What
is Feldenkrais?
Feldenkrais is a method of movement re-education. The work is gentle
yet precise in the way that it stimulates change in the nervous system,
improving ease of movement and coordination in the body. Feldenkrais
provides a means of altering unconscious, dysfunctional patterns which
cause the body to work against itself.
Who would benefit from The Feldenkrais Method? Feldenkrais
would be of interest to anybody wishing to learn to use their body
with greater ease and mobility, and specifically to those with posture
or movement diffculites or those experiencing muscular-skeletal pain.
The method can be helpful at any age. Kelly Beale has worked with
clients or students aged 8 months to 80 years.
Feldenkrais promotes change in chronic tension
patterns caused by long term stress or injury.
Feldenkrais is effective in relieving muscular-skeletal, and
neuro-muscular pain, and in improving movement dysfunction.
Feldenkrais promotes relaxation and is a useful tool in stress
management.
Feldenkrais facilitates better muscle balance and a more relaxed
and aligned posture.
There are Two Approaches to The Feldenkrais Method:
- Functional Integration: In these individual sessions
the practitioner utilizes gentle touch, movement, verbal directions
as well as support and movement of the limbs and torso in order
to release restrictions and to offer the body alternatives to
chronic muscle contraction, or 'holding patterns', which create
pain and limit mobility. A session is tailored to specific needs
and is about an hour long. Because these sessions `teach' the
nervous system, changes often continue to take place over a period
of days.
- Awareness: Through Movement In this group approach the
lessons are verbally directed and each class develops a different
function. Through attentive repetitions of simple movements, undesirable
patterns of muscle tension are 'unlearned'. In working with one's
kinesthetic awareness within the range of comfort, flexibility
is increased, not through stretching, but through exploring alternatives
and increasing one's consciousness of how the body works. By engaging
the whole organism - the nervous system, the musculature, and
the skeleton - in harmonious and focused movement, the exercises
become easy and pleasurable.
Feldenkrais
at Kachina:
Kelly
Beale, MT, Phone: 488-1074
