From the Summer 2004 Schedule
The Flow of Movement

When you throw a stone into a pond, it makes a ripple. It can be very satisfying to be there on the water’s edge and watch that wave of energy as it moves out equally in all directions. It gives a wonderful feeling.

Physical movement can give us that same sort of feeling. An action can begin in one part of the body and ripple out into the rest. The movement is harmonious because it is distributed equally across all the parts.

When some part of the body is blocked, though, we have a different feeling. Then the movement begins in one place, travels a certain distance, and stops. If this only happens once, it may not be so bad. But repeated blockages lead to pain, and eventually to damage.

In the Feldenkrais Method we take movements that emphasize this search for flow. In looking for the benefits that one can get through movement, we are not focused on strengthening muscles or improving aerobic condition. These are good things, but not our focus. We emphasize the benefits that come through refining our ability to let movement travel through the body along an open path.

 To do this, we take slow and gentle movements, often lying down. We are not planning to lie down and go slow forever! But we begin that way, so we can feel more. We are particularly interested in how movement in the limbs is connected to movements in the torso. The torso can often benefit from quite a bit of limbering up.

A technical phrase for what we are doing is that we are “studying the kinetic chain.” This means, simply, that we study how one part links to the next. As these linkages improve, pain and restriction decrease, and new horizons appear. The body is, after all, 70% water. To feel that flow inside, as one moves, is marvelous!