Feldenkrais is a type of exercise therapy devised by Moshé Feldenkrais (1904–1984).
Feldenkrais and F. M. Alexander
Moshe Feldenkrais had lessons in the Alexander Technique with Walter Carrington in the 1940s. When Feldenkrais’ book, Body and Mature Behaviour, came out in 1949, F. M. Alexander was alerted to it, and upon reading it, realised that many ideas were based, unacknowledged, on Alexander’s books and work. Alexander had a brief conversation with Feldenkrais about it, and decided that Feldenkrais could have no more lessons.[1]
‘Interview with Mia Segal’ relates the similarities and differences between Feldenkrais’s and Neil’s work; Mia Segal had work with both Feldenkrais and Charles Neil [misspelled as ‘Neal’ in the article].[2]
Articles
‘Moshe Feldenkrais and F. M. Alexander’ by Penny Auburn compares the two methods, and concludes that Feldenkrais took ideas from Alexander, applied to them his own way of thinking, and came up with an entirely different concept of bodywork as a result.[3]
‘A personal comparison’ by Sue Kaufman, who is a pupil of both Feldenkrais and the Alexander Technique, compares the two methods, and thinks that the differences disguise fundamentally similar aims and concepts of correct movement.[4]
‘The pursuit of poise’ by David Hall; the author is a practitioner of Feldenkrais and a teacher of the Technique and here explains how he uses each method to re-educate a person’s co-ordination.[5]
‘An interview with Mark Reese’ by Mark Reese, David Hall is an interview explaining what the Feldenkrais method is, what it does and how it works.[6]
‘Musings on the methods’ by Michael Johnson-Chase compares differences in approach and differences in the communities of Feldenkrais and Alexander Technique.[7]
‘ATM lesson’ by David Hall is a talk-through of an ATM (awareness through movement) lesson, lying on the floor, rotating, rolling.[8]
‘A Feldenkrais practitioner looks at the Alexander Technique’ by Jack Heggie argues that the differences between the two methods stem from certain differences in the approach used by the two originators, and do not represent fundamental differences in understanding.[9]
‘Alexander technique and Feldenkrais method: A critical overview’ by Sanjiv Jain, Kristy Janssen, Sharon DeCelle in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America, discusses the indications, contraindications, and patient selection, and reviews and identifies what research has been completed and what areas need further investigation.[10]
Criticism
‘Letter to the editor’ by Carl Ginsburg complains of Walter Carrington describing Moshe Feldenkrais’s work as ‘trial and error’.[11]
