awareness through movement
Feldenkrais exercises expand ranges of movement and foster balance and coordination by practising unfamiliar "Non habitual" movements while being aware of sensations in the body and monitoring awareness of body's position in space. Students learn to be aware how muscle groups cooperate in various body movements.
Some of these movements are modelled on the natural learning of children when they experiment with each advance in their capacity as their bodies mature. Some of the exercises rediscover the easy and efficient rotational movements of early childhood which are usually lost as core musculature strengthens. For instance using rolling to move from lying to standing similar to the way infants first manage to roll over by shifting their center of gravity before they are strong enough to lift themselves up.
Muscle groups are used together in new ways to open up new pathways. In the beginning a student might find difficulty moving a part of the body which has never been used in that way before. Rather like a baby learning to walk.
The work begins with with small, easy, comfortable movements, while gradually noticing the contribution of muscles, skeleton, and personality to each movement. Satisfying movements of increasing complexity, magnitude, efficiency, and speed gradually develop that can be carried over into moving with comfort and elegance in everyday life.
The method "paces and leads" breathing, muscle tone, rhythm, and other subtle qualities of movement.
"Differentiated" movement exercises move the eyes, head, shoulders, and pelvis in different directions – often unusual and unexpected.
These exercises often induce a trance-like state reminiscent of Milton Erickson's "confusion technique". Students examine their habitual postures and movements more closely after exercises with unfamiliar movements or familiar movements in novel positions.
Exercise instructions may contain a posthypnotic suggestion to look afterwards for the possibility of increased ease and lightness of movement.