This somatic body-mind approach asks you to slow down, very slowly, to really understand how you are moving.
The Feldenkrais Method is a subtle somatic practice that uses small, gentle movements to encourage better function and awareness, and can provide many health benefits.
Throughout the day, your body goes through many movements, large and small, to adapt to your environment, whether you are aware of it or not. However, some of these movements can keep you from feeling agile and mobile, and lead to increased tension and pain. For example, if you’re in the habit of huddled at your desk to write emails or clutch your phone between your ear and shoulder to take calls, you may experience chronic tightness in your torso and lower back. The good news ? There are somatic movement exercises to promote greater awareness and potentially improve unconscious patterns.
Along with practices like tai chi, qigong, and yoga, another tool, the Feldenkrais Method, can help improve alignment, ease pain, and alleviate other physical issues.
The Feldenkrais method is a type of somatic education. Somatic therapy uses the mind-body connection perspective to work with “the living body as a whole.” In other words, somatic education is “knowing the body from the inside out”.
The Feldenkrais Method focuses on discovering how your body moves. It is often practiced in a group, but also individually with an instructor. He makes extremely slow and introspective movements throughout the session, interpreting the teacher’s instructions as they seem best and most intuitive. This method uses gentle movement and directed attention to help people learn new and more effective ways to live the life they want.
The potential benefits of practicing the mindful movements of the Feldenkrais Method are many, from pain control, better balance, to improved artistic and athletic performance. Here are some ways the Feldenkrais Method can help you find deeper healing by identifying binding movement patterns and creating conscious, practiced adjustments.
1. It can help control lower back pain
The Feldenkrais Method aligns with goals similar to physical and occupational therapy in that it teaches you to become aware of your movement patterns and consciously change them. Awareness through movement, which is a specific type of the Feldenkrais method, guides you to move differently in a way that doesn’t cause pain, which can potentially alleviate this discomfort.
In a 2020 trial published in Clinical Rehabilitation, researchers found that among a group of 60 people with chronic low back pain, those who took Feldenkrais Method classes twice a week for five weeks improved their quality of life and reduced their disability, compared with a control group practicing core stability exercises at home. Separate research has shown that the Feldenkrais Method also improves interoceptive awareness (the ability to respond to internal sensations). Previous research mentioned in the study has shown that Feldenkrais can help improve feelings of control and pain management, which can decrease pain sensations. The mind-body approach also activates core muscles to support the back and helps people learn their body’s biomechanics and create pain-free movement patterns, the authors note.
2. It can help improve balance and reduce the risk of falls
Balance is important at any age, but especially for older people. Loss of balance and falls are a real risk for seniors and the elderly. This is one of the reasons why balance training can be taken seriously.
Compared with control groups in a meta-analysis of seven studies, the authors found that the Feldenkrais Method helped increase balance in older adults, improving measures such as timed up-and-down tests and reaching, which require static balance and dynamic and can predict the probability of a person falling. Also, according to a study, a decrease in performance on a timed get-to-lie-down test may indicate sarcopenia, a loss of muscle mass and strength that occurs with aging. Research has also shown that older people with sarcopenia are at increased risk of falling.
Although more high-quality research is needed, the authors of the Feldenkrais meta-analysis concluded that the method may be useful for balance training and is a well-suited tool for people at specific risk of falls.
A more recent meta-analysis reached similar conclusions. Three of the four trials showed that adults performed better on a timed step up and down test, with older people reporting better mobility and gait (gait patterns), less fear of falling, and better quality of life. . These benefits may be due to a focus on connecting the brain and body to promote better movement patterns, increased awareness, and the confidence to stand.
3. It can help with rehabilitation
Whether you have suffered an injury, surgery or stroke, or are trying to rehabilitate from a neuromuscular disease such as multiple sclerosis, the Feldenkrais Method can play a role in improving and maintaining your physical function. The Feldenkrais Method is a learning model for the brain and the body. For example in the case of a joint problem. An injury requires strength work as part of rehabilitation, but it also requires stepping back and watching the joint move to rebuild the connections between the brain and the body.
Let’s take the example of a knee replacement. With the Feldenkrais Method, the main goal is to reintegrate your repaired knee into the rest of your body and restore its function with efficiency and less pain. Feldenkrais can also help you relearn to trust your knee and joint.
When it comes to chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis, some early research indicates that a Feldenkrais practice can help people feel less stressed about their condition. For Parkinson’s disease, the practice can also improve balance, mood, mobility, speed, and quality of life.
Similarly, a pilot study and case series of four stroke patients with chronic neurological deficits showed that a six-week Feldenkrais program improved measures of walking by 55% and balance by 11%. The authors also hypothesized that offering Feldenkrais in a group setting might have enhanced its effects due to the emotional and social support offered.
4. It can help you perform
Do you feel like something is wrong when you’re on the dance floor, on stage as an actor or musician, or on the court as an athlete? Practicing Feldenkrais through movement can help you find a connection with yourself, improve self-awareness, and unlock mental blocks.
5. May Support Healthy Aging
The Feldenkrais Method is arguably not considered an exercise per se, but it can encourage maintaining a movement practice as you age, according to research. In a small study, eight older participants were asked what they liked about this practice. They responded that it allowed them to exercise smoothly, move around, and pay attention. Older people enrolled in classes to improve their performance in daily activities, and some reported improved functionality, noting that it was easier for them to climb stairs.
Study participants also appreciated the type of movement the method offers: For most of them, the method does not increase heart rate or require heavy breathing, making Feldenkrais particularly appealing. In addition, the non-competitive nature of the classes, mindful movement without expectations or judgment, has been shown to be especially beneficial for the well-being of the participants.
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