From the Winter 2004 Schedule
"Mindful Movement that is 

Healing, Insightful, and Fun"

Several years ago, I worked with a man who was in his early seventies and a vigorous skier and golfer. While golfing that July, he had severely strained his back. After consulting two orthopedic surgeons, they both agreed that he had grossly herniated disks and surgery would be necessary. The surgery would take away his pain, they promised, but “he would never do vigorous exercise again.”

Raymond didn’t like this picture of his future, so he went looking for alternatives. An Osteopath referred him to me for private sessions. Beginning in October, we worked together privately weekly for about four months, and then he switched to the group class. During this time, and especially at the beginning, it was kind of a tussle between Raymond and me. I wanted him to do gentle, introspective movement where the benefit comes from paying attention, and he wanted to do vigorous, repetitive movement where the benefit comes from making an effort. Gradually, he was willing to try the new way, and was rewarded with steady improvements in his comfort, flexibility, and confidence.

One day in February Raymond said good-bye to the group class. The next Monday I received an email from him. He was in Aspen, and the email said: “Never skied better in my life!”

Besides this happy ending, Raymond left me with something else. He gave me his summation of Feldenkrais: “Maureen, this is a thinking man’s exercise.”

I love this description because it’s true, and because it reminds me of him. But since “thinking” often is associated with calculating, I am more often describing our Method as being about “Mindfulness.” It is about paying attention while you move. We take many movements that are familiar from other types of exercise, sport and dance, and add to them a level of introspection. We slow the movements down. We break them into parts. We explore all the nooks and crannies. Then, once we have gotten small and simple, we combine actions again and enjoy movements that are large and complicated.

This process quiets the mind, and settles body parts back into place—including, sometimes, herniated disks. It also gives a method to invent new combinations so that the journey that heals is also one that brings adventure and discovery.