Welcome! Everyone can browse our Patrons Monthly lessons below and click 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 60 Patrons Monthly 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 costs for 2023 will be 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!

nick-circle-squiggle-divider

Each month Nick adds one new lesson to thank our Patrons and expand our resources.

New for Patrons

60m

Breathing for Liftoff (35m + 25m, Patrons)

This pair of short lessons is designed to be completed together the first time, or with a short break between them.
  • Lesson 1 - Reduce tension and anxiety and free your breath by sensing the details of how you hold and release it, then explore a new image of exchanging air with the environment.
  • Lesson 2 (begin at 34:00) - Experiment with the elasticity of both the ground and your breathing apparatus, and directly experience what physicists call ground reaction forces.
58m

Softening the Jaw, Shoulders, and Chest (Patrons)

Back-lying and side-lying. Develops the simplest jaw movements we’ve explored by linking them to movements of the spine and shoulders, and to softening and turning the torso. Can be very helpful for TMJ difficulties. See the Context notes for recommended study order for our jaw lessons.

Most Accessible  back-lying  side-lying 
August 28, 2022
 
57m

“Beard Pull” Pecking, with Chanukia (Patrons)

Back-lying, exploring pecking movements to create ease, clarity, and better carriage of the head, neck, shoulders, and spine. Uses the playful image of having a chin beard that an imaginary friend gently pulls toward the ceiling. Movements from the Chanukia lesson are used to develop possibilities. A link to that prerequisite lesson is in the Comfort & Configuration tab.

More Challenging  back-lying 
June 24, 2022
 
60m

Arms Like a Skeleton, Integrating the Neck, Jaw, and Eyes (Patrons)

Back-lying. Find new options for ease in your neck, jaw, and eyes in relationship to movements of your shoulders and chest. Great for reducing tension and improving posture, particularly carriage of the head, neck, and shoulders.

Average Challenge   back-lying 
April 7, 2022
 
37m

Calming the Nervous System, Integrating the Hands and Eyes (37m, Patrons)

Back-lying, using a “bell hand” movement to differentiate and integrate the hands, eyes, and breath. This lesson is a powerful tool for self-regulation and reorganization, stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system and shifting us away from “fight or flight” and toward “rest and digest”. Begins with a 2-minute introduction to this lesson’s particular bell hand movement (see photos below the lesson notes).

Most Accessible  back-lying 
February 6, 2022
 
60m

Getting Free with a Bell Hand (Patrons)

Mostly in a “three-quarters prone” position (halfway between side-lying and front-lying). Learn to use a gently pulsing “bell hand” to calm and regulate your nervous system, and to help you organize larger, more demanding movements with greater freedom and skill. See the lesson notes for a recommended prerequisite lesson.

More Challenging  front-lying  side-lying  transitioning or rolling 
January 12, 2022
 
60m

Making Peace: Smooth Breath, Skillful Bias, Supple Chest (Patrons)

Back-lying. Recorded in a “Rest and Recharge” themed class, this workshop-style lesson weaves together three related ATM explorations designed to calm and restore your nervous system. Balance your breath, find and enjoy your primary spinal bias, and then unlock more suppleness in your ribs and shoulders by gently moving within unusual constraints.

Most Accessible  back-lying 
December 17, 2021
 
60m

Freeing the Shoulders by Rolling the Arms (Patrons)

Mostly back-lying, arms in a “letter T” position. Improving the function and mobility of the shoulders by connecting them more skillfully with the chest, spine, and head. Particular attention is given to the neck and to the spine between the shoulder blades.

Average Challenge   floor-sitting  back-lying 
December 6, 2021
 
58m

Finding Sensations of Not Shortening (Patrons)

Side-lying and front-lying with optional rolling, framed by brief standing explorations. Movement riddles for the chest, shoulders, neck, spine, and legs are presented in a focused context of lengthening. Uses sensory images of the five cardinal lines of the body, breathing, organizing the “core,” and expanding into the support surface to create opportunities to sense and inhibit unnecessary shortening. Begins with a summary of what we’re exploring.

Average Challenge   front-lying  side-lying  transitioning or rolling 
November 19, 2021
 
58m

Improving Rotation, Embracing Our Differences (Patrons)

Back-lying, often using the self-hug configuration, as well as front-lying. Learning to better sense, differentiate, and skillfully integrate turning your head, neck, shoulders, chest, spine, and pelvis. Best for experienced Felden-fans, see the Context tab for links to recommended prerequisite lessons.

More Challenging  back-lying  front-lying 
September 27, 2021
 
36m

The Power of One Foot (22 or 36 min, Patrons)

A “short version” stopping point is noted in the middle. Back-lying, one knee bent, framed with brief walking explorations. This potently asymmetrical lesson dives deeply into the common ATM lesson ingredient of pushing one foot into the floor. Intended to inspire improvisation after studying, this lesson asks: can you learn how to improve how you’re feeling and functioning even with short or very simple ATM explorations? How about one-sided, or self-led?

Most Accessible  back-lying 
August 20, 2021
 
Diving-bell-icon-transp

Deep Dives with Patrons Monthly Lessons

To enjoy some of our Patrons Monthly lessons 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

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 the Patrons Monthly lessons 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

Leave a Comment