Moshe Feldenkrais
The Feldenkrais Method

Moshé Feldenkrais was born in Russia in 1904 and emigrated to Palestine at the age of 13. Like many innovators, he came to his field by a circuitous route, weaving together numerous influences. As a young man, he was an excellent athlete, a soccer player and self-taught in jujitsu. He did construction work and tutored problem students while attending night school preparing to study physics. He had an early interest in hypnosis and translated Emile Coué's book on autosuggestion into Hebrew.

In Paris, Feldenkrais earned his doctorate in physics at the Sorbonne and assisted Joliot-Curie. During his university years he met Kano, the originator of judo, and trained with Kano's students to become a high ranking black belt and well-known judo teacher.

Moshé Feldenkrais originated two interrelated, somatically based educational methods. The first method, Awareness Through Movement, is a verbally directed, body movement technique designed for groups or work with oneself. The second method, Functional Integration, is a nonverbal, manual contact technique designed for people desiring or requiring more individualized attention.

Feldenkrais spent a lifetime exploring and revealing the inexhaustibly rich, multidimensional world of human movement.

Feldenkrais died in 1984, leaving a small group of highly trained practitioners who have continued his methods. In recent years the Feldenkrais Method has greatly expanded and has become well-known for its success with orthopedic and neurological problems, and respected in the theater and dance words for use in performance training. Many people have sought the aid of Feldenkrais practitioners to ameliorate muscular and joint problems, to improve balance, coordination and breathing; and to enhance personal growth. By working with the whole person, Feldenkrais practitioners promote self-esteem and learning skills. Today the Feldenkrais Method is known in more than twenty countries with nearly 2,000 practitioners worldwide.

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