Home  |  About Feldenkrais  |  About Me  |  My Philosophy  |  For Singers  |  Testimonials  |  Links  |  Contact

More often than not when we are unable to accomplish a task it is the outcome of too much effort and a conflicted organization of mind and body, not, as is often believed, too little effort or weak muscles. The Feldenkrais Method is an approach that can be applied to any obstacle, whether it be in the realm of singing, dancing, golfing, or walking, balancing and bending to tie a shoe. I like to quote A.A. Milne in his classic, "Winnie the Pooh."

Here is Edward Bear (Pooh) coming downstairs, bump, bump, bump on the back of his head behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs. But sometimes he feels that there is really another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it.

Most of us don't bump down the stairs like Edward Bear, but we all have habitual ways of moving and thinking that limit our success and comfort, and which, over time, create pain or difficulty. The Feldenkrais Method offers a means to learn how to find another way of coming down the stairs when we no longer want to bump our heads. This kind of learning occurs when we increase our awareness of how we do what we do so that we can do what we want. This kind of learning occurs when we slow down long enough to determine if we even know what we want to do. Moshe Feldenkrais, with a background in engineering, physics, early childhood development and judo, created a method that allows people (including me) to return to the right brain-dominated stage of early learning, encourages a creative trial-and-error approach to learning new skills and supports developing a neutral internal observer. This approach gradually freed me from my overly developed and crippling internal judge. Feldenkrais' understanding of the non linear and indirect nature of learning, and the sometimes invisible building blocks leading to the developmental hops such as rolling, sitting up etc., helped me to undo years of ever tighter muscles and joints and limitations. And it can for you too. The Feldenkrais Method is presented in two formats: Awareness Through Movement® (ATM) and Functional Integration® (FI). All lessons are designed to be non-judgmental, non-competitive and self-directed so that you progress at your own pace. You are encouraged to connect with a sense of who you are, what you want and how you can thrive in a complex, ever-changing world. Awareness Through Movement classes consist of a series of verbally directed and carefully structured movement sequences involving the body and the imagination. There are hundreds of lessons done in a variety of positions (lying down, sitting, standing) which address a range of functions necessary for the safe, effective and powerful use of one's self. Functional Integration is a private lesson, a one-to-one, hands-on session tailored to your individual needs.