feldenkrais, anyone have an opinion?

[Jordan Glasser]

After a serioius lifting session I was doing some mild stretching when a local trainer offered to help. She teaches feldenkrais, a method I have always been interested in experimenting with, but haven't been able to attend classes due to scheduling conflicts. In just 20 minutes of moving my legs and hips around I felt great, both physically and mentally. My hips weren't as tight, I was more mobile without that stretched out feeling I get from pulling on muscles.
My question here is does anyone practice regularly? Recommend it?

I ask because she is going away for the summer very shortly, and the only way I can get her services before the end of the summer is to do it privately ($$), instead of the workshop rate which is a little more affordable.

I am thinking that it's worth the money, but would like a second opinion.

thanks,

Jordan

[David Wood]

I've done a fair amount of Feldenkrais work over the years, both the classes ("Awareness Through Movement") and the hands-on work with a practicioner ("Functional Integration").

I've loved it . . . but I'm not sure I would pay for it. I definitely walk around looser and taller after a session, but it doesn't seem to "last" . . . even paying attention as best I can, I seem to lose the benefits fairly quickly.

That may just be me and my over-stressed, hyperstimulated life ... your mileage may vary. Again, I love what it does to me and for me, but I've never been able to "integrate" the learning and make the new feeling permanent. I keep telling myself "when I retire . . . "

It's not what you asked, but if I had money to pay for bodywork, I would do Rolfing ("Structural Integration") (yes, all these names sound pretty similar). I found that to produce profound change that didn't need to be constantly attended to for fear of losing it.

[Chris Lowndes]

Hello,

You could just purchase some tapes or cds of workshops and do them at your leisure?

a couple of links as below

http://www.feldenkraisresources.com/...products=audio
http://www.achievingexcellence.com/c...rkshopCDs.html

You could also look at doing sessions in other forms of somatic education if available locally i.e. Body Mind Centering, Alexander Technique, Hanna Somatic Education.

Regards

Chris

[Daniel Christensen]

Good links.

There are some nice free demos on the second site of Jack Heggie's stuff.

[Chris Lowndes]

From the Hanna Somatic perspective

http://www.somatics.com/
http://www.somatics.com/page4.htm

regards

Chris