| |
| Feldenkrais Method®
FAQ's |
What
is the Feldenkrais Method® of Somatic Education?
The Feldenkrais Method® is a form of somatic
education that uses gentle movement and directed attention to
improve movement and enhance human functioning. With this Method,
you can increase your range of motion, improve your flexibility
and coordination, and rediscover your innate capacity for graceful,
efficient movement.
By expanding the self-image through movement sequences, the Method
enables you to include more of yourself in your movements. Students
become aware of their habitual neuromuscular patterns and rigidit
ies, and learn to move in new ways.
Who Benefits from the Feldenkrais Method®?
Everyone can benefit from the Method. The Feldenkrais
Method® helps those experiencing chronic or acute pain of
the back, neck, shoulders, hips, legs, or knees, as well as healthy
individuals who wish to enhance their movement abilities. The
Method has been very helpful in dealing with central nervous system
conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and stroke.
Musicians, actors, and artists can extend their abilities and
enhance their creativity. Seniors enjoy using it to retain or
regain their ability to move without strain or discomfort.
What Happens in a Feldenkrais Method®
Session?
In group Awareness Through Movement® lessons,
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. These precisely structured movement
explorations involve thinking, sensing, moving, feeling, and imagining.
By increasing awareness, you will learn to abandon habitual patterns
of movement and develop new alternatives, resulting in improved
flexibility and coordination. Many lessons 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. A lesson generally lasts from
30 to 60 minutes.
Private Feldenkrais® lessons, called Functional Integration®
lessons, are tailored to each student's individual learning needs.
The teacher guides your movements through gentle non-invasive
touching and words. The student is fully clothed, lying on a table,
or in a sitting or standing position. At times, various props
(pillows, rollers, blankets) are used in an effort to support
the student, or to facilitate certain movements. The learning
process is carried out without the use of any invasive or forceful
procedure.
How Does the Feldenkrais Method® Differ
from Massage and Chiropractic?
While all of these practices touch people, the
Feldenkrais Method® is very different. In massage, the practitioner
is working directly with the muscles, in chiropractic, with the
bones. These are structural approaches that seek to affect change
through changes in structure (muscles and spine). The Feldenkrais
Method® works with your ability to regulate and coordinate
your movement, which means working with the nervous system and
the whole person.
How are Feldenkrais Practitioners Trained?
All Feldenkrais® practitioners must complete
740-800 hours of training over a 3 to 4 year period. Trainees
participate in Awareness Through Movement® and Functional
Integration® lessons, lectures, discussions, group process,
and watch videos of Dr. Feldenkrais teaching. Newtonian mechanics,
physics, neurophysiology, movement development, biology, and learning
theories are presented in the training programs.
This list of Frequently Asked Questions was originally compiled
by Richard Ehrman and the Feldenweb Committee, 1996.
|
| Pilates FAQ's |
What
is Pilates?
The Pilates Method is an innovative
system of whole body conditioning based on the power of connecting
the mind, the body, and the breath in a series of focused and
precise movements. Pioneered by Joseph H. Pilates over seventy
years ago, Pilates develops strength, flexibility, and coordination
while improving body alignment, awareness, and balance. Pilates
is performed both on the mat and on specially designed equipment,
which uses the resistance of springs to open and align the skeletal
system while strengthening and balancing the muscular system.
Movement is experienced from the inside out, with a strong focus
on developing deep core muscles and internal awareness for increased
support, stabilization, and body-mind integration.
How do I get started?
It is generally recommended that a new
student take a few private Pilates sessions before starting
group classes. If this is prohibitive because of cost or scheduling,
we recommend taking a few of our Beginning-level classes to
learn some of the fundamental principles and to determine if
Pilates is right for you. Then, if you are in reasonably good
health and have no injuries, you can use your own judgment in
progressing to Intermediate, Advanced or Open-level classes.
How often should I do Pilates?
It depends on what else you are doing.
Pilates can be a wonderful complement to any exercise program,
promoting freedom of movement, coordination, stability and greater
body awareness. If you are already exercising a few times a
week, doing Pilates once or twice a week might round out your
regimen. If you want to make Pilates the main component of your
exercise program, we recommend three times a week at a minimum.
This could be any combination of private sessions and classes.
And we think you should still do something else besides Pilates.
I have an injury. Can I still do Pilates?
Pilates is great for those recovering
from injuries because it's adaptable enough to work around many
injuries, allowing clients to still get good exercise, and the
exercises themselves can be immensely helpful as part of a rehabilitative
program. If you are injured, you should also be under the care
of a medical professional who can help you determine what and
how much exercise is safe for you to do
Will Pilates help me lose weight?
Only insofar as some exercise is better
than no exercise. We recommend that you do some cardiovascular
training in addition to doing Pilates. Jae Gruenke of Intelligent
Exercise (www.intelligentexercise.com) writes, "A study
of the fitness benefits of Pilates mat classes by the American
Council on Exercise showed that the cardiovascular benefits
and calorie-burning potential of the exercise was equivalent
at best to a walk at a moderate pace. That is enough physical
activity to reduce your risk for major diseases of aging, including
heart disease and diabetes, since these benefits come when you
go from no exercise to very mild regular exercise. But it's
definitely not enough to make your heart and lungs particularly
fit or to help you lose weight.'
Will Pilates help my Yoga practice/ golf game/
etc.?
Pilates can be a strong complement to
a Yoga practice, cultivating strength and stability in the lengthened
positions demanded by Yoga. With respect to golf, tennis, running,
skiing, basketball or anything else, remember :sport-specific
training is just that. What you need to do to complement your
regular training depends on what your sport is. Working one-on-one
with a Pilates instructor will allow you to adapt the exercises
to your specific needs, but Pilates is a better match with some
activities than with others. If you have areas you want to improve
in your current physical practice, give us a call and we’ll
help you figure out if Pilates is what you're looking for.
|
|
