, sit, stand, or walk? The Feldenkrais Method is based on the premise that we have all forgotten how to move with such natural ease and awareness. By paying close attention to the signals our bodies give us and gently exploring new ways of moving, claim practitioners, we can rediscover the free, effortless sense of movement we had in the first few years of life-and undo many of the aches and pains that plague us as adults who have become literally too set in our ways. I have long been intrigued by this subtle form of retraining
the nervous system, which I currently recommend to patients whose movement
has been restricted by injury, cerebral palsy, stroke, fibromyalgia, or
chronic pain. (I find it be much more useful than standard physical therapy.)
I also believe that the Feldenkrais Method can help older people achieve
greater range of motion and flexibility, and help all of us feel more
comfortable in our bodies. Retraining the Nervous System: Feldenkrais believed that most of us go through life using habitual patterns of movement that may be limiting or inefficient. We may have developed these patterns to compensate for past injuries or learned them on the job (through performing repetitive motions or sitting for long periods). Yet, few of us really pay attention to how our bodies move until something hurts. The key to healing, Feldenkrais felt, is learning to be aware of these unconscious patterns of movement, and experimenting with new possibilities until you find ways to move with the least effort and strain. Through repetition, your body "learns" these new, more-efficient movements and can program the brain and nervous system to incorporate them into your everyday functioning. Today, there are more than 1,000 Feldenkrais Method practitioners working in the United States and Canada, leading group classes and offering private sessions to everyone from cab drivers and computerbound office workers to sufferers of arthritis and multiple sclerosis. It is a popular modality among musicians and athletes (including violinist Yehudi Menuhin, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and basketball star Julius Erving), who use it to improve coordination and enhance performance, as well as actors who simply want to use their bodies more gracefully. Last year an interesting German study even found the Feldenkrais Method to be a useful treatment for eating disorders: Compared to a control group, the patients who attended a series of Feldenkrais classes showed increased acceptance of their bodies, decreased feelings of helplessness, and more self-confident behavior. A Moving Experience An initial private session typically lasts 60 minutes and
begins with a health history and a "body scan," with the practitioner
guiding you in a series of self-observations designed to detect areas
of tension or dysfunction. Then the practitioner asks you to lie or sit
on a low padded table, fully clothed, and lightly guides you in a fluid
series of movements while noting, and avoiding, areas of strain. In working
with someone who has arthritic pain in the hands, for example, the practitioner
might help the client explore subtle movements involving the hands but
which don't stress the affected joints. The client might then be instructed
to practice these movements at home until the body "learns"
them Because Feldenkrais work is a learning process, most practitioners recommend a minimum of four private sessions, scheduled once or twice a week, in order to affect a sustainable result. Some people with chronic pain or other serious conditions opt for ongoing sessions. Another, less expensive option is to attend the group classes, which are now being offered in settings from music schools to nursing homes to holistic health centers Certified Feldenkrais practitioners must complete 800 to
1,000 hours of training over a three to four-year period, involving both
theoretical study and hands-on practice. To locate a qualified instructor
near you, contact the Feldenkrais Guild: Feldenkrais: New Relief for Pain (link to CBS web-site feature article) Feldenkrais: New Relief For Pain Imagine ridding yourself of neck, back, even knee pain by re-learning how to move your body. A new therapy called The Feldenkrais Method is teaching people how to break free from pain. Two years ago, Susan Barnett couldn't walk one city block without excruciating pain, "Not only did my back hurt, my legs hurt and various joints hurt." Susan was diagnosed with chronic pain disorder, suffering in agony for 15 years, she was desperate for relief. CBS 2’s Paul Moniz reports. "I've done acupuncture, I've been to the major hospitals, their pain programs, I've had epidurals, trigger point injections," says Susan. According to the American Pain Foundation, more than 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain caused by various diseases and each year another 25 million experience acute pain as a result of injury or surgery. Susan says she has finally found relief with this mind-body therapy called The Feldenkrais Method, it combines yoga-like movements and meditation. It was her last resort before getting back surgery. The method, developed by physicist Moshe Feldenkrais teaches the importance of posture and body movement. Physical therapist and Feldenkrais instructor Marek Wyszynski says that many sources of pain are caused by poor body mechanics, "Many of us will sit incorrectly, we'll sit in a way that will contribute to neck pain, to headaches, to lower back pain." Feldenkrais can be practiced in a group or individual session. Both Marek and Susan work together to explore subtle movements while noting and avoiding areas of strain. "How I move my pelvis, how I move my chest, how I move my shoulders, it all contributes to how well I will be able to turn," says Marek. Common movements are practiced like bending, turning, leaning, and breathing to help each person discover how he or she moves most easily. Pain specialist Dr. Alan Leff says that while Feldenkrais is gaining popularity it may be useful only as an adjunct combined with other medical treatments depending on the severity of pain. "With any pain syndrome, movement will help the pain, the worst thing a patient could do with a chronic pain syndrome is to have no movement at all," says Dr. Leff. As for Susan, she says relief has come gradually over the last 2 years. She still takes 2-3 sessions a week. A routine, yes, but it's helped her avoid the surgical knife, "It's completely changed my life." (MMIII, Viacom Internet Services Inc. , All Rights Reserved) Feldenkrais Is Worth The Search, Fans Say The San Diego Union-Tribune, August 5, 2002 All Gary David wanted was relief from chronic back pain. What he got was the kind of side effect most racquetball players are aching for: a peppier, more focused game. His serve became smoother, his forehand more forceful, and the monkey was off his backhand. The catalyst, as he sees it, was the Feldenkrais Method®, a form of sensory motor learning designed to promote efficient and pain-free movement. Its roots go back some 60 years to the late Moshe Feldenkrais, a Russian-born physicist and judo expert who found ways to address his disabling knee injuries. Yet the discipline is as obscure as it is profound. In a world abounding with alternative health care and exercise options, you might have to do some digging to find a certified Feldenkrais practitioner. An estimated 20 to 30 in San Diego County have completed the 800 to 1,000 hours of training over three to four years required by the Feldenkrais Guild of North America. The guild's web site, www.feldenkrais.com lists 371 certified practitioners in California). David, 59, said he noticed results "quite suddenly in response to a specific set of exercises" after one-onone lessons with Mary Debono of Encinitas. Among the drills: pelvic movements coordinated with eye movements. "I found it very difficult at first, but as I got into them I found them very easy - and that's precisely when my racquetball skills changed," David said. While his back pain subsided, he was more impressed with what he calls "the by-products of Feldenkrais." Sharper hand-eye coordination, for example, and a natural flow that seemed to reduce the need for a conscious mental processing of every move. Kathy Pickard, 53, tried Feldenkrais to enhance her equestrian skills after seeing the results of a hands-on process known as Functional Integration on her horse. "In dressage, it takes a lot of fluidity to basically dance with the horse," Pickard said. "If you're not balanced and precise, the horse can't respond." Pickard, who began her sessions about a year ago, feels more confident, effortless and comfortable in the saddle these days. Moreover, she's moving with greater grace in general, free of the chronic shoulder pain that made throwing a baseball or serving a tennis ball an ordeal. "It has to do with freeing up your spine and your sternum, allowing the body to move easily," she said. "In our society, we get locked into a curling position - over computers, over sinks, doing busy work. We forget about breathing and freedom of movement." Because optimal movement should occur naturally and never be forced, there's only one way to learn the Feldenkrais Method: slow and relaxed, letting the body rediscover the path of least resistance. "The slower you go, the more you can be aware of," said Gary Waskowsky, who teaches Feldenkrais at various venues in San Diego County. "In most kinds of exercise, you stretch and push to your limits. Feldenkrais works on the other side of the scale." David noticed it on the racquetball court, Waskowsky in basketball. Naturally right-handed, Waskowsky began going to his left more efficiently in recreational games. MOVEMENT 101: The Feldenkrais Method Helps People Relearn How to Move Milwaukee State Journal May 5, 2002 (.pdf version) Suzanne Michler used to fall -- a lot. The Madison native stumbled on Highland Avenue, chipping one tooth and loosening three others. During a hike in Scotland, her husband caught her as she slipped toward a deep crevasse. Michler says she wasn't sick -- just clumsy -- and she had been that way all her life.
