The Feldenkrais Method is a revolutionary approach to health and fitness. Using what Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais called 'Awareness Through Movement,' people of any age or condition can learn to move more comfortabley and effectively. In pleasant yet powerful ways, his mehtod rewakens the natural process by which we as babies learned to crawl, walk, and talk. In the U.S. and Canada more than one thousand guild-certified practitioners teach the Feldenkais Method.

Awareness Heals is the first book to present the full benefits of the Feldenkrais Method in clear language. It details six basic lessons which help you to becomre more aware of how you breathe, sit, walk, and other wise move. By sensing these natural actions, you gorw more skillful and supple in all your movements,. Through the Feldenkrais Method, you can learn to relieve pain, enhance flexibility, and recover from physical or emotional stress.

The gentle movements in Awareness Heals are designed for practice at home and work, end even in your car. They fit into any program of fitness, exercise, or therapy. Most important, Feldendkrais lessons demonstrate that such problems as stiffness and stress do not require outside intervention-the remedy lies within each of us.

Steven Shafarman studied with Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais between 1976 and 1984, becoming a certified Feldenkrais practitioner an assistant trainer. In 1981, when Dr. Feldenkrais last taught in the U.S., he asked Shafarman to travel with him as assistant and appointments secretary. A former research associate of Dr. Jean Houston, Shafarman has studied a variety of ways to ehnance health and human capabilities. He lives in Santa Barbara, California, and teaches and lectures internationally.

Contents

Inroduction How to use this book
The method, Moshe, and me
The Feldenkrais method
Learning to learn
Lesson One: Bending and breathing
Lesosn Two: Turning and twisting
Lesson Three: Leaning and lifting
Lesosn Four: Uninhibited breathing
Lesson Five: Effortless sitting
Lesson Six: Elegant walking
Learning and life
Toward a science of health
Awareness heals
Afterword: A world of awareness
Appendix: For more information
Acknowledgments
Index

I think I had this book out from the library for at least 6 months. It's overdue yet again. The exercises were interesting and are relevant to my yoga practice, but I think I actually need someone there to tell me what to do. It's hard to clutch the book and do the movements as long as directed. I also get too mentally distracted when left to myself. Maybe some kind of audio version would be a good idea. I did once go to a yoga workshop that turned out to be more about Feldenkrais than yoga and that's how I ended up picking up this book. For now it's a footnote, I'll stick to the yoga. (February 07, 2004) ( )