FELDENKRAIS: ONE OF THE WINNING WORDS

One of the winning words (it was a tie) in the June 2, 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee was ‘Feldenkrais’! How excited I was, knowing the contestant would ask for a definition and the entire world would soon learn something about the method. But when asked, the moderator said that Feldenkrais “really doesn’t have a definition” and then vaguely attempted a description. That prompted me to introduce the Feldenkrais Method® to those of you unfamiliar with it, while reminding those of you that know or have experienced it that we have four Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioners® at the Center and offer a Feldenkrais class every Wednesday at 10:00 am. The Feldenkrais Method® is an approach to movement re-education that re-awakens the body’s awareness of what is healthy.

The subtle, gentle and deliberate movements of Feldenkrais help re-train the brain to re-establish a healthier and pain-free way of using your body. Feldenkrais replaces old patterns of movement, while improving mobility, motor functioning, breathing, and blood circulation, as well as increasing self-awareness, ease and efficiency of movement. The results can be dramatic. In group classes, the instructor leads a sequence of gentle exercises that gradually evolve into greater range and complexity. These precisely structured movement explorations involve thinking, sensing, moving and imagining. Many lessons are based on developmental movements and ordinary functional activities (reaching, standing, lying down, sitting, looking behind, etc.); some are based on more abstract explorations of joint, muscle and postural relationships. In one-on-one treatment, the patient lies comfortably while the practitioner uses touch and tissue manipulation to gently guide the body through subtle yet precise movements that help forge new neural pathways to maintain movement and muscles to experience better ways to work. Feldenkrais helps people whose ability to move has been restricted by aging, injury, illness, disease or condition. Patients suffering with chronic or acute pain can also benefit. While Feldenkrais can bring immediate relief, it can also help avoid re-injury by teaching patients how to move in a better way so as to prevent problems in the future.

For more information, visit the Feldenkrais Method in the Wellness Village.