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RATINGS
This system of physical re-education, named after Dr Moshe Feldenkrais, was developed in the 1940s to explore body awareness, improve flexibility and confidence, and enhance well-being. Practitioners believe that certain habitual postures and movements reflect disruptions in the nervous system, and they teach students to identify and avoid them.
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| HISTORY
Moshe Feldenkrais was a Russian-born atomic physicist and engineer who worked in France until World War II, when he escaped to England. An enthusiastic soccer player and judo black belt, he began to study human movement when recovering from a serious knee injury. His work was initially based on observation of the spontaneous natural grace of children, which he supplemented with a study of anatomy, physiology, neurology, and psychology. In 1950, he settled in Israel, where he further developed his method and aimed at encouraging ease of movement with "minimum effort and maximum efficiency." He founded the Feldenkrais Institute in Tel Aviv in 1962, and also worked in the US and Europe, using his method to help in many neuromuscular conditions. There are now over 2,500 practitioners worldwide, particularly in Israel, the US, Australia, and Europe.
KEY PRINCIPLES
Coming soon.
EVIDENCE & RESEARCH Feldenkrais was noted for his work with severe neuromuscular disturbances, such as cerebral palsy, but the long-term results have not been well studied and there is no direct research on his method. There have been studies in areas such as educational psychology and rehabilitation.
MEDICAL OPINION
Most doctors would find the neurological theory behind the Feldenkrais method plausible and should have no serious medical objection to the use of the therapy alongside conventional physiotherapy. However, without medical research, doctors might hesitate to recommend the method for those with severe condition.
CONSULTING A PRACTITIONER Feldenkrais practitioners are essentially teachers of their method, preferring to talk of students or pupils rather than patients. Practitioners believe that our postures and movements reflect the state of our nervous system: for example, somebody suffering from depression often has hunched shoulders. The Feldenkrais method aims to improve physical and mental health by reprogramming movement patterns, and is based on two approaches. The first of these is known as "awareness through movement." It is designed to help you develop body awareness and increased mobility as part of a group by following the practitioner's instructions. This learning experience aims to replace old patterns of movement with new ones, improving breathing and circulation. It is said to benefit both mental and physical performance, and is often used by actors, dancers, and musicians.
The second approach is "functional integration," a one-to-one technique that uses touch and manipulation, and is tailored to your individual needs.
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Compatibility
