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Lions and Tigers Don’t Exercise, They Move
Moshe Feldenkrais said that. It’s a good statement, full of vigor and beauty. He liked it, and probably said it more than once. He might have shocked people, and he would have enjoyed that. A little provocation can be fun.
As you hear it, how does it land? Is it intriguing? The “lions and tigers” part is so lively. But – isn’t exercise good for you? Isn’t exercise exactly what one should have more of?
Many people who have back pain – and neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, etc. – consult various professionals, and are told that they need to be stronger and more flexible and that exercise will get them there. For some people, this works. But for others, it does not. When that is the case, the person may decide to look into this other approach: the Feldenkrais Method.
One can take the first step in various ways: through a group class, recordings, a weekend workshop, or private sessions. In all cases, you will be guided to experience movement in a different way from what you have most likely experienced so far.
What might you gain through exploring “lion-and-tiger-moving”?
You might:
- Regain and expand the experience that movement feels good
- Learn to attend to the linkages among the various parts of the body, so every action is – at least, heading toward — being a well-coordinated expression of the whole
- Learn to attend to the many supports for comfortable and effective movement, such as the breathing, use of the eyes and mental and emotional focus
- Learn to focus on creating options in movement as a basis for improvement
- Learn how to break complex movements into smaller parts and develop simple actions into progressively more complex actions
- Continue to improve in moving while getting older
- Rediscover the joy of a continually-expanding movements horizon.
It is possible that people who engage in the Feldenkrais Method over the long term have even more fun than lions and tigers. Would you like to be one of them?
