Discovering New Levels of Comfort and Ease through
THE FELDENKRAIS METHOD    
Joy Shellnut, PT, GCFP

As Phyllis walked into my Awareness Through Movement class, she seemed very small – hunched over seemingly fighting gravity with every step. When I asked the class members to lie comfortably on the floor, she looked anything but comfortable. Only her hips and mid-back were in contact with the floor. Pillows were needed to prop her legs, shoulders, and head. Phyllis was in her mid eighties and I was wary as to how adaptable her musculoskeletal system might be. I had just graduated from Feldenkrais Training Program and was teaching my first Awareness Through Movement class.

Awareness Through Movement and Functional Integration are two aspects of the Feldenkrais Method® developed by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, a physicist and a martial arts master.  When he injured his knee playing soccer in the 1930s, he was given the option of surgery with only a 50/50 chance for success. He elected to forego the surgery and began to explore movement that indirectly affected his knee. He came to understand the relationship of one body part to another and saw how movement initiated elsewhere in the body led toward recovery of the knee. This was the beginning of his discovery of Awareness Through Movement. He found it also enhanced his mental and emotional awareness.

In an Awareness Through Movement class the practitioner guides the students through small gentle movements designed to give new awareness of how the body functions. The student learns the difference between old patterns that have become dysfunctional and those that will result in healthier posture and movement. As the awareness increases, the body begins to reorganize itself in a more efficient and meaningful way, giving rise to more effortless function. Old habitual postures tend to fall away and the body chooses improved posture and movement simply because it has been given the choice.

Now back to Phyllis ... After six weeks of classes, Phyllis began to get more contact between the floor and her back. By the end of the series, she could lie comfortably outstretched with only a small pillow under her neck. This translated functionally into being able to stand up straight with significantly improved posture, balance, and ease of movement. Her once halting gait pattern had turned into graceful and confident movement.

Sometimes old habits cling because the person hasn’t had the opportunity to experience anything different. Whereas Awareness Through Movement is generally taught in a class setting, Functional Integration is a one-on-one session where the practitioner uses small gentle movements to show the student how it would feel to be better organized and integrated. Thus the student is able to experience this new level of organization personally. As the body shifts into a more efficient and effortless reorganization, possibilities of greater function come into the awareness. For example, you may have been told all your life to stand up straight but until you actually experience what it feels like without effort, it’s difficult to grasp the concept. Once you stand with the awareness you are straight without trying to make it happen, it’s a new revelation!  When this happens, a new kinesthetic or muscle awareness has developed. The student literally has a new sense of self. New habits can only be formed and become a part of one’s being when they can be interpreted and accepted as the new self.

The Feldenkrais Method® teaches clients how to let go of biomechanical and postural habits which may contribute to pain and dysfunction. This form of neuromuscular re-education helps people reorganize neurologically so that movement and posture become integrated for optimal function. The Feldenkrais Method® is effective for any client ranging form severe neurological impairment to athletes seeking to improve performance. Whether you are looking to support healing from injury or disease, or simply want to enhance your sense of well being, the Feldenkrais Method® can be an enjoyable journey. 

Joy Shellnut, PT, GCFP, is a Licensed Physical Therapist and Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner. She has worked in the field of healthcare for over 30 years, helping those with pain and neuromuscular concerns. Joy is available to see clients at Integrative Therapies, where most insurance is accepted. To learn more about the services offered at the center visit http://www.integrativetherapies.net/ or call (336) 294-0910.