Resources

This is the first ‘go-to’ book which Feldenkrais wrote for the general public to become better acquainted with his Method.

It begins with some general explanations of the ideas behind his work. The rest contains twelve lessons which are designed to be undertaken by the reader and which cover topics as varied as ‘what is Good Posture’ and the well-known lesson ‘The Pelvic Clock’.

Intended for the average reader, the description of the Feldenkrais Method is fairly concise. In terms of understanding the Method, reading the book will be no substitute for doing the work and experiencing it.

While these classical lessons will produce extraordinary results if done correctly, it may be difficult for an untrained reader to go through the steps in the right mindset and with the correct attention to detail.

A Study of Anxiety, Sex, Gravitation and Learning.

Written as Feldenkrais was beginning to lay the groundwork for his Method, this book addresses the science behind self-understanding. Making the argument that our habits prevent us from fully maturing, he brings in ideas from physics, anatomy, developmental psychology and education to explain how we best can overcome habits and move towards the true maturity which is our birthright as humans.

Feldenkrais demonstrates his familiarity with a wide variety of subjects here and integrates them expertly to illustrate his thinking. The writing is well-informed and research on subjects such as neuroplasticity has since emerged over the last 70 years to support Feldenkrais’ well-defined ideas.

Feldenkrais was one of the first Westerners to receive a black belt in Judo. Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, had high regard for Feldenkrais’ understanding of his work and looked to him to further its cause in Europe.

This book was Feldenkrais’ attempt to elucidate the art of Judo in a way that would make sense to Westerners.

Feldenkrais used many ideas from Judo to develop his Method, and this book is a document of where he was in that process at the time. Those interested in Judo will find an excellent teacher here, someone who looks below the surface of the art into its potential for self-development.

A Study of Spontaneity and Compulsion.

This is a discussion of the limits of our current means of educating ourselves, the consequences of those limitations in terms of our happiness, and a better way forward. The way forward is the kind of self-development cultivated by a practice of the Feldenkrais Method. Feldenkrais explains that awareness of previously unrecognised patterns, discovered through slow, gentle and curious movement will have ramifications that empower the whole self – body, mind, and interactions with others.

This book contains little-to-no description of the Feldenkrais Method as taught in workshops or through one-on-one sessions with Practitioners. Instead, it seeks to make clear to the reader Feldenkrais’ reasons for developing his Method, and the theoretical groundwork by which he came to his conclusions. Feldenkrais arguments are lucid and convincing, and many of these ideas have been espoused for centuries in martial arts and meditation, and are currently borne out in recent research.