Feldenkrais Practitioner
WHAT IS FELDENKRAIS?
The Feldenkrais Method is created by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984); engineer, physicist and one of the first European’s with a black belt in Judo. Feldenkrais classes are movement education classes taught in a group or in one on one sessions. The aim is to increase the student’s awareness of their body and movement and through this process to attain a larger movement repertoire and a more flexible body. An increased awareness of self as an independent entity and as an entity interacting with the outside world results in more efficient use of the body and improved wellbeing.
Why do Feldenkrais?
Join me for class if you are curious about your body, want to learn how to achieve more with less effort, have a more graceful posture and ergonomic movement.We are all born intelligent and we are all human to the same extent; and being human not only comes with the innate ability to learn and to keep learning throughout the course of our lifetime, but also with the necessary survival mechanism of creating habit. The Feldenkrais Method teaches us how to keep learning into old age, how to question the habits we carefully build, and how to discard the habits that no longer do us good and create new ones. The result is a more flexible mind, body and self, ready to adapt to different situations.
How I became a Feldenkrais Practitioner?
Feldenkrais started as a personal thing. I was 25, had just finished cooking school, and was totally disillusioned with the cooking world. Unemployed and with no idea what professional direction to pursue, I filled my days with lots of dance and exercise classes. One day I attended a trial Feldenkrais class. I will never forget the feeling when I got up after the class. I was standing firmly on my own two feet with security and that for me was a really big deal. The world looked more beautiful and I felt I was closer to myself.I started taking weekly classes, and literally the hour of class plus a few hours after were the best hours of my week. A year later I enrolled in the four year training program, not knowing where it would lead me but sure that I had found a method that revered all human beings in the most non- judgmental way. I am a practitioner as of October 2015; I am still in utter awe of this work and of Moshe’s genius, and as curious as I was when I first started.
CLASS
If there is something in particular that you wish to explore, understand, discover; an injury you are recovering from; a specific area you are suffering chronic pain in; and think that having an interaction with a practitioner will enable you to move faster in the direction you want, try a private lesson. If, on the other hand, you are up to having a conversation with yourself, you feel you can take the responsibility of discovering experientially what your body needs, enrol in the weekly group classes.Individual
The individual lessons are called Functional Integration, FI. During the individual lesson, the student is passive and the teacher interacts with and moves the student. The lesson takes place on a table, much like a massage table but firmer and the student is clothed in comfortable garments. The teacher observes through touch and vision the student’s movement patterns and introduces new ones wherever possible.
Contact me via email or phone if you are interested in private lessons.
* Lessons are an hour long
* Please bring clean socks and make sure to be wearing comfortable and warm clothing.
Group
The group classes are called Awareness Through Movement, ATM. The teacher verbally describes specific movements and movement combinations for the student to follow and interpret without demonstrating or interfering with the student’s interpretation but definitely enabling it. The quality of movement is gentle and slow and the movements are repeated multiple times. The lesson is all about the personal process one goes through to discover their habitual movement patterns and potential new ways of moving.
I will be updating the schedule with the group classes once I know where they will be taking place.
*Wear warm comfortable clothing with minimal seams
SCHEDULEFrequently Asked Questions
Do I get a work out?
Your muscles don’t get a work out but your brain does.
Why should I do Feldenkrais?
You shouldn’t do anything. Do it only if you are curious, if you have some type of chronic pain and think it can help you with, if you are looking for a new way of viewing your body and self, if you are interested in knowing yourself more profoundly, if you wish to give yourself a weekly gift, if you want to try something new, if you want to increase your flexibility, your endurance, your awareness of self, your concentration, your ability to adapt to various situations, and the list goes on. I think Feldenkrais is utterly awesome, and wish that everyone gets an experience of it!
Who is Feldenkrais for?
Feldenkrais is for athletes, for dancers, for people standing or lifting or sitting all day, for people recovering from injury, operations or strokes, for people with movement impairments, for people with chronic pain, for children dealing with movement disorders, for people with neurological disorders (MS, Parkinson’s,), for people with insomnia, for people with somatic manifestations of emotional issues.
Is Feldenkrais similar to Pilates or Yoga?
No it has a completely different perspective to the body.
Can Feldenkrais be considered therapeutic? ( neuroplasticity article)
Yes, but we prefer to call it educational as we are not trying to heal but rather teach the brain to move differently.
Does Feldenkrais increase my flexibility?
Yes but it does not involve stretching.
How often do I need to do Feldenkrais to discover its benefits?
It is not necessarily the frequency with which you take classes but the consistency you show. Decide how often you can realistically come to class and commit to it for at least 2 months.
What should I wear to class?
You can come wearing anything as long as it is comfortable and covers your body well sufficiently.
I am pregnant. Can I do Feldenkrais?
Yes – you will be surprised by how much your body can move and it can do a lot of good preparing your body for child birth.
Αm Ι too old to do Feldenkrais?
NO! Feldenkrais is perfect for you. It will keep your body in motion, help your balance and flexibility without causing you pain.
TESTIMONIALS
“Can’t wait for my next session with Alex. In her hands I felt relaxed, comfortable, and safe. She helped me let go and start being consciously aware of my own body. Having a teacher who really loves what she does makes all the difference.” - Stef
“I remember during one of my first FI lessons, I caught myself smiling. Alexandra noticed and asked me what I was thinking. I was thinking of the way babies feel love and care through their mother’s touch and how they get to know their bodies in space through touch as well. I was experiencing these two things my respective age and realized that through my Feldenkrais sessions I embarked on a path of self discovery.” - Loukia