“Nothing is permanent about our behavior patterns except our belief that they are so.” Moshe Feldenkrais
The Feldenkrais Method was created by Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984), a physicist and prominent judoka. After a serious knee injury, he noticed that his posture, the way he moved and his mental well-being all had an impact on his joint. Passionate about neuroscience and psychology, but also a specialist in self-defence techniques and combat sports, he developed a gentle method of Awareness Through Movement, based on feeling, effort reduction and self-learning.
Functional Integration
In a Functional Integration lesson, the Feldenkrais teacher’s touch reflects to the student how they currently organize their body and actions. They suggest, through gentle touch and movement, expanded possibilities for new movement patterns which are more comfortable, efficient, and useful. Functional Integration lessons are flexible in their approach, determined by the student’s needs. The student may lie comfortably on a table designed specifically for the work, or do some of the lesson sitting or standing. As needed, the teacher may also use various props to support the student’s comfort, to make certain movements easier, or to clarify a movement.