So just what the heck is Feldenkrais®??
I like to call it lazy person’s exercise. More akin to Mindfulness Meditation than anything you’d do at the gym, it’s a call to pay attention to what you are doing so you can identify habits and patterns that are keeping you from doing what you want – and then swap out those habits for actions that support you in achieving your goals and dreams. The Feldenkrais Method® uses movement as its foundation, its “in” so to speak. After all, if you’re going to attend you’ve got to attend to something. Why not movement?
In Awareness Through Movement® classes, you spend a great deal of time rolling around on the floor just noticing what it is you are doing and how you are doing it. Sometimes you do very complex movements but you do them slowly and in a way that makes the learning about what you do both pleasurable and comfortable. We call all this lolling about “lessons” because each orchestrated sequence of movements teaches something about the harmonious function of your body. These lessons also cause the brain to wake up, pay attention and make new connections aka “learn”. Lessons start out simple, gradually building in complexity. You never do more than you can easily do. As you do, what you can do with ease changes and you begin to surprise yourself with your own ability. How does that happen? Simply, as you begin to pay attention, you quickly discover how much extra work you are doing, When you let that go, amazing things begin to happen. You breathe easier, stand taller, move more gracefully, feel less stressed.
If you live or work in the Rochester NY area and would like to find out more about Awareness Through Movement® classes, get in touch.