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respond in a flexible manner can be easily disrupted by PTSD. With the Feldenkrais Method, we can do many things that invite changes into the nervous system without triggering a traumatic experience.
Feldenkrais practitioners monitor cues to adjust lessons to students’ needs. Practitioners continually attend to comfort and pain levels. Throughout lessons, we observe students’ behavioral states including: relaxation and alertness, quantity and content of speech, facial expressions, emotions, breathing characteristics, muscle tone, skin color, and movement characteristics including smoothness, transmission of forces through the skeleton, and changes in range of motion. The importance of self-care is emphasized. It is made clear to students that they have permission to do whatever they need to take care of themselves, whether it is crying, falling asleep, not doing the lesson, or leaving the room.
Because of the slower pace, the lack of goal and the directed attention in Feldenkrais lessons, students often find a greater sense of "me." They feel more grounded, straighter, lighter, more solid, taller. They can move more easily, with less pain, with a clearer sense of themselves and with more purpose. They can find a way to stem anxiety, gain self-confidence and unlock new potential.
Benefits of the Feldenkrais Method
• Improving posture, flexibility, balance, and coordination
• Enhancing physical well-being
• Reducing chronic pain, fatigue, stress, and muscle strain
• Quieting the nervous system
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