Feldenkrais Method
The Feldenkrais Method is a self-education system designed to enhance the connection between the mind and body through movement. Developed by Moshé Feldenkrais, a physicist and engineer, this method aims to promote improved balance, coordination, flexibility, and overall well-being by reestablishing natural movement patterns. The practice is typically conducted in two formats: Functional Integration, which involves personalized, hands-on guidance from a certified instructor, and Awareness Through Movement, which consists of group sessions where participants are verbally led through various movements.
While the method is often applied for pain relief, tension reduction, and addressing various neurological and orthopedic conditions, including depression and Parkinson's Disease, it is not a substitute for conventional medical treatment. Observational studies suggest that it may improve mobility and reduce pain, particularly in older adults. Practitioners of the Feldenkrais Method must undergo extensive training and certification, which typically takes three to four years. The approach emphasizes gentle movement, ensuring that participants should not experience pain during practice, thus fostering a safe and supportive environment for personal exploration and growth.
Feldenkrais Method
DEFINITION: A self-education system focusing on the relationship between mind and body.
PRINCIPAL PROPOSED USES: Balance, coordination, flexibility, pain relief, tension reduction
OTHER PROPOSED USES: Depression, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, orthopedic problems, stroke, neurological conditions, injury relief, stress, trauma, Parkinson's Disease
Overview
The Feldenkrais method of mind/body education was developed by Moshé Feldenkrais, a physicist and engineer. The basic idea of the method is that focusing on the connection between the mind and body movement causes new patterns of movement to form, restoring the body to the way it is meant to move. This reversion promotes improved movement, brain function, and general well-being.
Mechanism of Action
The Feldenkrais method is practiced in two ways: by functional integration and awareness through movement.
Functional integration involves personal, one-on-one training in which an instructor gives a student hands-on instruction in developmental movement. In this type of instruction, the teacher touches the student and helps them move through body awareness; the student remains fully clothed. This type of session focuses on whatever agility problems the student is experiencing, but it is most often focused on eliminating excess effort and moving more easily.
Awareness through movement is a group session in which an instructor verbally guides students through developmental movement. Though the instructions are directed at a group, individuals are encouraged to discover and be aware of their own personal body movement and development.
Uses and Applications
Through his awareness of the body-mind connection and his practice of movement, Feldenkrais came to believe that one could improve balance, coordination, and flexibility and relieve pain, tension, and stress. He also believed that a person could overcome many neurological and physical problems by focusing on this connection, which creates pathways that affect movement.
Scientific Evidence
The type of hands-on instruction that helps define the Feldenkrais method is challenging to evaluate by methods, such as a double-blind trial. (It would be impossible to give some people real instruction on the method while others receive something else.) However, a few observational studies have shown a relationship between Feldenkrais practice and improved balance and mobility and the relief of pain and stress, particularly in older adults or others whose movement is limited. While the Feldenkrais method claims a long list of physical and mental benefits, as well as claims to contribute to overall well-being, it should not be considered a replacement for conventional medicine when necessary.
Choosing a Practitioner
Feldenkrais practitioners are certified through the Feldenkrais Guild of North America. Certification takes three to four years and involves 800 hours of training in Feldenkrais methods and a period of practice and application under supervision. Possibly the most important factor in choosing a practitioner, however, particularly for functional integration, is the person’s comfort level with the instructor.
Safety Issues
The Feldenkrais method focuses on gentle movements, so there should be no pain involved in practice.
Bibliography
"About the Feldenkrais Method." Instituto Feldenkrais. www.feldenkrais-institute.com/about-the-feldenkrais-method/. Accessed 9 Sept. 2024.
Barragan, Pat. "The Feldenkrais Method." Parkinson's Resource Organization, 1 Dec. 2012, www.parkinsonsresource.org/news/articles/the-feldenkrais-method/. Accessed 9 Sept. 2024.
Beringer, Elizabeth, editor. Embodied Wisdom: The Collected Papers of Moshé Feldenkrais. North Atlantic Books, 2010.
Feldenkrais, Moshé. Awareness Through Movement: Easy-to-Do Health Exercises to Improve Your Posture, Vision, Imagination, and Personal Awareness. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1991.
Feldenkrais, Moshé. The Elusive Obvious: The Convergence of Movement Neuroplasticity and Health. Somatic Resources, 2019.
Feldenkrais, Moshé. The Potent Self: A Study of Spontaneity and Compulsion. Frog Books, 2002.
Giorgi, Valeria, et al. "Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement Intervention for Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Proof-of-Concept Study." Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, vol. 36, 2023, pp. 320-326. Elsevier, doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2023.08.001. Accessed 9 Sept. 2024.
"IFF Feldenkrais Research Journal." International Feldenkrais Federation. feldenkrais-method.org/research/journal/. Accessed 9 Sept. 2024.
Sutton, Jeremy, and Maike Neuhaus. "What Is the Feldenkrais Method & Is It Effective?" PositivePsychology.com, 10 Jan. 2024, positivepsychology.com/feldenkrais-method. Accessed 9 Sept. 2024.
Wyszynski, Marek. "The Feldenkrais Method for People with Chronic Pain." Pain Practitioner, vol. 20, no. 1, 2010, pp. 56-61.