Now Feldenkrais is ready to go mainstream. It's already popular onthe coasts, with classes offered in various New York and San Francisco health clubs. Feldenkrais is less familiar in Wisconsin, although Milwaukee and Madison both have had practitioners in residence for the past dozen years. Patty Holman, a Milwaukee-based Feldenkrais practitioner, is glad to see the growing interest. Holman says Feldenkrais can do wonders for anyone, not just those who use their bodies professionally or who suffer debilitating pain. "We are movement creatures," Holman says. "We don't walk around as brains without bodies. We walk around in bodies and we experience the world through our bodies. I say, let that be a pleasurable experience." The Feldenkrais experience takes one of two forms. Awareness Through Movement is a class-based program similar in style and clientele to yoga. People show up in loose-fitting clothing, bringing along body-sized mats for floor work. The pace is slow, the room quiet. Feldenkrais, like yoga, requires individuals to think about their movements as they make them, emphasizing the ability to control our bodies (and the way we feel) with our minds. Yet while yoga works through static postures, Feldenkrais works through dynamic movements. Yoga bends the body in new and unusual ways; Feldenkrais movements stem from everyday activities like walking, reaching or sitting. Where yoga is considered exercise and involves stretching through discomfort, Feldenkrais is the anti-exercise. The goal is to expend the least amount of energy with every movement and to avoid any movements that are uncomfortable. The other option is Functional Integration, which involves hands-on, one-on-one sessions with a Feldenkrais practitioner. Practitioners are quick to point out that Feldenkrais is neither massage nor bodywork. There is no kneading or working of the flesh. Nor is it medicine, although Holman says it can be very therapeutic. It is, Holman says, true education. Some practitioners even refer to themselves as teachers and their clients as students. Both practitioners and clients agree that Feldenkrais work is interactive. A person doesn't just show up for an hour and feel better afterward. "To be a good student, you have to be engaged in the process," says Duranczyk. "You can't just lie there on the table." In either the class or the individual setting, the practitioner will ask a lot of questions. Which of your legs feels longer? Where does your leg begin? Which way is it easier to turn your head? Which parts of your body feel the heaviest? Which way does your pelvis move when you lift your heel off the floor? Along with verbal cues, practitioners will use gentle touch (the latter used more so during Functional Integration than in Awareness through Movement) to guide students through the sessions. The movements themselves are minute. Someone watching probably wouldn't notice that all of the people on the floor are slightly tilting their pelvises up and down. Observers might think the motion in outstretched arms is muscle twitching and not deliberate, half-dollar sized circles. Evelyn Thompson of Fitchburg says the miniscule movements take some getting used to. "The first little bit really didn't thrill me. Lying on the floor and moving parts of yourself a half an inch or an inch is not something you're accustomed to. It was strange," she says. Duranczyk understands the initial hesitancy about Feldenkrais. "Doing less to many people in this culture is counter-intuitive. People think they need to work harder to improve. Working smarter and not harder is really the key." Feldenkrais is not a replacement for cardiovascular exercise, but Duranczyk says it can make that 20 minutes on the treadmill easier, or it might enable someone to run an extra mile without a lot of extra exertion. That's because Feldenkrais eliminates inefficiencies in ordinary movements, like walking, sitting, reaching or running, so that we have more energy left over for other physical activities we'd like to do. "A lot of people don't understand that they are using all of this effort that they don't have to use. They can reduce the effort by 50 or 75 percent and still accomplish the same movement, but then they'd have more energy." "Movement 101" Milwaukee State Journal Page 3
of 3 "If we can learn to be more aware of what we do, how it feels when we do it, how it works when we do it, and we can slow down enough and pay attention to what we're doing, we can change the movement patterns." Then, River says, "we have new choices." Thompson says Feldenkrais helped her recognize and change some unhealthy habits. "I hunch my shoulders when I'm nervous. That just wastes a lot of energy," she says. "And it makes my shoulders ache after a while. It's interesting, too, finding out that if I tense my hands, other parts of my body will tense up. I didn't notice that before." Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis more than 20 years ago, Thompson had attributed some pain and movement difficulty to her disease. "I thought MS was creeping up on me." Thompson changed her mind when she started doing Feldenkrais. She was surprised to learn how much her own behavior affected how she felt. "One of the things I became aware of was there are certainly discomforts I am having that have nothing to do with MS, and those I do have control over," she says. "It made me really look for those things so I could do something about them. A lot of my pain went away." What was most startling for Thompson about her Feldenkrais discoveries was how easy it was. "This is so simple. All you have to do is show up and do it and your body is going to feel better." And who couldn't stand to feel better? River says no one. She thinks people are wrong to "assume that it's just a part of growing old or a normal part of living to put up with some pain or some limitations. We don't need to give up or slow down. We can do the things we want." River adds that attitude is critical. "If you keep thinking my body isn't capable of that,' that is going to be self-limiting. If you open yourself to possibility and experiment within that range of possibility, you would be amazed at what you're capable of. Feldenkrais is about being able to do what you want." (this articlecle appeared in ADVANCE for Directors in Rehabilitation) by Jonathan Bassett Norman Goodman wanted to be able to golf again. But Goodman's MRI showed that the stroke he had suffered caused so much damage to his brain that holding a golf club was virtually impossible. While Goodman retained motion in his shoulder and elbow, his right hand wouldn't cooperate. Twelve long months of sophisticated therapy to restore function to the hand showed limited results. Goodman's physiatrist and rehab team told him to accept the fact that he might never play his beloved game again. That's when Goodman began treatment with Sandy Burkart, PhD, PT, Certified Feldenkrais PractitionerSM (CFP), who approached the problem from a different angle. "We were able to capture the hand's function through movement patterns in the trunk, cervical spine, head and eyes that were associated with a golf swing," says Dr. Burkart. "His functional retraining program began with postural retraining coupled with muscular tone reduction techniques on his uninvolved side, and the facilitation of selected movements on the involved side. Essentially, these movements bypassed the damaged areas of the brain and provided an opportunity for his central nervous system to use pathways away from the damaged site in his brain." Dr. Burkart likens the unusual methods