Feldenkrais

Feldenkrais classes are available at Overdale Equestrian Centre with Karin Major. To book a class, or make an inquiry, please use the details on the contact page.

A Feldenkrais session lasts 45 minutes and costs £35 per private session. Group sessions can be made by arrangement.

To find out more, read on:

What is it?

The Feldenkrais Method ® is a simple and effective way of relearning how to move with ease (as most of us did when we were babies / children), to improve posture and general health. It is a very gentle, non-invasive movement therapy. It enables you to become more aware of your body, your habits and your potential, to know where you are, so you can have control over your body, reducing muscular strain and effort.

Feldenkrais isn't about curing or fixing people. It isn't a medical treatment, it's an educational approach. It's about helping people get control back into their lives by understanding why they feel the way they do, and by learning how to move differently so that they don't have to keep feeling that way. Even when people have an organic problem or disease, it can often help them to deal with how they respond to the problem.

Who is it for?

Almost anyone can benefit from Feldenkrais. It can help people with a variety of conditions, from easing sports injuries, back and limb problems, shoulder neck and back pain, to increasing mobility and flexibility. It can also help those who are fit and well to keep in prime condition and improve their sporting activities, by improving flexibility and co-ordination of movement, encouraging improved breathing habits and relaxation.

Is it like Aerobics, Yoga or Pilates?

No, except that it can be taught in classes. The lessons are an exploration of your potential as an individual. It is not an aerobic activity. Movement is gentle and progressive; there is no 'posture' to be 'achieved'. It is not an exercise class, although it can improve balance and strength, not through the building of muscles, but through the activation of the most appropriate muscle groups (and the releasing of the opposing groups) to make activities achievable with less effort.

Why have I never heard of it?

Feldenkrais is a worldwide organisation, practised in over 20 countries outside the UK. The Feldenkrais Method was introduced to the UK in the 1980's and there are a limited number of trained Practitioners operating in Great Britain, although the number is growing. The practitioner training takes a minimum of 4 years.

Where does it come from?

The name of the Method is from its creator Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984). He was a Russian born Israeli engineer and atomic physicist who had studied mechanical and electrical engineering and physics in Paris where he worked until the invasion of France in 1940, when he escaped to Britain. He was also a keen football player and a judo black belt (he opened the first Judo school in Europe).

Following injury to himself he studied the mechanics of human movement, including how we learn to move as babies, and developed his methods to enable people to learn how to move more efficiently.

How is it taught?

Feldenkrais is available in two formats:

• Classes — known as Awareness Through Movement ® (ATM)
• Individual Lessons — called Functional Integration ® (FI)

In ATM group classes the teacher gives verbal instructions, leading students through a sequence of gentle movements and being aware of themselves and their breathing while moving. There are hundreds of different lessons, many of them done lying on the floor.

In FI lessons, the student is guided in a hands-on way through a series of movements to explore available possibilities.

Do I have to do homework or practice?

No. Feldenkrais is experiential learning. There is no 'theory' to learn, you absorb the lesson through doing it. It is not necessary to practice between classes, although if you feel like exploring some parts of the class again that's fine. As you become more practised you may find you become more aware of yourself and the way you move in your day-to-day activities. This is part of the learning process, but not something you can force.

Do I need any special clothing or equipment?

No. The best thing to wear is loose clothing, without belts and buckles, so your movement is not restricted. Depending on where the class is held a rug or mat may be used to lie on, and a small firm cushion (or folded towel) may be useful, but not essential.