During the pandemic, like so many practitioners, I stopped giving face-to-face lessons. After three years, I am happy to announce that I will be giving a series of classes and workshops this summer in Vienna.

SOMAMOVES

Today, Feldenkrais is referred to as “The Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education” or “The Feldenkrais Method for Somatic Learning.” These terms are familiar to those working in the field but not particularly helpful to the general public. Personally, I am a fan of the somatic idea, and I have renamed my private practice to make the concept of soma accessible to everyone. Soma is the uncharted power of our subjectivity. Every human being has to relate to the objective, measurable aspects of our material body, while our subjective way of making sense of our experience of movement is unique to each individual. The essence of Feldenkrais is to bridge the gap between the visible and the invisible. In fact, they build on each other so that the person moves with greater ease, discovering what is the better option for him or herself.

As a practitioner, I am pragmatic. I have seen a lot and learned a lot, and I am able to attune myself to many of the needs of those who come to see me.

During the first year of our training in 1984, my perceptive Brazilian friend remarked, “Feldenkrais was only himself.” It was clear to her from the outset that we who come after him are interpreters of his work, each of us in her or his own way. What, then, does it mean to teach a method that has transformative potential? Feldenkrais professionals pass on what worked for them. They keep learning from their students and their seniors while remaining themselves. In the short texts presented in these pages, I introduce the reader to my personal bias, explaining why the Method is so eminently adaptable.

SOMA

Over the last 100 years, the term SOMA has come to mean the living body; the body of our lived experience. It is everything we call “I, me, myself.” It is not a thing, but rather individual, unique mind-body processes constantly adapting, rebalancing, and renewing. Its most obvious characteristic is the constant movement of the body.

In a baby or a small child, you can most clearly see the power of such animation. They learn how to move their bodies and follow their interests. In a nurturing environment, they do just what they want and resist what they don’t. They grow and develop as one somatic process. SOMA is the only reality at the beginning of life in the gravitational field. Like all things in nature, it is non-linear. Thus, SOMA, as I understand it, works not only as a concept of the “living body,” but also as a representation of the pre-verbal, multi-dimensional self.

Fortunately, we can regain access to this most basic level of our being throughout our entire lives. In this regard, the work of Moshé Feldenkrais is extremely important. He undertook a precise study of body movement with the scientific understanding of an accomplished mechanical and electrical engineer. These are important underpinnings of the practical method of movement training he created. His method was groundbreaking and has proven to be very effective. He uses language rather than demonstration to direct the attention of the participants in his courses; he guides them to translate his directives into physical action in their own ways. Thus, each person can discover independently what feels right, comfortable, easy to do, pleasant, and possibly elegant. Quite naturally, you learn to hone your judgment. Your movement and your frame of mind change together as one.