he used with Goodman to current research into constraint-induced movement therapy for people who've had a stroke, which trains the uninvolved side of the body. "We relaxed the uninvolved side so that it basically did nothing except be quiet," he says. "I then went to work on the involved, spastic side, decreasing the tone in the spastic muscles by selectively facilitating the extensors or antagonists of the spastic muscles. As I tried that with Norman, first one finger moved, then two, three, and soon the hand was opening and closing." Soon, Norman was back on the course. This cutting edge approach to integrating all aspects of motor control and motor learning makes up the basic tenets of the Feldenkrais Method, an education-based approach to movement and sensory accompaniment that even today remains largely misunderstood and is often met with a raised eyebrow. But does it really work? Dr. Burkart was skeptical, too, at first. So before he attended his first certification session, he practiced a gymnastic planche (a maneuver in which the body is supported on the hands, the elbows are tucked into the stomach, and the entire body is horizontal to the floor) for 1.5 hours per day, three days a week, for six weeks. Despite being able to do the planche in college-when he was 19 years old and weighed 128 pounds-the 45-year-old, 170-pound Dr. Burkart just couldn't do it. After returning home after two months of Feldenkrais training, though, he performed the move the first time he tried it. Now 58, Dr. Burkart says he can do the planche anytime he wants. "That was a real eye-opener for me," he says. "I was able to objectively measure the effectiveness of this approach on my own movement pattern recovery. And what it demonstrated was that the basic motor programs necessary to perform that move were still there; it was just a matter of accessing them." Brian Hauswirth, PT, has a similar story. He took the certification training 20 years ago to improve his own motor function, but found that going through the certification has made him a better therapist as well.Hauswirth began combining Feldenkrais principles with his expertise in functional orthopedics with patients at Integrating Function Physical Therapy, Larkspur, Calif. Since 1985, he has taught the Feldenkrais Method-along with the management of soft tissue dysfunction, joint mobilization and exercise training-to audiences through the Institute of Physical Art. "Feldenkrais is not especially prescriptive, and can deal in generalities," he says. "If we're dealing with a repetitive stress disorder of the hand, for instance, most therapists think mid-forearm and below. When I start talking about the breathing, stance, pelvic movements and habits that contribute to that disorder, it can be radically different than what they're used to. You have to introduce it slowly, or you'll lose them." So if the benefits are there, why is the Feldenkrais Method still considered controversial in many circles and mistakenly referred to as an "alternative technique?" Perhaps being named after a single person carries a subtle cultish connotation. Perhaps the high degree of artists, musicians, actors and dancers looking to improve their performance through the method place it on the fringes of traditional rehabilitative therapy. "Books on Feldenkrais tend to be a bit poetic and esoteric," Hauswirth concedes. "Physical therapists, who might be more used to a regimented, step-by-step style of prescriptive treatment, might find it a bit difficult to relate to." Whatever the reason, Feldenkrais has yet to enjoy the mainstream support given to other, more established treatments. Feldenkrais practitioners see this as strange, pointing out that it is a method founded on the principles of physics, anatomy and hard-core empirical science. Dr. Osa Jackson pioneered the introduction of Feldenkrais into the mainstream of neurological practice, especially to treat geriatric patients. So the method has been written about and presented in an objective manner to rehab practitioners for more than 10 years. Many clinicians recognize the importance of the method but realize that the training is long and based on experiential learning strategies, Dr. Burkart says. Part of the problem might just be the profession's youth. Feldenkrais is a relatively new area of study; the first professional training program took place in Israel in 1968. The brainchild of Moshé Feldenkrais, DSc, an Israeli physicist, echanical engineer and educator, the Feldenkrais Method is rooted in education rather than correction. Dr. Feldenkrais began applying his mastery of movement patterns and experience in martial arts and human physiology to heal his own crippled knee. He realized that by modifying inefficient patterns of movement, he could train himself to walk in a new, pain-free way. Before long, the principles were being applied to children with CP and physical deformities, patients with stroke and others. The Feldenkrais Method begins with identifying and altering restricting movement patterns that have been learned since birth, and habituated over time. These movement patterns, from placing food into our mouth to walking, develop through our lives. Breaking down these limiting patterns is the first step toward abandoning them, and substituting them with healthier, more efficient movement habits. What follows is an awareness of one's own flexibility and oordination, and an improvement in everyday function. "Part of the methodology addresses how the whole body and mind work, whereas traditional therapy might be more compartmentalized," Hauswirth says. He added that many elite athletes, musicians, dancers and others who are highly aware of their movement patterns recognize that they could improve. A Feldenkrais practitioner might avoid common strengthening exercises if they have no functional applications in the everyday mechanical needs of the body. Adding the Method to the PT Repertoire The Feldenkrais Method is broken down into two general components: Awareness Through Movement® (ATM), non-contact group classes designed to raise awareness of one's own movement patterns; and Functional Integration® (FI), one-on-one manual lessons that capitalize on the lessons described in ATM. Because Hauswirth is limited by the amount of time he can spend with a patient, much of his in-clinic time as a PT involves treating the many conditions he sees with a blend of prescriptive PT and hands-on FI methods. Condensed ATM teachings often form the basis of his prescribed home programs. He will also familiarize patients with community Feldenkrais classes. Dr. Burkart agreed that the 800-hour certification program has enhanced his ability to treat his most difficult patients. This awareness has given him the ability to analyze the movement and motor control strategies people have developed as they come into his office for the first time. "If these habits were produced as a reaction to pain, then we need to work on reducing the pain first in order to make these movements more efficient," he explained. And Dr. Burkart doesn't view Feldenkrais as alternative therapy. He sees it as complementary. "The bottom line becomes whether Feldenkrais training and certification has made me a better practitioner," he says. "I would say that without a doubt, my level of competence with acute, chronic, neurologic, geriatric and post-surgical patients has been greatly improved. I am a better practitioner as a result of the integration of Feldenkrais into my practice." Jonathan Bassett is on staff at ADVANCE, and can be reached at jbassett@marion.com.
