Funktional Integration

That's how the personal work (hands-on-work) of the Feldenkrais method is called. The main principles from the „Awareness through movement“-method apply.

 absence of unnecessary effort
 ease of movements
 differentiating repetitions

It usually happens nonverbally from different starting positions. The Feldenkrais teacher leads movements by his/her hands and reacts to the (for both sides) noticeable changes.

This largely without spoken words working method of the Feldenkrais work leads to impressive changes and improvements of body sensation and mobility. The direct and own perceiving of changes generates usable mobility on a mental and sensual level.

Both applications are based on the same principles, although they seem different at first glance.

While in „Awareness through movement“ the group members usually lay on the floor in different positions (on the back, on the front, sideways or sitting) and follow vocal instruction by the Feldenkrais teacher, there is another form of communication in the „Functional Integration“. There, the Feldenkrais teacher renounces spoken word and leads only by touching and moving.

A student of a Feldenkrais group lesson learns to perceive and act at the same time. He listens to the Feldenkrais teacher while he comments and rates these suggestions in his mind and explores the movement in the same time. This leads to moving perception and percepted movement.

On the other hand, there is a totally different learning situation in the „Functional Integration“, another perception channel. Movements that the teacher performs with the student are first of all felt, perceived and the resulting changes registered to finally, at the end of the lesson, explore and integrate them by own expierience.

At a Feldenkrais session, any change is related to the student's understanding of himself and his alternative course of action.
Yochanan Rywerant, Basics of professional Feldenkrais work

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