4 Guidelines to Get the Most from Your Feldenkrais Method® Online Class

Awareness Through Movement® classes, or the group class aspect of The Feldenkrais Method®, is different from so many activities or therapies we’ve encountered before.

People often ask if it’s a form of physical therapy or massage? It is not. 

Or they wonder if it’s like Reiki or yoga. Not at all. 

In fact, it doesn’t involve stretching or any type of manipulative therapeutics. 

It does involve small, slow movements that have been sequenced based on early human development. But even this is misleading because the movements themselves are not what produce the sometimes almost magical outcomes — it’s a persons’ focused attention on the quality of the sensation they feel AS they perform these tiny movements. 

See my blog post on how Feldenkrais works.

The best way to understand Feldenkrais is to experience it. And the best way to get the most from the experience is to follow these four guidelines during class. Of course, you’ll be reminded of these often during your class, but here they are with a bit of explanation.

Go slowly. 

Do each movement slowly. When you move slowly, you can sense and feel yourself more easily and become aware of any unnecessary muscular effort throughout your body. 

Make very small movements.

The idea is to use as little muscular effort as possible. If you feel any stretching, strain, or discomfort or effort, make the movement even smaller — sometimes moving 1/32nd of an inch is enough and will make a huge improvement in your brain (i.e., muscles let go quickly and easily).

Only do what’s completely comfortable.

Avoid all stretching, strain, muscular effort or force. The entire range of each movement should be equally easeful and comfortable. We’re used to thinking in terms of “no pain, no gain.” This is the complete opposite of the Feldenkrais philosophy!

Rest often.

We rest between each movement so that each movement is separate and fresh from the one before it and the one after it. We also rest whenever we finish a sequence of movements. And we encourage resting whenever you feel tired, confused, frustrated, irritated, or whey you lose focus. This gives your brain time to absorb the sensory information and lay down new more efficient neural pathways.

Feldenkrais is a paradox. 

In most activities we participate in, doing more and doing things faster or bigger is the goal. We stretch more, we push ourselves harder, we do more repetitions, we do it faster…. 

But in Awareness Through Movement® classes, the group class aspect of Feldenkrais®, the number of movements you do does not matter. Making the movement bigger is actually not helpful. You small, slow movements with your focus on the sensation that you feel as you do the movement. 

In fact, the emphasis is purely on HOW you do the movement that counts, not how many times you repeat them. By “how,” I mean, does it feel easy, is it comfortable, is it smooth or do I feel resistance? For example, do you feel yourself engaging your muscles to force your head to turn or does it turn smoothly and easily in both directions without any effort? The brain doesn’t care how big the turning movement it — it cares how easy and comfortable it is.

By focusing on the quality of the sensation, and eliminating any stretching, strain, discomfort or muscular force, the ease of doing the movement will spontaneously become easy, smooth, and pleasurable. The brain is always working in our best interest, looking for the most efficient way to do a movement and as we feed the brain sensory information during a class or session, the brain overrides old neural pathways (of muscle tension) and replaces them with new, more efficient neural pathways (of ease and comfort).

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Download this FREE audio lesson to experience for yourself what I’m talking about. See if you feel more relaxed, freer to turn easily, and mentally calmer after this simple seated lesson!

Photo credit: © 2005, Rosalie O'Connor. Used with permission of the Feldenkrais Guild® of North America.

How to Set Yourself Up for Success in Your Online Group Class

If you’ve been thinking about joining a group online Feldenkrais® class, but feel a little nervous about what to expect, here are some tips so that you’ll feel more comfortable!

Zoom!

For those of you who made it through your professional years without having to participate in online meetings, welcome to Zoom!

But please don’t let Zoom deter you. If you don’t understand the technology, email me. We can set up a time where I can walk you through the set up. You’ll be a master after your first class and the benefits of the class will be so worth the effort!

For those of you who spend TOO much time on Zoom, please know that you won’t be sitting in front of your screen. Your camera will be set up on your while you’re lying on your mat. Your only job will be to follow the verbal instructions I give to you as well as you can. There’s literally no right or wrong so there’s no pressure to “perform!”

Will you fit in?

All classes are BEGINNER Level. The students range in age from late 20s to 80s and students are super friendly and welcoming to newcomers. 

Clothing

Come dressed in loose, comfortable clothing and have a sweatshirt, socks or blanket nearby in case you get cold. Remove your belt, glasses, watch or other jewelry.

Space set up 

Have a comfortable space to lie on the floor or carpet and have light padding underneath you. The idea is that the surface that you’re lying on is firm enough to give you sensory feedback, but soft enough so that you’re too comfortable and fall asleep (but if you do, that’s okay).

Ideally you have some space around your mat so that you can extend both arms in a wide-T position easily, but we can work with whatever space you have.

If you can’t lie on the floor, your bed will be fine. But move your pillows out of your way so you can lie flat.

Props 

Have one or two flat, folded bath towels or a flat, folded yoga blanket to use as head support for lessons where you’ll be lying on your side. A small stack of gardening knee pads are also useful to rest your head on. You want to be able to lie on your side with your head on the support so that your neck is neither tilting downward or upward. In other words, your neck is an extension of your spine.

Camera set up

Set up your laptop or device camera approx. 5 feet away from the long side of your mat (side view of you). Bird’s eye view also works if you prefer to put your device up on a chair or table, looking down at you. 

You don’t have to see me. I’m not watching you to make sure that you’re doing the movements “right or wrong,” — there is no right or wrong! Rather, I’m watching you so that I can adjust my instructions based on what I see students doing in class. Adjust your volume so that you can hear my instructions. Also, other students are not watching you!

Eliminate any distractions or noise if possible. The improvements this method offers are highly dependent on the ability of a student to pay focused attention to her own sensations during the movements. Pets are welcome (and seem to love the calming energy), but please turn off cellphones, close the door and give yourself this hour for your self care.

If you have any other questions or concerns at all, please email me: susan@restorewithawareness.com.

Once you are ready to give it a try, please try your first class for FREE! The Zoom link and schedule are posted in the weekly newsletter or you can contact me here and I’ll send you the link.

To learn more about group classes and the four guidelines that will help you have the most improvement, click here.

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Download this FREE audio lesson and experience what we do in class, and how it makes you feel, for yourself.

Observe how you feel afterwards. Does your spine feel more supple and do you feel more relaxed overall?

Photo credit: © 2005, Rosalie O'Connor. Used with permission of the Feldenkrais Guild® of North America.