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Science & The Feldenkrais
Method In December 2002, we attended a four day science conference in Paris entitled “Learning, the Brain and Movement”. Within the beautiful old rooms of the Cercle Republicain building near the Palais Royal, we and 180 Feldenkrais Practitioners from around the world met with noted research scientists from the fields of movement science, physiology, dynamic systems, kinesiology and motor learning. Taking pages of notes, we listened to each person present some of their research. They had been prepared for the conference with ‘homework’
(Awareness Through Movement lessons on tape, and a video with explanation
of a Functional Integration lesson). They were asked to steer their
talks to research that might offer insight to the scientific underpinnings
of The Feldenkrais Method. For example, Professor Beatriz Vereijken, Department
of Movement Science at Trondheim University, Norway, reported research
on teaching people to use ski training machines and how strategies that
encouraged people to experiment were more effective than detailed, step-by-step
instruction. Feldenkrais lessons follow this exploratory strategy. Dr. Karl Newell, Chairman of the Department of Kinesiology
at Pennsylvania State University, felt that Moshe Feldenkrais was far
ahead of his times. He discussed how information can be augmented to help
people improve movement skill. He found that rather than demonstrating
the skill or giving information about the outcome, it was more useful
to give people cues about what sensations to attend to. This is
what he calls ‘transitional information’ and we would call ‘learning
to learn’. Professor Alain Bertholz, of the prestigious College
de France and author of "The Brain’s Sense of Movement"
(Harvard, 2001), taught about the relationship of the vestibular system
and perception, making connections from movement and emotions to architecture!
His findings, for example that the eyes lead movements of rotation, can
be experienced in many lessons created by Dr. Feldenkrais. Bertholz’s
latest research shows the importance of multi-sensory integration —
between the eyes, the otoliths and semicircular canals of the inner ear,
proprioception (the sense of position and movement from muscles and joints)
and the haptic senses (touch and pressure) in our perception of our action
in the world. From them and other presenters, including Esther
Thelen, a researcher and Feldenkrais Practitioner, we discovered there
is a large body of research evidence to support the basic and developing
theory of The Feldenkrais Method. The conference provided a strong boost to the agenda
of developing further research into The Feldenkrais Method and developing
relationships with leading scientific thinkers and researchers. The
applications for The Feldenkrais Method continue to expand in learning,
education, health, wellness, rehabilitation, sports, and the performing
arts. As we learn better to express what the method is and communicate
that to others, more people will benefit. Participating in conferences
like this will help us to develop a language to talk and think about The
Feldenkrais Method more fully and clearly. Deborah Bowes and Cliff Smyth are internationally known Feldenkrais trainers. Deborah was one of the trainers in our training programs, and Cliff is the current President of the International Feldenkrais Federation (IFF). Their practice, The The Feldenkrais Center for Movement Education is located in San Francisco, CA. Visit them at www.feldenkraissf.com Special to the Los Angeles Times Staying fit into the millennium may mean working out less for your money. That's because after doing an ATM class, your body will move as smoothly as the slide of a debit card. But ATM in this case stands for Awareness Through Movement, and the classes are part of the Feldenkrais Method, which many say makes exercise as easy and efficient as automatic banking. Brought to this country in the 1970s by its originator, Moshe Feldenkrais, a Ukrainian-born physicist and engineer plagued by a knee injury, the method has long been a professional secret among dancers, actors and musicians. But recently the fitness community has gotten hep to the benefits, and a few on the front lines are serving up Feldenkrais as the latest physical elixir. "We like to stay on the cutting edge," says Karen Joy, general manager of Fitness for Her! in San Diego, one of the health clubs around the country now offering ATM classes alongside step and sculpt. Basically, Feldenkrais is an educational approach that teaches students to become aware of their bodies and move as seamlessly as possible.For an actor, that can mean getting into character more convincingly; for an Olympian, shaving the winning second off a sprint; for a stroke patient, learning to walk again. As for the rest of us, it could be just what the trainer ordered. Rather than a replacement for those calorie-blasting workouts that rev the engines, Feldenkrais is the oil that can perfect your performance and stop you from getting rusty over time. "Many people quit exercising because they hurt themselves," says Andrea Wiener, president of the Feldenkrais Guild, an organization that regulates its member practitioners. "This method helps you both prevent and recover from injuries, and enjoy what you love to do more." Frances Fisher doesn't need convincing. "Feldenkrais has taken the struggle out of exercise," says the actress, who used ATM exercises to keep her energy flowing on the set of Titanic during long days of filming in a corset. "Before I did this, I found myself walking around like these guys at the gym who have a lot of muscle but can't lift their arms. With Feldenkrais, I'm not thinking about making my muscles stronger. I'm aware of how my skeleton is moving in space and how my muscles and nerves are responding, so my body is much more relaxed, responsive and flexible. As I get older, I'm more interested in flexibility because flexibility is youth." There are two ways to study the method. With Functional Integration, a practitioner works on you privately, gently guiding your body into improved ways of moving as you sit or lie down, fully clothed. The ATM lessons, which you take in group classes or practice at home with tapes, help you make the same kinds of discoveries on your own through thousands of movements-some so subtle that observing them is like watching paint dry. Both Functional Integration and ATM lessons (many students do only one; others combine the two) are based on the idea that each of us inevitably develops unhealthy movement habits through years of going about life on automatic pilot, overusing the body in repetitive ways and nursing old injuries. Feldenkrais teaches you how to notice these stressful patterns and replace them with more comfortable, efficient ones, so that, as one practitioner put it, you're not using the force of chewing a steak to eat a cream puff. In a way, the education is like receiving a Thomas Guide to your body that shows you in detail how you normally move and then lets you find alternate routes to avoid an accident down the road. Having that full body map, practitioners say, is important because when a knee gives you problems or a shoulder aches, your whole system is affected. Pauline Sugine, co-owner of the Center for Physical Health in Los Angeles, describes working with Martina Navratilova: "I showed her that as the result of an injury to the right ankle, when she moved her head to the right, even just her eyes, she stopped breathing," says Sugine. "In tennis, if you look in one direction and a part of your body freezes, even subconsciously, then you lose the connection. It's sort of like driving with