Group Feldenkrais Class to Support Therapy Clients
“Movement is life. Life is a process. Improve the quality of the process and you improve the quality of life itself.” – Moshe Feldenkrais
Unconditional positive regard through movement
The Feldenkrais method is a good resource for therapists and their clients, because, like therapy, it is built on trust that every person will naturally trend in a positive direction, if given an opportunity to become more aware of themselves in a supportive, non-judgemental environment.
The main principle of the Feldenkrais method is that increasing awareness of how a person moves will naturally (i.e. unconsciously) lead to improvement in the quality of movement, which leads to improvement in the overall state of the person (mental and physical).
A Feldenkrais lesson is constructed to help a person become more aware of how they move. To achieve that, lesson facilitated in a way that prioritizes sensing and feeling which is by it’s nature a personal experience that brings students into the present moment.
The teacher invites students to lie down on the floor and initiate simple functional movements such as sliding arms or legs, rolling head, tilting pelvis. Students are encouraged to move in their own natural way (no demonstration or correction by the teacher). Teacher guides students through a movement sequence while encouraging them to reduce the range and effort until the movements are easy to do. When the effort is minimal, awareness is naturally increased, because the nervous system can make more subtle distinctions between movements.
As the lesson continues, increased awareness naturally leads to improvement in how student feels: unnecessary tension is released, breathing is easier, posture, balance, and coordination are improved.
In this new state a person feels more at ease both physically and emotionally. Students describe this state as grounded, present, quiet, at ease, in agreement with oneself.
Unconscious change at the level of the nervous system integrates easier into daily life than adjustments that applied consciously. Relying on unconscious change frees the person up to attend to how they feel. Being immersed in sensing and feeling, without analysis and interpretation, helps a person be more present, more relaxed, more accepting of oneself and others in daily life.
Feldenkrais class experience naturally primes a person to be more aware of how they feel and choose more of the things and experiences that match them. Priming with experience is more subtle than priming with an idea. It’s more multidimensional and less invasive, because it includes you as a whole person. It is more like being inspired by spending time in nature, than inspired by reading an idea in a book: your state shifts, but there is no specific interpretation attached to the inspiration – you just feel better, more in tune with yourself and more aware of your environment.
Gentle non-corrective format is a great fit for people dealing with physical or emotional trauma, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent people.
Advantages of group Feldenkrais lessons:
– Easy to practice – no special equipment necessary (just some space on the floor and a soft mat to lie on).
– Short learning curve: to move as yourself(just smaller), you don’t need to master special moves of postures.
– Focusing on small subtle movements minimizes the risk of injury and makes practice accessible to most people.
– Works with the nervous system to create lasting improvements in posture, balance, coordination, self-regulation that goes beyond looser or stronger muscles.
Client Testimonials:
“Igor’s Feldenkrais classes have helped me to stay sane and in tune with my body during the pandemic. It’s just what I need whenever things get overwhelming. Enjoy every bit of it!” – Luisa Muhr
“I am always amazed at how much looser and how spacious my body feels after a session. It doesn’t seem logical that with such small, soft, quiet movements so much space is created.
“Not having a goal or a specific intention while moving (being) a certain way is very much different than my life approach. This idea is an immense opening for me.” – Jacqueline Rickard
“The guided Feldenkrais zoom lessons offer a unique break from my daily routine to observe a deep and subtle awareness of my body’s movements. With Igor’s patient guidance I discover where I carry tension and how I can transform that tension into ease. Post-lesson, I observe a fresh and lasting lightness of movement that carries into all of my activities” – Jack Storie
“Igor’s online classes have helped me get in touch with my subtle system and more connected to my body in a new way. As an athlete I had a different relationship with my body. It was about strengthening, intense stretching and workouts, etc without realizing there’s another system as you taught in the online Feldenkrais classes. Its been relaxing, effective and eye opening. Besides developing a more physically meditative relationship with my body, I’ve learned how to listen to the movement of the body without stress or strain and to listen to the subtle signals you have been teaching. It has also helped reduce and eliminate neck and shoulder tension.” – Jonathan Shorr