Movement is Life with the Feldenkrais Method®

Balance & Uprightness - Eyes & Pelvis

A Feldenkrais ATM with Nikhila Em Ludlow.

The eyes and the pelvic floor have many different functions, but one they share is the sense of balance and uprightness so needed for ease of orientation in space.

Counting Out Seconds

Feldenkrais Lesson with Scott Clark

The Feldenkrais Method enables us to explore a huge range of human behaviour, from aspects of anatomy and movement to more abstract issues like attention. Indeed, attention is the primary tool by which the Method works; in that, it is somewhat similar to meditation.

Here is a story from the Buddhist tradition that may be useful: a musician asked the Buddha to explain meditation. The Buddha said “You are a lute player; meditation is like tuning the lute. Your attention must not be too tight, nor must it be too loose!”

This lesson explores exactly that - a way to tune your attention. It’s done while sitting, so find a chair or stool with a more or less flat, level seat, and sit with your feet in good contact with the floor. I hope you find the lesson enjoyable & useful!

From the 2024 series for International Feldenkrais Awareness Week, "Transitions”

Lesson courtesy of www.feldenkrais.co.uk

Rolling from Side to Front

Feldenkrais Lesson with Hannah Wheeler

In walking we make a series of mini transitions, shifting our weight from foot to foot, one leg must be stable for the other to move freely. This Awareness Through Movement lesson explores how we can find more clarity of movement in the hip joints and pelvis to discover more ease in walking. In this lesson we lie on the side and explore ways to gently roll toward front lying, sensing and releasing muscle holding that is getting in our way. This is one of my favourite lessons for finding a more dynamic and grounded standing posture after - the movements we play with while lying down help us sense where our hip joints are so we can move in smoother more efficient ways. 

I recommend taking a little time to walk after. As you transition from lying to standing and walking, notice if there is more simplicity and ease to the action of walking. As you also transition from this short time of sensing yourself moving to also paying attention to the world around you as you walk, can you retain some attention to the sensations in your body? How does this feel to you now? 

Take the lesson at your own pace, adapt it if you need and listen to what feels right for you from the inside.

From the 2024 series for International Feldenkrais Awareness Week, "Transitions”

Lesson courtesy of www.feldenkrais.co.uk

Smooth Eye Tracking

Feldenkrais Lesson with Kristin Fredricksson

In 'Seeing to Infinity', we play with how the way we transition the eyes through space influences our movement and how we feel in the world. Improving tracking with the eyes improves the quality and smoothness of movement generally. This can help us feel safer and calmer in our environment. As with any lesson, and especially any with the eyes, go easily and slowly and rest when you need to.

From the 2024 series for International Feldenkrais Awareness Week, "Transitions”

Lesson courtesy of www.feldenkrais.co.uk

Are you ready to stand up?

Feldenkrais Lesson with Josephine Horder

Josephine Horder, professional cellist and Feldenkrais practitioner

 

This is an 18 minute lesson exploring the role of feet in alert sitting and readiness to stand up.

 

Moshe Feldenkrais proposed that a hallmark of an efficient action is that it requires no preparatory adjustment. In light of this, the question becomes - are your feet positioned in such a way that you are ready to stand up? Or even - is the whole of you connected to your feet so that you are poised and ready to stand up?

 

As a cellist, I have had a career-long apprenticeship in sitting. It has been a revelation to discover how much feet can contribute to efficient action; they are an essential component in alert sitting, a sense of readiness and freedom to move in any direction, an ‘antidote’ to a state of inertia. By actively connecting with the floor, the feet can fire up an anti-gravity energy into the hip joints, pelvis and spine, providing a living ‘launchpad’ for poised sitting and readiness for action.

 

From the 2024 series for International Feldenkrais Awareness Week, "Transitions”

Lesson courtesy of www.feldenkrais.co.uk

Spring Awakening - Sensing Ground Forces

Feldenkrais lesson with Sharon Gimpel

A short lesson exploring the force coming from the ground through the whole body - a world of connection from foot to pelvis through the spine to the head.

Feldenkrais said that babies are already preparing for learning to walk when they are on their backs playing and exploring gravity. I still remember the joy and surprise on my daughter’s face when, as a baby, she pushed her foot into the ground and felt her head moving - that’s the beginning of eventually standing and moving upright. This lesson is a short example of this theme on which Feldenkrais built so many of his lessons.

From the 2024 series for International Feldenkrais Awareness Week, "Transitions”

Lesson courtesy of www.feldenkrais.co.uk

From Side to Back

Feldenkrais lesson with Shelagh O'Neill

Moving from one thing to another - we do it all the time. 

This simple lesson, moving from side to back, can help us understand how clear articulation can make any transition easier. 

Managing transitions is a great test of resilience and flexibility. How quickly do we go? So quickly we can’t really manage the change? (perhaps we’d rather not dwell too long). Or so slowly we forget the intention? And apart from speed, what other factors seem relevant - comfort, attention?

Understanding the range of movement possibilities can help us find the way to do something with clarity and focus.

This lesson is a brief dip into the way the Feldenkrais Method brings freedom of action - not only in physical movement, but the way we think about enacting change.

 

From the 2024 series for International Feldenkrais Awareness Week, "Transitions”

Lesson courtesy of www.feldenkrais.co.uk

A Fresh Look at Standing

Feldenkrais Lesson with Scott Clark

Feldenkrais lessons are conversations that we have with a part of ourselves we don’t know very well. This lesson is done in Standing.

From the 2023 series for International Feldenkrais Awareness Week, "Learning with Curiosity”

Lesson courtesy of www.feldenkrais.co.uk

Comfortable with the Unknown

Feldenkrais Lesson with Ana Stojadinovic

In this lesson we are exploring the foot and its movements in space. Lying on the front.

From the 2023 series for International Feldenkrais Awareness Week, "Learning with Curiosity”

Lesson courtesy of www.feldenkrais.co.uk

Drawing Circles in the Cosmos

Feldenkrais Lesson with Alan Caig Wilson

Alan explores the uncertainty in balance based on his own lived experience. The lesson can be done in a wheelchair, chair or lying on the floor.

From the 2023 series for International Feldenkrais Awareness Week, "Learning with Curiosity”

Lesson courtesy of www.feldenkrais.co.uk