the Feldenkrais Method with Emma Alter

I was reading a Masters dissertation on Dorothy DeLay this week. She was a famous violin pedagogue. She taught Hilary Hahn, Itzak Perlman, Midori, Simon Fischer, and a veritable who’s who of the great names in the violin canon of the last 60 years.

I mention it as it brought up the work of Bandler, the creator of NLP. A particular idea, that clearly comes from Feldenkrais  – they met in person, before NLP was developed.  In the frame of how Ms Delay successfully facilitated learning for her pupils. And it was about the superpower of awareness. Bandler wrote: “You can think about all behavior as being mobilized by the beliefs that we have.” (Using Your Brain: For a Change) Which is really a paraphrase of Feldenkrais. 

Moshe Feldenkrais a decade earlier wrote, “We move according to our perceived self-image.” By expanding your perception and increasing awareness, you will become more aware of your habits and tensions and develop new ways of moving.” (Awareness Through Movement) 

Our thinking comes out in the way we hold and move ourselves.

Whether that’s adaptive behaviour post injury, or you’ve been told to move in a certain way and not others. My mother used to tell me not to swing my hips when I walked. I tried it, decided it didn’t feel good, and ignored her. She was probably told that by her mother, and so forth. “A lady doesn’t swing her hips”, or some such thing. None of them realising that swinging hips mean that the skeleton is successfully joining in the motion of walking. And when we don’t swing the hips, we’re usually stiffening the low back in some way.

These layers of habits, of adaptation, or things we think we should do or have been told to do build up over time. 

If you believe you can’t do something, you won’t be able to.

Whether you could or not becomes irrelevant. If our beliefs change, then that action moves to being in the realm of possibility.

As a child, I was told by doctors I shouldn’t go horseriding, as I could easily break my legs. I wasn’t allowed to, and didn’t go horse-riding. I occasionally thought about it, but there were other reasons not to go horse riding, so I didn’t really think about it. I did once go on a donkey, and a camel, but wasn’t overwhelmed by the experiences. I’ve still not been on a horse. 
At this point I could. but I don’t want to. It’s so far away from my self-image and what I see myself doing, or want to do, I probably won’t. That’s a frivolous example of course, it’s not necessary for me to ride a horse in this life, so it doesn’t affect my life.

But we all have examples along this line- some of which have shaped our lives, and some of which limit them. What are yours? What’s so far away from your self image it wouldn’t be possible? What might be useful to think might be possible?

Feldenkrais raises our awareness to what limitations we’re unnecessarily adding to the pot.

It’s something we question in every Feldenkrais lesson. Moving in unusual ways, until we can do something we couldn’t before. Or we can do it with more skill than before. Sometimes it creeps up on you. I’ve had many clients come to a lesson saying that they could turn around to see behind them in the car, when they couldn’t previously. And other times, the change of thinking is enough to see a possibility rather than only see limitation. 

In the next weeks we’ll be looking at the low back, and finding some swing in walking. Do join us.

If you’d be interested to work with me, either individually, or in a group setting, please get in touch. We’ll start with a free discovery consultation, online or by phone.

Contact me for a free short discovery consultation. Send me an email, or phone (07939277189). If I can’t pick up, leave me a message with some times to reach you.