Our Little Dips explore a theme of Feldenkrais learning, then illustrate it with one or more lessons. They always include at least one free lesson. Little Dips are first published in our newsletter.
Is Feldenkrais for self-help, or doing what you love?
Gabby is a Patron-level supporter of The Feldenkrais Project. I asked her permission to share this email she sent me. Bold emphases are mine.
Her description of a maturing Feldenkrais practice – and how it’s helping her relationships with herself and others – has inspired me, and many others. I’ve never received as many email responses to a newsletter as readers sent after this one! You can join the conversation by leaving a comment below.
– Nick
Hi Nick,
I wanted to reach out to thank you for your Feldenkrais Project lessons and let you know they’re having a deep impact on my life. I have known about Feldenkrais for years, but in the last couple months there’s been a massive shift in my experience of the practice. It seems I finally “get” what it is all about. I am feeling more stable, free, and resilient than ever before, and more than I ever thought possible. I am more empowered, more genuine toward people, and more self-reliant.
Of course I am performing better in my various physical activities as well, but this feels secondary to the delightful shift I’m experiencing mentally, emotionally, and relationally.
I’ve been reflecting a lot on what prompted the big shift, and this is what I think so far… For a long time I’ve used personal development systems, but all in an effort to fix myself. The previous focus was “I want xyz to go away,” like anxiety and other symptoms.
This underlying pattern was brought to my attention by a mentor, and so first off, my orientation changed. I got clear on what I wanted to create in life, instead of constantly focusing on what I was trying to get away from. I actually kind of stopped doing all types of self-help practices for a while, and started just doing what I loved, and thinking about what I wanted most in life.
I wanted freedom of movement, I wanted to feel like I was OK, I wanted to be resilient and secure. I picked Feldenkrais back up because I knew I could create more freedom of movement with it, but suddenly I started getting those other things out of the lessons, or perhaps noticing them more at the end of a lesson and realizing what I just created and how I did it. I understood Moshe’s quote about flexible minds instead of just flexible bodies. I was thinking differently. I thought of myself differently. I had choices and options where I felt like I didn’t before
What I’m after isn’t flexible bodies but flexible brains. What I’m after is to restore each person to their human dignity.
– Moshe Feldenkrais
An outcome that has really caught me off guard is that I’ve stopped blaming others as much. I started seeing my whole story differently. My upbringing felt difficult but it’s like my body could move beyond that now.
Another shift was that I started committing to a more consistent practice, and doing full hour lessons. I didn’t really force this, and if I am forcing myself to do a lesson, I notice and back off. But once I started getting clear on what I wanted in life, this just started to be the choice I made.
About your lessons that have to do with using the floor to lift myself up: there’s one where you point out that there is buoyancy like a trampoline always available, and you have us track whether we feel like we are falling into the ground or being lifted. Those have been an absolute game changer.
I have stayed composed in so many situations lately that I’ve struggled in before by changing my orientation to the ground and tapping into that liftedness. I’ve never felt so empowered in my life, but as you know it is a completely serene empowerment, not an egotistical one at all. I feel supported and light.
I’ve also embraced the breathing lessons more (I used to resist them for some reason), and I love the one where we track where our sternum is oriented at the beginning and end. I kind of keep tabs on what’s going on in those three areas throughout the day (feet to Earth, breath, sternum).
What a cool experience this has been. It’s amazing to know it is an option to feel like this, and that I can create it when I choose to. I could go on and on but I mostly just wanted to thank you and let you know your work has impacted me, and those around me.
Happy New Year!!
Gabby
Gabby’s Picks
She shared these lessons which supported her discoveries.
Free Lessons
Free Your Torso for Better Posture, Walking, and Running
I’ve done this one twice. I found it deeply pleasurable – the mental pleasure of untying ‘the riddle’, the physical pleasure from the resulting effortless amplitude of movement, and the pleasure of finding this ATM influencing my gait the next day…
– Richard
Lifting Up and Through
The piece I especially loved was the feeling of my rib cage opening and coming forward and up. Images of birds preparing for flight flitted through my mind.
– Pam Patterson
For Patrons
Breathing for Liftoff
A pair of short lessons designed to be completed together the first time, or with a short break between them.
I loved this – fascinating. The floor pushing back up created lots of new space in all variations. The room breathing while I’m breathing was intense and strange. I will definitely repeat this lesson and explore further.
– Zoom chat
NOTE: ALL users can open ALL lesson pages at The FP to learn about them. Only the audio and some lesson notes are locked.