Movement as an access code to the brain. Perhaps the only tool that is available to us for continuous self-development, self-improvement and, consequently, self-healing. But in order for the movement to function in this way, it should be done with the consciousness of the changes taking place in us. And not only on an intellectual level – I know how it works, and what happens to me when I do some movement – but at the level of the sensual, emotional zones, deep levels of the subconscious and the unconscious zone. The movement of the small toe of the right foot is not only to spend energy to move your sock on your foot, just to make sure that I am this toe and foot and to be able to register the whole avalanche of changes that occur in the microsystem that we are . At all its levels, we can consciously record changes that occur on the surface of the cell membrane of each individual cell of our body. Because the motion resonates, leads to changes not only in the mechanics and chemistry of our microsystem, but perhaps it resonates with a force capable of changing our DNA. The movement that is performed resonates, cooperates also with the outside world, affecting other microsystems and, therefore, is a tool not only to a constant change of oneself, but also to influence the world around us. We are also affected by all the changes that are taking place in the world.

Movement in the ordinary sense is a purposeful movement, that is, a situation where the movement itself does not matter, because our mind is directed towards the goal. A goal that is important to us. Even if it is sports training, or gymnastics – movement is a means to increase motor capacity, increase the level of serviceability. The same goes for the movement, we do it without realizing it. You are reading this text by moving the eyeballs – and therefore the muscles do the work, but you are not registering this work, because you do not notice the movement of the lips, the tongue ….., all this happens automatically – such a movement of perpetuation, , stiffness or even damage to your patterns and motor habits, your image and the meaning of who you are. The therapeutic power of change has no movement for any purpose, on a contrary it involves movement as an trigger for modernization, change, and constant development of oneself. The movement is only a trigger, because the goal is to feel oneself more. Constant learning, recognizing oneself at different levels during the exercise. The movement turns into a tool for us, so that we write new data about ourselves in our brain. Just like we did from the first moments of our life.

And since we are no longer children, we have certain motor habits, fixed and unchanged for many years, tension, spasticity and damage – so slow movement turns into therapy here. First, the tool for diagnosing ourselves, in order to determine the goal, where the damage is, when the pain passes, the tension, how to use the movement gently, smoothly instead of fighting the pain of the spastic movement, and after which the movement becomes a medicine. Treatment is a process of disintegration, putting out the old motor habit and integration, thereby creating a new room in this. So the life did not hurt. Similar, and perhaps even more effective is the movement, that we only feel, without the need of conscious carrying it out. So, the movement done by the teacher (therapist) that moves our bones, and we just feel and register our strength to apply the changes at all levels of our being.

But for this to happen, it is important to know how and why the teacher moves us. Why does our body move? If we do so to correct ourselves,properly change us, adjust our bodies to ideas about who we should be and how we should move – this action will be different. There is a risk that our nervous system can recognize them as an attack, a form of undesirable interference, and begin a defensive response. Then the action can be the cause of regress.

Instead of improving, there can be a deterioration. In the case of brain damage, the reaction may be in increasing spasticity and increasing bastard movements. If the teacher moves our body, and the movement does just a trigger role – and only when you do it just to give yourself an opportunity to feel who you are and how you change at each stage, then you can recognize what is good for you, and what harms you, when you have a sense of well-being and when discomfort or pain disappears. If during this lesson we do not recognize that the touch is threatening us, but acting as a strengthening and development – then the lesson is the beginning of the process of self-regulation. The nervous system, in order to be able to change, must know what to look for.
Lessons are the way in which the nervous system recognizes and knows what to look for to improve the quality of life of the host Because it is wise, and the survival instinct is its main principle. Lessons are also needed to ensure that our nervous system / which we are at the level of each cell of our body / is able to distinguish what is ours from what is superimposed on us in the development process. What we need, from what we just use to do harm.

This is our lighthouse for the ship at sea. If the nervous system recognizes and registers that the body should not hurt, and the movement can take place without effort – then you will know what to look for. But to be able to search – the system should know that this is possible. Therefore, movement is light in the tunnel, so the brain knows what to look for. The beginning of self- improvement, self- development, self-healing process.

