Disclaimer: The Feldenkrais Method of somatic education is presented on this website for educational purposes and self-guided study only. The Method and all recordings, live online classes, pages, blog posts, and documents of any kind available from this website are not intended to be a substitute for professional help or medical treatment. Nothing on this website is intended to diagnose or treat any pathology, disease or injury of any kind. This website, all media files found on it, all live classes available through it, The Feldenkrais Project, Twin Cities Feldenkrais, LLC, and the creator of any and all of these files, and anyone featured on these files, cannot be held responsible for any injuries or discomfort that might arise while doing these lessons. If you have any doubts about whether doing Feldenkrais lessons is appropriate for you, be sure to consult your medical practitioner.
The following are service marks or certification marks of the Feldenkrais Guild of North America: Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais Method®, Functional Integration®, Awareness Through Movement®, ATM®, FI®, Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher®, and Guild Certified Feldenkrais PractitionerCM.
Thank you for setting up this lovely website. It has been most enjoyable to do your lessons over the last three years. Now I am looking forward to even more fun. Thank you, Nick, for the marvelous lessons. I love this movement based therapy and continue to reap the benefits of using it regularly. At almost 70, I walk better, sit better, sleep great, and enjoy my cats. I still work part time, do art, and go for long nature walks and my brain is crystal clear at all times. I never seem to be tired or feel stressed at any time. Just a happy, relaxed feeling. Thank you again for all you do, Nick, and more. Be well.
You are welcome! Using Feldenkrais to help with aging gracefully, and with such effortless satisfaction in your activities, is such a lovely application of the Feldenkrais method! Stories like yours are why we do what we do at the Feldenkrais Project!
I’ve been waking up very stiff and unable to focus on my walking since my surgeries. I love the simple twisting lesson to get my muscles engaged again.
I “discovered” you just last week, Nick, and am loving your lessons. Thank you. I’m doing more gardening and a lesson afterward helps restore and realign this 70 year old body.
Is there a benefit to doing classes “in order”, or not really?
Thanks again.
Welcome! And thanks for your support! That’s a great question. Most of the lesson collections are in a suggested order that works well for many (but not all) people. Sometimes you will notice a clear progression from one lesson to the next if you do follow them in order. But that said, your ability to explore comfortably, pleasantly, and safely is far more important than any pedagogical links from lesson to lesson, so follow your curiosity and instincts about comfort.
I’ve just finished a breathing spine lesson and have found myself taller and straighter and much calmer. Thankyou so much.
Thanks to Nick & team for this wonderful website! I have a chronic illness that severely limits the amount of energy can expend, and comes with a whole host of unpleasant symptoms. These Feldenkrais lessons have been fantastic for me – many are gentle enough that I can do them, and the digital streaming format allows me to do them in parts (since a whole lesson is often too much for me to do in one go). I really enjoy this kind of movement, and when I’m done my pain levels are often reduced, and my body feels a little better.
Wonderful! So glad to hear it – thanks for letting us know, and for your support.
Thank you for this programme, Nick. I enjoy the clarity of your lessons. Living through the pandemic, shieilding with a spine damaged by Multiple Myeloma, they have been a godsend. I generally do one a week as a part of a movement programme including Pilates, Alexander, yoga and exercise bike.
The pandemic has been a Feldenkrais learning opportunity/necessity for so many folks, myself included. Honored to be part of your self-care, and thanks for your support.
Nick, I’ve been having persistent shoulder pain for some time now. Rolfing and deep tissue massage give some relief, but it is only temporary. Walking 2-3 miles daily seems to help, but once I resume activities that involve the arms like yard work and golf it returns. It is generally focused in the anterior deltoid and occasionally (now) radiates into forearm and wrist.
I am tempted to resume using my Concept 2 rower to try to strengthen the shoulders. Do you think that will help?
The other exercises I do are those in the Golf Forever program where about half are shoulder exercises using elastic cords.
Hi James. Great to see your name again and thanks for your support of The FP. I can’t say much from a distance, but the most common advice I give in similar situations is that the problem is likely NOT weakness, but rather a challenge of coordination and parasitic efforts. Most commonly there are undetected habitual efforts in the shoulders, chest, neck, and spine competing with what you want to do, so everything works harder than it needs to. Have you found a sense that some genres of ATM lessons help more, and more consistently, with this symptom than others? I would be curious if lessons that have some focus on freeing the ribs and upper spine, or clarifying carriage of the head, help.
Nick, the lessons that seem to help the most are those focused on the hands and forearm, I don’t remember the name or who provided it, but it involved a gentle stroking of each finger, gently pulling and twisting the finger at the last knuckle, flexing it with a full curl, then with a straight finger, and finally a full extension. The last movement involved gently making a fist and slowly releasing.
That’s a lovely lesson. There are versions floating around the internet but I don’t currently have one recorded. Have you tried any of our “bell hand” lessons? I like this one for you, based on what I hear from you. The use of the shoulder in the side-lying first half could be very useful.
I live in a place where I don’t have access to advanced therapy or medical care in English, but after two years of thoroughly practicing your free content, I was able to recover mobility and movement after a severely debilitating nerve illness. I’ve just signed up as a patron for further benefits. These lessons have been a lifesaver, truly, and I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Amazing! Thank you so much for letting us know. It’s deeply gratifying to hear all the hard work has helped you so much. I’ll be sharing this comment with Patrons in our next Patrons Quarterly Zoom this Thursday. Perhaps I’ll get to “meet” you then?
Sadly the time zone won’t work for me but I look forward to catching up on the session recording.