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Patron Treasures

Formerly known as Patrons Monthly.
Why this change?

Welcome! Everyone can browse our Patron Treasures below. Click lesson titles for more info.

 

Why be a Patron?

The Feldenkrais Project's 50+ free lessons are a crowd-funded labor of love. If you believe, like we do, that Feldenkrais makes the world a better place, please join the Project as a Patron to support our work and access over 75 Patron Treasures lessons below, plus other Patrons-only lessons. You'll also get full access to our Deep Dive courses.

A Patron-level membership costs about what you'd pay to attend a single Feldenkrais or other movement class per month!

Join the Project as a Patron

Our annual costs are typically over $25,000 for technology and our part-time staff – plus 50-100 hours of Nick's time each month – as we improve this site, spread the word about our vision, and add new lessons and features to our industry-leading resources. Your support really matters!

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New for Patrons

32m

Head Under the Gap, Supine: Workshop/Review Version (32m, Patrons)

Designed to clarify and distribute the image of arching and turning your whole self. Explore the unusual support of a bridged hand and its fascinating extension implications for your scapulas, shoulder girdle, ribs, and neck. Great for posture, breath, athletics, confidence, and groundedness.
60m

Head Under the Gap, Supine (Patrons)

A new approach to a classic Feldenkrais lesson originally designed to clarify extension patterns in your shoulders, thoracic, and neck. After briefly introducing its challenges, this version backs up and uses the context of our Long Belly, Strong Back lesson to build pelvic and spinal support for the eventual return of arching and turning your scapulas and sternum with a bridged hand. Great for posture, breath, athletics, confidence, and groundedness. Framed with brief standing explorations.
58m

Arms Like a Skeleton, Freeing the Shoulders and Neck (Patrons)

Back-lying, side-lying, transitioning. This detailed exploration starts simply then dives deep into variations designed to help you get to know your scapulas and improve their relationship with your spine, chest, pelvis, neck, and head.

Average Challenge   back-lying  side-lying  transitioning or rolling 
October 11, 2020
 
39m

Holding Your Breath, in Awareness (15m or 39m, Patrons)

Back-lying and some front-lying. Relaxing the nervous system by exhaling through consonants, then bringing awareness to what actually happens when we hold and release the breath, so we can become freer and more spontaneously adaptive to life’s different breathing situations. The first 15 minutes can be a standalone lesson.

Most Accessible  back-lying  front-lying 
October 5, 2020
 
58m

Dynamic Diagonal Lengthening (Patrons)

Mostly back-lying, small side-to-side rolls, often one hand connected to the opposite knee. This lesson uses subtle weight-shifting to help you effortlessly lengthen your spine and limbs, free your ribs, and improve diagonal relationships among the five lines of the body.

More Challenging  back-lying 
September 10, 2020
 
59m

Side-lying Twist, and Rolling Recap (Patrons)

Back-lying, side-lying, transitioning, and eventually circling the arm. Recorded as the third in a series (see the Related Lessons tab). With plenty of room for improvisation, this lesson builds on recent classes and discussions with students about encountering difficulty in Feldenkrais study. Starts and ends with three-minute talks.

Average Challenge   back-lying  side-lying  transitioning or rolling 
August 27, 2020
 
51m

Rolling and Hips Like a Baby (Patrons)

Back-lying. Free your hips, shoulders, chest, and back as you explore rolling and weight shifting. Designed to help you add suppleness to your movements, expand your mental image of rolling in internal and external ways, and peek into the developmental neurological value of rolling and the substantial improvements available to most adults.

Average Challenge   back-lying  transitioning or rolling 
August 13, 2020
 
19m

The One Shoulder Lesson (19m, Patrons)

Don’t miss this brief, potent, asymmetrical exploration of movements of one arm and shoulder in relationship with the whole self. It’s intended to leave you experiencing the differences created between the two sides of your body, which is a curious and powerful learning state that will improve both sides. (You can also repeat the recording for the other side, or improvise it, later.)

Average Challenge   side-lying 
July 21, 2020
 
63m

Freeing the Neck with Crawling and Rolling (Patrons)

Improving integration of the head, neck, shoulders, chest, spine, pelvis, and legs through explorations of crawling movements, and improvisations toward rolling.

