BODY MATTER: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS YOga and Feldenkrais
How are Yoga and the Feldenkrais Method different?
Most yoga that is taught in the west often moves students into an asana or posture. The practice of each pose is about discovering our boundaries, (physically, mentally, and emotionally) and softening into them. We use the art of stretching the muscles & aligning the skeleton with awareness, feeling each subtle adjustment that can be made for a bigger sense of space and ease. We notice what arises in our thoughts and emotions and we work with our thoughts in non-judgemental ways.
Asanas, the graceful postures of yoga, are the third limb on the eightfold path. The care of the physical body thus becomes an important stage of our spiritual growth. In yoga, it is suggested that the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies are not separate at all, but are one in the same. Through the practice of asanas (yoga postures), we develop the habit of discipline and the ability to concentrate, both of which are necessary for meditation and for working skillfully with our thoughts and emotions as they arise.
Yoga from the perspective of my teaching is moving with awareness, where your breath is your guide. It includes efficient anatomical alignment, opportunities to stretch muscles, strengthen muscles, and engage in functional range training. It is a potent blend of physical rigor and an introspective dance.
In the Feldenkrais® method, we work with the nervous system through directive attention, sensory feedback, curiosity, and novel learning. Working directly with awareness allows us to explore the spaciousness of moving without boundaries. We learn to translate force through our skeleton and to listen to the subtleties of our experience. We uncover our habits in the way we move as a whole (moving, thinking, sensing & feeling) so that we can gain insight into how we approach all the movements of life. Like yoga, we notice what arises in our thoughts & emotions and we free ourselves from the constraints of living a life solely on our habits.
When I first came upon the Feldenkrais® method as a dancer and yogi, it was clear to me that these practices compliment each other. When practiced together they can offer you a broader way of experiencing and understanding yourself.
Both practices ultimately help you listen to your body, understand its limitations, and unlock its hidden potential. But their approaches differ, offering unique doorways to self-discovery. A seasoned yogi might find Feldenkrais® a gateway to deeper internal awareness, while a Feldenkrais® practitioner might discover a newfound strength and power when coming to a yoga practice.
Ultimately, both paths lead to the same destination – a deeper connection to yourself, a body that moves with grace and ease, and a mind that finds its center amidst the chaos. The difference may be how we go about those movements. And these differences can vary from person-to-person and from teacher-to-teacher of each style of lineage.
What is the Feldenkrais Method?
The Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education uses gentle movement and directed attention to help people learn new and more effective ways of living the life they want. The Feldenkrais Method® is based on principles of physics, biomechanics, and an empirical understanding of learning and human development. Moshe Feldenkrais said, “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. By increasing sensitivity, the Feldenkrais® Method assists you to live your life more fully, efficiently, and comfortably.
You can increase your ease and range of motion, improve your flexibility and coordination, and rediscover your innate capacity for graceful, efficient movement. Since how you move, is how you move through life, these improvements will often enhance your thinking, emotional regulation, and problem-solving capabilities.
Here is a great article by Larry Goldfarb explaining a bit more about what the Feldenkrais method is all about:
What is an Awareness Through Movement class like?
Feldenkrais® group classes are known as Awareness Through Movement® (ATM®) lessons. Similar to Tai Chi or gentle yoga, Awareness Through Movement® classes use slow, mindful movements to achieve powerful effects in terms of strength, flexibility, and holistic integration of body and mind. Unique to the Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education is that these lessons tie directly into functional movements of daily life, such as walking efficiently, safely lifting objects, and improving one’s posture in sitting or standing.
You can expect a class to last somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes. You might walk, stand, or sit in a chair, although usually, you will lie on the floor in a variety of comfortable positions: either on your back, front, or side. The teacher guides students through a sequence of movements, encouraging them to move with gentle attention within a comfortable range. You may become aware of unexpected and interesting connections within and between the movements. As you attend to the improving quality of movement, unnecessary muscular tensions throughout the body can reorganize and release. Students are often amazed at the quick and clear changes that occur through the neuromuscular re-patterning that happens in an Awareness Through Movement® lesson!
What is Functional Integration?
Feldenkrais® private sessions are known as Functional Integration® (FI®) lessons. In Functional Integration, the teacher guides an individual student in movement lessons using gentle, non-invasive touch as the primary means of communication.
In a Functional Integration lesson, the Feldenkrais teacher’s touch reflects to the student how they currently organize their body and actions. They suggest, through gentle touch and movement, expanded possibilities for new movement patterns which are more comfortable, efficient, and useful. Functional Integration lessons are flexible in their approach, determined by the student’s needs. The student may lie comfortably on a table designed specifically for the work, or do some of the lesson sitting or standing. As needed, the teacher may also use various props to support the student’s comfort, to make certain movements easier, or to clarify a movement.
Each Functional Integration lesson relates to a desire, intention, or need of the student. The learning process is carried out without the use of any invasive or forceful procedure. Through rapport and respect for the student’s abilities, qualities, and integrity, the teacher creates an environment in which the student can learn in safety and comfort. The lesson is developed, specifically for the student, custom-tailored to the unique circumstances of that particular person, at that particular moment. The student learns how to reorganize their actions in new and more effective ways through the experience of comfort, enjoyment, and ease of movement.
See Awareness Through Movement In Motion
Which should I practice? Yoga or Feldenkrais?
I would consider both! Feldenkrais helps us to understand how to connect with the subtle movement and awareness necessary for meditation and can deepen our experience of asana. Integrating the Feldenkrais Method into your practice guides you towards a greater sense of ease and a deeper understanding of what it means to practice non-judgement.
In my own experience, I have found that the embodiment and subtlety of the Feldenkrais Method has helped me to sense how my thoughts arise in my physical body—and at times feeling how thoughts arise from my physical body.
Why yoga? It can be challenging & also deeply relaxing. It can ease your nerves, nourish your soul with movement and stretch beyond what you thought possible, creating a balance of strength and mobility. For me, yoga has a different way of making me feel in my body.
An important thing not to underestimate or forget, is that both Feldenkrais & Yoga can offer you a place of community with others, a way to expand the way you embody your life. In many of my classes I begin with a Feldenkrais awareness exercises that help to inform the asana practice. This creates a greater sense of ease in the asanas and more awareness of how you are doing each pose.