Feltgreys

“Everyone moves, feels, thinks, speaks in their own way, according to the image they have formed of themselves throughout their lives. In order to change the way they do things, they have to change the image of themselves change what he carries within himself.” Moses Feldenkrais

The physicist dr. Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984) was the founder of Feldenkrais bodywork. He combined his knowledge of Far Eastern martial arts (Judo, Jiu-Jitsu) with his knowledge of physics, mechanics and electrical engineering as well as anatomy and behavioral physiology. Feldenkrais recognized early on that a person’s inner experience is the measure of his actions. “We act according to the image we make of ourselves”. The concept of self-image includes the four dimensions of sensory perception, feeling, thinking and moving.

The Feldenkrais concept

The Feldenkrais concept is based on the assumption that most people, even as young adults, unconsciously use the same movement patterns again and again in certain situations. An example:  wrinkles Do you clasp your hands as if in prayer and notice which thumb is in front and which of the two little fingers is behind? Release your hands and fold them the other way around: if the left thumb was in front and the right pinky behind the first time, now it must be the other way around. Most of them feel irritated by this exercise because they are not used to folding their hands “wrong way”. Often, however, a movement that has been learned does not make any sense at all, because the same goal – for example lifting a crate of drinks – could be achieved with a different, “more intelligent” movement sequence with far less effort. According to Feldenkrais’ theory, a person’s movements also express their mood and state of mind.

For whom are Feldenkrais courses suitable?

The Feldenkrais bodywork should help to recognize ingrained movement patterns and to change them step by step. The Feldenkrais Method teaches you to become more flexible physically, mentally and spiritually. It is suitable for everyone – regardless of age, previous knowledge or physical constitution. The exercises are particularly suitable for anyone who suffers from muscle tension, back and  joint pain  or  tension headaches  and would like to relax through body work. They improve balance in patients with  multiple sclerosis  and are generally suitable to relieve  stress to dismantle But people who want to learn new movement sequences can also benefit from a Feldenkrais course. Through mindful movement sequences, you learn how to direct your own learning, refine your body awareness and thus achieve more well-being and mobility.

The Feldenkrais exercises

Feldenkrais can be practiced in a group (“Awareness through Movement”) or as individual work (“Functional Integration”).

• “Functional integration”  refers to individual work. The exercises are individually tailored to the participants. The teachers guide and provide assistance, but do not show how the exercise is done “right”. The assistance should lead to an improvement in the movement sequences. Individual therapy is particularly suitable for people with serious health problems (accident victims, pain patients and people with spastic paralysis). Since the teacher gives the instructions without words, the method is also very suitable for people with speech or hearing impairments.
• “Awareness through movement” : In the group work, verbal instructions are given for movement sequences in different positions, eg lying down, sitting, standing. Many Feldenkrais lessons are based on the development of movements in children, eg rolling, crawling, sitting up, standing up, walking, running. There are more than 15 positions, from lying to standing, even headstand, and include all imaginable movement patterns.

What does Feldenkrais work do?

• Relief of tension and pain
• Improving self-confidence and self-acceptance
• Increase in autonomy and sense of responsibility
• Better learning ability in all areas (learning to learn)
• Learning from previously inaccessible patterns of perception and action
• Recognizing and creating connections
• Increase in performance, endurance, well-being and vitality
• Increased flexibility in physical, mental and spiritual terms
• Better movement economy and quality of movement

Which diseases can it specifically help with?

• for all stress disorders
• for tension in the neck and back muscles
• in multiple sclerosis
• with  back pain