The process takes time, sometimes erases old data about yourself and brings together new information about who we are or first of all, we constantly become. It is a process of continuous disintegration – but all what appears – whether at the level of movement or emotion – it is our own, it comes from our innards and our center. And it is not given to us, not introduced or coded in our therapy. The method works this way. This is available to all of us, regardless of our place in the time scale of life, on which we constantly live.

Its depends on the model through which someone views a difficulty. The more traditional ways of looking at things, a therapeutic point of view, sees a ‘problem’ and attempts to correct it. This works often enough that it continues as an approach to many issues. But what happens when it doesn’t work? Too often the patient is blamed for not doing enough, being resistant, too far gone. This is unfair to the person in need as well as to the professional working with them. Of course, this is done with the best of intentions, but it closes the door to the pursuit of further understanding and discovery that might potentially help someone. Yet some manage to improve beyond the expectations of their doctors and therapists. How does this happen?

This was some of the genius of Dr. Feldenkrais. In his approach, he came to understand how one of the major functions of our nervous system is learning, taking in and processing information. One that is connected not only to all of the other systems that exist within us but also is connected to and with the world outside of us. That we function as a system and no one place can be viewed as ‘a problem’ without taking into consideration the rest of the self and the environment it exists in.

The shift here is to the paradigm of learning. This is the context through which a difficulty can be viewed to create situations where new information can be taken in and utilized towards new ways of acting. Part of the shift here is in the ability to understand how a system works. How learning can happen in unpredictable ways. In understanding how small changes can, over time, lead to big differences. It revolves around a thinking that is inclusive rather than exclusive.

This is an interaction ‘with’ someone, not one that is done ‘on’ or ‘to’ someone. Most would think they are working with someone. But as in the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, the observer influences the experiment. Read on to do a little experiment to clarify this more.

This is the means to discovering what the individual needs in order to develop, rather than applying a formula or technique on a person.

Too often Improving, developing and regaining human function are seen as different things needing to be approached in different ways. But all human functions share particular characteristics. As humans, we think…we feel…we sense…and we move. These aspects of who we are always exist in us at all times, even though one aspect may be more in the foreground. Access to how we think or feel or sense can be quite complex. But access to how we move is immediate and concrete and it is the foundation of all of our interactions. This was more of the genius of Dr. Feldenkrais, understanding how fundamental movement is to everything we do.

The applications of the method, as stated earlier, are broad. While used by many for self-improvement it is more known for helping people with all kinds of pain, movement challenges, recovering from accidents and neurological challenges. It has shown itself to be particularly effective in working with infants and children facing neuro and motor difficulties.

Dr. Feldenkrais believed if something wasn’t personal it wasn’t worth pursuing. In fact, the training to become a Feldenkrais is extremely personal. Where one needs to understand how one uses and organizes oneself so as to more effectively work with others. Let me give you an example. If you are sitting, go to standing and then sitting a few times and feel how you do it. Now do that again while holding your belly a little tight. Can you feel that holding your belly interferes with getting up and down? When you are touched by someone and they are interfering with themselves in such a way, without being aware of it, it impacts on the quality of the touch and how the person being touched responds. To be able to ‘feel’ someone more clearly, one needs to learn to feel themselves more clearly first.

When I was asked to write this, I intended to simply provide you with a brief overview of the Feldenkrais Method. But maybe what you read here will take on more meaning if I share something personal with you. Many years ago, I was putting together a workshop on self-image. Upon some reflection, I had an insight that my self- image was based on how much I liked myself or didn’t like myself. And over some years of investigating this idea I realized that this was my job, to help people like themselves more. And I do it through the Feldenkrais Method. Helping people function better, have less pain, learn to do things they couldn’t do before, being kinder to themselves, all of which result in them liking themselves more. This is important to us all, but in the case of working with children it is essential.

To learn how one uses and organizes oneself so as to more effectively work with others, training in the Feldenkrais Method is a minimum of 800 hours. It is taught in professional training programs throughout the world and follows internationally accredited guidelines.