What is the Feldenkrais® Method?
- Nivea Loiselle
- Jan 20
- 6 min read
The name might sound intimidating, but the Feldenkrais® Method is not only gentle and accessible to everyone, it also produces noticeable improvements in overall well-being.
What is the Feldenkrais Method®?
The Feldenkrais® Method is a form of somatic education. Through gentle movements and directed attention, this method helps you become aware of your habits. You explore new ways of moving that are in harmony with your current needs and limitations, experiencing the comfort and ease that come from these new ways of acting.
Practicing this method increases your ease and range of motion, improves flexibility and coordination, and helps you rediscover your innate ability to move gracefully and efficiently.
“Making the impossible possible, the possible easy, the easy elegant.” – Moshé Feldenkrais
The method is based on self-image, neuroplasticity, and the nervous system’s capacity for learning. The primary expression of nervous system activity is movement – the bodily translation of intention. The Feldenkrais® Method creates new motor patterns by modifying habitual bodily responses in the gravitational field, finding more efficient ways to move with less energy.
Learning new physical, mental, or emotional patterns is like learning a new language. Just as with any language, it requires practice. There is no magic pill, but the benefits are profound.
By expanding your perception and awareness, you become conscious of your habits and tensions, developing new ways to move. The Feldenkrais® Method helps you live life more fully, effectively, and comfortably.
In this interview, Yvo Mentens speaks with Norman Doidge about his latest New York Times bestseller, The Brain’s Way of Healing. Watch to learn more about the latest scientific discoveries in neuroplasticity, non-invasive therapies, chronic pain, and the Feldenkrais® Method, and how movement can “speak” to the brain.
What is Somatic Education?
Somatic practices are methods focused on learning body awareness in motion within space. Somatic education (from the Greek soma, meaning living body) is a holistic approach. It addresses the person as a whole, acknowledging that the physical, mental, and emotional dimensions are interconnected. Through movement, it offers exercises that engage the sensory, motor, cognitive, and affective aspects of the individual, while connecting them to their environment.
“Somatic education relies on one of the earliest forms of human learning: sensorimotor learning. By developing a repertoire of movements, a child gains a sense of self (self-image) and builds integration with the world. At any age and in any condition—from elite athletes to people recovering from illness—anyone can regain or continue their sensorimotor learning.”
The term and field of somatic education/practices were defined by Thomas Hanna, an American psychologist and Feldenkrais® practitioner, in 1990. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which focuses on cognitive capacities, somatic therapy emphasizes the role of the body in storing emotions and experiences.
The roots of this approach go back to early 20th-century psychology, with pioneers such as Wilhelm Reich exploring the link between muscular tension patterns and psychological states. Reich’s concept of the “somatic muscular armor” suggested that repressed emotions could manifest physically, and addressing these physical manifestations could promote emotional healing.
Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score further highlights the importance of addressing the physical, mental, and emotional dimensions in trauma recovery.
highlights the importance of considering the interaction between the physical, mental, and emotional dimensions of a person in trauma recovery.
The Feldenkrais® Method: International Training and Certification
The Feldenkrais® Method offers an international training program totaling 800 hours over four years.
The International Feldenkrais Federation (IFF) coordinates guilds and associations in 21 countries, along with Training Accreditation Boards (TAB) on three continents. Its member organizations represent around 7,000 teachers and practitioners, and 880 trainees (as of the IFF Assembly, May 2014).
In France, there are three accredited training centers:
The Man Behind the Method – Moshé Feldenkrais
Moshé Feldenkrais (1904–1984) – physicist, engineer, and martial arts expert.
Full biography at: International Feldenkrais Federation
“A scientist of human movement, a teacher of awareness, and a pioneer in consciousness and embodiment research. Feldenkrais was born in 1904 to a Jewish family in Eastern Europe. By age 14, he moved to Palestine to contribute to the creation of what would become the state of Israel. While pursuing diverse studies and work, he mastered Jiu Jitsu, developed self-defense techniques, and explored sports, hypnosis, and yoga.”
