Dr. Andrew Weil's
.-
l l a P rrl'l ;' t
Tlo
\ r Agi l q =
5 . ' l1l..T .': -c_!
- -6
q)
J-L
J-L JI-L 6
\:i)l I
s 5c.IJ!
.REATING NATURALHEALTHF.RY.UR B'DYAND MINDQI/
The FeldenlcraisMethod: MovrnqwrrlrEase
ave you ever watched a baby learn how to crawi, sit,
stand or walk? The FeldenkraisMethod" isbased on
the premise that we have all forgotten how to move
with such natural easeand awareness.By paying ciose attention to the signals our bodies give us and gently exploring new
ways of moving, claim practitioners, we can rediscoverth" fr"",
effortiesssenseof movement we had in the first few years of
life-and undo many of the aches and pains that plajue us as
adults who have become literally too set in our ways.
I have long been intrigued by this subtle form of retrainino
the nervous system,which I currentry recommend to patie"nts
whose movement has been restricted by injury cerebral palsy,
stroke, fibromyalgia, or chronic pain. (I frnd it be much moreuseful than standard physical therapy) I also believe that the
FeldenkraisMethod can help older people aehieve greater
range of motion and flexibility, and help all of us f"el -ore
comfortable in our bodies.
RnrnerurNc THENsnvous Sysruvr
Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais Ogoq-B+),a Russian-bornphysicist,
martial arts expert, and mechanical engineer,developed the
modality that bears his name to cure his own debilitatino
injury. As a young man, Feldenkrais moved to paris to aiuire
a doctorate in science from the sorbonne and arsoworkei with
Jigaro Kano, the developer of modern judo, to become one of
the first Europeansto earn a black beit. When a bus accident
around 1g4o aggravated an old knee injury and doctors told
him he would never walk again without surgery-which offered
only a 5o percent chance of success-Feldenkrais decided there
must be a better way. Drawing from his background in mar_
tial arts, physics, and engineering, as well as his observations
of children's movements,he used his body as a laboratory,
experimenting with minimal motions and carefully noting the
results.After months on this practice, he regained full use of
his knee and soon began teaching his discoveriesto friends.
Last year an interesting German study even found the
Feld"en_
krais Method to be a useful treatment for eating disorders:
Compared to a control group, the patients who attended
a
series of Feldenkraisclassesshowed increasedacceptance
of
their bodies, decreasedfeelings of helplessness,and
more self_
confident behavior.
A Movrrc ExpsnrrNcr
Feldenlcraiswork is taught in two different modes,
Aware_
nessThrough Movement group classesuse verbai
instruc_
tions to guide students in deceptiveiy simple floor
exercises,
using.common movements like bending, turningi leaning,
and breathing to help each person discover th" w"y,
h" J,
she moves most easily.In private..Functional Integration,,
sessions,the practitioner offers gentle hands_onguidance
in
performing movements that are tailored to the individual's
particular condition.
An initial private sessiontypically lasts 6o minutes and
begins
with a health history and a ,,body scan,,'with the practitionJr
guiding you in a series of self-observationsdesigned
to detect
areasof tension or dysfunction. Then the practitioner
asks you
to lie or sit on a low padded table, fully ciothed, and lightly
guides you in a fluid series of movements while
notlrrg and
avoiding, areasof strain. In working with someonewho has
arthritic pain in the hands, for example,the practitioner
might
help the client exploresubtlemovements involving the
hanis
but which don't stressthe affectedjoints. The client mlght
then be instructed to practice these movements at homl
until
the body "learns" them through repetition.
BecauseFeldenkraiswork is a learning process,most prac_
titioners recommend a minimum of four private ses_sions,
scheduled once or twice a week, in o.de. io affect a sustainabre
result. Some people with chronic pain or other serious
conditions opt for ongoing sessions. Another, less_expensrve
option
is to attend the group classes,which arenow being
off".uj in
settings from music schools to nursinghomes to holistic
hearth
centers.
Feldenkraisbelieved that most of us go through life using ha_
bitual patterns of movement that may be limiting or inefhcient.
We may have developed these patterns to compensatefor past
injuries cr learned them on the job (through performing repeti- Certified Feldenkraispractitioners must
compiete goo to L,ooo
tive motions or sitting for long periods). yet few of us reallv
hours of training over a three to four-year p".iod, involving
pay attention to how our bodies move until somethinq
both theoretical study and hands-on practice. To locate
hurts.
" q"r..hThe key to healing Feldenkrais felt, is learning to be J*"r"
fred instructor near you,contact the FeldenkratsGu;/d (Soo)
of
these unconscious patterns of movement, and experimentins
775-2rr9or (54r) 926-o98r;www.feldenkrais.com.While there is
with new possibilities until you frnd ways to move with the
no real substitute for working with a practitioner, I recommend
Ieast effort and strain. Through repetition, your body ,,learns,,
the clearly written book AwarenessFleols:rh e Ferd.enkrais
these new, more-efficient movements and can program the
Method for Dynamic Health,by Steven Shafarman (Addisonbrain and neryous system to incorporate them into your every_ Wesley,r997).It includes six basic lessons
to help you become
day functioning.
more aware of how you sit, walk, and otherwise move.
Today,there are more than t,ooo Feld.enkrai.s
Method practitioners working in the United States and Canada,l"ading
group classesand offering private sessionsto 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 yehuji
Menuhin,cellist Yo-YoM4 and basketball star Julius Erving),
who use it to improve coordination and enhance performance.
as well as actors who simply want to use their boji", *or"
gracefuily.
Reprctduce:cLwith pennrsszon frorrt Dr. An.clrew
Wc:i.l':; Sr.lflleal.tng
(May tgg}. SuL.scrzprtons {rorn. goo
lrz3-:Jzg6)
THE
FELDENKRAIS'
I N S T I T U T E
134West26th Street,SecondFlwr
NewYerk,
NY 10001
212-727-1014
www.Feldenkruisl
nstitute.com