Unlocking Lockdown With The Feldenkrais Method
“Life is not a stable process. Our ability to recover is our greatest quality.” — Moshe Feldenkrais -
Did lockdown change you? Did you notice any effects on your mind and body? To me, the first lockdown felt like a prison sentence. I have a busy practice teaching movement and postural re-education, and before the pandemic I was constantly on the move, teaching in different locations, walking from place to place. For me, as for many people, lockdown changed this overnight. My world shrunk to the size of my apartment. I sat rather than walked; I guided my clients through a computer screen rather than seeing them in person. My active life was suddenly passive and sedentary. Sluggishness crept in, and I noticed my breathing changing. It felt as if my naturally low blood pressure had become lower; this made me want to eat all the time, but I knew it was phantom hunger. My experience of lockdown is living proof of what I learned in my Feldenkrais training: movement is essential to our mental and physical wellbeing.
The Feldenkrais Method (FM) uses gentle movements to help you slow down and become more aware of your emotional, physical and psychological state. We tend to take movement for granted unless we are injured or in pain; but Moshe Feldenkrais, a physicist, engineer and Judo master who created this educational system in the 1940s, believed that developing people’s awareness through movement can benefit everyone. Group classes are called Awareness Through Movement (ATM); a teacher guides you through slow movement sequences lying on a mat, sitting or standing, with regular pauses and rests. Individual lessons are called Functional Integration; a Feldenkrais Practitioner gently touches and guides you as you lie on a large Feldenkrais table, fully clothed. These lessons are tailored to suit your specific needs. Clients often report an improvement in their breathing, balance, coordination, flexibility, sleep habits, functional movements, sports and performance. Some people also experience a positive shift in their emotional and mental state.
“What I’m after isn’t flexible bodies, but flexible brains. What I’m after is to restore each person to their human dignity.” — Moshe Feldenkrais -
FM is often compared to the Alexander Technique as both deal with somatic education. FM tends to use more varied positions and a broader range of movement sequences. Mindfulness is a closer relative to FM: both foster awareness of sensations, emotions, thoughts and encourage experiencing the present moment, but whereas meditation is often practised sitting, lying down or walking, FM focuses on awareness through movement by making sensory neuro-muscular distinctions — some call it a moving meditation.
“I believe that the unity of mind and body is an objective reality. They are not just parts somehow related to each other, but an inseparable whole while functioning. A brain without a body could not think…” — Moshe Feldenkrais -
So how did I use FM to address my lockdown woes? Firstly, I recognised the need to change my habits. I used FM strategies to identify my phantom hunger as rooted in boredom, restlessness or emotional discomfort. I applied taking a pause and resting to my eating habits. Before reaching for food I paused, noticed and accepted the cravings rather than fighting them, and often they melted away. I also tried resting my digestive system, (for example by leaving 12–16 hours between the last and first meal) which re-energised me. Returning to my pre-pandemic eating habit of eating more for breakfast than dinner also made me feel better emotionally.
I changed my regular swimming from inside to outside and resolved to improve my front crawl, using some FM learning strategies. Experience told me that bigger, more dynamic movements would boost my energy level and improve my mood. I broke down the front crawl into small separate movements and improved them incrementally, taking frequent breaks rather than pushing through. Soon, I was breathing more easily and swimming more fluidly. Cultivating more patience and a beginner’s mind — rather than striving instantly for speed — made the front crawl easier and more enjoyable.
I adapted my teaching to Covid restrictions by leading walking groups for older adults in the local parks and incorporating aspects of ATM lessons along the way. Our oldest participant was 93 years old! Walking in every season was a pleasure and so was connecting with people from different parts of the world. We all noticed the positive effects walking had on our physical and mental health. Some became less anxious, others noticed fewer pains and aches and others felt less socially isolated, losing their shyness and chatting more with others. I also learned to teach effectively on Zoom, setting up Mindful Pilates classes for the 50+, a slower-paced class combining the Feldenkrais and Pilates Methods. These classes helped me to stay connected in lockdown, both with myself and others. Afterward, I felt more energised, grounded, calmer and ready for the day ahead.
Lockdown was a shock to my system, as it was to many people. But FM helped me adapt and transform the experience into something positive. Changing our physical and emotional habits is never easy, but FM is designed to help us recognise habits that negatively impact on us and change the way we move to improve wellbeing. Over time, I’ve learned to be more patient with myself and others — kinder and less judgemental. No matter what our physical and mental condition, we can always change for the better. Or as Moshe Feldenkrais puts it:
“Nothing is permanent about our behaviour patterns except our belief that they are so.”
If you are interested in exploring the fascinating health and learning benefits of the Feldenkrais Method then join me here for the latest Awareness Through Movement classes, workshops and Mindful Pilates classes at City Lit It doesn’t matter how old you are; if you are fit or not; if you have chronic pain or are affected by anxiety; if you feel you are too old or stiff to move — this could be for you. Learn how to adapt and be flexible in difficult times and develop more resilience so you can live a fuller and enriching life.
Charlotte Seirberg: is a Feldenkrais Practitioner, Mindfulness Teacher and Pilates Teacher with a BA in Social Anthropology and Economics. She teaches at City Lit, for local charities for older adults, the NHS and wellness in the workplace. She runs a private Feldenkrais Practice in Shoreditch, where she works with people one-to-one in what is known as ‘Functional Integration’ lessons. Touch is used to facilitate postural re-education, pain relief, improved mobility/performance. Website: embodymovement.co.uk
Further reading for those of you who are interested in knowing more about the Feldenkrais Method:
Awareness Through Movement by Moshe Feldenkrais
Relaxercise by David Zemach Bersin & Mark Reese
The Brain’s Way of Healing by Norman Doidge
Body Mature Behaviour by Moshe Feldenkrais
