Welcome to a world of infinite possibilities!
Access the power of the brain to:
Turn on the learning switch!
Move beyond pain and limitations!
Improve artistic expression and athletic performance!
Are you new to the Feldenkrais Method® and Anat Baniel Method for Children? I am not surprised. In fact, I would not have happened upon it myself if I hadn’t been (un)fortunate enough to break my pelvis in a bicycling accident. While looking for a means to regain (and hoping for more than) full functional mobility, I signed up for the Feldenkrais Method® training as soon as I could walk. You see, I love to dance. The mere idea of not being able to feel the freedom of extending my leg up in the air was unbearable for me. I didn’t know how lucky I was to find the Feldenkrais Method®! Over the course of the required 4 years training (around 800 hours of instruction and movement lessons), my body began to shift and transform. My life changed, I looked at things differently. I am more flexible, not just in my body but also in my thinking. My learning style changed. I adapted my new learning into my physiotherapy practice. I noticed the improvement in my clients as a result. Work became more fulfilling. For the first time in my life, I truly understand what ‘hands on’ means. The magic of touch. How a pair of hands possess the magic of the power of healing. But then, the mystery behind it all is: the power of the human brain to change and transform. Touch is simply a means of communication between myself and my clients.
In order to get a glimpse into the foundations of the method, let’s start at the very beginning of life, movement. Moshe Feldenkrais once said, “Life is movement. Without movement, life is impossible.”
The Feldenkrais Method® and the Anat Baniel Method are Organic Learning
Watch how a baby moves and one is in awe of the freedom and curiosity that comes through. Developmental learning is organic and upgrades the nervous system. It is sequential in nature. The first step of the sequence begins with spontaneous random movements. From the time healthy children are born, they learn through these spontaneous random movements that will eventually turn into purposeful action, such as kicking or reaching for a toy.
The Brain Organizes Movement
Children, lying on their backs, arch to see something above or behind themselves. Before they even realize it, they’re rolled over! The first few times a child rolls over, it is a happy accident. Over time these actions become intentional. The child gradually learns how to organize movement around his/her intention and make this new trick happen again and again.
Missed Steps in the Learning Process
Sensory feedback from spontaneous random movement forms the building blocks for the successful operation of the nervous system. Disease and childhood trauma disrupt the normal process of pattern formation in the brain. With developmentally challenged children, the source of their delayed development is neurological interference. A child with cerebral palsy, due to the affectation of the muscle tone, is not able to experience the degree of freedom resulting from spontaneous random movement. The child’s brain doesn’t get the information so crucial for movement development and as a result is not able to execute purposeful actions or experience the pleasure and reward of accomplishment.
No more pain or stiffness!
For those of us who had a healthy childhood transition into adulthood, our movement and posture can often be compromised by stress we barely notice. Or we may have chronic problems that affect our health and ability to move freely. But we can learn to improve, regardless of our age or physical condition.
Whether you are young or old, physically challenged or physically fit, the Feldenkrais Method® and Anat Baniel Method will help you learn how to make any activity easier, more effective, and more enjoyable.