Feldenkrais

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Feldenkrais

Feldenkrais, originated by Israeli physicist and Judo instructor Moshé Feldenkrais, is a type of movement therapy that promotes awareness of movement patterns through verbal guidance and touch in order to alleviate tension, increase flexibility, and improve wellness.

Drawing upon his knowledge of physics, neurology, and physiology, Dr. Feldenkrais developed the treatment method after an injury prevented his ability to walk in the 1940s. Dr. Feldenkrais overcame the injury by retraining his body through gentle, slow movements.

Today, practitioners help clients through two complementary processes: functional integration and awareness through movement. Through functional integration, the client remains passive while the practitioner guides the client’s body through specific movements. During the process of awareness through movement, the client actively works to re-educate the body in habitual movements. Lessons in Feldenkrais are conducted individually and in groups for up to one hour. The client remains fully clothed.

While Feldenkrais is a form of preventative care, it has also been used to treat chronic and acute pain as well as central nervous system disorders.