The Feldenkrais® approach to movement and learning "Life is not very sweet without freedom of choice.  The more ways you have to do the things you know, the freer is your choice." Moshe Feldenkrais My interest is to help you explore how you can do what you love to do with more ease, skill, strength and enjoyment.		For the schedule of up-coming Awareness Through Movement® classes and Workshops, click on "Classes and Workshops" in the menu bar. Individual Lessons are available at my FELDENKRAIS STUDIO at 403 Lowe Street (across from the High Country Inn).  Contact me to make an appointment.   (btw: Feldenkrais - rhymes with rice...)
What the Feldenkrais approach is about: The Feldenkrais approach is about exploring, through your own experience and your own internal learning, the options available within your self for function, for learning and for greater enjoyment of what you do – through gentle movement, and directed attention. Many of our daily movements we do habitually, not through any process of choice.  By bringing your attention to how you move, and learning to distinguish differences and to sense what works well for you, you include more of your self in your movement patterns.  In this way, you become more aware of your habitual neuromuscular patterns, and you are invited to create and sense options within your internal organization – and thus choice – for your self. This work can be useful and of interest to anyone – from elite athletes and performers, to people recovering from injuries, to people with neuromuscular problems, to people who would simply like greater quality of and pleasure in their movement and thus their experiences.		Exploring non-habitual movement in an Awareness Through Movement class
THE TWO FORMS OF THE FELDENKRAIS  approach: Awareness Through Movement® Classes Awareness Through Movement lessons usually consist of group lessons where the Feldenkrais® teacher verbally leads participants through a sequence of movements.  The lessons consist of comfortable movements that gradually evolve into movements of greater range and complexity.  They are precisely structured movement explorations that involve thinking, sensing, moving and imagining.  The lessons are designed to improve ability, and to improve ease and effectiveness of movement.  There are hundreds of lessons, varying in difficulty and complexity, for all levels of movement ability.		“…to expand the boundaries of the possible:  to turn the impossible into the possible, the difficult into the easy, and the easy into the pleasant.” Moshe Feldenkrais
Functional Integration® Lessons Individual Feldenkrais lessons are usually called Functional Integration (FI) lessons.  They are tailored to each individual.  An environment for learning, change and discovery of improved internal organization is created through such methods as: ·         The use of specific skilled manipulation and passive movement, ·         Active engagement of patterns of movement, and/or ·         Verbally directed exploration, specific to that individual.   For more information about the Feldenkrais approach, check out these websites: the Feldenkrais Guild of North America® and the Feldenkrais Educational Foundation of North America® (FEFNA) - a good source for information, and for books and other resources:   www.feldenkrais.com the International Feldenkrais Federation website:  http://feldenkrais-method.org/en/ Feldenkrais of Bend, and Jeff Haller (international instructor and presenter, and Educational Director of my Feldenkrais training program):  www.feldenkraisofbend.com Feldenkrais Resources (an excellent source for books and materials):   www.feldenkraisresources.com the website of Edie Jane Eaton (Feldenkrais Practitioner and one of the Master Instructors of Tellington Touch and TTEAM):  www.listeningtowhispers.com		“I always do that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” Pablo Picasso   “It’s kind of fun doing the impossible.” Walt Disney   “To infinity – and beyond!” Buzz Lightyear
IntroToFeldenkrais.pdf  [118.74K]	This article describes some of the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the Feldenkrais work and approach to learning.
	Movement  -  Strength  -  Awareness  -  Ease
Violet van Hees    e-mail: krv@northwestel.net    Phone: 867-633-3154     Whitehorse, Yukon
Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method TM, Awareness Through Movement®, and Functional Integration® are registered service marks of the Feldenkrais GuildTM of North America.
© Violet van Hees 2007