An Introduction to Feldenkrais®, Part One: Get Back Up!

In this course, I will lead you through a group of five movement lessons that will give you strategies for moving from lying on your back, to sitting, to standing. I will use the metaphor of getting back on your feet, when life knocks you down. These lessons, developed by Moshe Feldenkrais, physicist, engineer, judo black belt, and pioneer in the field of human development, can help you improve your balance, lessen or eliminate chronic pain, improve your performance in dance, sports, martial arts, or music; and become more resilient in the face of life's challenges. I decided to use the metaphor of getting back up when life knocks you down, for this introductory series, because Dr. Feldenkrais has said that “health is measured, not by the capacity to stay standing, but by the ability to be knocked down and then return to standing. So, in other words, we are in a good state of health when we can suffer a shock of any kind, and recover to the level we were before the incident. Feldenkrais took this idea a step further, though, and said that he wanted to help people live their avowed and unavowed dreams: in other words, to live the conscious vision you have for your life, and the dreams that you may have given up on, long ago. So, one of the purposes of this work is that we can, not only recover the abilities we had before the shock, but, through the process of recovering, find new abilities; to refine ourselves to such an extent that we are in a better position to achieve our dreams than before the trouble. And, even though that may sound theoretical, it's my experience that these lessons CAN help us achieve our dreams, and in a very practical way: by studying our own movement, and discovering new movements and new qualities with which to move, and with which to live. This, you may find as you go through this course, is very empowering, putting you more in control of your own functioning, no matter the reason that brought you here. So, join me, as we find many options for you to get up, and stay up, with more ease, more skill, more poise, and more elegance! It’s inevitable. Life will knock you down. Let's learn how to get back up!

Please note: The Feldenkrais® Method is gentle, but please consult with your doctor before beginning any new physical activity. Sarah Templeton will not be held liable for any injury or loss sustained during, or as a result of, these lessons.