Injury Recovery/Pain Relief/Better Movement and Balance
Injury Recovery/Pain Relief/Better Movement and Balance
Anat Meiri, GCFP
New Locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn
+ Zoom Sessions
About Group Classes and Workshops
Group classes: An Overview
In Feldenkrais group classes, also referred to as Awareness Through Movement lessons (ATM) lessons, I verbally guide my students through a progression of movement variations. Lessons are done in a variety of positions, including lying down on a mat, sitting on a mat, sitting in a chair, or standing.
In this process, students develop sensorial awareness of their bodies, and learn how to move in new, healthy ways. The students acquire tools to sit, stand and move with comfort and freedom.
I teach from a catalog of hundreds of lessons developed by Dr. Feldenkrais, other practitioners, and myself. Each lesson has a theme to explore, and promotes self improvement that will translate into daily life.
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Conditions for learning
In Feldenkrais Group Classes, you’ll be introduced to a unique approach to learning, one that creates ideal conditions for your learning and growth.
Here are some ways learning is optimized in a Feldenkrais class:
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Go slow - When you move slowly, you can pay closer attention and notice many more details about how you move. Imagine, it’s like seeing yourself in a slow motion video.
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Take rests - During a Feldenkrais class, we take frequent rests between movement sequences. Resting periods enable your brain to process the new information and respond to it.
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Move small and reduce effort - Many of our old movement patterns involve unnecessary muscle contraction. We may overly contract our muscles, or use the wrong ones to perform an action. By moving slowly, and reducing muscular effort, we increase our sensitivity and ability, to better distribute the muscle contraction in our body. This allows us to maintain a stress free posture, with our skeleton better able to support our weight.
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Stay within your range of comfort - No Pain, More Gain! Pain and discomfort activate protective mechanisms in our muscular system and prevent us from moving freely. By listening to our body's discomfort signals, we learn how to move without hurting ourselves, and we establish our unique path to health.
Awareness as a tool for change
​“If you know what you do, you can do what you want.”
- Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais
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In order to change our patterns, we first need to become aware of them. The Feldenkrais process is designed to develop your sensorial awareness, so you can move and act with an educated choice.
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For example, many children and adults have been told by teachers, parents, and doctors, that they need to “straighten up” their posture. In response, they might try to pull their shoulders back, but are likely to return to their old posture moments later. This quick relapse happens because pulling your shoulders back is a stand-alone movement is unnatural, and tiring to your muscles and body. In the Feldenkrais process, you develop the awareness and learn how to coordinate your entire body, so you can stand “straight” effortlessly.
Benefits of Group Classes
Feldenkrais allows you to use what you've learned in lessons and apply it to the rest of your life. Whether it is your yoga practice that you want to improve, or simply putting on your socks without having back pain, Feldenkrais is a practice that can be applied to everything you do.
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​Here is a partial list of benefits of group classes:​
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Healthy posture
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Improved mobility and movement
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Better balance
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Reduced anxiety and stress
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Overcoming injury and pain
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Increased awareness and vitality
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Better breathing
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Increased self-confidence
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Improved learning capability
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Enhanced creativity
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Regaining and improving skills
Should I start with a Group Class, or a Private Session?
Generally speaking, if you feel healthy enough to go down to the floor and lie down in different positions, group classes are a good choice. However, if you suffer from an injury that puts heavy restriction on your movement, a private session will be a better way to start.
If you're not sure, feel free to contact me and I can help you decide.