More Challenging  back-lying  front-lying  transitioning or rolling 
July 16, 2020
 
45m

Refining the Shoulders and Hips (45m, Patrons)

Back-lying, sometimes knees bent. Explore small, precise movements of the shoulders and hips, and the fine relationships between them, with an intention toward reducing unnecessary efforts in the torso and improving walking.

Most Accessible  back-lying 
June 26, 2020
 
57m

Buttocks Organizing the Spine (Patrons)

Mostly front-lying. Exploring and integrating contractions of the buttocks with different movements and configurations of the axis (pelvis, spine, and head).

Average Challenge   front-lying 
June 18, 2020
 
58m

Moving Your Head and Legs Backward (Patrons)

Mostly front-lying, frequently one knee pulled up your mat. A sophisticated exploration of primary arching organizations in combination with twisting and pushing off the ground, from head to toes. Begins with a brief “ATM rules” reminder about taking care of yourself in challenging lessons. The lesson begins in back-lying at around the three-minute mark.

More Challenging  front-lying 
April 30, 2020
 
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Deep Dives with Patron Treasures

To enjoy some of our Patron Treasures in larger learning contexts, try our Deep Dives, where we integrate Patrons-only content with other Feldenkrais Project lessons in specialized study sequences. Patrons have full access.

See Our Deep Dives

More Collections Just for Patrons

12 Lessons from Awareness Through Movement

Developed from Moshe Feldenkrais’s 1972 book, written to introduce his method to the world.

Legacy and Alternate Lessons

Some listeners prefer the classics. When a lesson is replaced or updated the original goes here.

8 Comments

  1. Nick Strauss-Klein on March 5, 2019 at 3:57 pm

    As you explore our Patron Treasures please leave comments and questions on the lesson pages – they build our community, improve our visibility on the web, and refine my teaching and which lessons I choose to add.

    You can also leave a comment right here to request lessons or topics of study.

    Reply
  2. Margit on March 24, 2019 at 4:05 pm

    I like lessons with a rolling part in them, they are so much fun! This lesson maked me especially aware of my Sternum and that I usually direct it “backwords”. I will pay attention to a more balanced direction (in the mid of backwards and forwards) of my Sternum after doing this lesson. Thank you Nick for sharing your Knowledge with us.

    Reply
  3. jean kirk on April 4, 2021 at 5:05 pm

    Rib basket and shoulder cloak lesson is great. Taught me a lot about being upright.

    Reply
  4. Helina Karvak on June 18, 2022 at 7:43 am

    Hi! I’m interested in voice as topic of study 🙂

    Reply
    • Nick Strauss-Klein on June 20, 2022 at 12:00 pm

      That’s great – me too! My wife is a singer and I’ve wanted for years to develop my own ease in speaking. Lessons for the voice are on the back burner right now, but I think I’ll get to it!

      Reply
  5. Trudy J on May 2, 2024 at 3:56 am

    Hi Nick
    What pathway would you go down to help correct a scoliosis of the spine. I am unsure where to start. Thanks so much.
    Cheers Trudy

    Reply
    • Nick Strauss-Klein on May 2, 2024 at 10:12 am

      Most scoliosis is caused by patterns of action, movement habits we’ve unconsciously developed over the years that shorten our spines unnecessarily in asymmetrical ways. Lessons that bring awareness to your integrated use of your whole spine in your actions are great. Admittedly, this is basically all Feldenkrais lessons! A few ideas to try to answer your question more specifically:

      • – Try our Little Dip called Spinal Support
      • – Search our lessons for “spine” and follow your curiosity. You can filter by clicking “show advanced options,” or uncheck the “courses and video lessons” option if you just want to see specific lessons.
      • – Collections #2 and #4 are also really relevant.
      • – The Anti-Gravity Lesson (the finale of collection #2) can be very useful for some folks for scoliosis, especially if they’ve done a lot of Feldenkrais lessons like the ones above prior. Go very small and slow. You’re looking for the sense the that up-your-mat forces might naturally align your vertebrae, like how pushing a line of slightly disordered dominoes laying flat on a table can “straighten them out,” bringing their edges into full contact, if done with patience and precision.
      Reply
      • Trudy J on May 2, 2024 at 1:15 pm

        Fantastic response Nick. It’s funny. Whilst I waited for a response I I intuitivley just headed to start on collection #2 as I felt sure lessons for the spine would help but I am glad I asked anyway because I love your response. Thanks again!

        Reply

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