a flat tire. Not only is your tire flat, but if you keep driving, more things go wrong." Through Functional Integration, Sugine kinesthetically reminded Navratilova how to look right and breathe at the same time, getting her whole body, including the ankle, in top form again. The beauty of Feldenkrais is, you don't have to understand it intellectually. "Whether you get it on a conscious level or not, your nervous system is picking it up," says Sugine. "It's like we're smuggling the information in." Advocates of Feldenkrais say such movement education has been the missing link in fitness as we know it-which is why, after 25 years of pounding the pavement, many of us are limping toward burnout. "The Western approach to athletic training is almost exclusively based on overload and compensation," says Ken Largent, director of Movement Facilitation in Portland, Ore., who works with many athletes. "The Feldenkrais approach looks at movement from a neurological standpoint. So, for example, it looks at how effective you are in using the least amount of effort to accomplish your ends. This is almost the opposite of the concept we've all been working under-not that it's superior, but it is necessary. There is a yin and yang. What we need is the fullness of both." Frank Wildman, past president of the Feldenkrais Guild and director of the Movement Studies Institute in Berkeley, goes even further. "The routine, boring exercises people do don't take into account the human ability for self-reflection and awareness," he says. "This is what Feldenkrais offers. We're after physical intelligence." Wildman explains that we've come to view the body as a machine, measuring our workouts in numbers, clocks and weights. However, when you watch someone like Michael Jordan, what's really beautiful is not how high he jumps, but the way he slips in so many points without seeming to try, his amazing coordination, his elegance and grace. "Feldenkrais teaches you to pay attention to the quality versus the quantity of motion," he says. "It expands your physical imagination." This, of course, is why performers love the method. When, after years of weight lifting, Fisher needed to play a stripper in a film, she went to choreographer Kim Blank, who uses Feldenkrais in her coaching. "Frances was very strong and muscular," says Blank, "so I'd start her on the floor with an ATM exercise showing how the pelvis connects to the spine and the spine connects all the way to the head to give her that sense of fluid, undulating movement appropriate to a stripper doing a routine. And then we went on to the choreography." Fisher says this work helped her access an inner, organic sensuality while giving her body a more elongated look. "It's a great tool for getting into any character," she adds. And that's true whether you're an actress, athlete-or nowhere close to being either. Ultimately, Feldenkrais is a way to explore yourself and build the kind of inner fitness that lets you jump into any situation-whether it's playing a film role, learning a sport or going for a job interview. "Feldenkrais helps you act connected and there's something so inherently satisfying about that," says Blank. "When you move with grace and ease, you can't help but feel joy. There's a sense of calm, a sense of being more grounded." Who wouldn't want to cash in on that? Copyright, 1998, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted by permission. New hope for aching, creaky yuppie bodies The National Post, October 6, 1999 Anyone who is subject to the grim tug of gravity might count themselves lucky that one day, about 50 years ago, Moshe Feldenkrais, in his late thirties, while standing on a wet submarine deck, slipped and aggravated an old knee injury. They should also be grateful to the doctors who told him he would never walk again without surgery (surgery that offered only a 50% cure rate), because Feldenkrais decided to fix himself, and invented a new treatment in the process. Feldenkrais was a remarkable man and a genius. Born in 1904 in Russia, he fled pogroms to pre-state Israel when he was 14. At the time, the British Mandate prohibited Jews, but not Arabs, from carrying arms, so Feldenkrais trained himself in unarmed combat, then tutored others. With the money he made tutoring he went to Paris where he trained as a mechanical and electrical engineer. He then became a physicist, working and co-authoring papers with Fréderic Joliot-Curie (who with his wife received the Nobel Prize in 1938). Feldenkrais, in the meantime, became one of Europe's first black belts in judo, and set up the Jiu-Jitso Club de France with the founder of modern judo, Jigoro Kano. Feldenkrais and Joliot-Curie were working on the French atomic-research program when the Nazis invaded Paris. Joliot- Curie knew Feldenkrais would be arrested as a Jew, so he arranged for him to escape to London - with two suitcases full of the French atomic secrets, thereby keeping them out of Nazi hands. Through the intervention of the British scientist J.D. Bernal, he worked for the British anti-submarine program. Feldenkrais also led the training of British paratroopers in hand-to-hand combat. After the war, he completed his doctorate in physics at the Sorbonne. When the State of Israel was created he became director of the electronics department for the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and wrote the book on hand-to-hand combat for the Israeli army. He now spoke Russian, Hebrew, French, German and English. But back to the bum knee. Feldenkrais used his incredible scientific mind, extraordinary observational skills, and his expertise in judo to determine what made his knee better or worse. His new treatment was based not just on the understanding of individual joints, muscles, and ligaments, but on the role of awareness in movement and body mechanics. Animals have an enviable grace, and so do babies and young children, but that grace is often lost as we age, thought Feldenkrais, not because we age, but because we learn bad habits. These include postures which have emerged to protect injuries, but which now add chronic bodily insult to injury. Feldenkrais taught limping people to walk by first teaching them to crawl like babies. The method can be used for a variety of conditions - back, neck, head and jaw pain, problems due to artificial hips and knees, fused spines, and arthritic conditions. It is useful to anyone who has to sit at a computer all day, or for those who have to be particularly physically active or aware, including athletes, soldiers, surgeons and actors. Many musicians in New York have a Feldenkrais practitioner. Yehudi Menuin swore by Feldenkrais, and so does Yo-Yo Ma. The director of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Peter Brook, was a major fan as were anthropologist Margaret Mead and neurophysiologist Dr. Karl Pribram, who thought Feldenkrais in tune with the most advanced knowledge we have of the brain. Israel's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, sought out Feldenkrais when he was 75 years old and could barely stand in Parliament because of his serious back problem. After treatment, "the old man" could leap onto tanks and stand on his head. Feldenkrais eventually used his approach in extreme cases, helping people with strokes learn how to read, speak, and walk again, or for treating people with cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis. Many well-known treatments for musculoskeletal pain treat the problem locally, by strengthening the affected area (physiotherapy), using surgery, or twisting the spine with force (chiropractics). Feldenkrais' method focuses on general functioning. Regardless of the cause - an aching back, artificial joint, arthritis, or