The Feldenkrais Method® is an innovative somatic educational practice that teaches you to move with greater freedom, ease, and awareness through gentle, exploratory movement. Created by Dr. Moshé Feldenkrais, a brilliant Israeli physicist, engineer, and judo master who developed the method in the mid-20th century while rehabilitating his own knee injuries, this approach works by re-educating your nervous system to break free from limiting movement patterns that contribute to pain and restriction. Drawing on his deep understanding of physics, biomechanics, and neuroscience, Feldenkrais recognised that the brain's remarkable capacity for neuroplasticity allows us to learn new, more efficient ways of moving at any age.

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The method is delivered through two complementary formats:

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Awareness Through Movement® (ATM) group classes are verbally guided explorations where you learn through your own movement discoveries. In these classes, you'll be led through carefully crafted movement sequences while lying on the floor, sitting, or standing. The practitioner provides gentle verbal cues and suggestions, inviting you to explore different ways of moving while paying attention to comfort, ease, and quality rather than achieving any particular outcome. These lessons might involve simple actions like reaching, rolling, or breathing, but they're designed to create profound shifts in how your nervous system organizes movement. The beauty of ATM is that you remain fully clothed and move entirely at your own pace, making it accessible regardless of your physical condition or mobility level.

 

Functional Integration® (FI) sessions are one-on-one lessons where the practitioner uses gentle, precise touch and movement to communicate directly with your nervous system. During these sessions, you remain fully clothed while the practitioner's hands guide you through movements, helping you experience new possibilities for organisation and function. The touch is non-invasive and respectful, more like a conversation between the practitioner's hands and your nervous system than traditional bodywork. FI sessions are particularly valuable for addressing specific movement challenges, recovering from injury, or enhancing performance in activities like playing music, sports, or daily tasks.

 

Both formats work together beautifully – ATM classes develop your ability to sense and self-correct, while FI sessions provide personalised guidance that can accelerate your learning and address individual needs. Many people find that combining both approaches creates the most comprehensive and lasting improvements in their movement and overall well-being.

 

Research has demonstrated significant benefits for people with chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and multiple sclerosis, with studies showing improved mobility, reduced pain levels, better balance, and decreased fatigue that lasted up to one year after treatment. (1)  

The method has gained particular recognition among professional musicians, where studies show that an average of 86% of professional orchestral musicians struggle with playing-related injuries, and Feldenkrais work has proven effective in improving technique, musical phrasing, tone quality, and overall performance while reducing injury risk. (2)

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Whether you're recovering from injury, managing chronic conditions, enhancing athletic or artistic performance, or simply seeking to move through daily life with greater comfort and confidence, the Feldenkrais Method offers a transformative pathway to rediscovering your body's natural intelligence and unlocking movement possibilities you may never have imagined.

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(1) https://achievingexcellence.com/feldenkrais-research/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37949579/

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(2) https://feldenkraisresearchjournal.org/index.php/journal/article/view/135