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The Feldenkrais
Method® can be really helpful for pain - pain that limits your ability to
move – ie back pain, knee pain, neck or shoulder problems, etc. It can
also be really great for helping you improve your performance – say if
you’re a dancer or some kind of athlete or do a job that requires
specific (and often repetitive) body movements.
In working with Feldenkrais you engage deeply with your nervous system –
it has become well-known for its’ success in working with neurological
and developmental conditions, such as Stroke, Cerebral Palsy, Scoliosis.
It re-educates.
The primary tools are movement, and awareness. "When
you don’t know how you do what you do, you can’t do what you want" is
something Dr Moshe Feldenkrais (the creator of the Method) would often
say.
You can either participate in 'Awareness Through
Movement©'
classes – in which a group would be verbally guided through sequences of
gentle movements. These are normally performed lying down. There are
many thousands of such lessons to explore.
Or, you can take individual sessions in 'Functional
Integration©' which are fully-clothed, hands-on sessions
tailored specifically to your particular needs and are recommended for
working with specific issues.
A session typically lasts an hour, beginning with some
discussion, usually followed by some simple movement exploration in
standing or sitting, and then you will lie on either a low table or the
floor. The practitioner will then use her hands to move you gently,
further exploring movement patterns, encouraging, supporting and
guiding. The work addresses your habitual posture and movements,
exploring your normal ones, and introducing new ones – increasing your
‘movement repertoire’, creating more choice. When you stand up again,
typical results may include better balance, increased flexibility,
agility, co-ordination, strength and/or stamina.
Benefits the following conditions:
- Chronic back pain
- Repetitive strain injuries ie carpal tunnel, frozen shoulder
- Neurological and developmental disorders ie Multiple Sclerosis,
Cerebral Palsy, Stroke, ME, Scoliosis
- Rehabilitation – from injuries and surgery
- Development of existing or professsional skills ie sports, music,
computer
- Stress, depression, tension, anxiety, insomnia.
You can expect to feel at least relaxed after a
session or a class. As well as resolving pain, Feldenkrais can reduce
stress, and is effective in resolving emotional trauma. There are
usually psychological benefits as well. One of my clients - a writer,
editor and facilitator. said, after our third session “my ability to
think through problems has increased dramatically - ‘I can think in
straight lines!’”.
Dr Feldenkrais held an interesting definition of a
healthy person “One who can recover quickly from the knocks and shocks
of life, and live his/her vowed and unavowed dreams”. He also would say
"What I need is flexible minds, not flexible bodies".
Group classes tend to cost anywhere from £4 - £10 and
are either an hour or an hour and a half, and are often taught as series
lasting a term or half-term.
Individual sessions can cost between £25 and £55 and
are usually one hour duration. The number of sessions required varies
considerably, but 10 sessions would be a good rule-of-thumb. You are
always welcome to try just one.
It is recommended that you choose a guild registered
practitioner who will have completed a full four year Feldenkrais
training programme.
Contributed by:
Nikhila M Ludlow, FG (UK)
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