Feldenkrais

September 22, 2007 at 08:51 PM · I've heard that Rolfing is like being run over by a steam roller or going ten rounds with George Foreman.

September 22, 2007 at 09:12 PM · I can advocate for Feldenkrais. My experience so far is a short course called Feldenkrais for Singers at a local college. There is a longtime practitioner in my areaI mean to begin working with soon. It is nothing like rolfing. There is hands-on therapy plus exercises, both very low impact, with modest repetitive movement and resting periods. The core idea is around changing your nerve connections so you stop doing what damages. Sue

September 23, 2007 at 05:53 AM · Ray, no way, rolfing is great! I had thoracic outlet syndrome a few years ago and couldn't play, long story short, I saw a rolfer and started a yoga routine and that fixed it. If I hadn't seen that rolfer my other options would have been to quit indefinately or have a surgery. I remember feeling great after each session, really relaxed!

September 23, 2007 at 10:03 PM · I had a great rolfer, who said that the rolfers who run over you like a steamroller are not good rolfers. It was nothing like some of the "steamroller-like" experiences regarding rolfing that I've heard from others.

One of the things my rolfer mentioned is that AT developed from a guy who had a voice problem (Alexander) and Feldenkrais developed from a guy who had a lower extremeties (not sure on the specifics) problem (Feldenkrais).

She mentioned that Alexander was a tall lanky man and that Feldenkrais was a shorter stocky fellow.

After taking AT lessons, and experiencing all of the tremendous benefits that Buri talks about, it makes me wonder about Feldenkrais, of which I know almost nothing about. I'm not particularly tall and lanky. Or perhaps AT would lend itself toward the violin, whereas Feldenkrais would lend itself to, I don't know, kickboxers and soccer players?

September 24, 2007 at 04:22 AM · Working with a great Feldenkrais practitioner for one semester was one of the most influential experiences in my development as a violinist.

My Feldenkrais experience increased my range of motion, ease, and balance - not to mention comfort, speed, and sound production. It hasn't "clicked" for all of my friends who've tried, but it certainly worked for me - in fact I'm actively seeking a way to continue my Feldenkraising! I really couldn't recommend it highly enough.

J

September 24, 2007 at 07:45 AM · Jesse and Sue, Both of your comments sound a lot like those from someone who is doing AT. In fact, I've probably taken about 15 AT lessons and would say the same thing! Have you taken any AT lessons before?

At this point, I'm inclined to stay with AT, just because it's working so well, and because I have so much more to go with it, but I am really curious about just what Feldenkrais is. Do you have a way to explain it? I'd attempt to explain AT, but I think Buri has it so well covered.

September 24, 2007 at 01:03 PM · My favorite explanation from feldenkrais.com:

Ordinarily, we learn just enough to function. For example, we learn to use our hands well enough to eat, our legs well enough to walk. Our abilities to function with a greater range of ease and skill, however, remain to be developed. The Feldenkrais Method teaches—through movement—how we can improve our capabilities to function in our daily lives.

Also:

The Feldenkrais Method is based on the idea that each of us develops unhealthy movement habits through years of going about life automatically, overusing the body in repetitive ways and accommodating to previous injuries... We forget how to move with the ease and natural grace we had as children... The Feldenkrais Method simply creates the conditions necessary to experience more choices. The lessons are introduced in a slow, gentle, and pleasurable way, allowing us to discover ourselves and become interested and curious.

To answer your question, no I do not have any experience with AT. I would love to try AT at some point, but I don't feel any particular urgency, since F works so well for me. I would also be careful using the internet to determine the differences between F and AT - everything I have found is clearly written from one or the other vantage point, and the AT-point-of-view articles I have found all have what I would consider to be overgeneralizations or outright errors in their description of Feldenkrais. I would assume that F-point-of-view articles have the same problem.

What would be genuinely useful would be a published dialog between master practitioners of the two methods... Hmm - could we make that happen on violinist.com? Of course if you've found something that works great for you, that is the whole point, and perhaps energy spent evangelizing for a particular method would be better spent saying: "Just go try it!"