Huffington Post and Feldenkrais®

Thanks to Michael Sigman, there was another posting about the Feldenkrais Method. see posting

Through his own perspective and despite his skeptism, the author was able to draw from his curiosity to explore a way to fully recover from injuries. Because his story is so personal and familiar, I watched it quickly go viral.  Many people spoke out with similar stories of chronic injuries. They not only appreciated the author's plight on wellness and recovery, but seemed to acknowledge how many different approaches there are to return to a pain free life. This is probably one of the most difficult areas that I see in my PT practice. That is, to help people go through all the self care tools they have been given and find the ones that seem to make the true difference. But, by starting with the Feldenkrais Method, people discover how to sense what is right for themselves. 

The Feldenkrais Method sounds like almost any new agey approach to improvement, but when you look more closely, you see it is about becoming a better learner. It is so simple. You move, you notice and you learn. "You discover that real sharpness comes without effort."(Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon).

"What you truly learn best will appear to you later as your own discovery."  (Moshe Feldenkrais)

FELDENKRAIS® FOR BALANCE

I was thrilled to see a fellow colleague publish her study: "Feldenkrais Method® Balance Classes Improve Balance in Older Adults: A Controlled Trial": http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/nep055v1

If you read through this study you will find a good definition of the Feldenkrais Method and the functional applications of this work using movement with attention to accomplish higher motor skills that are needed for balance. The Feldenkrais Method as defined by Connors et. al. is an exploratory learning approach in which participants are verbally guided through movement sequences aimed at improvement of body awareness and movement organization. The study had “26 participants in the treatment group engaged in twice-weekly Feldenkrais classes that were specifically tailored to address balance issues. The combination of exercises was named “Getting Grounded Gracefully” and lasted a total of 10 weeks. An “activities specific” questionnaire, a physical test known as the Four Square Step Test (FSST), and “self-selected gait speed” (walking speed) were assessed before and after the trial. All measures of balance and mobility were improved in the Feldenkrais treatment group. In addition, most of the active participants noted benefits with regard to body image and a greater ability to engage in everyday activities, such as walking pets and climbing slopes." Healthy Fellow: http://www.healthyfellow.com/275/the-feldenkrais-method/

Also this week I had the pleasure to see another colleague create a workshop called "High Heeled Boot-camp using the Feldenkrais Method". Here the instructor uses Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement™ lessons to assist women to wear high heels safely. http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7879452

Two different applications that address balance needs using the Feldenkrais Method.

Lets face it, we all need to find better ways to balance and in my opinion there is no better approach than using the Feldenkrais Method.