A global approach
Checking out my Facebook feed this morning — something I must confess doing incredibly irregularly — I read a post from French Feldenkrais colleague Mickaëlle Acke. In it, she quotes Feldenkrais trainer and speech therapist François Combeau. Over 30 years ago, François established the l’espace de temp présent, a stunning center for somatic learning in the heart of Paris. (I speak from experience because I have had the honor and pleasure of teaching there.)
The quote is such a beautiful expression of the perspective that informs Moshe’s method that I wanted to share it with you:
What we call the Feldenkrais Method is a global approach to the person and their functioning. It does not seek to identify and isolate a specific disorder of the whole person in their way of acting, thinking, and behaving in the environment. It is not about recovering from an affliction or reducing and erasing a pathology. Instead, it seeks to get us moving, to redevelop the ability to learn, to adjust, to organize ourselves in action in a more functional way, one that respects our structure and its operating rules.
— François Combeau
You’ll find the entire article here. Please note that the translation above is mine, meaning I alone am responsible for any errors or omissions.
You can find more information about François’ work on his website, along with a selection of his French, English, German, and Spanish articles. (Look for the flags in the upper right corner to toggle between the French and English versions of the main pages)
A big “Merci beaucoup” to Mickaëlle for sharing this insightful quote!
I created the image at the top of today’s blog using a photo of François I found on his site.
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Beautiful quote! I experience this particular view every day.
Thanks for confirming my appreciation of François’quote, Aliza! it does encapsulate the perspective of our practice, n’est-ce pas?
Thank you, dear Larry! Big Hugs. Flor
You’re welcome, Flor.
Thanks for the hugs! I sending you e-hugs from home.