Feldenkrais — It’s Not Just Physical ;)

A colleague of mine, Dorothy Fitzer in San Francisco, published something on her blog the other day that she’s permitted me to share with you here…

She wrote:

“I had a couple of interesting encounters this week that inspired me to write this blog. The first, was discussing with a client in Norway (via Skype) the reasons (physical, emotional, and mental) why I was referring her to some Feldenkrais lessons. I was so touched at the time by what came out of my mouth, I even found myself saying to her in the moment “Wow, I need to write this down!”

Then, a couple of days later, I was working with another client of mine who likes to focus on working with the body-centered and energetic aspects of what I do. When the topic of Feldenkrais came up, he said “But isn’t that just physical?” . . . . To which I replied (after one of my raised eyebrow-ed smirks) “Have we met?” We had a good chuckle.

So, No — the Feldenkrais Method is most definitely NOT just a physical thing. (To be honest, you’d have to REALLY be compartmentalizing for anything to be just physical.) And here are but just a few of the top reasons I LOVE it, integrate it into what I do, and refer so many people to it:

1) On a Physical Level

~ It’s one of the easiest ways I know to help people relax, get present, and release stress.

~ It’s one of the best things I know for chronic pain.

~ It’s excellent in assisting people in releasing habitual holding and movement patterns while developing new, more flexible, pleasurable, and functional ones.

2) On the Emotional Level

~ These holding and movement patterns are strongly linked the our psychological structure — how we consciously and unconsciously feel and ourselves and the world; past unresolved traumas, relationships, events; general ways we’ve been socialized and “domesticated” to fit into our society. By shifting the physical patterns, we shift our very felt sense of ourselves and how we feel and interact in the world.

~ By loosening up the physical tissues of our bodies, we begin to access and release long-held, unresolved emotions and experiences.

~ By feeling more balanced, comfortable, grounded, and masterful in our bodies, our mood, sense of self, ability to face challenges, as well as ability to love, relate, and set appropriate boundaries improves.

3) On the Mental Level

~ By using a learning method that focused on the person’s felt sense of things vs being told what is right or wrong, it helps to grow greater skills of assessment, awareness, and curiosity. We begin to regain what we were born into — an amazing ability to learn when left to our natural devices.

~ We literally increase our brain and nervous systems neural plasticity — by exploring new patterns of movement, in new situations and orientations, experimenting with multiple options of movement as well as how it may be paired with the breath.

~ By being encouraged to follow our own sense of things, we strengthen our sense of inner authority and begin to better trust our abilities to assess, make choices, and self-regulate.

And this is my Short List!

My Love for the Feldenkrais Method is definitely not just physical. And it’s a love that only deepens as the years pass and I discover more ways it serves to help me and my clients.”