tension - Feldenkrais assigns exercises to make his pupils aware of movement. "Errors" of movement are not "corrected." Rather, lack of flow is noticed. Then, in the low stimulus environment, barely detectable movements are prescribed. These minute changes induce the nervous system to lower the general tone of muscular contraction, so the sufferer can become consciously aware of the unconscious movement patterns that exacerbate or cause the problem. Watching and listening to lithesome Marion Harris, who trained with Feldenkrais, conducting classes at The Feldenkrais Centre in Toronto, I was amazed to see how many of the concepts are similar to those used in psychotherapy done properly - which is patiently. Feldenkrais knew, as did Sherrington, the great neurologist, that most of the brain's activity is inhibitory: it stops, retards or modifies the actions of our more flowing primitive animal brain. Most bad habits include jerky inhibitory compensations or vestigial "defenses" that once protected an injury, but now are locked in. Instead of attacking bad postural habits directly (which often only makes them get worse), the master practitioner finds ingenious ways to release the bad habits. For instance, new non-habitual ways of moving are introduced, to confuse the current pattern. People with bad posture secondary to knee problems might be asked to walk backwards for a bit, both to scramble the bad habit, and because bad compensations haven't yet attached themselves to backward walking. Then, having experienced what it is like to walk without bad posture, they relearn walking forward, spontaneously, in a re-organized, nimble way, so they don't hurt their tender knees. The aim is always to move without wasted energy or willpower. Often, at the end of a class, muscles have softened, eyes are more open, breathing is deeper and pain has decreased. People may stand an inch taller. Feldenkrais also conducted one-on-one sessions, called Functional Integration, where he used his hands to diagnose movement problems, and then gently moved people's limbs, necks, and heads, teaching a suppleness that could be generalized to all movements. Feldenkrais died in 1984, but his work is spreading, especially in Europe. There are too few Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioners in Canada, but they are spread from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland, and there is a Feldenkrais clinic in the Ottawa General Hospital. Qualified practitioners who are members of the Feldenkrais Guild can be contacted by calling 1-800-775-2118. Dr. Doidge is a research psychiatrist and psychoanalyst
in Toronto. His column "On Human Nature" appears every other
Wednesday in the National Post. © Norman Doidge, reprinted with permission. Dancers find a path out of pain
Dance Magazine, November 2002 Is pain the inevitable part of a career in dance? Whether it's the rigors of the stage, teaching, or the extra job we need to support a career we love, pain often creeps into the picture. Some dancers are finding ways out of pain using a program of somatic reeducation known as The Feldenkrais Method. It's 1992 and Barbara Forbes, ballet mistress of The Joffrey Ballet, is about to teach company class. Unfortunately, her back has gone out due to a painful spasm. Her breathing is strained and she finds it difficult to move her head in any direction. Although Forbes's performing career is over by this time, the demands of teaching have taken a second toll on her body. "I anticipate an old familiar pattern, " she wrote for a Feldenkrais Newsletter. "Three days of painful, restricted movement, and another three or four days for the spasm to gradually ease." She sits gloomily in the green room when a flyer on the bulletin board with the questions "Chronic Pain?" catches her attention. The flyer leads her to Alice Brydges, a dancer and student of the Feldenkrais Method. Forbes wastes no time in contacting Brydges, who proceeds to lead her through a series of small, gentle movements known as an Awareness Through Movement® (ATM) lesson. When Forbes stands up, she notices she is breathing more easily and can hold her head up again. The spasm seems to have lost its bite. Developed by physicist, engineer, and martial artist Moshe Feldenkrais from the 1940's to his death in the 1980's, the Method enlists subtle and often non-habitual movement patterns to develop attention to the ways habits contribute to discomfort. These gentle movements bring forth options for new movement. The technique's focus is not so much on learning how to move but on neutralizing the patterns that prevent us from moving fully. The two modalities of the Feldenkrais Method, Awareness Through Movement® (group movement lessons), and Functional Integration® (hands-on and one-on-one guided movement), offer dancers education that can help them turn pain around, continue dancing, and reestablish their love of dance. After her initial introduction to the ATM process, Forbes began taking the deceptively simple lessons regularly. "Gradually, my awareness of having twenty-four individual ribs available for movement rather than one rib cage-a completely new sensation after years of holding ballet's rigidly erect spine-released the holding pattern in my chest, which had contributed to my recurring back spasms," she wrote. Forbes is now a Certified Feldenkrais Practitionersm working with dancers at Sarah Lawrence College. By incorporating somatic principles into dance education, she's become part of a new breed of dance teacher. She now teaches a full-length ATM class immediately prior to her advanced ballet class, and she notices her students look more at ease. Tension disappears, as do strained necks, hunched shoulders, and unnecessary work. "The Feldenkrais work enhances one's self as being alive and active," Forbes says. "My sense is that through ATM the dancer has a better sense of being fully there in each moment of dance. There is more eye contact and I begin to see my students as individuals while they are dancing." "I believe it is possible to train strong flexible, thinking dancers with far less injury than is the norm," states Priscilla Winslow Bradley, another injured dancer turned Feldenkrais practitioner. After graduating from the North Caroline School of the Arts, Bradley moved to New York to study at The Joffrey and, later, other ballet and modernjazz studios. She knows firsthand about pain. She danced full time in two companies and suffered from chronic ankle and back pain for almost four years. After ankle surgery, she tried every therapy and method she could find. Traditional paths of floor barre and strengthening exercises only accentuated her imbalances. Finally, she began working privately with a woman who was familiar with the Feldenkrais Method. Within a matter of weeks, Bradley was back dancing and performing. "[The Feldenkrais Method] completely changed the way I view my body and how I treat myself," Bradley says. "I also learned to deal with pains that would come and go, without panic. I discovered if I stopped what I was doing as soon as I felt discomfort and paid attention to how I did the activity, I could vary the movement ever so slightly and usually avoid pain entirely." Bradlye went on to develop a six-day danceteacher intensive where she presents ATM lessons related to dance technique. Participants experience graceful pain-free movements while broadening their understanding of how dancers can achieve a desired aesthetic with less strain on the joints and muscles. In Taos, New Mexico, where she now lives, Bradley also guest teaches ballet and modern-jazz classes spiced with ATM principles. When Cathy Paine, a professional dancer, cho- reographer, and teacher for