Moshe Feldenkrais

"I strive not for the flexibility of the body, but for the flexibility of the mind. I strive to restore everyone’s sense of human dignity."

- Moshe Feldenkrais

Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984) was a physicist, judo master, the founder of the Feldenkrais Method, and the Feldenkrais Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel. He authored several books on his work. The Feldenkrais Method is based on an educational approach that emphasizes neuromuscular communication between the teacher and the student. This interaction can occur in the form of group lessons or hands-on practice on a table.

During group lessons, the teacher provides verbal instructions describing movements and directing the students’ attention to specific body parts and their interactions. This form of practice is called Awareness Through Movement (ATM).

In hands-on practice (conducted individually), the teacher, or Feldenkrais practitioner, gently touches and moves parts of the student’s body. The student does not make intentional movements but actively perceives their sensations through proprioception. This practice is known as Functional Integration (FI).

Both methods establish non-verbal communication with the student's central nervous system through the "language of movements," using the kinesthetic sense (the sense of movement).

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