Following a serious knee injury and a poor medical prognosis, Feldenkrais embarked on personal and scientific research, developing his method of movement learning and awareness. He drew on biology, neurology, physics, biomechanics, psychology, child development, and the work of movement and consciousness innovators such as Gurdjieff, Alexander, and Jacobi, as well as Eastern practices like yoga, Zen, and acupuncture.
What is a Group Lesson in Awareness Through Movement® (ATM)?
The Feldenkrais® Method is gentle and movement-based. It helps you develop observational skills and understand how you organize yourself to perform an action. You refine your “detective skills”: the more you notice differences in effort and comfort, the greater your freedom and range of motion. It’s more like guided meditation in motion than a physical workout.
Group lessons involve easy but unusual movements performed “effortlessly”. The goal is not mechanical repetition or perfection but awareness of underlying habits and rediscovering the pleasure of moving freely.
What to Expect in an ATM® Lesson
Lessons are usually on the floor, lying down or seated, in comfortable clothing.
The instructor guides verbally without demonstrating movements, letting you explore at your own pace.
Each lesson starts with a “scan” – like a mental X-ray – to map your current organization and focus your attention.
The instructor asks questions to spark curiosity and suggest variations, helping you discover more efficient ways to move with less effort and more comfort.
Key Ingredients for a Rewarding Lesson
Move 50% slower and with 50% less effort than usual.
Take frequent pauses whenever needed.
Stay within comfort limits; if unsure, reduce effort even more.
Avoid forcing movements – less effort leads to faster learning.
Observe what arises when trying to “do it right.”
Stay curious and enjoy new sensations.
Respect medical restrictions; you’re here to benefit yourself.
Benefits of Practicing Awareness Through Movement®
The method teaches how every part of your body collaborates in movement, helping you perfect actions and increase physical and mental availability.
Group lessons create ideal learning conditions to rediscover forgotten or excluded movements. You transcend programmed limitations caused by stress, injury, surgery, or simply daily habits. Neurophysiological research shows the nervous system can reorganize itself. Stimulating this “relearning” potential leads to rapid improvements in posture, balance, coordination, and overall well-being.
These lessons help you optimize daily functioning and regain control over your quality of life.
What is an Individual Functional Integration® (FI) Session?
Functional Integration® is a tactile, kinesthetic dialogue between practitioner and client. After an initial assessment, sessions are tailored to your unique configuration and needs. It is not a massage or manipulation but a true “body dialogue,” a tango between two nervous systems.
The practitioner suggests simple movements to explore new, functional action patterns. There is no “correction,” only guidance toward discovering your own functionality.
Correct Posture According to Moshé Feldenkrais
In The Potent Self, Feldenkrais preferred the term “acture” over posture, emphasizing action – the bodily translation of intention – rather than simply holding a position.
“Correct posture is about emotional maturity and learning. It is not achieved through exercises or repetition alone. Early learning explores the possibilities of movement and action in the body, gradually building recognition of configurations that relate meaningfully to the world.”
Four Key Characteristics of a Well-Learned Action
Effortlessness
Actions performed efficiently should feel easy; effort signals inefficient movement.
Absence of resistance
Voluntary impulses should not conflict with the body’s natural adjustment.
Reversibility
Every part of an action can be stopped, held, or reversed without strain.
Natural breathing and posture
Proper posture does not require reorganization of the throat, chest, or abdomen before action; the body moves freely without compensatory tension.
These principles explain why Awareness Through Movement® lessons are so powerful: you learn to notice these qualities and explore how you organize yourself in action.
“If you know what you are doing, you can do what you want.” – Moshé Feldenkrais
Come Experience It Yourself!
Student Experiences
“I came to Nivea looking for a method to release deeply rooted tension in my mid and upper back and neck. Not only am I pain-free, but I also regained full breathing capacity and awareness of my tensions, learning to release them myself. The Feldenkrais techniques she uses are fantastic; everyone should try them. Thank you, Nivea!” – Flavia
“My husband and I attended a Feldenkrais® group class. We felt completely relaxed afterward, even though the movements are far from tiring. Nivea guided us with her soothing voice in both Portuguese and English. We highly recommend trying it!” – Emmanuelle & Philippe
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