more than twenty years, began experiencing stabbing pains in her right hip from early arthritis, she began receiving FI lessons. FI is performed on a low, firm table with the person fully clothed and in the most comfortable position. Unlike massage, the contact in FI is skeletal. The practitioner guides the person through a series of gentle movements, and because it's the practitioner who essentially performs the motions, she can override habits that may be getting in the way of more efficient movement. Feldenkrais practitioners attribute success to the fact that learning takes place directly at the nervous-system level. Thus, the new information becomes automatically available to the individual in his or her everyday life. He or she doesn't have to consciously think about moving in a new way, which is very different from having a therapist tell you how to hold yourself correctly. Paine eventually became a Feldenkrais practitioner and is now involved with exploring the connection between contact improvisation and the Feldenkrais Method. Not only does she teach ATM classes to University of Maryland dance majors, she introduces contact improvisation concepts to Feldenkrais practitioners at conferences. In June 2002, at age 51, Paine received the Maryland State Arts Council's Individual Artist Award in dance performance for her work as a solo dance improviser. Dancing is not the only factor that contributes to dancers' pain and injury. "Standing or walking for hours each day with habits appropriate for dance technique can cause more strain than any number of hours of actual dancing," says Bradley. "Teaching adds the additional strain of demonstration, many times on one side repeatedly and often without proper warm-up." "What's hurting dancers is not always just the dancing, but what they have to do to dance," says Linda Phenix, artistic director of Chrysalis Dance Company in Houston. "We have dancers in their cars going all over town teaching, dancers on their feet for hours working retail, waitressing, and taking office jobs." Training in the Feldenkrais Method improves movement regardless of the activity. And as dancing gets easier, so does the rest of our lives. Moshe Feldenkrais believed that in a life worth living there is going to be injury. The mark of a healthy person is not that she or he never gets injured but rather how quickly recovery from injury occurs. Each of these dancers found that recovery from injury was by no means the end of the story. By ending the pain, Feldenkrais not only helped them return to their love of dancing, but also to move beyond technique, to discover the person doing the dancing. And now they're avidly spreading the word. Nancy Galeota-Wozny, MA, CFP, is an artist and practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method. She has presented her work throughout the United States and was a finalist for the Sommerville Award for Somatic Writing. Training in the Feldenkrais Method includes at least 800 hours of instruction over four consecutive years in a a Guild-accredited training program. For more information, visit www.feldenkrais.com Barbara Forbes The Bridge for Dance 2726 Broadway, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10025-3939 (212) 749-1165 Feldenkrais Guild of North America 3611 SW Hood Ave, Ste 100 Portland, OR 97239 (800) 775-2118 guild@feldenkrais.com www.feldenkrais.com Aligning Up: Good posture is about a lot more than just standing up straight NOW Toronto, Online Edition, Aug 9 - 15, 2001 | Vol. 20
N. 49 When it comes to poor posture, I've got it. A number of old injuries, endless computer work and the fact that I express anxiety through tight muscles all mean that I regularly turn into a pretzel.Dreams of alignment send me in search of body magicians, practitioners of Mitzvah, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais and Pilates. Knowing yourself can bring you closer to the right stance. After a week of releasing and rejigging and discovering all the weird ways I hold my muscles and joints, I conclude that it's shocking that there's no public support for those seeking to find a comfortable and healthy way of living in their bodies. The majority of people in this culture are disconnected from their physical manifestation, and it's just plain unfair that the remedies aren't available to everyone. Let's get some of these techniques into the public schools and covered by OHIP so we can fend off the diseases and painful ailments that plague us later in life. FELDENKRAIS: This is where I made my biggest gains in changing my stance from the inside out. The system, developed by Moshe Feldenkrais, a physicist seeking to heal an old knee injury, aims to locate your own personal distortions and then re-educate the neuromuscular system so it can release ineffective or stressful habits. Using the gentlest of touches, my practitioner pointed out all my bad habits. Suddenly, my bones developed a correct relationship to gravity, and sitting and standing became effortless. Almost a day later, as I sit and type this, I still feel a difference in my functioning. Of course, to really cement the new patterns in place I'll have to go back and do more private sessions or group classes. My Feldenkrais practitioner charges $95 for a private session and $12 a class if you pay for a whole term. ALEXANDER: This method is definitely not a quick hit. And at $50 a private session it's also not easily affordable. If you have a pressing physical problem, however, it may be worth it. Stories abound about Alexander helping people recover from serious injuries and illnesses. The method, invented by Frederick Matthias Alexander, an elocutionist who kept losing his voice, depends more on the conscious mind's intervention than does Feldenkrais. The mantra is "release the neck, let the head lift up and out, lengthen the spine, release the torso." Very useful -- but I'd need a lot of discipline to keep at it. My biggest enemy would be my "hurry up" approach to life. When am I willing to take five seconds to release my neck? I did appreciate my practitioner's insistence that I open my eyes and keep myself engaged in conversation with him while attempting the technique. The idea, he said, is to learn how to do Alexander anytime, anywhere, not just with one's eyes closed and focus internal. MITZVAH: This system, developed by former dancer M. Cohen-Nehemia, aims for a proper relationship between the pelvis, spine and head. The key thing students learn is how to send a wave or rippling motion up the spine, which lengthens it and allows the head to freely balance on top. As the head comes into balance, explained my practitioner, other postural problems tend to correct themselves. My session included table work, in which the practitioner moved and stretched me while "rippling" herself in order to "teach" my body the motion -- it's one you're not likely to discover on your own. Then I learned some exercises I could do at home. For hours after, my right hip and upper spine, two of my tense areas, felt much more fluid. I figure it will take eight to 12 sessions to get untangled. At $50 a pop, that's a major commitment. PILATES: My introductory session had the least "feelable" impact on my body's alignment. Given that I was spending a fair bit of time talking with my instructor (who certainly knew her anatomy) because I needed to learn many new moves, that makes sense. And unlike any of the other methods described here, Pilates works by strengthening muscles, and it was clear to me it would do that very well. (The other modalities are more focused on releasing unnecessary and misplaced tension.) Strengthening, of course, takes time. I got the most detailed grilling on my injuries here, which I