"The aim is a body that is organised to move with minimum effort and maximum efficiency, not through
muscular strength but increased consciousness of how it works." - Dr Moshe Feldenkrais (1904 - 1982)

Feldenkrais practitioners complete a four-year professional training program. The essence of Feldenkrais is to slow down a movement to reconnect body consciousness with awareness to give the brain time to explore neuromuscular pathways. All exercises and hands-on techniques are deliberately designed to develop awareness through body movement.

One well-designed study in 1999 by Landbland et. al demonstrated improved outcomes in a group of workers with neck and shoulder complaints. This randomised controlled trial compared Feldenkrais to physiotherapy and no intervention in 97 female industrial workers with neck and shoulder complaints. Pre and post measures spanned one year, with the intervention lasting 16 weeks. The Feldenkrais group made significant improvements, the physiotherapy group showed no change and the control group had a worsening of complaints. Recent Feldenkrais studies in 2008 and 2009 relate to improving balance outcomes in the elderly.

Group classes: Called "Awareness Through Movement" (ATM), the Feldenkrais teacher verbally leads you through a sequence of movements in basic positions: sitting or lying on the floor, standing or sitting in a chair. It is based on a sequence of exercises which are verbally directed by the practitioner and explored by the student on his own. Feldenkrais' work is designed to cultivate the conscious, intrinsic initiation of movement.

Individual lessons: Private one-on-one lessons where students are fully clothed, called Functional Integration, are tailored to each student's individual learning needs. The teacher guides your movements through touch, introducing new pathways of motion not possible before. With precise handling, the practitioner conveys new or forgotten movement options, new neuro-muscular patterns in the place of outmoded, faulty habits. The touch of the practitioner aims to create a bridge between the brain and body allowing the central nervous system to take over.

Those who may Benefit from Feldenkrais include dancers, actors, athletes as well as those who suffer from:
Muscle pain
Back pain
Neuromuscular conditions, such as cerebral palsy and fibromyalgia
Repetitive strain injuries
Multiple sclerosis
Sports injuries