Most of us would agree that a good body alignment, and easy feeling throughout your musculoskeletal system are worth having, yet few of us manage to find that organisation easily.

If you find yourself struggling to maintain an easy sitting or standing posture, feel you are not reaching your athletic potential, or even finding activities of daily living a painful effort, then you may find a lesson in The Feldenkrais Method a rewarding experience.

The Feldenkrais Method is a gentle neuromuscular education system that teaches the brain to direct the body more efficiently. You learn to release patterns that cause tension and pain, and replace them with ones that align the natural design of the body.
Unlike most varieties of Yoga, Pilates or therapeutic exercises, all of which require a concerted effort, Feldenkrais is about learning through micro-movements, performed gently, and without strain. It’s about training the brain, not the muscles to understand optimal action, for permanent learning. The emphasis is on the way your brain interprets the instructions to perform the movement, rather than getting into a pose or doing a movement “correctly”. An important component of the Feldenkrais Method is your awareness of what you are doing, as this is what causes a shift into aligned movement habits, often resulting in a reduction of pain and muscle tension, and an increase of freedom of motion. The method’s originator Russian-born scientist Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-84) developed two ways to present the Method. The first, known as Functional Integration, is a gentle hands-on technique designed for people desiring or needing personalised attention, and the other is through verbally-guided group movement lessons called Awareness Through Movement.
In these lessons students sit, or lie on the floor, and are slowly and attentively guided through a series of movements that relate to an action from everyday life. You are encouraged to become aware of your breathing and the way that parts of your body move and relate to each other. New movements are explored and repeated at your own pace, and within your own comfort level, using your

learned awareness to improve flexibility, co-ordination, strength, strategy and comfort.

Mandy will be leading a Feldenkrais Class at the upcoming Phuket Health and Fitness Festival. For more information http://tinyurl.com/bvjvfaa

Mandy can be contacted at the Movement Clinic:  www.feldenkraisthailand.com