The Method enables people to include in their functioning, movements and parts of the body unconsidered, forgotten or excluded from their habitual actions or images of actions. By allowing a person to learn how their whole body cooperates in any movement, the Feldenkrais® Method assists people to live their lives more fully, efficiently and comfortably. Functional Integration® lessons relate to a desire, intention, or need of the student. The learning process is carried out without the use of any invasive or forceful procedure.

Feldenkrais work is done in two formats.

In group classes, called Awareness Through Movement®, the Feldenkrais teacher verbally leads you through a sequence of movements in basic positions: sitting or lying on the floor, standing or sitting in a chair.

Private Feldenkrais lessons, called Functional Integration®, are tailored to each student's individual learning needs; the teacher guides your movements through touch.

People learning the Feldenkrais® Method are usually referred to as 'students' rather than clients or patients. This reinforces our view of the work as primarily being an educational process.

What is an Awareness Through Movement® lesson?

Awareness Through Movement® consists of verbally directed movement sequences presented primarily to groups. A lesson generally lasts from 30 to 60 minutes. The lessons consist of comfortable, easy movements that gradually evolve into movements of greater range and complexity These precisely structured movement explorations involve thinking sensing, moving and imagining. Many are based on developmental movements and ordinary functional activities (reaching, standing, lying to sitting, looking behind yourself, etc.), some are based on more abstract explorations of joint, muscle, and postural relationships. There are hundreds of ATM lessons, varying in difficulty and complexity, for all levels of movement ability.

The emphasis is on learning which movements work better and noticing the quality of these changes in your body. Through increased awareness, you will learn to abandon habitual patterns of movement and develop new alternatives, resulting in improved flexibility and coordination.

How do you learn in an Awareness Through Movement® lesson?

Learning strategies in ATM include:

• using slow, gentle movement and directing students to move within the limits of safety by avoiding pain and strain
• orienting to the process of learning and doing rather than working towards a goal
• directing awareness toward sensing differences and perceiving whole interconnected patterns in movement
• allowing the student to find his/her own way with a lesson

What is a Functional Integration® Lesson?

As Feldenkrais practitioners guide you through movement sequences verbally in ATM lessons, they also guide you through movement in Functional Integration lessons with gentle noninvasive touching.

Functional Integration® is performed with the student fully clothed, usually lying on a table or with the student in sitting or standing positions. At times, various props (pillows, rollers, blankets ) are used in an effort to support the person's body configuration or to facilitate certain movements. The learning process is carried out without the use of any invasive or forceful procedure.

Functional Integration® is a hands-on form of tactile, kinesthetic communication. The practitioner communicates how you organize your body and, through gentle touching and movement, conveys the experience of comfort, pleasure and ease of movement while you learn how to reorganize your body and behavior in new and more expanded functional motor patterns.

In Functional Integration®, the practitioner/teacher develops a lesson for you, custom-tailored to your unique configuration at that particular moment, relating to a desire' intention or need you have. Through rapport and respect for your abilities, qualities and integrity, the practitioner/teacher creates an environment in which you can learn comfortably.