appreciated, given the potentially strenuous nature of Pilates. The system was created by Joseph Pilates, who studied meditation and ancient Greek and Roman exercise regimens. The private session will generally set you back about $62 -- and some places insist on it before they let you attend the cheaper classes. EXPERTS"It's good to get understanding of why your shoulders are around your ears (often related to fear), your chin thrust in the air (you're expressing, "I'll rise above it all"), your shoulders rounded (can be related to depression) or your lower back hurts (usually related to sexual issues around holding back, holding on, holding tight, being in control)." AUDREY FULLERTON Psychotherapist, bioenergetic analyst "Standing straight as most people practise it compresses the mid- and low back, cuts off breathing and puts excess weight on the balls of the feet, leading to dropped metatarsals. When the force of gravity goes through the bones, little muscular effort is required to maintain good posture." MARION HARRIS Feldenkrais practitioner "The pelvis, spine and head all move in a wave motion together. When your head balances on top of that, you come move into your centre, and misaligned areas start to fall back into a better and more efficient place." MONICA BURR Mitzvah teacher "Not all Pilates instructors have the background to deal with a back problem. Find out if yours is certified, how long they trained (there's a two-day training out there) and if there was a strong functional anatomy component to the training." MOIRA STOTT-MERRITHEW Pilates instructor Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusettes What is the Feldenkrais Method? The concept behind the method is basically this: Your body tends to fall into habitual ways of doing everything from looking down when you tie your shoes to shifting your weight as you stand grating cheese at the kitchen counter to picking up your cat. These ways of moving get the job done but typically call for far more strain than is necessary. You may not realize that you're unnecessarily tensing up certain parts of your body or that, in an effort to protect an injured area, you're putting undue stress on other areas. In Feldenkrais classes, the teacher's directions bring your awareness to the way you reach, turn, or bend, for instance, and enlighten you about other options -- perhaps a way to reach that lets your shoulder, back, and hips participate rather than overtaxing your elbow. Often, over the course of a class, you will integrate all the micromovements that go into one large motion so that it becomes smooth and almost effortless. In one-on-one sessions, your body absorbs a similar lesson through the gentle manipulations of a Feldenkrais practitioner. Would Feldenkrais help me? • If you have a chronic pain -- for example, recurring backaches, a knee that's never been the same since you twisted it skiing, an overuse injury like tennis elbow, or a constantly stiff neck -- some Feldenkrais sessions and classes could leave you feeling far fewer twinges and enjoying a greater range of motion. If you have chronic headaches, the therapy may alleviate them. If you recently injured yourself (maybe you twisted an ankle in aerobics class), Feldenkrais might let you get back in action much more quickly than if you simply rest. If you've developed a repetitive stress injury, your body could learn to perform the vexing movement without aggravating the area. If you have a physical problem or neurological disorder that makes it difficult for you to move in certain ways, the method is worth exploring. If you're an athlete or a performer, Feldenkrais may put you in better touch with your body; it can deepen your understanding of how you tend to move, help you slip out of restricting patterns, and enhance your coordination and balance. Ultimately you may run, dance, shoot baskets, or play the violin with more facility and grace. What should I expect in an individual
Feldenkrais session? At your first one-on-one session, expect to spend some time filling the practitioner in about what you want to improve. If you have a chronic ache, try to describe it clearly, explaining when it bothers you, how long it's been going on, and what makes it feel better. The practitioner may want to watch you walk around the room for a minute or see how you stand up and sit down. The session will last 45 minutes to an hour. You may sit or stand for it, but most commonly you'll lie down on a low padded table in the office. The practitioner will move your body in small ways, perhaps with a mere nudge to one hip, perhaps by picking up one of your limbs and rocking it back and forth. Nothing should hurt; the motions stay in the range your body allows. (Tell your practitioner right away if something feels bad.) Feel free to close your eyes and zone out. The tenet is that your body absorbs the information -- you don't need to consciously process it. Afterward, your practitioner may want to watch you walk again or may ask you whether anything feels different and, if so, how. Don't expect one session to resolve the dull pain you've had in your shoulder since you were on the basketball team in junior high. But if you like the subtle changes you notice after that first experience, you may want to commit to a number of weekly or even semiweekly sessions. Ask your practitioner to estimate how many it would take to get you on track and see whether the answer strikes you as reasonable. What should I expect in a Feldenkrais class? Even if you go back to the same teacher for several classes, each one will be a bit different. The teacher often will focus on a certain movement people use in everyday life, guiding you through small segments of it and having you try variations. For instance, you might be asked to lie on your back with your legs bent; the teacher might then tell you to lower your right leg to the side, then to lower both legs to that side, and then to draw other areas of your body -- like your abdomen or lower back -- into the movement. You may do a small move several times, concentrating on making it smooth and easy but never straining to do so. In between practicing an action like this, the teacher will have you rest for a few moments. Toward the end of the class, the teacher will spend some time bringing your attention to ways in which your body feels different from how it did at the beginning of class. As with the individual sessions, the changes will likely be subtle. If you take more classes and become more mindful of how you move, however, you may find that you feel distinctly better on a daily basis. Are there any dangers? How much does it cost? Classes are far more affordable, from about $10 to $25 a
shot. Some teachers let you buy a series that brings down the price per
class. If your budget doesn't allow for more than one or two individual
sessions, you may still benefit considerably from taking the classes.
Another good way to supplement sessions or classes is by using videotapes
at home. The Feldenkrais Guild of North America has an online catalog
of videos as well as audiocassettes and books; to check out the offerings,
go to How do I find a practitioner? However you get a practitioner's name and number, spend some time explaining your concerns when you first give him or her a call. If the practitioner doesn't seem to listen or fails to set you at ease, keep looking. How often do I need to take classes or have individual sessions
to benefit? -- Freelance writer and editor Tonia Moore is a former senior editor at Consumer Health Interactive. She also served as copy chief for Health magazine and as a lead copyeditor of The Self-Care Advisor (Time Inc. Health).
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