|
|
![]() |
|

This system of physical re-education, named after Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, was developed in the 1940s to explore body awareness, improved flexibility and confidence, and enhance well-being. Practitioners believe that certain habitual postures and movements reflect disruptions in the nervous system, and they teach students to identify and avoid them. Gentle manipulation is used in individual lessons to help those with disorders such as cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. Dr. Feldenkrais initially taught in Israel and the United States, but Feldenkrais classes are now held worldwide.
MAIN USES OF FELDENKRAIS METHOD
Muscle pain. Back pain. Learning difficulties. Neuromuscular conditions, such as cerebral palsy & multiple sclerosis. Sports injuries. Strokes & paralysis. Improved physical & mental well-being.
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness Index: Disorders, Therapy & Nutrition
HISTORY
Moshe Feldenkrais was a Russian-born atomic physicist and engineer who worked in France until World War II, when he escaped to England. An enthusiastic soccer player and judo black belt, he began to study human movement when recovering from a serious knee injury. His work was initially based on observation of the spontaneous natural grace of children, which he supplemented with a study of anatomy, physiology, neurology, and psychology. In 1950, he settled in Israel, where he further developed his method and aimed at encouraging ease of movement with "minimum effort and maximum efficiency." He founded the Feldenkrais Institute in Tel Aviv in 1962, and also worked in the US and Europe, using his method to help in many neuromuscular conditions. There are now over 2,500 practitioners worldwide, particularly in Israel, the US, Australia, and Europe.
CONSULTING A PRACTITIONER
Feldenkrais practitioner are essentially teachers of their method, preferring to talk to students or pupils rather than patients. Practitioners believe that our postures and movements reflect the state of our nervous system: for example, somebody suffering from depression often has hunched shoulders. The feldenkrais method aims to improve physical and mental health by reprogramming movement patterns and is based on two approaches, as described below.
AWARENESS THROUGH MOVEMENT
The first of these approaches is known as "awareness through movement". It is designed to help you develop body awareness and increased mobility as part of a group by following the practitioners instructions. This learning experience aims to replace old patterns of movement with new ones, improving breathing and circulation. It is said to benefit both mental and physical performance, and is often used by actors, dancers, and musicians.
![]()
Awareness Through Movement: Simple exercises, designed to improve posture and breathing, are central to the Feldenkrais method.
FUNCTIONAL INTEGRATION
The second approach is "functional integration," a one-to-one technique that uses touch and manipulation, and is tailored to your individual needs.
![]()
Functional Integration: Moshe Feldenkrais uses this technique to help a disabled child achieve increased mobility and greater control over limb movements. This manipulation treatment is slow, gentle, and painless.
EVIDENCE & RESEARCH
Feldenkrais was noted for his work with severe neuromuscular disturbances, such as cerebral palsy, but the long-term results have not been well studied and there is no direct research on his method. There have been studies in areas such as educational psychology and rehabilitation.
CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL OPINION
Most conventional health care practitioners would find the neurological theory behind the Feldenkrais method plausible and should have no serious medical objection to the use of the therapy alongside conventional physiotherapy. However, without medical research, conventional practitioners might hesitate to recommend the method for those with severe disabilities.
ALTERNATIVE HEALTH LINKS
MoonDragon's Alternative Health Therapy Index
MoonDragon's Alternative Health: Touch & Movement Therapies Index
MoonDragon's Alternative Health Information Overview
MoonDragon's Alternative Health Index
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Therapy Index
MoonDragon's Holistic Health Links Page 1
MoonDragon's Holistic Health Links Page 2
RELATED LINKS
MoonDragon's Nutrition Therapy: Preparing Produce for Juicing
MoonDragon's Nutritional Recipe Index
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Nutrition Basics Index
MoonDragon's Nutritional Therapy Index
MoonDragon's Nutritional Analysis Index
MoonDragon's Nutritional Diet Index
MoonDragon's Nutrition Information Index
HERBS, OILS, & SUPPLIES
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Manufacturers & Distributors
See all our merchant banners below for products, remedies and supplements recommended on this web site.
HELPFUL PRODUCTS & FURTHER EDUCATION
Prescription for Nutritional Healing: The A-To-Z Guide To Supplements
-- by Phyllis A. Balch, James F. Balch - 2nd Edition
Prescription for Nutritional Healing: The A-To-Z Guide To Supplements
-- by Phyllis A. Balch, James F. Balch - 4th Edition
Prescription for Herbal Healing: The A-To-Z Reference To Common Disorders
-- by Phyllis A. Balch
The Complete Guide to Natural Healing
This is only a small sample of educational materials and products available through Amazon.com. Use the search box provided below to search for a particular item.
If you see a suggested Amazon product "not there" as indicated by an orange box with the Amazon logo, this only means the specific product link has been changed by Amazon.com. Use the "click here" icon on the orange box and it will bring you to Amazon.com and you can do a search for a specific product using keywords and a new list of available products and prices will show. Their product and resource links are constantly changing and being upgraded. Many times there are more than one link to a specific product. Prices will vary between product distributors so it pays to shop around and do price comparisons.Educational materials and health products are available through Amazon.com. Use the search box provided below to search for a particular item.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
MoonDragon's Nutrition Information Index
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Nutrition Basics Index
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Therapy Index
MoonDragon's Nutrition Therapy Index
MoonDragon's Alternative Health Information Index
MoonDragon's Aromatherapy Information Index
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness Index
MoonDragon's ObGyn Womens Health Information Index by Subject Order
MoonDragon's ObGyn Womens Health Information Index by Alphabetical Order
MoonDragon's Main Indexlisting
MoonDragon's Home Page
|