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Celebrities including Yo-Yo Ma, Whoopi Goldberg, and Rene Russo are all longtime fans of the Feldenkrais Method. Find out why this decades-old functional movement therapy is shaking up the wellness world.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\nOn average, you probably spend a third of your day sitting behind a desk. But that\u2019s not all the sitting you might be doing. Maybe you spend another hour or two sitting in your car commuting to and from work. And if you have kids, you might spend a couple more hours each week cheering them on from the bleachers at various sporting events.<\/p>\n
So it\u2019s no wonder that your muscles feel extra stiff by the end of the day. A special type of movement therapy called the Feldenkrais Method may offer a powerful solution to relieving your aches and pains.<\/p>\n
What Is the Feldenkrais Method?<\/h2>\n
The Feldenkrais Method was first developed in the 1950s and is a gentle type of somatic movement \u2014 intentional movement that connects your mind and body. According to the International Feldenkrais Federation, the Feldenkrais Method was created by Israeli engineer and physicist Dr. Moshe<\/span> Feldenkrais. Feldenkrais developed this form of somatic movement therapy after a chronic knee injury threatened his ability to walk, prompting him to utilize his knowledge of physics, body mechanics, neurology, and psychology to relieve his own pain.<\/p>\n\u201cThe Feldenkrais Method is beneficial for pain relief, improving posture, helping trauma, reducing stress, improving the mind-body connection, and helping people sleep better,\u201d explains Dayana Pereira, a certified Feldenkrais practitioner in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. \u201cFeldenkrais is a neuroplasticity-based way to heal the body. We use the capacity of the brain to rewire the body to form new neural connections with the bone, muscle, fascia, and connective tissue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Feldenkrais instructors educate their clients to reconnect with \u2014 and become more aware of \u2014 their bodies so that they can move with greater efficiency and engage their muscles to prevent injury. And because Feldenkrais movements are typically slow, gentle, and easy to modify, the practice is accessible to people with a range of abilities. Exercises vary from session to session, but typically include movements like modified child\u2019s pose, gentle back stretches, and interlacing your fingers, along with deep breathing to heighten awareness and connect your body and mind. According to the official Feldenkrais website, there are \u201cno repetitive movements, and no physical conditioning is required,\u201d making it suitable for any age group and just about any fitness level.<\/p>\n
Interested in learning more? Check out\u00a0<\/strong>The Feldenkrais Way to Heal the Body<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Benefits of the Feldenkrais Method<\/h2>\n
\u201cOne of the things that happens with the brain is we go from fight-or-flight to rest and digest,\u201d says Pereira. \u201cGenerally, we create this down regulation of the central nervous system. What happens [with a Feldenkrais practice] is people relax. They have less stress. They have more dopamine, more serotonin, and more oxytocin naturally coming through and replacing those stress hormones. So, in that respect, it has the potential to help with almost anything because it\u2019s a respite from constant worry.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to a small study published in July 2000 in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies<\/em>, participants who followed the Feldenkrais Method reported significantly lower anxiety levels than the control group (who received no treatment) after completing the fourth intervention.<\/p>\nBecause a Feldenkrais practice is unique to each individual client, the outcome is also unique to each person, Pereira says. \u201cWe don\u2019t try to fix the person,\u201d she stresses. \u201cWe observe what is happening, support them, and find alternatives to feel better that are different and more efficient, and are recognized by the brain as more life-giving. It\u2019s a process of noticing what\u2019s happening in your body, supporting it with radical compassion and proposing a new way.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Feldenkrais is a neuroplasticity-based way to heal the body. It uses the capacity of the brain to rewire the body to form new neural connections with the bone, muscle, fascia, and connective tissue.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
That said, the Feldenkrais Method is mostly known to help reduce stress and anxiety by practicing a series of slow, gentle movements to help bring more awareness to your muscles, joints, and breath.<\/p>\n
In addition, recent research has shown that the Feldenkrais Method has been especially helpful for older adults and people with neurodegenerative diseases. For example, a systematic review published in October 2022 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health<\/em> found that the alternative movement patterns used in the Feldenkrais Method significantly improved pain, posture,\u00a0functional balance and mobility, and perceived exertion in people suffering from pain, Parkinson\u2019s disease, or multiple sclerosis.<\/p>\nAccording to the Feldenkrais website, this occurs by having the teacher interrupt habitual patterns that decrease balance, mobility, and posture by working in other orientations, like sitting in a chair or lying down. In these lessons, there\u2019s a focus on both your center of mass and base of support, and how they relate to each other to improve your overall coordination and safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMovement is a great way to do mindful awareness and shape the brain, so a method that promotes mindfulness and incorporates movement would be complementary with therapy,\u201d says Andrada Neacsiu, PhD, a clinical psychologist with a focus on neuroscience-informed treatment at Duke University. \u201cWe tell people often to include relaxation and pleasant activities in their everyday lives to reduce stress, depression, and anxiety. If this method falls under one of those categories \u2014 it\u2019s relaxing or pleasant \u2014 or it gives the person a sense of mastery when they engage in it, then it fits very well with what a psychologist would prescribe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
How to Incorporate the Feldenkrais Method Into Your Routine<\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re interested in trying the Feldenkrais Method, you can opt to take a group or private class in person or online. Group classes usually give verbal guidance, but don\u2019t involve any hands-on adjustments or personalized treatment. You simply follow your instructor\u2019s cues as they walk you through various Feldenkrais micro-movements \u2014 small movements like back bends and gentle arm stretches done very slowly throughout the session. Practitioners refer to these classes as Awareness Through Movement, or ATM.<\/p>\n
When you have a private one-on-one session with a practitioner, it is called functional integration. The practitioner personalizes a routine based on your individual health concerns and needs. These sessions include verbal cues as well as gentle touch on a massage table, and are designed to help make you more aware of where you carry stress and tension. Through movement, you\u2019ll open up these areas to relieve chronic pain and make changes to your daily life to help prevent injury and pain.<\/p>\n
What Happens in a Feldenkrais Session?<\/h2>\n
Every Feldenkrais session is different, even if you\u2019re working with the same practitioner, but there are a few things that stay consistent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you work with a practitioner, they make the effort of carrying that movement,\u201d explains Pereira. \u201cThe practitioner is supporting you in a way that is very physical.\u201d<\/p>\n
For example, if you have a tendency to shrug your shoulders, the practitioner will hold your shoulder and make it easier for you to move until your brain relaxes the muscle and the shoulder is free again. If you’re doing it to yourself, you hold your shoulder and become more aware of it. Then, you move your shoulder a little bit with your head or your chest until you can relax it.<\/p>\n
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