Frequently Asked Questions
How would I expect to feel after a Feldenkrais class?
Refreshed and relaxed, yet vital and more grounded. Your breathing, standing and walking will feel lighter and easier. You feel as though your skeleton is stacked better and less like you are working to hold yourself up against gravity. The greater sense of calm will follow you through the day and likely result in improved sleep.
I am not very co-ordinated. Will I be able to do the class?
Absolutely. Feldenkrais classes involve you learning more about your own individual habits of movement so your co-ordination can improve. You learn from your own starting point at your own pace. It is a non-competitive environment which allows you to develop the skill of attending to the “how” of “what” you do which allows you to learn something new.
Would one series of classes be enough?
One series may give you an experience of how you can improve with these classes and the hope that you can stem and even reverse your downward path of increased pain and decreased flexibility. If this happens for you then you will want to continue because you enjoy feeling better and better. Some people who don’t sense themselves so well may need 2 or 3 terms of classes to feel these benefits. It is an unfortunate truth that often those who could benefit most find it hardest to adapt to the slow, feeling, sensing mode of Feldenkrais and give up on it after only one series of classes. It is difficult for competitive personalities to slow down enough to learn about their habits and find some new movement options.
Who can benefit from Feldenkrais classes?
Any reasonably able bodied person who would like to move through life in an easier, more co-ordinated way, including:
- Athletes wanting to improve their skill and co-ordination.
- Those in pain – whether its the pain of “old age” or pain associated with medical conditions.
- Anxious people wanting to reduce the resting tension that seems a constant companion.
- Clumsy people who would like to feel more connected to their bodily self.
People with severe disabilities or mobility constraints would be better suited to a series of one-on-one Functional Integration® sessions with Vanessa who is now a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner®.
When would an individual one-on-one session be required?
When there is a pain or movement issue you would like to feel an improvement in. While pain is the biggest motivator, a desire to improve in a specific activity is also a reason to try a series of one-on-one Functional Integration (FI) sessions. Contact Vanessa for more information.