What’s it good for?

For the longest time, I’ve been curious about the ways we present the Feldenkrais Method to the public. How do we talk about our work so folks understand what we have to offer and why it matters? So that they get interested in learning more about what we do?

When I began traveling and teaching internationally, I would sometimes be introduced to Feldenkrais teachers at casual social gatherings. Back then, since I was relatively unknown, I could ask, sincerely and curiously, “The Feldenkrais method for?”

My query didn’t receive an immediate response, only a puzzled look. Occasionally, the person would ask, “What do you mean?”

Either way, I’d continue by saying, ”Well, there’s the Evelyn Wood speedreading technique, the Stanislavski approach to becoming a better actor, and the Heimlich maneuver for saving someone from choking to death. What’s this Feldenkrais Method good for?”

Usually, the person would hem and haw for a while before saying something about who Moshe Feldenkrais was, relating how they teach classes and work hands-on with individuals, or start talking about awareness and movement. Not once did anyone provide a smooth, instantaneous, and compelling reply. This repeated inability to articulate the core value of our somatic approach only confirmed my sense that we had a long way to go in developing an articulate, engaging way to talk about our work.

In September, our esteemed colleagues (Pia Appelquist, Yvo Mentens, Nikos Appelquist Dalton, Betzabel Falfan, Mattis Appelquist Dalton, Zsòfi Fekete, and Eve Kolinski) from the Feldenkrais Education group produced Feldenkrais in the Field. This documentary showcases the successful real-world application of Moshe’s methodology with athletes, special needs children, people on the job, etc.

Using footage from their twelve-week online program, the film shows how our approach meaningfully enhances coordination and well-being across twelve contexts, convincingly proving its practical relevance. The movie offers the kind of answers I was looking for when I conducted that impromptu survey way back when. To give you a sense of the astonishing breadth of what the method does, here’s a list of topics along with time codes marking when they appear:

• 0:01:48 Rehabilitation
• 0:05:25 Children with special needs
• 0:12:22 Sports & Martial Arts
• 0:20:24 Creativity
• 0:23:31 Theatre & Dance
• 0:33:35 Chronic Pain & Discomfort
• 0:35:32 Voice & Singing
• 0:44:27 Psychological & social issues
• 0:49:52 At the workplace

The documentary is available for free on YouTube in French and English. If you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to watch it soon. Please share it with your friends, colleagues, and students. Then ask them to share the link(s) with associates, neighbors, and family members so they can help spread awareness of and appreciation for the Feldenkrais Method.